Lekkersing, Namaqualand

The small settlement of Lekkersing, established in 1926 by Ryk Jasper Cloete, lies 60 km east of Port Nolloth. It is said that its name (which means to sing joyfully or beautifully) originated from the fact that a small fountain in the area 'sang', so beautifully that an early resident promptly named the village. Incidentally the residents of Lekkersing are very good singers! Close to the town an exquisite red sand dune also "sings" after a rare rain and can be clearly heard resonating in a deep and ancient voice. Lekkersing is nestled in the hills of the Richtersveld, the faulted, age-old lava landscape of rugged mountain ranges interspersed by wide plains. Temperatures up to 53 degrees Celsius have been measured in this area, but the trees at Koersdap shelter you from the harshest sunshine. The old stone mine where the diamond quartzite was mined was established in 1964, and has produced exquisite slabs of stone in earthy reds and gold, used for tiling all over the world. Extraordinary dendrite formations are sometimes visible on these natural slates. The dendrites are patterns that look extremely similar to plant fossils, but they are in fact far older and have the same chemical composition as the snowflake crystal. Discover how flagstones and tombstones are cut out of quartzite at the mine, or explore the Skurwehoog caves, 30 km from Lekkersing on the road to Kuboes. If you are interested in local craft, the community workgroup 'Rusoord' will show you how to make 'riempie' chairs, 'velskoene', 'matjies' huts, dresses and 'kappies'.