David Fleminger elaborates on the quaint attractions in an around the coastal town of Port Nolloth...
Tourism Infrastructure
Port Nolloth has a well-developed tourism infrastructure, so it’s a good place to start or end off your Namaqualand adventure. There are dozens of guest houses, inns, hotels and motels, and several restaurants specialise in fresh seafood straight off the fisherman’s boats.
The harbour, which was once the busy terminal of the copper-era Okiep-Port Nolloth railway, is now filled with fishing and diamond boats. There is an excellent museum on the beachfront, right next to the old lighthouse and the delightful, baby-blue Catholic Church. The museum is a good place to get tourist information about the town and the surrounding region. It also has extensive displays on the natural and cultural history of the region and an internet café. It is housed in the old Cape Copper Company Officials Club, dating from the 1880s.
MacDougall's Bay
A few kilometres down the coast, you’ll find the holiday resort of MacDougall’s Bay, with more guest houses and a well-known caravan park that is literally on the beach. This beautiful, unspoilt spot was once a diamond area and thus out of bounds. It was opened to the public around 1986 and, since then, it has blossomed. The presence of several estate agencies and numerous residential developments indicate that this is a resort town on the up. Longtime residents told me that they can’t believe how much the town has grown in the past few years, and property prices are already quite considerable.
The most well-known place to eat is definitely Anita’s Tavern. This warm bistro is decorated with a cosy clutter of nautical paraphernalia, and it’s a great place to spend an evening. The hosts are warm and welcoming and the food is excellent. It’s even been featured on several television shows, so it’s got to be good. I tried the house speciality, the Calamari Carpetbagger – two calamari steaks (breaded and deep fried) stuffed with mussels and cheese sauce. It was all a bit rich for my palate, but they serve a wide range of food so you should find something that appeals.
An Enchanting Place
Between Port Nolloth and MacDougall Bay, there’s Sizamile township (meaning ‘we have tried’). While driving through this location, I took some pictures of two kids riding their homemade go-carts down the sand dunes. When I was done, they came over to me. I was expecting them to ask for some money but, instead, they wanted to know if I had a screwdriver or a hammer to fix their vehicles. I respected their priorities.
On the outskirts of town, you’ll find several motor workshops, panel beaters, auto-electricians, hardware stores and tyre places. So, this is the place to go for mechanical repairs either before or after your Richtersveld odyssey. There’s also something here called the Richtersveld Experience, which offers information on the area, a restaurant, a pub, a guest house, river rafting excursions, hiking trips, 4x4 (vehicle) hire, tours, you name it. There are also a couple of other tour operators who run trips to the Richtersveld from Springbok.
Port Nolloth is renowned for having 4 seasons in one day. It also has the most number of fog days for any town in South Africa. Apparently, the easterly wind is the one that brings the sunshine, and the westerly wind is the one that brings the fog and the mist. Either way, it’s an enchanting place that is sure to delight its visitors.