Ek sien nie baie foto's van die blomme vanjaar nie. Manne, as julle kan, vat die pad en gaan kyk. Selfs die locals sê dis die mooiste blomme in baie jare. Elke jaar sê ons "ons gaan nie hierdie jaar kyk nie" en elke jaar ....... gaan kyk ons weer na die blomme.

Ons het hierdie keer nie die Biedouw-vallei gaan kyk nie. Ons het net een aand in Van Rhynsdorp oorgestaan. Die blomme het BINNE-IN die kamp begin. Die volgende dag deur die blomme-tuin na Garies gery, en daarvandaan na die Groenrivier-monding waar ons langs die see tussen die blomme gekamp het. Mense, geen manier om dit te beskryf nie. Asem-wegslaan-pragtig!

Toe lekker ge-4x4 teen die kus af tot by Strandfontein. MOET NIE DAAR GAAN STAAN NIE! Dis n vieslike plek wat nie eens n karavaanpark genoem kan word nie. (Lang strorie, nie moeite werd nie. Patetiese bestuur.) Ons het deurgedruk en by Elandsbaai in die tipiese ou-tydse hotel gaan slaap. Heerlik!

Blomme-kyk is Hemels! 

SanParke het twee parke in die Weskus.  Mense gaan besoek dit vir die blomme.  Regtig.  Die res van die jaar is daar nie eintlik iets om te sien nie.   Nawaqkwa se pad is 'n pyn vir enige voertuig.  Langebaan het eintlik nie iets om te sien nie.  Die koste van hierdie twee parke, soos soveel ander van die 22 nasionale parke, word gedra deur parke soos Kruger Nasionale Park. 

Ons het in Junie 2023 in Mapungubwe gekuier.  In Leokwe kamp was ons vir drie aande die enigste toeriste.  SanParke moet van iewers die subsidie van die park verhaal.

Dis feite.

Groete

Danie happy to see all the flowers, thanks for the update...

Theo, I have to differ ....

I believe the primary purpose of our National (all for that matter) Parks is preservation and conservation.

Google search says :

South African National Parks promotes the conservation of the country's natural and cultural heritage by managing a network of 22 national parks. SANParks also promotes conservation at local, national and international level.

Tourism is a beneficial spin off. (including foreign visitors, who also then visit the other parks, per their Travel Tails)

Even in Kruger, as I am sure you know, the roads cover, probably, less than 10% of the park. So vast expanses that we cannot access.

As far as West Coast National park goes, we have visited over 10 times and only once during and for the flowers. The last couple of years it has been for birding, which has a great variety to offer.

We are yet to visit Namaqua, on my bucket list, camping equipment being the limiting factor.

Richard your opinion is respected BUT the feet on the ground does not cover the cost of the staff and equipment required to support the parks on the West and South coast.  My neighbour across the road works for Environmental Affairs  and is tasked with liason with SanParks.  He knows what the loss account of  the majority of SanParks amounts to.  The West Coast and South Coast parks are loss leaders. This includes Mokala and Mapangubwe.   Something like 17 of the 22 National parks are loss leaders.     Having been a tourist in the flower parks last year opened my eyes to the waste of keeping those parks open - sorry to say.

If we accept that conservation is the main purpose of these parks it certainly cannot be said losses is a waste of money. The profits earned by some parks augment the cost of conservation. We tend to think everything revolves around us as human beings but in fact we are the most destructive force on earth. The well known Dave Pepler was asked what the purpose of the mosquito is and I think this illustrates this point. We should rather ask what the purpose on Man is and on a pure ecological level we would have to answer NONE.

At langebaan at the moment, flowers are everywhere. vredenburg, Paternoster, St Helena bay , Jacobs bay, a really incredible sight all around us.

George wrote:

At langebaan at the moment, flowers are everywhere. vredenburg, Paternoster, St Helena bay , Jacobs bay, a really incredible sight all around us.

We were at Leentjiesklip last year this time and the flowers were great, enjoy them.

I also sometimes wonder how SANPARKS survive.