NORTHERN CAPE
Marina of Koms Quiver Tree Nursery
If one person embodies that spirit, however, it’ s Marina Bothma. To call Marina the guardian of the quiver tree wouldn’ t be an exaggeration. Since 2005, she has been cultivating quiver trees from seed under a special permit, making her the only registered grower of her kind in the region. Many of the young quiver trees sold throughout the Northern Cape actually begin life in her nursery before finding homes across South Africa and even overseas. But statistics don’ t tell Marina’ s story. The real experience begins the moment she starts talking. Within minutes you’ re learning why cinnamon encourages healthier root development, how often young quiver trees should be watered, what threatens their survival in the wild and why conserving these remarkable plants matters so deeply. Ask one question and you’ ll receive five fascinating answers, each delivered with the enthusiasm of someone who genuinely loves sharing her knowledge. There’ s usually tea involved too. No stopwatch. No rush. Just conversation. After losing her husband a few years ago, Marina now dedicates much of her time to welcoming visitors, and it’ s impossible not to leave inspired by both her passion and her generosity. Spending an hour with her feels less like visiting a nursery and more like attending a masterclass presented by one of the country’ s foremost experts on these remarkable trees.
and followed the Orange River deeper into the Northern Cape, I realised something else. I hadn’ t even reached the Augrabies Falls yet.
If the first two days were anything to go by, the best was yet to come. The landscapes become increasingly dramatic the further you travel along the Quiver Tree Route. One moment you’ re following the Orange River through lush vineyards, the next you’ re standing above one of South Africa’ s greatest natural spectacles as millions of litres of water thunder into an ancient granite gorge. The Khoi people called it Aukoerebis – the‘ Place of Great Noise’ – and standing at Augrabies Falls, it’ s impossible to think of a more fitting name. At 56 metres high, the waterfall isn’ t South Africa’ s tallest, but sheer height isn’ t what makes it extraordinary. If you’ re lucky, you may even witness one of Augrabies’ most magical moments. Under the right conditions, a double rainbow forms in the spray, stretching across the gorge like nature’ s own welcome sign. I was fortunate enough to experience exactly that, and no photograph quite captures what it feels like standing there, surrounded by deafening water while two rainbows hang effortlessly in the mist. It’ s one of those travel moments you never forget.
Augrabies Falls
It’ s encounters like these that make the Quiver Tree Route so memorable. Yes, the scenery is spectacular. Yes, the food is excellent. Yes, the wine is outstanding. But long after you’ ve unpacked your suitcase, it’ s the people you’ ll remember first.
And as I climbed back into the car( a brand-new Suzuki Jimny) after yet another fascinating conversation,
Double Rainbow
SPRING 2026 • rovesa. co. za | 89