As I sunk my teeth into the sweet, white flesh, warm juice ran down my chin and dripped into the sand. Red shells sizzled on the grill, promising more luscious delights and all that could be heard were sighs of ecstasy.
This kind of experience epitomises the Northern Cape's West Coast region, which is synonymous with crayfish (best eaten braaied on the beach), diamonds and spectacular wildflowers in spring. However, when you dig a little deeper, you'll be further rewarded with a unique culture, stories tall and short, an unspoilt coastline, skuinskoek (cake), and fabulous scenery.
If you're travelling north up the N7 en route to Namibia or the Richtersveld, take some time to explore the forgotten backroads off this main route. Vanrhynsdorp, on the N7, is situated about 300km from Cape Town and the highlight here is the succulent nursery, which is claimed to be the largest of its kind in the world.
This region is also where three botanical kingdoms converge: Nama-Karoo vegetation, Knersvlakte succulents and Cape fynbos. Further north lies Garies, a small town that sits below a hill of large granite boulders.
The main street offers accommodation, garages, small supermarkets and a caravan park that's popular in the spring flower season, but more interesting are the stories you'll hear if you chat to the locals - like the one about the 70-something tannie who lives on a farm without electricity or transport.
She still makes her own soap and, once a month, the butcher fetches her to do her monthly shopping before returning her to her chosen, isolated way of life.
North of Garies, pass through boulder-strewn koppies and apple-green scrubland (in winter and spring), wide valleys and isolated houses stand beneath giant gum trees. Stop for a while to admire the shining granite and road verges painted psychedelic yellow by oxalis.
About 45km along, you'll summit a wee hill and see the silver church spire of Kamieskroon winking in greeting.
This area is rich in culture and is one of the hot-spots during flower season, but Kamies-kroon itself is more a scattering of houses than a town. It's set in an area of awesome scenery that includes granite outcrops and mountains with innumerable varieties of succulents.
Out of season, you just about have to let rockets off to shake some life into the village, but once you meet some of the kind souls who live here, you'll find yourself under the Kamieskroon spell. The best spot for tourist information is the Kuiervreugde Coffee Shoppe, which is an extension of a private house near the filling station.
Alternatively, there's the Kamieskroon Hotel, best-known for Colla Swart's photographic courses.
If it's the local flora that interests you, head to the Succulent Karoo Knowledge Centre, brainchild of Annelise le Roux, the author of a guidebook to Namaqualand wildflowers. Ask here about the quiver tree "forest" and guided tours to see the flora.
Thirty kilometres west of Kamieskroon lies the Namaqua National Park, which is now open year-round and offers four self-catering units. If you're staying in Kamieskroon, an interesting day trip is a visit to the park and a long detour to Hondeklipbaai on the coast, and back to the N7 via the Wildeperde-hoek and Messelpad passes.
We opted to stay at Cosy Mountain Guest Farm, 4km from Kamieskroon and run by the friendly Pete and Estelle, who've relocated from the city and are revelling in the simpler way of life. They offer clean, comfy digs and good food, or if you're a camper, their really special sites shouldn't be missed.
Spend a few days, explore the granite mountain overlooking Cosy Mountain and you'll be infected by Pete's love of his animals, plus you'll get to meet "Donkey" the goat and the chickens.
If geology blows your skirts up, then you'll be exposing your knickers much of the time because the Kamiesberge offer a world of undulating, rocky hills criss-crossed by gravel roads, sandy riverbeds and small Nama settlements.
Giant granite domes push through the earth, some precariously balancing atop others. Within the first hour of heading into these mountains, we discovered the snail pace of life here. First, we were surrounded by cows in no hurry to, er, moooove. A few kilometres further, the road was blocked by a couple of bakkies and so absorbed were the farmers in conversation, they were even slower to get out of the way.
Around a corner, a worker then flagged us down, warning of sheep ambling along the road. By this stage, one kind of gets the message and it's best to just pull over and haul out the picnic basket. A caffeine fix and long chat to the sheep later and we were on our way again. Our destination was Khoi San City's domed reed huts.
This camp has a melkbos shelter for cooking, two Nama huts and an old wagon. Beds have lappies-komberse (patchwork blanket) and bed bases are woven sheepskin strips tied to the bed frame. There's no electricity, shower or tap and no air-con, so visit in cooler months. Water is heated on the fire for washing, paraffin lamps provide light and there's a long-drop loo.
When that slinky time of day arrives, you'll feel your heart rate slow down as nature's evening show begins. It's a time when you wonder whether anyone could be in a better place than deep in these awesomely beautiful mountains. It's just you, total tranquillity, and later the bleating of goats as a shepherd brings his flock down from the mountains.
Dinner consists of traditional local food and the silence is total until the crickets start warming up. The old people here in the Kamies mountains are more accurate weather forecasters than Simon Gear (sorry, Simon) and we awoke to a light drizzle, just like they said. Coffee is served in enamel mugs and kids giggle around the black cast-iron pots in the cooking shelter, while Ouma scours the surrounds for twigs. Reluctantly, we leave.
South of Springbok and just off the N7 lies the 5 000ha Namaqua Game Lodge. The lodge is near the road, so it's perfect if you just want to overnight. Springbok itself has plenty of accommodation options, facilities and services expected of a large town, but we decided to spend a few days exploring the 2x4 and 4x4 network of tracks covering this farm.
Before doing the outdoor thing, we spent the first night at the lodge and chatted to the owners in their pub. It turned out that they, too, had an early morning departure planned - their's was in search of a couple Damara rams who, like us, had opted for freedom and were last seen heading into the hills.
After stocking up in Springbok, we took the short drive to Nababeep, passing pastel-coloured corrugated iron houses and the golf course on the outskirts.
The main reason to visit this settlement is to explore the museum that covers copper mining dating back to 1685, when Simon van der Stel discovered it during an exploration. One of the most interesting items is a linen map from 1884 showing wagon roads, bridle paths and the long-gone, mule-driven tramway, all of which ran to Port Nolloth on the coast.
From Nababeep, you can rubberneck along the Nigramoep road, which crosses the mostly dry Skaap River and offers desert mountain scenery. In town, though, don't worry to pop into the "Cowboy Bar", as it's closed, but if you keep an eye out, you could still spot cowboys.
The N7 and its detours have much to offer, and the best way to end your explorations is by hitting the coast for a few days. There are several destinations with sea views to choose from, and you'll know you've arrived when you can walk a few metres from your accommodation and plonk your bottom in the soft, silky sand. Then stay there for a long, loooong while until the sun has slipped over the horizon. And, by then, those crayfish will be sizzling away. Bliss.