Namaqua National Park. Escape to the land of contrasts, where the rigorous climate has created a myriad of life forms superbly adapted to their specific habitat. Fields of flowers, starstudded nights, quiver trees, enormous granite outcrops and the icy Atlantic are but a few wonders that await the visitor to what is truly the creators playground. The South African National Parks is currently developing national parks to protect the fragile ecosystems of Namaqualand. The main focus areas for the new park include: The area around the Skilpad Wildflower Reserve, which is a well known tourist destination especially during the spring flowering season, the area between the Groen and Spoeg rivers which will allow for the protection of marine ecosystems as well as the associated estuaries, the establishment of the proposed national parks in the region will not only benefit the threatened environment, but will also be a catalyst for the region and, in particular, its tourism potential. Namaqualand falls within the winter rainfall region of South Africa. The annual average at Skilpad is 340 mm, specifically at Skilpad Nature Reserve. The highest rainfall period is from June to August. Average winter temperatures vary between 7°C and 19°C, while the winter temperatures vary between 20°C and 32°C. Skilpad Wildflower Reserve, which is part of the greater Namaqua National Park, is situated in the Hardeveld or Namaqualand klipkoppe, which is a broken chain of mountains of about 50 km wide. It separates the low-lying Sandveld to the west and the Bushmanland plateau to the east. The topography is characterised by granite outcrops with large round or flat exposed rock separated by sandy alluvial valleys. It is situated some 495 km from Cape Town off the N7 route to Namibia, and 67 km from the town of Springbok in the north. The nearest town is Kamieskroon, which is some 22 km from the reserve and park offices. Namaqualand is renowned for its annual mass display of wild flowers in spring and a rich diversity of succulent plants, with an estimated 3500 species, more than 1000 endemic to the area. Amphibians and reptiles are well represented, with a number of endemic species. The mammal species that have adapted to these harsh conditions include klipspringer, aardvark, baboon, steenbok, duiker, porcupine, black-backed jackal and leopard. If you would like further information please This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .