Namaqualand, on first impressions, is a harsh, relentless, arid wilderness. Surface water is practically non-existent and subterranean water is brackish and hard to find. Namaqualand hides much of her treasure, which is great mineral wealth , with large copper deposits and rich diamond diggings on a hundred kilometres of its coastline. Gem-stones, gypsum and sillimatite are also mined. And here in this desert, one of the most remarkable wonders of nature occurs. In the spring, from mid-July to the end of September, provided there has been sufficient winter rain to create the right temperature, the spring flowers give the world its most beautiful botanical spectacle. The famous flowers of Namaqualand are of a wide variety, but principally saisies of many colours, red Gazanias, purple Cineraria, orange and black spotted Gortevia are a few of the species.