We spent a few days hunting wildflowers on the Westcoast and Namaqualand, in a vehicle that you wouldn't think should be there.
Petal to the metal
The diminutive Suzuki Ignis is not a new car, 4 years old and already 1 facelift in, the Ignis was one of those cars that you either loved or hated. Despite its small stature the Ignis is big on character and to prove that this little car is more capable than people give it credit so Suzuki decided to put it to the ultimate test.
Suzuki lined up 1 Jimny, 5 Igni, and 1 Brezza for an epic trans country trip to hunt down the swathes of wildflowers that blanket the Westcoast, Tankwa, Bushmanland, and Namaqualand ecological areas during the onset of spring, 1200km of tar, dirt, and heavily corrugated gravel roads.
Day 1
Day 1 was basically a straight shot from Cape Town airport along the N7 national route to the tiny town of Vanryhnsdorp. The scenery changes quite a lot along this 300km drive from lush green to semi-arid there is very little flowering to be seen, although you do spot a few clumps trying their best to bloom. The Ignis handled the freeway rather well keeping up a solid pace even while fighting against the notorious Cape Doctor wind.
Day 2
We had an early start on the day as we had to put in the km’s to reach our next destination before sunset. We departed on route to the town of Garies but took a detour via a few backroads through small villages and farms in the Groenkloof and Lelisfontein regions, drove via Karas and Doringkraal, and arrived in Garies after taking a bunch of pictures of the stunning wildflowers that had just begun blooming. From Garies we headed towards the coast at Hondeklipbaai via the small town of Wallekraal and onto our evening destination of Die Houthoop which we would use as a base for the coming days.
Day 3
The adventure really began on Day 3 as we left the coast and headed inland once again towards the mining town of Nababeep via the Zonnekwa Kammeeldoring forest, the small town of Kommegas, and through the Buffelsriver valley and the awe-inspiring Spektackle Pass. This inland area was on full vibrant display with just about every colour that nature could come up with. Pinks, blues, reds, purples, and the more common yellow and oranges blanketed the area. Truly a sight to behold and a testament to the ignis that got us there on some pretty gnarly roads. After leaving Nababeep we headed to Springbok to refuel ourselves and the cars and then took another loop to get us back toil the coast for a well-deserved sundowner.
Day 4
Day 4 would see us partially retrace or steps to the Zonnekwa and then hook a right and head towards the mountain area and the stunning Wildeperdehoek pass. The gravel pass will see you climb into the mountains surrounded on all sides by a blanket of colour as the wildflowers begin to bloom at the higher altitudes. The Ignis took the loose gravel and steep inclines in its stride, and we emerged on the other side of the Swartberg and into Springbok again for another bout of refueling before climbing onto the N14 towards Upington. It was rather surprising to see just how far inland these Namaqua wildflowers grow, even as far as Kuruman and Pofadder.
All good things must end
This particular trip is another brainchild of African Adventures who we have traveled with before on these Suzuki Safaris. The choice of the Ignis may seem strange but in reality it just goes stop show that the Ignis is quite capable of taking on an extreme road trip of this nature. I was left with a sense of amazement from both the display of nature and the engineering of the Ignis by the time we arrived in Upington. Sadly this is one of those safaris that can only be run once a year as this beautiful display requires specific temperatures and weather conditions for the flowers to explode into their canvas of colour.
Lawrence MinnieLawrence has been involved with motorsports for almost 30 years. Whether it's two wheels or four, if it has an engine, he will try to race it. This love of motor vehicles has led him to ride, drive, film, photograph, and write about his passion. Freelance for a while but now a permanent fixture on the AutoTrader team for over 7 years, Lawrence contributes written, photographic, and video content for AutoTrader and AutoTrader Bikes.View News & Reviews
Keyword: Suzuki Safari Namaqualand (2022)