Kamieskroon, the heart of Namaqualand in flower

We are now based here in Kamieskroon for the next four days with the Namaqualand National Park close by. Yesterday's walk was along the road to Hondeklipbaai which skirted the north of the Park. Today we will explore the area around Skilpad.

I had certain expectations about the Namaqualand flowers but goodness me I had no idea. It has been quite the most beautiful of experiences and we have loved looking at each and every little flower.

It is a spectacle beyond ordinary language. Once again Fred was loving the photography, he even had me crawling on hands and knees to get the 'perfect' Sharon in the flower moment!

Here are a couple of his favourites from the National Park today, they are joyous, a riot of colour, what a special day it has been.

• Walking log: 19th August

Real milestone achieved today, we crossed the 100 kilometre point on our Ultra Walk. Felt exciting and also daunting to have to repeat it all 2 more times!

With lots of  care before and during the walk, Frik got my feet walking ready. They have not gotten worse for which I am indeed grateful.

Total kilometres to date: 120km of 301km

Skilpad Viewpoint

The camel thorn in Bushmanland

Camel thorn in Bushmanland

O, Boesmanland, vat my hand en lei my oor die rant se kant.

As jy vir my kan sê waar die Boesmanland lê.

Boesmanland vat my hand.

I am taken by the majesty of this camel thorn from our walk on the farm, Klein Pella, there is nothing else that looks so strong and rooted like it in the Bushmanland landscape.

I am reading 'Weeping Waters' by Karin Brynard, and one of her characters plants a camel thorn on a grave and talks about the tree:

"It's the old man of the Kalahari. The wise man. Did you know they can live for up to three hundred years?"

"It doesn't need rain. It's a desert tree. It's roots will find water forty metres deep. He can see, that tree. Very far. Into the future. And into the past. It knows everything - even before it happens -so it makes provision. The old people say it has it has second sight, because it predicts the drought."

"...a wild thing, that won't allow itself to be tamed..."