We spent a day travelling to Sossusvlei and Deadvlei, a day there and a day travelling back. Lots to see, and the road is very bumpy in patches. Here is what we saw.
Starting at the gravel plains.
We first spotted ostriches.
No toilet stop here. We will have to hold on.
The road went on and on. Dusty and bumpy and very alone. We were not expecting the cloud.
The Kuiseb Canyon
Then the Gaub pass, though no signposts. It didn't show up on my phone. This was the only smooth road in hundreds of kilometres.
Cool Cat Bill- cloud is not supposed to be there.
Luckily, there was a signpost here.
Bill does all the driving. I am having a great time.
Nearly missed Mum warthog and her baby crossing the road
Then an oryx.
Then we arrive in Solitaire, the only place to stop on the way (3 1/2 hours later). . Phew. Bill filled up with petrol. I got someone to take a photo of me beside Harry's dream car.
We shared apple pie (a Solitaire signature dish). There is a bakery, owned by three Americans. Solitaire has become famous worldwide for its apple pie. Yum.
Some interesting Solitaire facts:
It was founded in 1948.
The old, rusted cars are photographed more often than in many other cities.
Some people fly into Solitaire using its desert airstrip.
The settlement exists because travellers need fuel, food and water in a very remote area.
Oryx are commonly seen along nearby roads.
It sits beside one of the oldest deserts on Earth.
You can see incredible star-filled skies because there is almost no light pollution.
"The name “Solitaire” means “alone,” “solitary,” or “standing by itself.” It was chosen because the farm and homestead sat in complete isolation, surrounded by vast desert plains with no nearby towns or settlements.
There is also a second meaning that people often mention:
A solitaire diamond is a single diamond set in a ring by itself.
Elsie reportedly felt the farm was like a precious jewel standing alone in the immense Namib Desert.
When you arrive, you’ll see why the name fits. For hundreds of kilometres in every direction, there are mountains, gravel plains, dunes, and desert. Then suddenly, like an oasis, there is a tiny settlement with a fuel station, bakery, a few buildings, and those famous old cars.
Before modern roads, Solitaire was an important farm stop for travellers crossing the Namib. Today it is still one of the most important stopping points between Swakopmund and Sossusvlei."
I like it because I spotted meercats.
Luckily, this was signposted.
These nests below were amazing.
"The Sociable Weaver (sometimes called the Social Weaver) is one of Africa's most remarkable birds. It lives mainly in southern Africa, especially in Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa.
Why are they so famous?
These small brown birds build the largest communal nests in the world. Instead of each pair making its own nest, hundreds of birds work together to build a giant "bird apartment block" that can house generations of weavers. Some nests contain over 100 chambers and can support hundreds of birds.
What do the nests look like?
From a distance, the nest looks like a giant haystack hanging from a tree or telephone pole.
Built from dry grasses and twigs
Many separate chambers inside
Entrances are underneath the nest
Can be used for decades, even centuries
Some colonies have been occupied for nearly 200 years
Why build such enormous nests?
The deserts of Namibia and the Kalahari can be extremely hot during the day and freezing at night.
The nest acts like a natural air-conditioning system:
Inner chambers stay warm on cold nights.
Outer chambers stay cooler during hot days.
Birds move to different parts of the nest depending on the temperature."
Sometimes they can last for years. Other times, the weight of the nest can collapse.
"Imagine a bird-built apartment block with hundreds of rooms, grandparents, parents, chicks, and neighbours all living together under one roof. That's exactly how a sociable weaver colony works! Scientists often describe their nests as tiny bird cities."
For someone travelling around Namibia, sociable weaver nests are one of the most fascinating wildlife sights because they show how animals can survive together in one of the harshest deserts on Earth.
When I was writing up this post, Bill bought a newspaper. I loved this article from it. Basically, we could learn about housing from a weaver's nest, and this guy was an artist who emphasised that. Some ideas for a good letter to write to the government about solving New Zealand's housing problem. Māori used to place human bone remains in cabbage (te kouka), a New Zealand native tree. Maybe we could look more closely at our trees and nests for ideas on housing and how to live sustainably.
When we finally reached Sossusvlei, we headed to our glamping site for the night. This was called Elegant Desert Lodge. The camp itself is about 45 km from Sesriem and around 7 km from the main lodge, underneath the Tsaris Mountains. Guests check in through the lodge. Breakfast was at the main lodge, and dinners are at the camp’s open-air boma under the stars.
We were the second one in. You could roll a bed out on to the deck. Not tonight, too cold.
Zebra moving to the waterhole.
Bill, as tour master, thought it would be a great treat to do something different. By the way, he does all the bookings. I am so incredibly grateful, and it gives me time to write the blog.
We headed up to see the sunset. It was -1 degrees. I didn't realise it was so cold. I did not want to go back down again, as I might miss something. We had a gin.
Zebra, getting closer to the drinking hole.
There was only Leon and us. We had a great chat with Leon. He is training to be a guide. He has been with Elegant Desert Lodge for 3 years, and in 3 1/2 months he will be qualified as a guide and a driver on those dunes. Like Harry, Anna's partner, Leon said he would want to be a dune driver if he had half the chance.
This was the menu for dinner,
This was the fire at dinner. It was too far away.
This was us. Gee, I look like my mother. They gave us hotties for our sleep. We needed them.
As we leave Leon and ? oops, forgotten her name, give me a big wave as Bill packs the car. Not sure whether they are in a relationship or not? I didn't ask that. (An unusual oversight, Ed.)
Bill is still packing the car. I see another camel thorn tree with a sociable weaver's nest.
We head to the main lodge (a few km away) and use the internet for a few hours. Bill does work. I do the blog, answer emails, and look at their bird posters from Namibia.
Then we head in to the Sossusvlei valley.
We turn in, and after yesterday's more than 4 hours of bumpy road, the road is tar-sealed. Yay for that. There is a cost for us with the car and two people, equivalent to $65, to enter the park. Bill and I look at one another - we both agree NZ should be charging tourists for its nature spots like this.
We have chosen to stay inside the park for this one night because you can drive through the inner gate before sunrise and return after sunset, giving us much better access to Deadvlei, Sossusvlei, and Big Daddy at the best times of day.
We are staying at Dune Lodge. We had got the last room as there was a group in there. It ended up being the honeymoon suite and the last room in a line, about 500m from the main reception - a good walk, and there were bugs everywhere on the walkway.
The honeymoon suite.
That night, we had an early dinner and headed to climb Dune 45 for sunset. That cloud doesn’t look good for us.
The clouds were an anomaly for this time of year. We head off to climb Dune 45.. The road was tar-sealed. Alleluia.
We saw oryx crossing the road.
Beautiful.
We drive 45km to the famous red dunes appearing on both sides. We reach Dune 45. It is behind us here. Let's climb.
It took us 45 minutes. A puffonmeter and the view.
We waited for sunset.
The model!
We got what we got. Clouds were in the way and it was perfect.
. We walked down a bit earlier. It was getting cold.
Bill walked ahead. Time for a selfie. This is to advertise my hat - Paererewa.
Then the sunset.
Another selfie. Bill is almost at the car. I am having fun. I love the background to make you look better.
And then the sun was gone!
That night, thunder and lightning and rain - it was not the usual.. The next morning, we packed a breakfast and headed to Deadvlei to see the sunrise. You park your car, then you have to pay another $40 for the shuttle. Gee, we don’t do this in NZ. A lot of clouds still.
Then we walked the last km to Deadvlei. It is amazing.
I started to climb Big Daddy. Bill followed a little, but was not keen to climb all the way. It was a bit of a puffameter.
I debated about going to the top. Bill didn’t want to go. Maybe there was more rain coming. Maybe, too, we needed to get back to Swakopmund in the light. I got this far.
Big Daddy
When we got back to Swakopmund, we met a 24-year-old who had run up Big Daddy that day in 22 minutes. We thought it would take us 2 hours. Caitlin (our marathon-running niece), who loves travelling - there is a challenge.
More views.
I missed this, but Sossusvlei, as well as being a region, is also a place. This is what we missed. The Sussossvlei place is beyond here if you use this blog to go there.
And this is what we would have seen.
Then it was back to Swakopmund the way we came for 5 hours. I did notice a training camp sign for Topnaar Tribe. That warmed my heart. Their culture is still being kept alive.
We did get back in the light. A drink and a meal at Tigers in Swakopmund and another Namibian sunset - this one with no clouds.