This post is a blend of new things at two of our favorite places (Namaqualand and Hermanus) and a bit about our first adventures at three spots (Swartberg Pass, the town of Prince Albert, and rock art paintings in the Cederberg Mountains.)

In late August we returned to Namaqualand to see the spring wildflowers. This time we focused on the area in and around the town of Nieuwoudtville.  

We saw many of the same types of flowers as last year, but also a few new varieties. The red blossoms pictured at the top of this post are kleinsatynblom, found at Matjiesfontein.

The host at Boereplaas told us where to find the not-so-common red cup and saucer. Yes, that’s really the flower’s name.

And seeing blue cranes among the flowers just outside of Nieuwoudtville was an extra special treat.

Our second visit to the Quiver Tree Forest at Gannabos Farm, about a 30-minute drive from Nieuwoudtville, was surprisingly colorful. The trees were not blooming, but many wildflowers added to the forest’s beauty.

For more details about the spring wildflowers and quiver tree forest in Namaqualand, check out our previous posts: Bulbs a Bloomin’ parts 1 & 2 (September 2021).

Our month-long road trip included driving on the 24 kilometers of Swartberg Pass. Thomas Bain, an experienced and well known road engineer, designed the steep, curvy road in the late 19th century. Considered one of the finest mountain passes in the world, it was built over six years by 240 prisoners using pickaxes, crowbars, wheelbarrows, spades, sledgehammers, and gunpowder. Some areas of the road are held in place by hand-packed stone walls, a Bain trademark. Prior to the road’s construction, the only way over the mountain was a path for hikers and horseback riders. When the road opened in 1888 travelers went over the pass using ox wagons and horse carts. The first car reached the 1583 meter summit in 1904. 

After our enjoyable drive on Swartberg Pass, we arrived in the Karoo town of Prince Albert. Even though no 19th century British monarchs visited this area of South Africa, the town was named after Queen Victoria’s husband in 1845. During our two-night stay we walked along the main road and several side streets to see the town’s many charming buildings with Cape Dutch, Karoo, and Victorian style architecture. 

We made a special point to go to the Sevilla Rock Art site, 34 kilometers from the town of Clanwilliam and in the Cederberg Mountains. While walking along the 4.7 kilometer trail, we stopped at the 9 marked locations to see the paintings left behind by the San people who inhabited the area for thousands of years. 

Each time we stay in Hermanus we see and experience new things, one of the reasons we keep going back. At least once a year the local art community changes the sculptures displayed at Gearings Point. And artists add more murals to the buildings in the Old Harbor area. 

Whale season in Hermanus and the surrounding area spans the months of June through November. Southern Right Whales swim 3,000 kilometers from the Antarctic to the warmer waters along the south coast of South Africa. Pregnant females give birth in August and September and the males arrive in October to mate with the other females. The chances of seeing a whale or two in Hermanus during winter and spring are quite high. And the World Wildlife Fund designated the town as one of the 12 best sites in the world for whale viewing.

This set of photos is from a 30 minute period of time one afternoon in September at Gearings Point. 

During prior visits we had heard and read about the Hermanus whale crier, but were never in the right spot to see him. During our September stay we finally saw him! And surprisingly not just once, but three different times. Based on the idea of Britain’s town criers, the Hermanus whale crier walks along the cliff path near the Old Harbor and blows his kelp horn when he sees a whale. Tourists and locals enjoy the sight and sound of the whale crier plus the added assistance in finding the large creatures. 

We were extremely fortunate to see a brindled Southern Right Whale calf one spring afternoon.  Very few of the mostly white calves are born in Walker Bay each year. 

For more details about Hermanus, check out our previous posts: Coastal Creatures (November 2021), A Favorite (February 2021), and Exploring Africa’s Southern Coast  (April & May 2019).