Ruins in the sunset

We had read about a ruined village just outside Nieuwoudtville and were intrigued enough to take the extra time at the end of the long day to go and take a look.  As we jolted along the corrugated dirt road we began to see the remains of sandstone structures glowing in the late afternoon sunlight.

A glimpse through spring blossoms to the fields of yellow cats tails beyond...

Brushing past the flowering branches ...

to see the sun glowing through a window in the remains of the tall gable.

A completely different view from the other side of the gable.

The village was built by early trekboers who found a large plateau of sandstone with several springs on it.  They built their houses from the golden sandstone and the beautifully packed and placed stones stand as a tribute to their skills.

 

And finally, the tenacity of nature can only be admired and marvelled at.

 

Hidden Beauty

Leaving the flower fields we headed for the area where, we'd been told, we would find glacial pavements in the fields.  Striations on the rocks would clearly show the passage of thousand of rocks and pebbles tumbled along by the movement of the glaciers. We should look also for the tiny flowers growing in even tinier pockets of soil on and around the rocks.  We found the formations which are from the Permian era 280 million years ago and, sure enough, the striations looked as if they'd been scored into the granite hard rock with a garden rake.

 And then, oh then, we found the delicate little beauties hiding beneath the grasses; difficult to photograph because of the brisk breeze but at least you get the idea.

 

Further along the road were signs of spring on its way.

Cape cottages built with sandstone and planted around with orange aloes.

Fields of gold

Continuing on our journey we made for Matjesfontein, a local farmstall famous not only for its edibles and old sandstone buildings, but for the spectacular fields of flowers surrounding it.  The first structure you notice before entering the gates is the ubiquitous windpump, a feature of all South African farms in the low rainfall and arid areas of the country.

  
The flowers seem a little insignificant at first until you get out your car and see the drifts of a bulb popularly called katstert or cat's tail.  You lie down on the ground (with great difficulty) and take a pic and then get totally carried away by the dazzling cadmium yellow blooms gently moving against the backdrop of the deep blue African sky.

 

Next, you really start looking at all the small beauties hidden below the grass.  Every flower has its own particular variety of pollinating beetle which is attracted only to that flower, either by its colour, markings or smell.

And then there are the bold, flamboyant beauties which do no hiding at all.

Quiver Tree Forest

The next morning, after an early start, we arrived at one of only two quiver tree forests in the world.  The forest grows up the side of the mountain and some trees can reach the grand old age of several hundred years.  Water is stored in the the beautifully marked trunks and enables the trees to grow in such arid conditions.

This is a picture from last year's trip but it gives an idea of what the area can look like as different varieties of flowers come into bloom.

Along the way to our next destination we stopped off at the Nieuwoudtville Falls.  These falls are 100 metres tall and are quite a surprise to come across as they originate from the Doring River which meanders along the flatish fields only to suddenly and without any warning drop down into a steepsided and winding gorge.

Arriving in Nieuwoudtville

In the late afternoon we arrived in Nieuwoudtville, a small village nestled amongst trees and fields of spring flowers.  This town is rightly called the bulb capital of the world, with botanists and enthusiasts from all over the world arriving during the flower season to immerse themselves in the beauty of the blooms.  Sheets of reflecting water everywhere were evidence of good rains so the signs were promising for excellent flower spotting the next day.

Passing the local garage ...

Setting sun, gleaming water.