Doing the daisies

Good rains up the West Coast brought the dazzling mass displays of wild flowers for which the area is famed into early bloom, and so those vehicle-bound visitors to the West Coast National Park may have been disappointed on Tuesday. The sweeping fields of nodding blue, white, orange and yellow daisies were conspicuously green. But we were going to hike on the 15km trail, so would be able to access the wilder parts of the park where the flowers hide among the fynbos.

The wind was fresh and a cold front loomed across the sea, but we set off in intermittent sunshine across a stretch of colourful blooms. It wasn't long before we warmed up and started to shed the outer layers and the strenuous climb to the top of the ridge got our old hearts pumping! Many stops were made to enjoy the views across the aquamarine waters of Langebaan lagoon on the one side and the gigantic waves crashing against the seashore on the other, with billowing spray evidence of the approaching bad weather.

Once out of the lee and on top of the ridge overlooking Jutten Island and Saldanha, it was time to put the jackets back on, but the temperature was still warm enough for the flowers to remain open and delight our senses. The wind kept the birds sheltering in the bushes and only a small herd of springbok and a few of the brown zebra that I think are related to the kwagga were seen, unlike previous years when large herds of eland were grazing.

The terrain changed all the time, from exposed sandstone flats to granite boulders to sandy tracks, each with its own floral species, very noticeably so. We stopped for a coffee break and later a lunch break near the sea, but the length of the walk doesn't allow for much rest time and we were all pretty tired by the end after a 7-hour hike! The rain held off until we headed back to town, where terrible weather conditions combined with the usual log-jammed “rush hour” traffic saw us only getting back home near 8pm. A long day after a 6am start, but so worthwhile. A truly must-do hike, but rather make a 3-day event at a nice B&B to avoid the traffic chaos.