Our road trip from Pretoria to Mossel Bay this past weekend followed a by now familiar routine – around 1300 kms spread more or less equally over three days with stopovers near Bloemfontein and Graaff-Reinet.

What we love about road trips is the changing landscape along the way, which varies according to the season – that is when traffic and weather conditions allow you to take it in.

The first half of the journey tends to be busy, but once we branch off from the N1 National Road traffic diminishes and despite a narrower road the driving becomes easier, allowing us to scan the surrounding landscape.

What set this trip apart for us was the appearance of flowers at the roadside and extending into the adjoining fields in places.

Spring brings an abundance of wild flowers to the western parts of South Africa and we have enjoyed flower watching trips in previous years.
But the Karoo is not known for its spring flowers, so it was a pleasant surprise to see massed displays in places as we drove the second half of our journey, starting in the Willowmore area and continuing through to Oudtshoorn and beyond. Some examples …..

Bright orange daisies just south of Oudtshoorn…

Karoo Violets near Graaff-Reinet…

Vygies galore along the road between Oudtshoorn and De Rust….

Just what we needed after a couple of months of arduous clearing out and packing of our Pretoria home in preparation for our permanent move to Mossel Bay