We had been given sage advice not to drive too far on our first day of the journey after all the build-up, excitement and moments of minor panic, such as my illogical fear of running out of tea bags! However, with Namibia giving an update on travel restrictions a day two before departure we had a little conundrum on our hands as we would rather get stuck in Namibia than outside of her. We ended up settling for somewhere in the middle, driving an ample distance to get to the border the very next day but not too far away from the border for fear of being denied entry with the new Covid travel regulations.
After having spent the first two hours of pre-dawn light to pack the car we headed out , saying some farewells along the way and stocking up on some padkos (road snacks) en-route. It turned out to be a good decision as not much happens on Sundays in the Northern Cape! There’s nothing a good chip sarmie (slices of white bread and choice of crisps) can’t resolve as well as making you feel 16 again!
The drive to Namibia along the N7 is one that seems to go on for longer than the kilometres dictate. The views outside the car windows start off enchanting, especially after being stuck in the city for 18 months, but soon gives way to mile upon mile of straight roads rather monotonous looking landscapes and large trucks (which always seem to be encountered on the uphills and never the other way around). It must also be noted that Northern Capers travel fast, really fast. I am not too sure where they are going to at such a speed but I suppose if your closest 7/11 is 150kms away and you dying for some milk with your tea, I fully understand.
With our overnight stop close to Springbok and a very easy border crossing procedure, we were in Namibia with the reality setting in that we were really on our 4 month expedition. Just to make sure this was not some cruel dream, we bought our Namibian sim card, stocked up on some Tafel Lagers and Lemon Radlers for the journey and headed out for our first night under the Namibian stars. Hello Namibia!
The joy of overlanding. Orange River, Namibia
Learning to rewild. Orange River, Namibia
The first of many sunsets on our expedition. Orange River, Namibia
We opted for 3 nights along the Orange River in order to settle in, repack the car a little better (something we would continue to do as you learn and refine along the way), allow the chaos to settle and to catch up on missed sleep. Three days of kayaking, hiking and lying in hammocks, plus a search for the fabled quiver trees, went by in a blur and before we knew it, we were off again, leaving behind the verdant colours of the Orange River and heading northwards along Namibia’s famed gravel roads to the Fish River Canyon.
It was our stay at Fish River that also reminded us early on how devastating COVID has been on the travel and tourism industry after we stayed at a campsite with only one other guest in a place where normally you would have to book a year in advance! Counting our somewhat twisted blessings, we set off to try and absorb the astronomical extent of the vast landscape that surrounded us as the Fish River Canyon fell away at our feet. Leaving us in awe we headed off to Aus – an area that had captured my imagination through its imagery and history but one I had still not been to. En route my prayers were answered, a padstal (farm stall) – no journey is ever complete without stopping at one! This first of very few padstals was something that was to boggle my mind the entire 6 week journey through Namibia – how does a country, focused on overlanding, have such an incredible lack of padstals? Do yourself a favour and make time for a 20 minute break at Canyon Farm Yard. If it was up to the exuberant owner, Meisie, you would find yourself staying the night! A cup of coffee and some apfelstrudel with her was a highlight and we left with a supply of venison biltong from their farm, for the road.
Trying to find the fish of Fish River Canyon
Soaking it all, in we took our time to get to Aus and had a quick explore of the area before settling into our campsite and an early night, eager for our early start to get to Kolmanskop at sunrise. There is so much to be said about this captivating ghost town but in the case of this blog, it is best to let the pictures do the talking although I can highly recommend the guided tour. As people not overly attracted to group tours, this tour certainly went a long way in changing our opinion on that subject. A special shoutout must be made to the brilliant William, our guide for the morning. With a quick visit to Luderitz and a stop to see the famed wild horses of Aus, our journey now headed north once more towards the Tiras mountains and a campsite that was going to be one of the unplanned highlights of our entire expedition.
The changing colours of a desert sunrise. Aus, Namibia
Piecing together the incredible history of the area. Aus, Namibia
A railway line with a history unlike many others. Kolmanskop, Namibia
The much famed and photographed Kolmanskop, Namibia
Many a dust bath was taken during our 6 weeks in Namibia
A floating door to nowhere. Kolmanskop, Namibia
The stories that this stairwell could tell! Kolmanskop, Namibia
The colours of the landscapes, unique rocky outcrops and deep solitude of the area made it unmistakably Namibian, however, the grassy plains made one almost imagine you were sitting in the vast expanse of the Serengeti. Three nights here, doing a lot of nothing other than rock watching and cooking up delicious meals, meant we were ready and excited to head to the famed Sesriem and her famous cousins, Deadvlei and Sossusvlei.
Desert horses, blue skies and unimaginably cold winds – do not let the sunshine fool you. Kanaan, Namibia
A very typical Namibian landscape, but one you never tire of! Namtib, Namibia
Our land as far as the eye can see! A huge benefit of travelling during covid. Namtib, Namibia
Teaching ourselves the art of doing nothing after 18 months of being stuck inside with mindless entertainment. Namtib, Namibia
Enough stars to ignite the fire of a million dreams in the Namibian desert
Driving through the breathtaking Namibrand was rather slow going. With a partner now hooked on photography, I had to carefully consider which vista, rocky outcrop and long slow winding road were most pleasing to the eye – a hard feat when almost every kilometre offered up something different! Little did I know that before long, my cameras would be almost permanently borrowed by my sidekick and my job was primarily to drive the car and set her up in order to ‘get the perfect shot’ (and do dishes of course, which Stacey to this day still believes I love!). The long journey was a blessing as the campsite at Sesriem is functional at best, and much less so in a freezing sandstorm at night. We knew, of course, that it would all be worth it as being inside the park, we could get to Deadvlei an hour before everyone else, and boy did it pay dividends as once more, the area was mostly devoid of overlanders and we had most of the reserve to ourselves to enjoy and indulge in many photographic sessions. Again, I will allow the photos to do the talking but a special shout out to the yellow anorak man. It was as if he was sent from photographic heaven on that day to pose for my countless photos, much unknown to him! Eventually Stacey reminded me that we also needed photos of us (read her!) and we were beyond excited at what we managed to capture in this captivating place!
Breathtaking. A word undoubtedly created for the landscapes of the Namib Rand
Pre-morning light filtering through the dust. Dune 45, Namibia
Colours and textures strike yet again! Sossusvlei, Namibia
The textures and colours of the desert never cease to amaze! Sossusvlei, Namibia
Too many photos of sand dunes – but how can you blame me? Deadvlei, Namibia
Deadvlei. Being somewhat true to its name both in tree and tourist form. How amazing to have this space to ourselves
The yellow anorak man – I will forever be indebted to this nameless stranger. Deadvlei, Namibia
Being one with the desert (or hiding from the sandstorm!). Deadvlei, Namibia
Sun (and lots of sand) rising over the mountainous dunes of Deadvlei (and yellow anorak man!)
Dune 45 shrouded in a dust storm
Another angle of Dune 45 getting blasted (along with the photographer!).
After ‘roughing’ it for almost 2 weeks, we decided to spoil ourselves with a little glamping for one night at Gondwana’s Camping2Go – a highly recommended break when overlanding for long periods at a time. Green grass, palm trees, cold beers, colder gin and tonics, pizza, an array of birdlife and Gemsbok grazing nearby was just what we needed after a morning fighting the stinging sands of Sossusvlei. It was also here that my Malawian compadre learnt the age-old art of potjiekos and roosterkoek, which she passed with flying colours!
As much as we had loved the south, it was time to get back to the ocean again and spend a few days slowing down and giving Camy (our car) a few days off to rest and recover.
In the next edition of our journey we tackle northern Namibia which gifted us some of our most memorable animal encounters to date, a change in landscapes and some new but unplanned tyres for Camy!
Posting our worries away en-route to Walvis Bay
“We’re on a road to nowhere Come on inside Takin’ that ride to nowhere We’ll take that ride” – credit to Talking Heads
