Wilkinson's World

Archive for the ‘Weekends’ Category

Geologists would tell you that the Erongo Mountains are rich with minerals and gemstones like aquamarine, schorl, jeremejevite, quartz, fluorite and garnets (amongst others), but I have news for you, these mesmerizing mountains are full of magnetic rocks.  They must be magnetic because they are so awesome they draw us back to them time and again.  We have visited the Erongo region often during our stay in Namibia and for the sheer beauty and majesty of the dramatic granite boulders, valleys and incredible landscapes it cannot be beaten.

Our latest weekend getaway was to the farm ‘Omandumba’ in the Erongo Mountain Nature Conservancy.  The Conservancy lies in a flat basin surrounded by the imposing walls of the remnants of an enormous volcano that collapsed millions of years ago.  The name ‘Omandumba’ means ‘place of bitter bushes’ which obviously doesn’t deter the animals, because the farm abounds with wildlife and birds.

The appeal to us, of this particular farm, is its remote bush campsite, where we were the only campers and had the entire area to ourselves.  What price can one put on solitude like that – not another human being around, just us, the wild animals and the soothing presence of the silent looming boulders.   At night the silence enveloped us and we often just sat quietly straining to hear something – anything, even if it was just a cricket, but there was nothing.

Our walks were very productive as we found a waterhole in the rocks where we positioned ourselves for hours to photograph the birds that came to drink.

Admittedly there wasn’t a very large variety, it being winter, but the ones that came were very colourful and varied (acacia pied barbets, grey go-way birds, red-headed finches, waxbills – both violet-eared and common, bulbuls, larks, buntings, rosy-faced lovebirds, doves and canaries to name a few).  We even had the pleasure of an enormous black-chested snake eagle.  On a previous visit we saw the resident pair of Verreaux’s eagles and caught a glimpse of their chick in a nest high up on a cliff.

Animals we saw included kudu, warthogs, Damara dik-diks, baboons and the usual dassies that live on the rocks.

Our special treat was a black mongoose that we saw for a few seconds.  We were saddened to hear that leopards had been preying on the farmer’s cattle and had to be hunted down.  It’s awful to imagine these magnificent animals being shot for being a nuisance.

The mountains were once home to the San Bushmen and there is a good collection of their rock art on one of the walks.  We didn’t linger too long there as the overhanging rocks were covered in hornet’s nests and we didn’t fancy being casualties of their nasty stings!  Folks who would like to learn more about the Bushmen can visit a living museum in the area and meet with a local community of them, who demonstrate their survival skills and way of life.

One has to be totally self-sufficient at this campsite as there is nothing but bush.  There are a couple of long-drop toilets (for the very brave), but no showers or water.  This is part of the charm of the place though and it is a privilege to be in such pristine untouched surroundings.

If you’re a regular reader you will know that we are avid campers and have camped all over Namibia.  We considered ourselves extremely spoilt therefore when we were given a night at the luxurious Erongo Wilderness Lodge for my birthday (thanks again Mick).  Not to be outdone by Mick, Rob chipped in for an extra night to make it a whole weekend treat!

Situated in the beautiful Erongo Mountains, this lodge stands proud as one of the leading lodges of Namibia.  Guests stay in fabulous tents perched on the side of the mountain.  Each tent has an en-suite open-air bathroom with all the mod-cons.  The entire tent sits under a thatched roof and has its own wooden patio overlooking the valley and the magnificent views.

Just getting to there is an experience in itself.  To self-drive one has to have a 4×4 as the road up the mountain is very rocky and cannot be negotiated in an ordinary car.  Guests who don’t have 4×4’s are greeted at the gate and offered a lift up.  The drive up to Reception is spectacular and before we reached the office, baboons and rock rabbits (dassies), that sit like sentinels on the rocks, had already called out their welcome.

After checking in we were offered a guided walk to the top of the mountain so that we could watch the sun going down.   The views from the top were amazing and we were very amused by a lone chair perched on the highest point, that looked out over the vast expanse of land below.   The dry Omaruru River could be seen cutting a swathe through the barren landscape.  Our guide carried snacks and drinks for us to make the sunset even more memorable!

The open-air dining room overlooks a floodlit waterhole where animals come to drink.  We also saw many nightjars and bats catching the insects that gathered around the floodlight.  We were delighted when a porcupine ambled past the dining room on his way to the kitchen for a snack.  This was the first time that we’d seen a porcupine in the wild as they are nocturnal creatures.  In Namibia you have to carry a camera with you at all times otherwise you miss out on special moments like this

We were up at six the next morning to take a guided hike around the mountains.  We specifically asked for a guide who was knowledgeable about birds and were very impressed by the young man who accompanied us.  He identified a Verreaux’s Eagle flying overhead and took us on a long detour to find its nest perched on the side of a rocky cliff.   When I mentioned the nightjars that we’d seen at the waterhole the night before, he offered to show us a pair that he said slept quite near our tent during the day.  We notched up a ‘lifer’ with the Freckled Nightjars and were happy to be able to photograph them.   Here local knowledge was essential for finding them, as they blended into the rocks so well.

I was fortunate enough to  spot a rare and elusive black mongoose on a rocky plain.  We also saw leopard footprints, a horned adder soaking up the sun and numerous birds.   A common resident in the Erongo area is the White-tailed Shrike. I love these birds with their sweet little grey waistcoats!

As always, the weekend was very special.  Whether we’re in a tent or a lodge, wherever we spend our weekends in Namibia they are certain to offer up many delights in the way of scenery, birds and nature.  This weekend was no exception and we came away with many more memories of this awesome country.

It’s amazing how two weekends spent camping in the same area can be so different.  We recently revisited the Waterberg about 280 kms north of Windhoek as we particularly wanted to hike up to the plateau with a guide.  Although we enjoyed our first visit to the Namibian Wildlife Resort of the Waterberg, it was marred somewhat by a noisy busload of students who partied the whole weekend.  Not wanting to be caught a second time, we opted to camp at a private nature reserve called the Waterberg Wilderness Lodge,  a short way up the road.  This proved to be an excellent choice.

The campsites were a fair distance from each other and were well equipped with a shelter, a barbeque area and a private, albeit very rustic, bathroom. Firewood was provided and on arrival we were offered a number of activities to choose from. We opted for a guided walk up on the plateau and an exorbitantly priced game drive in the afternoon.

Our guide for the hike was a friendly young man called Wesley, who turned out to be very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna in the area.  He took time to stop at the more interesting plants and trees to describe their uses to the indigenous people of Namibia.  His first plant of interest was the sansevieria, similar to a mother-in-law’s tongue, which the Bushmen used for making bow-strings.

He gave Rob a quick lesson on how it was done.

The hike up to the Waterberg plateau wasn’t too strenuous as we stopped often to photograph the trees or discuss our surroundings.   Lots of wild animals live up there, but we were only privileged to see two little klipspringers peeping at us through the trees before they made off at great speed.

Whenever we take a guided hike  I like to ask about the spiritual beliefs and traditions of the African people.  Wesley belongs to the Herero tribe, who often combine Christianity with ancestral worship.  His family commune with their paternal ancestors through dreams.  He was delighted that we had taken an interest in his community and their traditions and explained at length about life in their village.  I will write more about this in a blog dedicated to the Herero people of Namibia.

The views from the top of the plateau are amazing.  We stretched our eyes for miles and miles over the plains of the Kalahari sandveld.

Just being at the top of the mountain with the air so fresh and our bodies invigorated by the climb up there, was wonderful.  We almost had to drag ourselves away as we had already overrun our three hour time for the hike.

That afternoon we joined the game drive for a tour around their massive ranch.  We saw lots of giraffes, kudu and other little animals, but the highlight of the trip was seeing a pair of white rhinoceros.  Our guide and Rob left the vehicle and tracked these two enormous animals on foot in the bush, managing to get really close to them.  I had my camera poised and ready in case Rob came haring back with a rhino on his tail!!

This beautiful Spotted Eagle Owl was flushed out of the bush as we drove past and settled on a tree just long enough for us to get a nice photo.  It’s not often that birds are so obliging.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable weekend.  The June weather was perfect and we were treated to a beautiful full moon – always lovely to have that when one is out camping.

One of the things that strikes us about living in Windhoek is the fact that once you leave the city you are immediately out in nature and you really don’t have to drive very far to see game  in the countryside.  We chose Dusternbrook Guest Farm for a weekend away because it is so close to Windhoek (only 50 kms) and also because, unlike a lot of other game farms, it also offered camping.

In the 1960’s Dusternbrook was the first farm in Namibia to open its doors to paying guests with a view to offering them hunting and game viewing opportunities.  This concept was so successful it spawned the thriving guest farm business that operates throughout the country today.

The beautiful old farmhouse sits on the top of a mountain with stunning views over a dry river bed and the plains below.  There is an abundance of birdlife and one is able to wander around the farm (heat permitting) on various hiking trails, which we took full advantage of.

On our first morning we walked for about six hours, spending time at their dam where we were shouted at and followed by inquisitive baboons.  The dam is home to many birds, especially cormorants and ducks.

I was fascinated by the numbers of brightly coloured dragonflies that were flitting about and spent a long time trying to capture them on camera.

That afternoon we booked a game drive and were driven into their leopard enclosure where we were able to photograph this magnificent animal up close.

The guide fed it chicken pieces which it obviously enjoyed. Even though we were only meters away from it in an open vehicle, we never felt threatened by the leopard at all.

From there it was on to the cheetah area.  Cheetahs are always fun to watch as they are so agile and interact with each other a lot.

As their enclosure is very big , they would be difficult to spot if one wasn’t there at feeding time when they rush to the vehicle expecting a meal!  Later we came across a small enclosure with a little cheetah with one leg missing.  It seemed quite happy in spite of its disability.

We were somewhat disappointed with the campsite at Dusternbrook.  The camping area was fenced off and very small, especially for the number of campers that they had.  In a land where space is no problem, it feels like an invasion of privacy to be so close to one’s fellow campers.  We thought that they could have made so much more of their camping facilities.  One thing that we did enjoy about the campsite was the huge tree we were parked under.  It was home to a Pearl Spotted Owl that we picked up in our spotlight.  Owls are always welcome visitors in our campsites!

The birdlife alone is enough to encourage us to return to the farm for another visit.  It’s a photographers paradise, although a little expensive as their rates for accommodation and game viewing are not cheap compared with other places in Namibia.