The surprises here are small ones. An antelope steps out from behind a thorn tree, a pale dune turns copper as the sun drops, and a gravel road you expected to be empty ends at a farm stall selling cold drinks. Distances are long, so every small discovery feels earned.
The weather is mostly arid and sunny, with summer rain, a dry winter and a cool, often foggy coast. Days begin cool and turn bright, so plans bend around the light. When your plans run out, a Local Friend picks the next stop, usually somewhere you would have driven past.