We had an unusual start to an unusual safari. What was so unusual about the safari was the nine years it was in the pipeline for. It was one of those situations where the guests booked and paid a deposit for their safari, only to have to cancel due to unforeseen circumstances. As is our policy, since we were able to re-sell the original dates, the safari was re-scheduled and the deposits retained, less monies we could not recover from payments we had made out against the original bookings. Unfortunately as the dates approached for the re-booked safari events dictated another postponement under the same terms, followed by the same problem re-occurring a couple of years later that resulted in the need for a third rescheduling of the safari. So in setting off on the drive to Windhoek to collect the guests, so many years later, we hoped they were going to make it, although being their third safari with us we were indeed sure they would turn up.

In the meantime, Marjorie and I had for once managed to get the timings and logistics right in order to enable us to take a couple of extra days between this and our last safari to stop by and spend a few days in the Waterberg Plateau National Park, which although not out of the way does not fit into our normal itinerary, and as such we drive by all the time without the chance to visit and do some hiking. Arriving late in the afternoon we didn’t even stop to take our things out of the vehicle, but set off immediately for the rocky ridge that towered above the campsite. Puffing and panting we made it to the top, realizing how unfit we had become from sitting in a vehicle day after day and eating lodge food! From the ridge we shared a magnificent view out across the flat landscape with a pair of klipspringers, a troop of baboons, a slender mongoose, some rock hyrax and a sundown chorus of birds that were coming in to roost in the cliff faces stretching away on either side of us.

Our goal was to hike all the different short trails from the camp in the day and a half we had available, which we achieved, even though it meant hiking through the heat of the day and arriving back at camp by torchlight. Along the way we encountered more baboons and rock hyraxes, kudu and klipspringer, a chameleon, several mongooses and a good number of birds, but no people other than those on the shortest trail up to the view point above the camp - so the sense that we had the place to ourselves was bliss. This isolated plateau rises over 200 meters out of miles and miles of surrounding flat land that is covered in short scrub acacia. The 405 square kilometre protected area was set up as a breeding site for rare and endangered species, in particular the black rhino, but access to the few rough tracks and the waterholes on the flat summit is restricted to activities conducted by the National Parks themselves and so on this occasion we did not sample this part of the park. The other great attraction on offer here are the multiple day hiking trails around the plateau top, ending each evening in basic huts - but the minimum number for these hiking trails, here and elsewhere in the vast areas of Namibia’s wilderness, is three, so we could only look longingly at the path snaking up and away through the interesting rocky landscape at the starting point above the campsite.

We were much relieved to see our two guests striding out from the arrival gates at Windhoek airport, but it was not to be as simple as that - one bag had not made it, although it did catch up with us a few days into the safari. Undeterred, we set off via the scenic route through the Khomas Hochland Mountains and the Bosua Pass, stopping along the way at the remains of an old German outpost to take in the scenery and try our hand at geocaching (modern day treasure hunting). Our next two stops also had geocaches as well as being the site of some spectacular scenery, while the route we followed turned up some unexpected fabulous wildlife sightings - the first being a family of meerkats, so very exciting. Next we encountered a family of warthogs, twelve mountain zebra, a few gemsbok, springbok, fifteen different bat-eared foxes, ground squirrels, as well as interesting lizards, agamas and birds. This was all the more surprising and special as we were now travelling over the first stretches of the long gravel plains that slope away to the Atlantic ocean 150 kilometres away, and which become more and more devoid of any signs of vegetation the further one gets from the mountain range. With so many things to stop and look at we were soon running out of time, and so took only a short walk through some of the incredible landscapes carved out by prehistoric water flows and the more recent abrasive sand laden winds. Scattered about this interesting area were a number of the unique and hardy quiver trees that add an extra dimension to the bleakness of the landscape. We could have spent hours photographing the desert scenery, but darkness was descending and we still had over a hundred kilometres to go to reach our hotel on the coast, which when we did arrive was blanketed in thick fog.

On a harbour tour the following a few friendly Cape fur seals kept us entertained as the fog bank slowly lifted and dissipated. The "Namibian Air Force", alias pelicans, also put on a great show, flying along with the boat as we sped out of the main harbour area. Slowly the morning warmed up and all the creatures came out to play - bottle-nosed and Heaviside’s dolphins, seals, gulls and other costal birds - while at the colony of Cape fur seals the pups played in the surf and further along the beach we saw two black-backed jackals relaxing along the shoreline. Back on land we set off into the dunefields south of Walvis Bay and raced along the beach ahead of the advancing tide, to arrive at the last remnants of the Sandwich Harbour settlement that were just visible protruding out of the base of a sixty foot sand dune. The sand has reclaimed the ancient harbour and most of the freshwater bay that had once attracted the early settlers and thousands of birds. Our adventure continued as we drove up into the towering dunes, for lofty views out across the coastline on the one side and seemingly endless rolling dunescapes on the landward side. Our rollercoaster ride took us up the dune faces and down the other side, stopping to experience the "roaring" sounds made as the sand slides down the slip face of the dunes, and to look at the plants and animals that survive in this harsh environment. One such creature that we have looked for on previous trips is the pearl-bellied or Palmato gecko - being predominantly nocturnal it is hard to find, but with the dark fog bank advancing rapidly back inland we stopped at a likely spot on the way back home to try and find one, and got lucky!

After a short morning viewing the highlights of the German architecture, and visiting the shops of Swakopmund, we drove up the coastal salt road as the fog bank hovered along the coastline, seemingly reluctant to be pushed back out to sea and give way to the sun. We stopped at a recent shipwreck for the opportunity to take some eerie photos of the fog that was swirling around the tilting hull, while waves crashed over the deck. Heading east and away from the coast we returned to bright sunshine, and after covering the hundred kilometres across the gravel plains entered the foothills around the Brandberg - Namibia’s highest peak. There were more stops along the way to sample the local crafts at some of the roadside stalls and to take in the scenery, but our last stop of the day was the ridge above the opening of a “bottomless” sinkhole, to watch the emergence of the bats that roost in its depths. From this vantage point we had a grandstand view of the surrounding landscape, watched a fabulous sunset and found another geocache. We covered the last twenty kilometres to the lodge serenaded by the calls of hundreds of barking geckos, under a sky that changed from deep orange to indigo, then became completely black but punctuated by hundreds of tiny bright beacons of light.

The following morning was spent wandering the rocky slopes of the nearby hill to take in the history and culture of the area, past and present. The rock engravings made by past inhabitants were concentrated in the area we were exploring, while further afield recent inhabitants had also made their mark in the development of the infrastructure - but at least here there remains a great appreciation for the importance of preserving the links to past cultures. Clambering over the rocks (and probably as unconcerned by people now as they may have been hundreds of years ago) were a troop of baboons, while agamas and a variety of birds were also present, all going about their daily lives, basking in the sun, feeding on the flowers or sipping water from the natural spring flowing from the rocks - the anchor that has probably held both humans and wildlife to this spot for thousands of years. Also noteworthy was the rare and endangered black eagle perched high up in a cliff at its nest. Nearby we visited two more sites of geological interest before breaking for a light hearted bit of fun - another geocache, but a new one for Marjorie and myself. However, this detour produced a huge bonus – i.e. due to there having been so many things to see and enjoy along the way we had previously missed the opportunity of finding the unique and ancient welwitschia plants that are a signature feature of Namibia’s ancient desert landscapes - the geocache took us 800 meters beyond the point I usually turn around, and there we found a number of these ancient marvels of the desert! Later we stopped to photograph a few more interesting and characterful plants of this desert landscape, including the butter tree and the bottle tree - both aptly named. Following on from more mountain zebra sightings, we reached our next destination in time to marvel at the magnificent views out across the deep valley that dropped away from the doorsteps of the rooms.

Accompanied by a local guide from the lodge, we set out the next day after breakfast to travel way off the beaten track to visit a settlement of the nomadic Himba peoples. With the help of our translator we were able to spend a couple of hours interacting and immersing ourselves into the ways and customs of these hardy people, which have for all intents and purposes shunned the western way of life. One cannot deny that theirs is a tough way of living, yet they seem to still have, for the most part, a happy and contented life. I doubt there are many of us in the world who do not yearn or dream of something just beyond our reach, but these people appear to be more accepting of their lot in life than most of those in far better situations - it can be a humbling experience. On the way to and from the Himba settlement we passed yet more spectacular scenery, and also saw a good variety of birdlife as well as kudu, springbok, zebra, and in the distance nine desert adapted elephants. Back at the lodge we quickly reverted to our western traditions with afternoon tea on the deck, while the resident pair of black eagles soared below us, occasionally diving towards some unsuspecting creature or engaging in aerobatic displays that showed off their amazing flying capabilities. After tea we took a walk around a corner of the rocky plateau top, spotting springbok, gemsbok, colourful lizards and a number of different bird species along the way. We continued on to the Etosha National Park for the last few days of the safari, but you will have to wait until next months newsletter to read of the exceptional wildlife sightings we had there, as well as a description of a very close up and thrilling wildlife encounter.

Until next month....