Shipwreck Trail
From the icy waters of the Atlantic coastline, past two old diamond-mining towns and on towards the rugged ranges of the Hardeveld and Kamiesberg is the 37-kilometre Shipwreck Trail, which clambers past ships that found their final resting place on the shore.
As its name suggests, the Shipwreck Trail links three major wrecks - the Piratiny, Border and Arosa. All that remains of the Piratiny is a rusted shell and fragments of old leather shoes in amongst the mussel shells and plants only a few metres from the wreck. It's a route over sand dunes, along beaches and on old prospecting tracks - but what makes it special is the sighting of the wrecks. It's 4x4’ing with a place to go, something to see.
Spektakel Pass
There is an absolutely great drive to Kleinzee that starts from the town of Springbok. From the centre of Springbok, follow signs for Kleinzee. This tarred road (R355) offers great views over Springbok before levelling out and heading west across the plateau. Here you’ll see several large stands of flowers, especially in the township of Matjieskloof where the wild flowers bloom indiscriminately among the shacks and little houses. It’s good to see that the flowers are very egalitarian. They bloom everywhere and add a welcome dose of visual splendour to what would otherwise be a rather dull landscape.
From Matjieskloof, you can continue down the Spektakel Pass which offers expansive views out over the hilly plains that lead to the sea. After about 40 km from Springbok, there is a turn-off to the settlement of Komaggas. A beautiful drive of about 20 km will bring you to this pleasant village with its colourful houses and friendly residents, most of whom work on the mine at Kleinzee. The road is tarred up to the village, before switching to gravel on heading off towards the coast on a restricted road.
If you forsake Komaggas and continue straight on the R355 you will arrive at the De Beers owned mining town of Kleinzee (about 100 km from Springbok). Please note that access to the town is restricted and, if you want to visit, you must arrange a permit through the Kleinzee Museum or the Houthoop guest house. Once you have secured access to Kleinzee, you can go on a group tour through their mining operation.
Unspoilt Beach
Kleinzee Beach is perfectly pretty. Its ivory-coloured sands are warmed by the sun and cooled by the Atlantic Ocean - it is ideal for lazy strolls, a game of Frisbee, or building the best sand castles. The water temperature is fairly cold - averaging about 16.6 degrees Celsius (or 62 degrees Fahrenheit) in summer. But, this is super-refreshing on a sweltering summer’s day; especially for surfers and paddlers in wetsuits.
There are some shipwrecks lying on the age-old sands of Kleinzee Beach too. These rusty remnants lie like skeletons of the past explorers that lost a brave war against the elements for which this stretch of the South African coastline is known for. These make spectacular backdrops to your photographs and are such fun to explore.