TRAVEL STORIES
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2008-09-25 : KAROO DESERT NATIONAL BOTANICAL GARDEN |
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Spend a day at the Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden in Worcester. | |
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Spring in Worcester is a time of many 'lekker' days. Warm, but not too
hot and with a fresh breeze. So, what better way to
spend a beautiful Sunday than in the Karoo Desert National Botanical
Garden. It's a mere 120 kilometres from Cape Town and the scenic road over Sir Lowry's Pass, through Elgin and Villiersdorp is awesome. We drive through lush countryside with fruit orchards and vineyards to gradually enter more arid scenery. Enya and James sing happily as we meander through mountains and fertile valleys. Before the children get a chance to get bored, we arrive in Worcester, a large town bordering the 'thirst land', called the Karoo. We drive through a sleepy place, which during weekdays transforms into a bustling town. The botanical garden is situated in the foothills of the Hex River and Brandwacht Mountains, and overlooks the town. The fact that this garden is home to the only truly succulent collection in the southern hemisphere makes it absolutely unique. It lies within the succulent Karoo biome and is home to some 400 naturally occurring species. Furthermore, over 300 rare and endangered species are being protected and propagated in this botanical garden. Enya and James instantly fall in love with the minuscule stone plants in the well-stocked nursery with over 500 indigenous species and seed of over 200 indigenous species. As I turn around I see them counting their pocket money to buy one plant each, plus one for their granny. Each season brings along an interesting variety of species. We missed the flowering of most of the amaryllid bulb (geophytes) species, but are right in time to admire the giant quiver trees. They are Enya's favourites and she is over the moon when she walks through the garden's forest of quiver trees. One must admit that they do look spectacular with their sculptured trunks and dazzling yellow flowers full of nectar. The aloes are blooming and James tries to get close to the Malachite Sunbirds that are attracted by the plant's sweet nectar. We are told that, during winter, the surrounding mountains sometimes get covered in snow and that a substantial snowfall can last for as long as three weeks. There are plenty of little flowers pushing their heads through the lawns and I wonder how they will cope with the unavoidable cold fronts. The children hold a competition for who finds the most sorrel. It's amazing how many they find, and I have to keep on reminding them that we are in a botanical garden, so eating the sorrel in here is a no-go! As I accompany Enya and James to the garden's matjieshuis I discover an interesting ethno-botanical garden. It is called the Khoisan kookskerm and features plants that were (and sometimes still are) used by the people of Namaqualand. By now it is time for lunch and while I unpack my basket in the shade of a large tree in the wonderful picnic area, the children explore the lawn and the surrounding bushes in all wind directions. Some people follow the nature trail near the picnic area, but like most of the other families picnicking, we just relax and enjoy the surroundings until late in the afternoon. For the way back we take the shortest route via the N1 and in no time we are back home. CONTACT INFO Address: Roux Road, Van Riebeeck Park (off National Road), Worcester Email: karoodesert@sanbi.org Phone 023-3470785 For the Kokerboom restaurant, phone 023-3477751 GOOD TO KNOW
WHEELCHAIR FRIENDLY
Text by Petra Vandecasteele Photography by Paul Godard Tell us about your experiences, what was your best family outing this year? |
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