非洲沙漠花园

纳马夸兰位于南非偏远的西北角,是世界上最特别的地区和地球上最不寻常的沙漠之一，深受植物学家和游客们的喜爱。在这片干旱的大地上生长着近3000种植物，绝大多数在地球的其他地区都未发现。当春天来到时，这个半沙漠地区忽然魔术般地变成花的海洋,令人眼花缭乱。据说,这种壮观的美景能让您“在游览纳马夸兰时两次落泪,第一次是在你抵达时,第二次是在你离开时……”但是，这一景象只能维持两个月时间，甚至会更短。花卉通常对温度非常敏感，当气温低于17摄氏度时(在海岸地区甚至为20摄氏度)，花期就会结束。当夏天到来时，纳马夸兰又将变得荒芜--仿佛此前的花海只是一个短暂的梦……This film chronicles the magical transformation of a landscape. Every spring, a barren stretch of land 100 km inland from South Africa’s west coast is briefly transformed into the largest flower show on the planet. Thousands of brightly colored species are pollinated by oil collecting bees within the few precious weeks before the blazing summer heat turns the garden to dust.Meerkats, ostriches and sheep also prevail in the springtime season of Namaqualand. But as summer approaches, these animals struggle to eke out an existence. Relief is found down the coast where icy but nutrient rich Atlantic waters rise up against Namaqualand’s shores. Summer is the perfect time for marine animals to breed.Half a million Cape fur seals and Cape gannets settle on beaches and rock to breed. Jackals roam the long beaches for food and seals prey on chicks of their neighbors. After seven months of scorching heat and searing winds, great Antarctic rainstorms sweep north and pound Africa’s west coast. Through the cold passage of winter, the desert slowly turns green and Namaqualand once again becomes the greatest garden on earth.