Day 15 Saturday 16th July: Gobabis - Johannesburg

After 15 hours on the road, we are all safely back home and our Namibian road trip is over.

The border crossing at 06h30 at Gobabis from Namibia to Botswana went smoothly. We were then faced with an all day drive down the Trans Kgalagadi highway to Labotse in the south of Botswana. This road is in great condition, and while the distances are long it was an easy passage home. We crossed into South Africa in the late afternoon delighted to once again have local cell phone reception to check in with family and friends. As darkness fell it became difficult to stay together as a group so we split up into pairs for the final 3 hours on the road.

Great trip; great fun, great memories and most of all great mates! 

Day 14 Friday 15th July: Okaukuejo Camp, Etosha - Gobabis

Sadly what we planned and waited for, for so long has flown by. Johnny, Mish, Rich and Karen have stayed on for an extra day in Etosha and will follow us back to Johannesburg a day later. There was an aire of resignation in the camp as we packed up our tents and trailers for the last time. The Toyota convoy left Etosha at 09h00 and set off towards Gobabis 600km south east of Etosha.

We were back on dusty, flat roads passing through vast plains of beautiful Namibia.

A road side picnic for lunch, a few compulsory gin and tonics for the non-drivers and still excellent cuisine - parma ham, salami, blue cheese, cold chicken and rump!

The drive to Gobabis took longer than we anticipated and by the time we arrived at Zelda’s Guest House close to the Botswana border it was well after 19h00 - a quick dinner, a wonderful hot shower and early to bed…. and early to rise

Day 13 Thursday 14th July: Okaukuejo Camp, Etosha

Happy birthday Rich Sanders!

It’s become common now to be woken by the bush alarm clock; a pair of resident male lions wake us every morning roaring, reminding us of where we are. At about 06h00  we start to unzip our tents for our first cups of coffee. Its in these discussions that we decide on our dayts activities - some choosing to drive while others choose to chill at the waterhole alongside the camp.

Those of us who had not yet visited the northern part of Etosha and the flooded pan chose to set off in that direction.

It is really unbelievable as you approach what you would have otherwise have thought was the sea stretching out for miles in front of you and joining the horizon in the distance. For two weeks now we have been travelling through dusty, dry and parched terrain, now as you approach the pan the colours of the desert and grasslands are suddenly replaced with the white stretches of the salt pan and then many different hues of blue. There are areas where thousands of flamingos are wading close to the shore – yet another wonderful contrast in colour. Camp authorities claim that the pan hasn’t been flooded for 100 years; if so, what a privilege to be there this year.

We agreed to meet at the waterhole at the end of the day for a group photo. This was handled with the professionalism we have come to expect from Goss the photographer! Lots of jokes, laughs and banter as we poured what was to be our last sun downers together at the famous Okaukuejo waterhole. As the light began to fade and almost with stage like precision, a breeding herd of 20 elephant came into site as they marched in single file towards the water. It was quite simply the most fitting and beautiful finale to our Namibia trip.

We retired for a final braai knowing that tomorrow is pack-up day.

The Rusks!

 

Day 12 Wednesday 13th July: Okaukuejo Camp, Etosha

We were once again woken early at 03h00 by the sound of two lions roaring, literally just on the otherside of the perimeter fence. It is amazing how loud it sounds in the dead of the night. Amanda and Frank took a blanket and went down to the waterhole hoping to see them come down and drink. Sadly, after 45 minutes of freezing and waiting we went back to sleep!

Jimmy, Cas, Richard, Karen, Brian, Gail and Sarah-Jo all took the drive up north to Halali  in order to see what we now hear is  a completely unusual phenomenon. It is reported that the pan has not been flooded for over 100 years. Those that went up, came home reporting the most magnificent site. The sky line and the flooded pan were separated by finite lines of blue. This then contrasted with the whites and browns of the surrounding landscape. Karen said it was amazing to see herds of elephant on the edge of this magnificent ‘inland sea’.  Flamingos and pelicans that are not common at this time of the year can be found on huge flocks in the pan waters. Most people that visit the Etosha pan or remember it as a stark dusty white basin, and not the beautifully blue expansive mass of water.

The ever eager Sanders’ smsed that they had found 11 lions at a waterhole not far from our campsite. Those of us that had a more leisurely start to the morning raced up to join them. The huge pride sat at the waterhole dozing lazily in the sun while preventing  herds of zebran and springbok from coming any closer to the water. Some of the buck came within 20 meters of the lions only to be startled and withdraw again; a wonderful sighting.

By late afternoon when we returned the lions were still there and probably saving energy for a hunt later that evening.

We returned to the camp site to hear Jimmy speak of a wonderful landscapes he plans to paint depicting the wonderful flooded Etosha pan.

Day 11 Tuesday 12th July: Okaukuejo Camp, Etosha

Happy birthday Duncan!

A few people woke up with rather sore heads this morning; the night around the fire turned into lots of revelry!

Today was a day for chilling or driving; Johnny & Michy drove all the way up to Namatoni Camp, which is  the other side of the Etosha pan. Michy says the trip was emotionally overwhelming - seeing the parts of the pan full of water, ‘looked like the sea’ in the middle of the desert. Their trip was well worth the 6 hours it took. Some others visited Halali camp and were equally impressed. It seems that the facilities at all the Etosha camp are well maintained and very accommodating.

For the rest of us it was a ‘catch-up’ day in camp – a bit of reading, dozing and short visits to the waterhole, to once again marvel at the comings and goings of hundreds of animals.

It’s hard to believe that we leave this beautiful place on Friday for the long journey home.

Day 10 Monday 11th July: Okaukuejo Camp, Etosha

Day 10 started very early with lions roaring very close by. It was 4.30am and while we all were woken only Charles was brave enough to wrap up warmly and head down to the floodlit waterhole. In time to see four lions arrive to drink.

On the early morning game drive the team witnessed two big Kalahari male lions chasing another male away from their kill. An hour or two later as stories were told we had a Monday morning ‘cook-up’breakfast….. fried eggs, scrambled eggs, mushrooms, sausages, bacon, Ivy’s homemade marmalade and toast.

A quiet day followed, culminating in the team getting together again for sun downers at the waterhole. We have become a little blasé about the game we see. At one stage just as the sun was setting, there were 3 elephants, 3 giraffe, a black rhino and a jackal all drinking together; what a fantastic Monday!

Day 9 Sunday 10th July: Okaukuejo Camp, Etosha

We are going to be based at Okaukuejo for the next 6 nights so therefore decided a leisurely day ‘in camp’ was a good idea. Having slept late and had a delicious breakfast of Mishy’s fruit salad, yoghurts and homemade marmalade.

Just as we were about to settle into a quiet day of reading and relaxing the wind picked up and caused havoc in ‘tent town’. We scrambled around reinforcing our little homes and buttoning down the hatches. The wind died down after an hour or two at this stage we headed down to the waterhole to be confronted with a site none of us are likely to forget. Picture the scene; a waterhole the size of a school swimming pool in the middle of a parched dusty and rocky pan. As we arrived there were between two and three hundred animals swarming around the waterhole, all pressing for their turn to quench their thirst. Herds of 50 - 60 zebra would move in, spend ten minutes drinking and move off again only to be replaced by another herd, this time of wildebeest- then  giraffe, gemsbok, hundreds of Springbok; lone black rhino; some ellies, kudu, flocks of birds – one teeming mass of wildlife flowing in and out of the area for hours at a time. Of course the arrival of a lion would vacate the area in a few seconds. Sadly for us, we have yet to see lion at the waterhole, but in the early hours of this morning we woke to the sounds of roaring nearby. Maybe tomorrow?

Okaukuejo is truly one of the most unique and wonderful wildlife destinations any of us have been to.

Master Chef Jimmy’s stirfry is beckoning…. Good night.