For many the West Coast is an acquired taste--kilometers of empty, often windswept beaches and hardy coastal scrub, low horizons and big skies, lonely tree-lined dirt roads, and distant mountains behind which lie lush pockets carpeted in vineyards make this a truly off-the-beaten track experience. The main reason most visitors venture up here is to catch the spring flower displays that occur in the West Coast National Park anytime from the end of July to early September; but this aside, there are a few more gems to uncover -- like eating fresh crayfish with your feet in the sand or living like the landed gentry at the Melck homestead at Kersefontein.
Flower Viewing -- It is impossible to predict when each annual flower season will occur, but rainfall is obviously key. Another determinant is temperature, which is why flowers rarely open before 10am and hardly at all on overcast days. Remember that flowers turn toward the sun, so make sure you have the sun behind you when traveling. For the same reason, the flowers are at their best during the hottest part of the day, from 11am to 4pm. The floral carpets are spectacular from the car, but you'll need to stop and walk to marvel at the myriad species -- at last count, some 4,000. To find out where the best displays are, call the Flower Line (tel. 083/910-1028).
