Diamond Coast - Forever Namaqualand

The two villages Kleinzee and Koiingnaas, about 100km from Springbok, are part of the Diamond Coast - as the area has become known - which holds a beauty and mystique of its own with its cultural diversity and mineral mining (permits to visit these towns must be arranged in advance).  A resident colony of some 350 000 Cape fur seals attracts visitors to the admiralty strip, adjacent to the mining area. 

The area has a rich biodiversity of miniature succulents, stem succulents, low leaf succulents and bulbs.  Endemic species such as the strandvygie, vaalvygie and knoppiesblaar can also be found.  The Kleinzee Nature Reserve, an area no bigger than eight rugby fields has in excess of 100 species and 25 families, showing all the splendour of Namaqualand.

The diamond coast has more than 100 bird species and 27 mammal species (including the brown hyena and bat-eared fox).  Chameleons, snakes, geckos, frogs and tortoises also abound. 

Visitors are welcome to enjoy the various tours on offer:

Tours on offer on the Diamond Coast
Shipwreck Trail: 37km Coastal drive – 09:00 to 14:00

Your journey starts at Noup or Koiingnaas Caravan Park 13km from Koiingnaas. Over the years the stormy Atlantic Ocean prevented many ships from completing their voyages, sending them to a final resting-place along the coast between Koiingnaas and Kleinzee.  We will visit three of these shipwrecks, namely the Piratiny, Arosa and Border on pristine beaches, as well as other places of interest.

Strandveld Trail:  Dune drive 27km – 09:00 to 14:00

The unexplored Strandveld forms part of the Namaqualand coastal plain called Sandveld. You will visit the game reserve where gemsbok, springbok, ostriches, and smaller antelope such as steenbok and duikers roam the fields.

Mine Tours:  Kleinzee (weather permitting) Depart 08:00 from Kleinzee Mine Museum

This is the world of diamonds.  Diamonds arrived in Namaqualand many years ago when they were washed down the rivers into the sea.  As the waters receded, some of the gems remained on the shoreline.  During our mine tour we will introduce you to the toughest of the tough, those mortals who wrench these diamonds from the bowls of the earth.  You may board the massive dragline and watch the operator hoist up to 70tons of sand with each scoop (production permitting).  There is also a resident seal colony of more than 350 000 Cape fur seals within the mine area.