Just look at this flower over here,” Leana van Wyk says, bending over a burgundy flower in a little earth-hugging plant at the Matjiesfontein Padstal south of Nieuwoudtville. “It’s called koppie en piering (red cup-and-saucer) or man in die boot (man-in-the-boat). It is fertilised by mice that carry the pollen on their noses.
“We have so many plants here in our town ... that’s why it’s called the bulb capital of the world,” she declares proudly. “And our flowers on our farm are looking really beautiful this year after the good rains.” She catches herself midthought before adding, “But it’s actually the Lord’s flowers.”

It’s early August and only the start of the flower season. We have also just begun our long-weekend exploration of three 4x4 trails and four gravel roads in the Hantam Karoo and Biedouw Valley, and already our heads are spinning with the list of names she is rattling off just in the area around the farm stall: blue sambreelastertjie that looks like a stripped umbrella, yellow daisy-like gloss-eyed parachute-daisy, the small yellow buttons of the kleinganskos (buttons) and, of course, white Namaqualand daisy.

And these are just a few that represent the staggering 1 350 plant species botanists have ticked off in the area.
As the Springboks are laying into the Wallabies at Newlands this Saturday afternoon, time is precious for Leana’s son Kobus and a buddy, who have pulled up with a Cruiser to lead us on the Swartklip 4x4 Trail − they want to be back at five to watch the game on TV.
Leana invites us for a bite of (gulp!) offal, skuinskoek (diagonally cut cakes) and potjiekos, or even a tractor ride to view the 400 ha of flower-studded veld around the farm stall. But we have to get going on the trail through 7 000 ha of flowers on the farm Boereplaas just up the road.

Our four-day itinerary is chock-full − before it ends at the Biedouw 4x4 Trail in the Cederberg’s Biedouw Valley, we also want to do the Vergenoeg 4x4 Trail near the farm Hantamsdrif, and four gravel roads in three areas around Nieuwoudtville: those on Papkuilsfontein in the south, where the Swartklip 4x4 Trail is located; in the northwest, the Grasberg and Kloof roads near the Bokkeveld Mountains; and in the northeast − the Rondekop Route east of the R357 past the Quiver Tree Forest, and a linking easterly loop off the R355 that passes another quiver tree forest before rejoining the R355 9 km south of Loeriesfontein.

Furthermore, if you’re tired of sitting in the vehicle, you could slot in a hike in the Hantam National Botanical Garden, a short walk at the Nieuwoudtville Waterfall (try to time it when there are no tourist busses ...) and a sundowner pitstop at a quiver tree forest.

South of Nieuwoudtville: Papkuilsfontein, Swartklip 4x4 Trail

On the first day we’re tackling the area south of Nieuwoudtville.
Eager to check out the terrain at Papkuilsfontein, some 23 km south of Nieuwoudtville, we headed out on a drenched farm track before sunrise. After a close encounter with the “kuil” bit on Papkuilsfontein, we understood why it’s recommended that you drive the farm’s trail in the dry summer months.
It was a sobering reminder of how a capable vehicle like our 3-litre Toyota Hilux D-4D 4x4 can save your day, or even weekend. For the rest of the morning we settled on following the tame farm tracks to a bush camp.
The camp services a 15 km-long 4x4 trail with a difficulty rating of 4-5.
Extending over rocky mountainous terrain, you climb to the rim of a 180 m-high canyon with a grand view. The trail then traces the edge of the canyon with a view of the Oorlogskloof Nature Reserve.
You need a day or two just to explore the 4x4 trail, hiking trails and swimming pools at Papkuilsfontein, but as we lacked that luxury we headed for the next crowd-puller − Matjiesfontein Padstal some 10 km to the north.
From here you can set out for the softroader- and family-friendly Swartklip 4x4 Trail.
The 22 km trail runs into the red dolerite hills and among some of the 80 flower species found only here, such as the rooi katstert (broad-leaved bulbinella).
Flower guide in hand, Kobus also points out the brilliant and scarce purple perskussing, Bokkeveld crocus and yellow bulbinella. Before making tracks to watch the rugby, he lures us back for another visit by pointing out we could see the rare candelabra flower as well as the gifbol in full bloom if we returned in February.
But our idea of sports for this weekend is to find what is said to be the largest quiver tree forest in South Africa – 27 km north of Nieuwoudtville, at the Gannabos turn-off right on the R357 to Loeriesfontein.