Wilkinson's World

The farm Weener, where we planned to camp overnight, is about 17 kms off the main gravel road (the C26) and getting there is an adventure in itself.  Just before reaching the farm, the road passes through a narrow gap in the mountain and runs alongside a deep gorge.  Going over the edge is not an option!  We were given the campsite aptly named “Panorama” with stunning views over the hills and folds on the low-lying Namib desert in the west.  What a magnificent campsite – highly recommended.  The bird-life and walks on the farm are worth going back for in the future.

But this weekend was mainly about climbing the Gamsberg.  We left early on Sunday morning and drove the 4×4 track through the farm Dradiwawal to the base of the mountain.  It was a beautiful day and Gamsberg loomed above us in all its splendour.

The steep track was relentless from the word go.  An hour and a half later, after gasping my way up numerous switchbacks, I joined (a much fitter) Rob at the top and we marvelled at the views of the Hakos Mountains in the north.  Wow!  The views alone were worth the effort.

There were some buildings at the top, probably part of the observatory established in 1970 by the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy when this area was identified as a top site in the southern hemisphere for astronomical observations.  The clear Namibian skies are exceptional for star-gazing and the desert conditions add to the suitability of the site.  It would have been useful to have had a guide to enlighten us more on this.

We spent some time at the top, looking at the views and the plants and just getting our breath back for the descent.  The walk down, although much quicker, was harsh on the knees, but we made it back safely, happy with our morning’s excursion and exertion.  The beautiful unspoilt scenery and the privilege of having shared the mountain with no-one but its animal and feathered inhabitants was a rare treat.

Then it was the turn of the sea birds, with lots of gulls, pelicans, cormorants and a lifer that generated a lot of excitement for us – a Subantarctic skua.   The gull below would have been a good subject for a Garmin advert!

We also saw two shy African penguins that dived underwater when we got a bit too close for their comfort.  We cruised past oyster beds and rusty old factory ships, long since abandonned, and made our way towards Pelican Point which was not only lined with hordes of smelly seals, but home to thousands of cormorants as well.

Throughout our journey our guide was enthusiastically pointing out the inhabitants of the bay and warming us up with shots of  sherry (or “Namibian coffee” as she called it).

The highlight of the cruise had to be when a pod of Heaviside dolphins swam in the spray at the bows of our catamaran.

As they dived and surfaced happily they elicited plenty of oohs and aahs from the tourists on board.  This has to be the next best thing to actually swimming with dolphins.  No less exciting were the Dusky dolphins that were also visible in the bay area.

Before we headed back to the jetty where our ride began, we were given a taste of fresh oysters and some snacks, washed down by sparkling wine.  Definitely a lifestyle we could get used to!  It was a professionally run operation and perhaps the only fault we could find with the whole excursion was that they didn’t have enough oysters!  If you’re visiting Swakopmund or Walvis Bay, be sure to take a marine cruise with Mola Mola – you won’t be disappointed.  They also offer trips to Sandwich Harbour.

The area supports the elusive desert elephant, which we didn’t see, but on an early morning walk we did see wild giraffes grazing near the road.

There is plenty to see in this beautiful area.  Twyfelfontein has been declared a National Heritage Site because it has the largest concentration of rock art in Namibia.  Whilst there are plenty of the usual Bushmen paintings, where staining material was used for their art, Twyfelfontein is famous because the rock art has been engraved deep into the soft red sandstone rocks.

There are over 2500 petroglyphs of various sizes, mostly of animals and people.  Considered a sacred site by the indigenous people, Twyfelfontein was an ideal spot for the Bushmen to tell their stories by means of art about fifteen thousand years ago.  Twyfelfontein means “doubtful fountain” in Afrikaans and the little spring that rises in the area has been supporting life for thousands of years.

Nearby, the Organ Pipes are an interesting geological feature in the Twyfelfontein area.  We walked down into a narrow gorge and were surrounded by literally thousands of perpendicular dolerite pillars, some measuring up to five meters in height.  These were formed when dolerite that had intruded into the shales of the Karoo Sequence, shrank during cooling and split.

Our next stop was Burnt Mountain, formed by the Karoo shales and limestone deposits about 200 million years ago.  The dramatic changes that took place over the centuries left a mountain sporting various shades of colour (red, black, grey, purple, white and orange), which, at certain times of the day with the rays of the sun hitting it, give the impression that the mountain is on fire.  Seen at midday, people might wonder what all the fuss is about as it just looks like a black mountain!

This is a beautiful area to visit, with so much to see and do.  From here it’s a short drive to the petrified forest, which I wrote about in a prevous blog.

We were taken on a short tour by Giel Steenkamp, the owner of the farm – a funny and colourful character who struck it lucky when his young son, Hendrik, noticed an upturned rock containing a fossil during a road making operation on the farm.  This life-changing discovery of the mesosaurus fossil was the first of a number of fossils found on the farm and the family have opened this interesting site up to the public ever since.

About 280 million years ago a huge inland lake, known as Lake Gai-As, lay in the middle of the great continent of Gondwana and it was on the shores of this lake that mesosaurus lived.  When fossils of this crocodile-like reptile were found deep inland in both southern Africa and South America, it supported the theory that the two continents were once joined together.

In southern Africa mesosaurus is known as Mesosaurus tenuidens, whilst in Brazil the same fossil is known as Mesosaurus brasiliensis.

These water-going reptiles lived in a time called the Permian age and are thought to be the first reptiles to have returned to the water to live.  They ranged in size from 40 cm to 1.5 meters.

Oom Giel jokingly referred to himself as a young fossil and it is evident that he thoroughly enjoys showing visitors the sights on his farm.  Apart from the numerous fossils on display, one can also see a quiver tree forest of about 5000 trees, a dolorite park similar to Giants Playgrond and the war grave of a young German soldier killed in the native uprising at the beginning of the 20th century.  As if that’s not enough, you will also get treated to a “rock concert” when Giel plays a basic rendition of the South African national anthem (Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika) using a small rock to pound a stacked rock formation.

After the tour he leaves visitors alone to wander around and take photographs.  It’s a special place, well worth a visit.  Accommodation in the form of chalets or campsites is available for guests who’d like to spend the night on the farm.