Category: Travel Posts

When first planning this trip, Chris and I looked at various maps of the countries we wanted to visit, trying to find those places that would determine our route. Looking at the topographical map of Namibia, we immediately spotted the Brandberg and the neighbouring Messum Crater. We were fascinated by them and immediately decided that these areas were going to be on our  top To Do list.

The Messum Crater and the valleys leading up to and out of it turned out to be fantastic. The rock formations alone were worth coming here.  We drove through a valley where the wind had carved each protrusion into a different fish or sea creature. You could see everything from seahorses and snappers to moray eels, flounders and parrot fish.  There was even a dragon; into whose gaping mouth a previous passer-by had stuffed a whole melon. Quite an unexpected sight when you’re just driving around the corner minding your own business… The crater itself is the epitome of desolation. Searing heat, vast flat landscape surrounded by mountains with the horizon playing tricks with you. There’s no need to drive to the Sahara to experience a Fata Morgana, just visit the Messum Crater.

We left the Crater via the Messum River Bed and camped under a very beautiful Kameeldooring Acacia in a scenic river bend. Made a campfire and sat and watched the desert night sky.

  The West Coast consists of paradoxes. The Atlantic Ocean is immediately to your left and the Namib Naukluft Desert to your right. The days are scorching hot and the nights are freezing. Parts of the coastline are completely isolated and a few Kilometres away are tourist traps.
We spent a few days traveling around the area between Willievis Bay (to those not in the Rock Rabbit: Walvis Bay) and Swakopmund, learning to love the former and dislike the latter. We explored some of the sights and sounds, collected salt on the salt flats; climbed Dune 7; drove through an unexpected Moonscape of intertwining rocky hills and valleys; visited the ancient Welwitschia miriabilis and saw the fragile lichen fields where the Ox-Wagon tracks of the first settlers are still clearly visible.
Wanting to get away from the damp, windy coast for a while we spent some time exploring the gravel desert with all its desolate beauty and spectacularly adapted wildlife. We looked for snakes and scorpions and went on night hikes to try and track down Bat Eared foxes. Though we were only occasionally successful, we learnt a lot and had a blast doing it.
As Mike is along on this stretch of the trip Chris and I are thoroughly enjoying the vegetarian, or to be exact, pescetarian diet. However, living on the coast for a few days we all enjoyed the fish and seafood on offer. We discovered that we much prefer fishing for fresh water fish, as we actually manage to catch some of them  and that finding muscles north of Henties Bay is almost impossible.

Our first destinations in Botswana were the Khutse and Central Kalahari Game Reserves. Both reserves are renowned for their isolation, sparse game sightings and the difficult driving conditions. During our four day stay in these two reserves we can only confirm all   of these.

That first day in Khutse presented us with a completely unexpected sighting of a very fat and healthy pride of lions at the Molose Waterhole. With a total of 7 cubs of varying ages, the small pride were obviously better at spotting – and capturing – game than we were.

Driving north from Khutse into the Central Kalahari we put our Cruiser through her paces and finally came up with an apt name for our car. And so our “Rock Rabbit” was christened in soft Kalahari sand.

Without Mike’s help Chris and I would not have taken this route. The very real dangers of getting stuck in such a remote area with very limited supplies of water are definitely not to be underestimated. However, we did have Mike with us and his years of experience as a game ranger helped us to learn; and to learn the hard way. Getting stuck in the sand in the Kalahari Desert gives you a very good reason to pay attention to your teacher and to not make the same mistake twice!

In between getting stuck we managed to meet the only other visitor in the park.Günther turned out to be an Austrian from Graz. Travelling alone with his rented Land Rover, running low on diesel he was doing the very scary trip alone. A world traveller, this trip was his first time to Africa and the first time he was driving a car! Usually travelling via bike, this is the one trip he couldn’t make without a car.

After saying goodbye to Günther, we continued our journey north to the Bape campsite. To say the least this stretch of road was exciting. Presenting us with all the adventure and  adrenaline we could take for a day. To top it all off our fuel was quickly running out. The following day we carried on to the Xade gate of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, having been told that the worst was behind us and that the roads would get better after Bape… Although the road was minimally better, we all sat on pins and needles until we reached Xade. We had used up all our fuel, including two full Jerry cans. We coasted into the campsite on fumes, 40KM after our petrol light had come on.

Thankfully the guys at the Xade camp were very friendly and helpful and they went out of their way to refill our two Jerry cans for us. Thus we spent an unplanned night at the Xade campsite, waiting for Johnson and Umpuli to return from their rounds and our petrol.

This unplanned stop turned out to be worthwhile, as lions started roaring just after the sun had set. Throughout the early evening the calls came from varying directions, meaning that the pride was on the move. After things started to quiet down we decided to get to bed. We woke again shortly after to find that the lions had decided to take a shortcut through our camp with one young male passing within 5m of Mike’s tent. We watched from our tents as the lions ghosted through the moonlit night of the Kalahari Desert.

After spending the morning repacking the car, we refilled the car with the precious fuel and hit the road to Ghanzi. We still had 180 KM to go to the next petrol station and the road leading to it was the worst of the whole stretch. The car almost rolled a few times on the soft, loose sand and the added stress of having to watch the fuel gauge made it a road to remember.

Needless to say, the car did not roll, we made it through safe, sound and much wiser. The Kalahari is a spectacularly beautiful place, but very isolated and with very little visible game. Besides the two very lucky viewings of the obviously successful lion prides, we saw almost no other big game. We did spot lots of birds, lizards, agamas and various other small critters usually overlooked.

Mike’s magic

After crossing the Botswana border in the late afternoon, we ended up having to sneak through someone’s farm gate to get a peaceful camp away from the road.

A thunderstorm had been building all day and after the sun had set we managed to partake in Mike’s favourite hobby: photographing lightning.

Mike spent a few hours teaching the ins and outs of how to capture lightning on film and so we came to found “Mike’s Bush 101”.

After a early morning hour packing mission and a irritating search for our last peace of equipment (gas connection) since the stove was giving us trouble. We have finally hit the road. Currently were passing through hartebeesport. Heading straight for skilpadhek to enter bots. Luckily our first border crossing should be one of the easiest on the route. Excitement is rising. The Kalahari should be amazing.

Mike’s very much looking forward to all the creapy crawly, bitey, spitty, fangy, slithery, slimey and scaly creatures.
Hope to find a horned adder;)

Regards the rabbits in Africa.

follow us on: www.rabbitsviewofafrica.com

After long deliberation and much research I have decided to cut my hair into something more suitable to our trip. As much as I love my long hair, it’s just not viable to keep such long hair clean. Not to mention how hot it would be with all that hair at the back of my neck in Central Africa at over 30° C and humidity way over 80%!

I’m really looking forward to having such short hair for the first time!

Slowly but surely all our preparations are coming together. This week we need to complete some more work on our car; roof rack, solar panel, duel battery system and install the fridge. Then were down to groceries and reading maps.

Mike has decided to join us for the first part of the trip. The plan is  to travel to Botswana, through Khutse and the Central Kalahari and then onward to into Namibia. From there the plan is open, all we know is we want to climb the Brandberg mountains and then continue into northern Namibia.

So we are starting to count days towards our departure date. (which unfortunately does not stand yet) But im guessing ten to twelve days.

Thank you to all for helping us get ready to go.

Our first official post is to say “Thank you” to the wonderful people at the Morningside Travel Clinic, especially to Shirley, Marlene and Angela and to Syngenta South Africa.

These ladies are all responsible for ensuring that Chris and I don’t keel over in the next few months.

The passion and the expertise these ladies share for their chosen profession makes the whole process of endless inoculations a surprisingly pleasant and entertaining one.

Thank you again to all of you!!