With an abundant rainy season, comes a fresh, vibrant burst of pink, purple and white in the usual arid landscapes of Maltahöhe. On the farm Sandhof, about 35 kilometres north of the town, lies a salt pan nearly a thousand hectares in extent. For most of the year this pan is bone dry, but after a period of abundant rains, the pan fills up. If it reaches a depth of at least 15 centimetres, shoots push upwards through the shallow water and burst into bloom. As a result, the whole pan lights up with a vista of amaryllis lilies. Unfortunately the magical appearance is short lived. Within a few days, the flowers start to wither, are devoured by elephant beetles and a few days later just a muddy pan remains. Locals are debating the botanical reason for this phenomenon and the reason for the lilies to grow under such bizarre conditions is still an unsolved mystery.
This year, the lilies started blooming on Sunday, 24 January. As usual, visitors came from near and (mostly) far to witness this spectacle. A few days later, only a few wilted purple specks remained between a field of green stalks and mud coloured water.
Hopefully 2011 will bring some more good rains and a vibrant blaze of soft colours.
