landscape but lured there by the promise of a colourful floral experience, which is now in its peak. Getting into the Suzuki Ignis, sets off your adventurous spirits without any effort. magine this, disembarking your Airlink flight in Upington for the very first time. Surrounded by what initially appeared to be a rather bland and dry I Hello, Northern Cape. We plugged our cell phone into the infotainment system, and Apple Carplay pops up, playing “I Feel Alive” by COIN, the perfect song to start our ‘ road less travelled ’ and set the mood for the adventure we were about to set off on. Wildflower Safari! Let ’ s chat about the Suzuki Ignis for a minute. Besides having Apple Carplay and Android Auto, it comes packed with features perfect for an adventure – fuel consumption of 5l/100km, a rear-view camera, parking sensors, cruise control and a lot more. Fasten your seatbelt, here we go. We love taking the road less travelled; I think it ’ s a line we use a lot which resonates with our travel style. We love exploring places that many may not yet have seen. Sometimes it pays off and other times it doesn ’ t. This time, it did. As we all got together at the start of a really long dirt road just outside of Poffadder, it sunk in, it ’ s just the Ignis, our editor, me and Apple music for this Wildflower Safari we ’ re embarking on. Infotainment System Apple Carplay & Android Auto WILDFLOWER SAFARI THROUGH NC. BY JAY-DEE VAN RENSBURG Along the way we stopped at a quaint padstal (farmstall) to purchase ‘ skuinskoek ’ . Pre arrival, we were told we HAVE to try this buttery, almost croissant- like pastry! We bought an entire bag! 1 NORTHERN CAPE | SUZUKI SAFARI NAMAQUA WILDFLOWERS After a perfect night ’ s rest, we were ready to go on the hunt for more wildflowers. We drove through the yellow fields of flowers in Springbok en route to Nababeep. Nababeep is bright and beautiful with lots to explore, such as the Mining Museum which highlights the copper boom and houses several historical artefacts. The Clara, a narrow-gauge steam locomotive used to transport copper ore to Port Nolloth is also on display. During spring, the magnificent display of spring flowers is spectacular to say the least. The entire town is ablaze with orange and yellow masses of blooms. One is unable to step anywhere without stepping into this profusion of natures' annual boast. The next moment, we ’ re in an oasis of flowers and bright, bold colours. It was a little surreal going from a rather bland and dry landscape to this magical and vibrant display. After exploring the very long dirt road, we ended up in Springbok. We popped into the Springbok Lodge Restaurant for lunch. Founded by Annelize and Jakkie, and Reolf (who married Jakkie). The restaurant is well known for its fresh and delicious milkshakes presented in old-school milk bottles, as well as delicious home cooked meals. We then headed to our homestead for the trip, Die Houthoop Guesthouse. It was a truly inspiring space, welcoming, homey and remote. Looking at the surrounds I was in awe – the raw beauty of the Northern Cape, its people and the adventure were surpassing all my expectations. 2 NORTHERN CAPE | SUZUKI SAFARI 3 NORTHERN CAPE | SUZUKI SAFARI SPEKTAKEL PASS hilst adventuring through the Northern Cape in our Ignis we discovered the magnificent Spektakel Pass, which offers expansive views out over the hilly plains that lead to the sea. About 40km from Springbok, there is a turn-off to the settlement of Komaggas. A beautiful drive of about 20km will bring you to this pleasant village with its colourful houses and friendly residents, most of whom worked on the mine at Kleinzee. The road is tarred up to the village, before switching to gravel and heading off towards the coast on a restricted road. Checkout our upcoming December edition for a more in-depth view about the beautiful Northern Cape. W The highlight of this journey has been visiting the Spektakel Pass, it sparked my newfound love of the Northern Cape and it's diversity in beauty. Writers's Note NORTHERN CAPE | SUZUKI SAFARI EXPANSIVE VIEWS OUT OVER THE HILLY PLAINS 4