GOOD OL' KNP OCT 25th to 31st 2010

Ah, it's nice to be back here - it feels like home.  Spent 3 nights at Letaba and a further 3 at Satara.  (In caravan). Had a blow out on one of the caravan tyres on the way down.  Tyre was wrecked but fortunately, no other vehicle damage.  Battled like crazy to get the wheel nuts off.  At one stage, I stood on the spanner (that SHOULD have done the trick!) but to no avail:  spanner jumped the nut, spun madly and clobbered me on my shin!! (BIG OUCH).  Got 2 new tyres fitted at HiQ in Lydenburg.  Wonderfully helpful crowd but can't say much for the dude from Toyota (whose premises HiQ shares) - this man was rude and threw his toys because we parked where HiQ told us to and that turned out to be where this Toyota man wanted to pull a big bus through.  Didn't ask us to move, just threw toys!!!  I responded in kind!! (Not pretty).  Upshot is, in the end he indicated we should stay where we were (with a rude gesture, I might add) and nearly reversed into us.  My feeling is that that move was deliberate as he did not need to come back so far!  Anyway, I complained bitterly (and vociferously) to HiQ management who extracted an apology from the man (think he's a service technician). 
Definitely a blow out trip as when we were travelling home we were behind a truck and he had a blow out right in front of us - huge "bang" - gave me the fright of my life but Luis responded calmy and dodged all the bits of flying rubber.  Trucker came to a dignified stop in the emergency lane so: no harm done! 
Back to more important things:  KNP is dry with a lot of burning having been carried out.  Still, the animals look healthy.  This was a lion (7 sightings) and bird (lot's of normally elusive chaps photo'd for posterity) trip.
Met an awesome couple - Gordon and Sharon Day from Savanna Bush Lodge outside Pretoria. 
Similar interests and habits.
Below are some random shots of the birds we managed to capture on camera:

Pearl Spotted Owlet

Paradise Fly Catcher

Orange Breasted Bush Shrike

Pygmy KingFisher

Violet Backed Starling

PuffBack Shrike

Burchell's Coucal

For those of you who want the mammals:

And, last but not least, one of the sunsets that Satara is so famous for:

For the greater part the days were overcast but, oh boy, when the sun did make it's appearance,  it was rather hot to say the least.
Till the next trip ......

Day 24 (Augrabies and last blog for this trip)

Ah well - all good things come to an end.  From the minute we left Nam it felt like the holiday was over and ahead loomed a looooong trip home.  Anyway, ended up in Augrabies as an overnighter to break the journey.  Augrabies is renowned for it's Klipspringer (apart from the falls, of course!).  We drove around the entire game section and eventually came upon this solitary female (nearly missed her - she was right next to the road!).

We also had our first (believe it or not!) sighting of monkeys.  Most unusual. They didn't even visit us in the camp (or any of the other camps we have stayed in either).  Lots of little happy Dassies hanging around.

Left Augrabies with the intention of overnighting around Kuruman.  Must mention at this point that a cold front started, oh, probably about 4 days ago - we are now following it and everywhere we stop it is windy and chilly.  We eventually pulled in to the caravan park at Kuruman, got out the car to go to the office and it was bitter!!!  Decided enough is enough and proceeded home.
We traversed a total of  8 227 kms in 24 days - an awesome trip.  Lasting impressions of Nam:  Arid wilderness, no litter, very little traffic, friendly people and general good level of education.
Highlight:  ETOSHA.

Today, Luis spent the entire day cleaning out our mobile office.  It sports:  hot coffee, good lighting, reclining seats, climate control, 12v/220v power supply, GPS, network communication both Nam and SA and cruises comfortably at 120kms for a minimum of 1500kms without stopping!  Well done Brutus and the Rad!  (and, of course, our driver, Mr Luis, who drove the entire 8 227kms apart from the 10 meter stretch I did at "Leopard Gate".  Total diesel cost:  R7 473; Total diesel used:  940l;  Accommodation cost:  R7 320 (this figure includes conservation fees at the various National  Reserves that we stayed in).  Total all in cost (including repairs to Aircon and network data bundle, etc):  R16 585  (Food excluded as that would have been consumed at home, in any event).

We look forward to sharing our next adventure with you.

Day 23 (Springbok and back in SA!)

 Passed a lot of bikers going towards Fish River Canyon this morning.  Brave souls. 
Luis decided to drive off into the great blue yonder - left me at the side of the road (with camera)

Fortunately for both of us (I think?), he decided to come back for me!

 PS.  While I was taking the above pics the aforementioned bikers were riding past - must have thought we were nuts!  Not long after this, we reached the tar road (relief) - it stretched on and on for miles.

Ah well, the Nam side is now officially at an end (sadly, although it is good to be back in the land).
Noordoewer border was a breeze - very friendly officials on both sides.  Below pic was taken in No Man's Land overlooking the Orange River.

Already the vegetation is starting to look a lot less arid despite the fact that we do not appear to have received much rain - an educated guess as there are no flowers - big disappointment. 
We are staying in Springbok for the night and decided to "rough it" in a B & B for a change!  Much googling in the car in Springbok and we found this very reasonably priced one:  Boesmanland Guest House - very nice - have booked breakfast for tomorrow am so really roughing it!!!
We have both decided that as spectacular and various other adjectives, landscape can be (wherever one is), at heart our true passion is wildlife. It seems fitting, therefore, to include this pic of one of the birds that visited us at Hobas yesterday afternoon.

We will probably take a couple of days to meander back home.

Day 22 (Hobas, Fish River Canyon)

Left the white, flowing dunes of Luderitz behind. Soft white sand swirls like ghosts across the tar - pretty. Have noticed, throughout the trip, the odd little cairns, clearly built by man, at the side of the road.  I suspect some of these are memorials to some dear departed soul but others seem to denote places of interest which I'm guessing the tour operators use.  On the West Coast, they seemed to denote "off the map" fishing spots, judging by the tyre tread marks near each one.
Fish River Canyon is spectacular.  Once again, the sun chose to disappear on our "scenic day" - typical!

I'm not going to even attempt to describe it - it's awesome!!!  ('Nuff said!)
Hobas camp site is the prettiest we've stayed at thus far - a little oasis in an arid wasteland.  Bird life prolific as there are big shady trees around the camp.  Up on the canyon lookout point, everything appears lifeless.  Then, slight movement catches your eye and you see 2 sandgrouse playing hide and seek - just further over are 2 Dik Dik daintily picking their way through the rocks and boulders.  How do all these amazing creatures survive?

Have about 10km to go to the Noordoewer Border Post, then the Nam leg of our journey ends and hopefully, the flower session starts. I must say, it feels good to be on tar again don't think I want to drive on another dirt road for a long time!  Having said that, the roads have been, for the most, good.  Couple of memorable bad stretches, but ..... who's complaining?
I am frantically posting this in order to use up as much MTC data as possible.  Must mention that their coverage has been phenomenal - very few areas where no coverage available.  (Hobas was one of them). 

Day 21 (Shark Island, Luderitz)

 Dad, thanks for the clarification on the vehicle - loved it!!  Also, must mention, reefer transport must have improved hugely since you were here as every little (and big) place that we come to that has a hot plate or gas stove offers "Fresh Fish - Catch of the Day" ....
Dave, we are going to take in the Canyon - last leg of the journey. Thanks.
The "overlanders" referred to in yesterday's post created havoc last night. Drunken revelry until midnight.  Oh to be young again!!  In themselves it would probably have been easier to tolerate but they were bashing out their style of music on one side of the camp and a bunch of guys from the Cape were blasting out their style on the other side.  (We were in the middle and it's not a big park!).  Anyway, ended up not being able to sleep once they had all shut down in any event so hit the road at 5:30am.  A bit scary, travelling in the dark and hoping no animals would wander into the road.  Kept the speed at 60km max until day break.
Our first stop today was Sossusvlei (via Sesriem) - an event I have looked forward to this entire trip.  We ended up being a bit disappointed as, as luck would have it, it was an overcast day and the dunes do not look as spectacular as when the sun is shining on them.  Anyway, it was still pretty awesome.  Spotted a family of 3 Bat Eared Foxes.

Before and after Sossusvlei for a long stretch, we were traveling in a fertile valley hemmed in on both sides by craggy, flat top mountains.  Went over a smallish pass (Zaris) and is was all vast, wide open plains again.  This country changes nigh on by the mile.  Eventually the flat tops started appearing again but not as close or imposing as before.

Luis spotted a Cape Cobra in the road, reared up beautifully for us:

Just outside Luderitz are the Feral Horses.  Spent a bit of time with them - although wild, they are still quite humanised.  The original horses were brought here from SA and Europe for use by German military forces.  Some wandered off and learned to fend for themselves and .... viola - feral horses.

We are in a stunning camping site - right next to the sea on Shark Island.  It's just such a pity that it is rather cold and blowy (good old Wester!!!).  Still, it's snug and warm inside the Rad. Current temperature is 15 deg.  Don't think we'll have much trouble from party animals tonight as, besides one other sedate couple in a campervan, we are the only souls here.  Haven't learned our lesson after Mile 108, obviously!

Lighthouse

Today was a relatively uneventful day considering the distance we travelled (about 640km - this takes us up to a grand total of 6 100km and still loving every minute of it).

Day 20 (Solitaire)

Left the Lagoon Chalet camping at the crack of dawn - unbeknown to us it is also a small truck stop!  Had a haulier start his vehicle at 5:30am - he needed to warm it up for about 30 minutes - no rest for the wicked!  Dave, sorry - we missed all your suggestions as I only log into the 'puter once per day (round about now) and, of course, by now we are at Solitaire.  Road was a bit rough (C19) - plenty corrugation but surroundings still pretty.  Lots of stubby grass around now, getting longer as the journey progresses, and ..... trees!!!

The grass colouring varies from yellow to orange, rolling up to the mountains.

Bit of "wildlife" has started appearing - ostriches and the odd ground squirrel.
Kuiseb Pass is really pretty - not high but enough to give you a vantage point.

Had to get a shot of Luis posing with the Quiver Tree (his answer to the pole dancer!)

Arrived at Solitaire - not quite what we expected - a lot of  "overlanders" arrive for their lunch, trash the 'blutes then leave.  Worst still, 2 huge bus loads arrived in camp for the night - took over one of the camp sites that newfound acquaintances of ours had staked a claim to (but they lost!).  The term "overlander" was coined by a couple we bumped into way back in Kgalagadi (seems like months ago, now) - they warned us about them with regard to the Etosha camps. Etosha wasn't too bad as they seem to have their own demarcated areas but since then, we have learned to appreciate the derogatory way in which the previous couple referred to them as "The Overlanders" - it's a name that's now stuck with us, as well!!!
On the turn off to Solitaire, we had a "slight" mishap with the Rad that resulted in:

No, seriously now, all good this side.  Dad, any guesses on make of above?

There are some stunning cactus (cacti?) plants here; Cliff and Susan:  Eat your heart out!!!

Some are about 1.5m high (excluding the prickly pear which grows huge in SA as well!)

Tomorrow, we are headed out for Sossusvlei and Sesriem - will decide once we get there how many nights we stay before heading on to Luderitz.

Do not have any firm plans for the tail end of the trip but we are probably still a good week away from home!

Day 19 (Walvis Bay)

Woke up at Mile 108 this morning - dank, misty, cold and windy.  It would appear we were extremely lucky to have such a nice day yesterday.  Last night we burned all the wood we had collected together with a bag we purchased at the shop - didn't get the benefit of much heat from it as the wind was really pumping.  We parked the Rad at various angles but nothing seemed to help as the wind was swirling every which way.
We were supposed to head out to Solitaire today which would have been about a 420km trip - decided in stead to stop off in Walvis Bay.  En route we stopped at the Cape Cross Seal Colony - wow - awesome!  Quite stinky and very noisy but what an experience.

 While there, we also stumbled upon this very young, incredibly sexy, scantily dressed pole dancer!!!!!

From time to time on the C34 they have these little rickety tables with salt crystals displayed. A crude sign denotes the price per size and you deposit the money in the bottle provided on each table.  I couldn't help thinking that in SA, the money, bottle, crystals AND rickety table would be stolen!

As we neared Swakopmund, the terrain started getting a bit of life:  scrubby little bushes clinging tenaciously to their patch of sand.  Closer still and massive sand dunes appear - white and yellow - some with a subtle shade of red.
We basically bypassed Swakopmund and arrived in Walvis Bay.  We skirted the harbour and headed for a camping site well sign posted.  Went through a lovely (rich) suburb called Meersig which overlooks a lagoon full of flamingoes - incredibly pretty.  It is also soothing on the eyes to see green again.

The camping site is decent with good, clean 'blutes.  They have made good use of old palm fronds to act as windbreakers as well as provide a degree of privacy. 

Once we had chosen a camp site, we went into town and did some shopping for provisions, but, more importantly, had the Rad pressure hose cleaned.l  The quantity of mud and muck that came off him was unbelievable!
Walvis Bay seems to be abuzz with things to do along the lines of desert tours, photographic workshops, deep sea fishing, quad biking and dune surfing to name but a few.  Will not be doing any of that on this trip but who knows what the future holds?

Day 18 (Mile 108, West Coast)

Slept snugly and soundly to the soothing lullabye of breaking waves not 50 meters away from our site.
Went beach combing this morning for bits of wood - not an easy task in a treeless environment. Ended up scrounging bits and pieces from left over fires of previous visitors. Have gathered quite a collection but whether it will burn remains to be seen. Update: Have just learned that the tiny shop on site sells firewood!!! Bought a bag, anyway.
The mist rolls in and out as the land temperature and winds shift, often shrouding the distant mountains.

Shimmering heat waves create the illusion of huge estuaries that vanish as one gets closer. It is nothing like the Cape West Coast as there is no apparent vegetation - just miles and miles of sand in varying textures and colours, rising to the mountains on the horizon.

Luis is fishing and has befriended a local who took him to a prime fishing spot. (Sound familiar, Dad?). Nothing much came of that - below pic taken of them shrouded in mist! Luis has decided he's not fishing again tonight unless his new found friend summonses him with the news that the fish are biting. I think that poor man (the friend, not Luis) is desperate for company so chances are Luis will get the royal command.

Just to show you that it is not always misty:

The gulls, by the way, do not do the raucous squawking thing, they chunter quietly - even they do not want to intrude on the solitude!

The Rig showing proximity to the sea.

I have calculated that there are in excess of 500 sites here. (Rough estimate - it's probably closer to 750). According to Luis' friend, this place is fully booked from November to January with some people camping on the beach (non-designated sites). He mentioned that some folks come to stay for up to 3 months. Wow - with only a long drop, that's hectic. In fairness, they do offer shower facilities here at N$20 per shower - also drinking water at 65c per liter. Henties is approx 92km's away!

A General view of the park

I spent a lovely relaxing day, just lazing around, soaking up the sun when it wasn't behind mist. Really lovely tranquil place (now, anyway - we are still the only souls here - would not like to be here when it's fully booked).