Nieuwoudtville
Nieuwoudtville located in the Northern Cape province is a beautiful historic town in the great Karoo. Characteristic are the sandstone buildings of which the Neo-Gothic sandstone church is the center.
Nieuwoudtville is immensely popular in the Wild-Flower season. The unique location in the Bokkeveld of the Karoo, where the Hantam Karoo meets the Cape fynbos, here is the bulb capital of the world. A sea of flowers will rise around the town after a wet winter, in early spring, when the sun will warm the earth. The Nieuwoudtville Wild Flower Reserve covers 115 hectares and has more than 300 species of native flora. The “Red Cats Tail” (Bulbanella sp) is unique for this area.
The rich flora naturally also attracts a lot of insects and here alone you can see 63 species of ants. Reptiles and 200 species of birds could also be crossed off your list. The aardvark, the mongoose, porcupine, klipspringer, ibex, baboons, fox, and in the mountains the leopard feel very much at home here.
The garden at the church and the surrounding farms are given a special look by this floral splendor. You can visit numerous farms and it is fun and educational to see what people are doing here. It will certainly make your stay something special when you get to see and hear the ‘ins and outs’ of the locals! So find out more about sheep, grain and rooibos … and go on the farm! On some farms you will also find ancient rock paintings, once left by the Khoisan people.
In the Wild-Flower season (end of July-September) you should definitely visit the Glenlyon Farm, which is now the Hamtam Botanical Garden, but also outside of this period it is a wonderful place to linger. A place with a fantastic view over Namaqualand is the Aryans Pass which is located 8 km west of the town.
Just outside Nieuwoudtville you will find one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the country, a small natural wonder with a big impact. The Nieuwoudtville Falls is 100m high and disappears into the Doring River. You can bring something tasty for the picnic area so that you can enjoy the rustling water in peace.
You can see water that no longer rustles 6 kilometers outside the city where you will find traces that were left behind by a glacier some 300 million years ago.
At the Oorlogskloof Nature reserve you can take beautiful walks, look for the exuberant bird life; booted eagle and black stork are observed here. It is also the place where you can find San Art or visit the Quiver Tree Forest.
In the evening you look at the stars and realize that the weather was a beautiful and peaceful day here in South Africa.
