Namaqualand, Richtersveld from 2nd Sept to 19th 2011

[GI Jane]

Our plans so far are 3 nights at Kamieskroon with day trips to Groenriviermond, Hondeklipbaai, and Namaqua national park and coastal section. Then on to Brandkaros campsite for a night of electricity, to recharge trailer, camera and laptop batteries and then 9 days in the Richtersveld. 3 days each at Potjiespram, Kokerboomkloof and finally De Hoop. Has anybody been into the Richtersveld lately and have any suggestions? Also read mixed reviews about Brandkaros campsite any feedback on that? Will there be any forum members in any of those areas at that time? Then have 4 night left with no plans yet. Any suggestions on other places to go to on our way back to the West.... ie Som. West.

[pietpetoors]

Val, I just came from there and will load pictures tomorrow.
Next to the tar you will get most flowers between Kamieskroon and Springbok, the flowers are spectacular. If I were you I would go up that extra couple of Km's to Springbok then go back to the Namaqua Park. Just outside Springbok just past the airfield is a small Nature reserve with lots of flowers and a garden with all the succulents you get in the area.

If you enter the Namaqua Park at Skilpad you will enter at the place with the most flowers. Do the Carracal route (Rooikat roete), it is far better than the normal roads. When we went up the coast at Groenrivier it was cloudy so the flowers did not open but we could see that there are lots of flowers.

As for the Richtersveld, I am not a big fan of Potjiespram, I like De Hoop more. The road between Potjiespram and De Hoop is one of the most beautiful parts of the park so make enough time to drive it. If you don't look around it can take you two hours, if you do it our way it will take you 6 hours.

There are flowers in the Richtersveld and the most are on the road to Helsberg. If you love flowers and succulents you will spend all day on this route. The nicest part is before you go down the pass. I think the pass is only 50km from De Hoop.

It is sad to see that most quiver trees in Kokerboomkloof are dieing , but on that road to Helsberg you see more quiver trees than at Kokerboomkloof itself. By the way, on the road from Kamieskroon to Skilpad (main gate of Namaqua Park) you will pass a hill that have hundreds and hundreds of quiver trees.

If I look at you planning, personally I would include Springbok and I would rather stay longer at De Hoop than Potjiespram. Maybe stay your first day at Potjiespram so that you have enough time the next day to take a rustig drive to De Hoop.
When you get to De Hoop, dont camp where everybody camp. Drive past the ablution block, between the ablution and river. There is a washed away road, follow that and 100 metres down that road is a far better place than the main area.

Camping at De Hoop

Nature Garden at Springbok

springbok-blomme.jpg

Flowers Outside Springbok

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[Johannes van die See]

Welkom terug Pieter, lai daai foto's dit lyk sommer klaar mooi!

[GI Jane]

Thanks Pieter. Those photo's are amazing. We are towing a 4x4 trailer and using campsites as a base and plan to explore daily without it. De Hoop was fully booked for the first week of our stay in Richters, but maybe we can try and get there earlier, ie. cancellations etc.. Hope we get lots of sun and flowers. Possibly spend some time at Sprinbok after the Richtersveld. Thanks for the suggestions will definitely check out those routes.

[pietpetoors]

Remember to take enough water. The water at ablutions in Richtersveld comes from the river so you cant drink it. I always try to take 5 litres per day per person which is enough for drinking, cooking and washing up. If you use their water to do the dishes and stuff you might need less.

[GI Jane]

Thanks Pieter will have enough water. The trailer carries 80 lt and will take bottled water for drinking. Do you have any mapsource routes that you drove in the Richtersveld. Have plotted a number of them to load onto my gps, but would be interested to see what routes you took if you have them. That Helsberg road you took, is it in the park, or is it Helskloof road that is close to Eksteenfontein and Nababiep Nature Reserve. I know there is a Helskloof gate in the park that is closed.

[pietpetoors]

It goes over the Helsberg and down Helskloof. Helskloof gate is now open and the road is much more drivable than a couple of years back, actually it is too easy now.

They now erected a gate just before you get the Helskloof gate where you have to sign in. I think many people used Helskloof as a backdoor coming in the park.

So you now have to book in at that gate, then go to Park office to officially book in. They then stamp an exit permit which you have to hand in again and the gate close to Helskloof gate. Actually the Helskloof gate was removed completely and the road just goes to this new gate.

I did plot the tracks but battle to get the GPS to communicate with my laptop, I received it the day before we left. So hopefully I will be able to sort it out in the next 2 days