Emma @ 1 year old
Namibia 2001
Itinerary
Dates: 15 Dec 01 to 3 Jan 02
Itinerary
At some ungodly hour in the morning of the 15th we will depart our comfortable cool homes in Johannesburg and head out north, as all avid explorers do. Heading up through the border into Botswana we will make our way to Nata Lodge on perimeter of the Sua Pan. It is here that we will spend our first night. The friendly Nata Lodge is 10km south-east of Nata on the Francistown road. It has a nice camping ground set in a green oasis of monkey thorn, marula and mokalane palms. There is a restaurant, outdoor bar, swimming pool and petrol station.
Sua Pan is a single sheet of salt encrusted mud stretching across the lowest basin in the north-east of Botswana. Sua means “salt”, and this pan was once mined by the San people.
On route to the Tsodila Hills the road slices through the Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pans National Park which was established in 1970 in an attempt to protect the migrating wildlife. These salt pans for part of an ancient lakebed. 2 million years ago the Okavango Delta joined the Limpopo and flowed to the sea. Tectonic activity diverted it into the Kalahari. For a few thousand years the water flowed into a great lake which covered the Makgadikgadi and Nxai pans, Mababe depression and Lake Ngami. However, silting and continual uplift to the east caused the lake to disappear.
Once in Maun we will head up to the Tsodila Hills where we will spend the night of the 16th at one of the campsites. Tsodila is derived from the word “sheer”. The Hills consist of 4 large quartzite schist chunk rising abruptly from the ocean expanse of desert. Called the Male, Female, Child and North Hills, they are imbued with myth, legend and spiritual significance for the San people. The San believe the Hills are the site of the First Creation, claiming that the gods lowered the people and their cattle onto the Female Hill.
The producer of “The Gods Must Be Crazy” ignored the long-established traditions and killed a warthog and steenbok while approaching the Hills. Subsequently, his camera and tape recorder jammed and his team were attacked by a swarm of bees. So do not anger the Hills!
The Tsodila Hills are the site of 350 discovered rock paintings. On the summit are remains of an Iron Age village. Amazing paintings of whales and penguins have been found, suggesting the San had contact with the Namibian coast. The cliffs and walls of these rocks contain streaks of vivid natural pastels- mauve, orange, yellow, turquoise and lavender.
The roads to and from the Hills have been described by travellers as top contenders for Planets Worst Drives! They deteriorate rapidly in to an “excruciating battle in low-range 4WD- 2 hours to do 30km” (Getaway).
From the Hills we move up through the Caprivi Strip into Namibia and the Khaudom Game Reserve. In the dry months large herds of elephant congregate along the rivers. There is a place to fill up with petrol in Divundu.
Once in the Khaudom Reserve we will stay at the Khaudom camp for the 17th and 18th, then move south to the Sikereti camp for the 19th and 20th. This reserve is wild and undeveloped and is “like nowhere is Africa”. The meandering sand tracks take you through pristine bush were you’ll see wild dogs, elephants, zebra and the 2nd largest leopard population. It is the stronghold of the Namibian roan antelope and is rich in raptors. Unspoilt and untouristy! However, you must carry enough petrol for 800km. Each camp site has a braai place, tapped water and ablutions, but no fences!!!!!
Guesstimated distances:
Sikereti to Grootfontien ± 300km
Grootfontein to Etosha ± 150 km
From Khaudom we head out to Etosha. On route at Grooftontien is the Hoba Meteorite- the largest in the world, which collided with the earth 80 000 years ago. Further north is Tsumeb and Lake Otjikoto (“deep hole”) – one of only 2 natural lakes in Namibia. This Lake is host to unusually bright cichlid fish.
Once in Etosha we will stay 3 nights at Namutoni – with a filling station- (21st to 23rd) and 3 nights at Okaukuejo (24th to 26th). Etosha means “Great white place of dry water”. 12 million years ago it originated as a shallow lake form the Kunene River. Due to climate and tectonic changes the water level was lowered and formed a salt pan. Today Etosha holds one of the largest populations of Black rhino, mainly near Okaukuejo and can be seen at the floodlit water hole. One can also find the endangered Black Faced impala (near Namutoni).
Etosha’s Believe it or Not:
West of Okaukuejo is a bizarre baobab-like moringa tree forest. San legend is that after God had placed all the trees and animals on earth He discovered a bundle of leftover moringa trees. He flung them into the air and they fell with their roots pointing skyward and so they remained.
In the 1970′s the lion population in Etosha grew too large so instead of culling they decided to inject contraception into the lioness to reduce the population. Who knows if the project was successful as the local farmers “helped out” by shooting the majority of the lion population over the next 10 years.
In 1971 the pan dried up prematurely and 30 000 baby flamingos had to walk to the nearest waster source, 30km away. Their parents fed them by flying to and from water- sometimes a round trip of 100km a day!
Guesstimated distances:
Etosha to Kamanjab ± 200km
Kamanjab to Ongongo ± 200 km
From Okaukuejo we travel to Kamanjab, across to Palmwag and up to the Ongongo (Warmquella) Community Camp Site (27th) , with the amazing Ongongo waterfall. As you approach this scenic spot it is hard to imagine an oasis tucked away in the folds of the watershed. A makeshift signpost indicates the turn off and the track to the camp is only negotiable by 4×4! The falls cascade over a tufa formation into a 2m deep lukewarm pool- perfect for swimming, and so clear you can see the pebbles. Watch out for the turtles in the pool (approach quietly). The campsite is shaded by mopane trees and was established in conjunction with the Save the Rhino Trust and the local community.
Guesstimated distances:
Ongongo to Abu-Huab ± 200km
On the 28th we drive to Twyfeltontien and across to Burnt Mountain, the Organ Pipes and the Aba-Huab camp site. Burnt Mountain is a 12km long, 200m high volcanic ridge where every little grows and has an eerie panorama of desolation. As the lava intruded over the Karoo shales it caused certain chemicals to be released and now the rocks have an amazing variety of colours- red, orange, black, grey, white and purple. There is an excellent view of Burnt Mt from the Organ Pipes (dolerite pipes) just 3km further down the road.
We stay at the Abu-Huab campsite for the night of the 29th. Rated as a delightful campsite, one of the best in Namibia, on the southern banks of the river. Desert elephants frequently pass through the camp at night. Open air showers, bar but sporadic petrol supply!
Guesstimated distances:
Abu-Huab to Mile 72 ± 350km
From here we make our way to the Skeleton Coast near Torra Bay and drive down the coastal road to Mile 72- a small fishing haven. We will stay here for the nights of the 29th and 30th.
Guesstimated distances:
Mile 72 to Omaruru ± 260km
We head inland to Omaruru (“bitter thick milk”) for New Years Eve (31 Dec) at the leafy Omaruru Rest Camp on the northern outskirts of the town along the river. It has a heated (?) swimming pool, restaurant, bar, and arts/ crafts centre. Excellent birding.
From Omaruru we make our way to the Nam/Bot border, staying at Kalahari Bush Breaks (1 Jan 2002). Then along the Trans-Kalahari Highway into Botswana (there are pans nearing Gaborone to stay at) and home to South Africa.
