GONDWANA DESERT COLLECTION:
... consists of four private nature reserves in southern Namibia, characterised by low precipitation and spectacular desert scenery: Gondwana Kalahari Park in the midst of red Kalahari dunes north-east of Mariental, Gondwana Cañon Park at the Fish River Canyon, Gondwana Sperrgebiet Park close to the Wild Horses on the fringes of the Succulent Karoo west of Aus and Gondwana Namib Park near the fossilised dunes north of Sesriem/Sossusvlei. The parks are connected by the Gondwana Desert Route which runs through Namibia’s south in the shape of a horseshoe.
Each park offers activities like hiking tours or nature drives and provides a collection of accommodation facilities to suit every style and budget – whether group or individual traveller, or camping guest: Kalahari Anib Lodge and Campsite; Cañon Lodge, Village, Roadhouse (with campsite) and Mountain Camp; Klein Aus Vista - Desert Horse Inn, Eagles Nest Lodge, Geisterschlucht Dormitories and Campsite; and Namib Desert Lodge.
HARDAP:
(about 40 minutes by car from Gondwana Kalahari Park)
The upper Fish River is dammed up by Hardap Dam north of Mariental. The dam affords magnificent views across the fields and the little town of Mariental right up to the 'Weißrand' escarpment in the east. Visitors who arrive in their own car can watch game and many types of birds in the nature reserve south of the dam.
GONDWANA KALAHARI PARK:
(100 km², 30 km north-east of Mariental)
The Kalahari – green acacias and yellow grass on the red sand of the Kalahari dunes which extend over hundreds of kilometres. Gondwana Kalahari Park, an area of 100 km², will leave you with unforgettable impressions of the largest continuous stretch of sand on earth. Animals like Springbok, Gemsbok and Ostrich as well as Jackal, Hare and Porcupine inhabit the dunes and dune valleys. Take pictures of the Kori bustard, the largest flying bird of all, and of huge colonies of weaver birds’ nests taking up whole trees. Or just relax in the shade of palm trees at the swimming pool.
STAMPRIET:
(about 40 minutes by car from Gondwana Kalahari Park)
The nearby village of Stampriet on the seasonal Auob River has artesian springs at its disposal. At the sight of the large irrigated fields you might feel transported to South Africa’s Cape region. Visit the old church and have coffee at the 'Stampriet Historical Guest House'.
The accommodation facilities generate the funds needed for nature protection and at the same time create jobs and offer Namibians a chance for advancement.
Discover the delights of the desert – with the Gondwana Desert Collection from Park to Park through Namibia’s south.
NAMIBIA'S SOUTH:
From Sight to Sight through Namibia’s South
Whether canyon or quiver tree, Sossusvlei in the sand sea of the Namib or dunes extending over hundreds of kilometres in the Kalahari, whether saurian fossils or Wild Horses, mission church or ghost town – Namibia’s south has a lot to offer to tourists. The attractions listed below roughly follow the course of the Gondwana Desert Route, which is clockwise along the horseshoe-shaped route through the south.
The KALAHARI covers a wide stretch of land in eastern Namibia. The tall red dunes, which run from north-west to south-east in parallel chains over hundreds of kilometres, are the most typical feature. In contrast to the Namib, grasses, shrubs and acacias grow on the dunes and in the dune valleys. Some clay and salt pans that fill with water after sufficient rains have formed between the dunes. Game is abundant in the Kalahari.
HARDAP DAM near Mariental is the largest artificial lake in the country. It dams up the Fish River, which in its lower course, not far from where it flows into the Gariep (Orange) River, has shaped the Fish River Canyon. Hardap Dam and the surrounding nature reserve with various species of game (including Black Rhino) is a popular greenbelt recreation area for water sports, angling and bird-watching.
The crater of the BRUKKAROS MASSIF near Berseba looks like an extinct volcano. It is assumed, however, that it is the result of a subterranean explosion which caused a hollow under the surface to cave in. Brukkaros can be ascended from the southern rim of the crater. A path leads into the crater and to the ruins of a former research station, located at about 1,590 m above sea level.
The quiver tree is the symbol of the south. In earlier times the San used the branches to make quivers for their arrows – hence the name. Around Keetmanshoop there are several groves of this type of aloe. 'QUIVER TREE FORESTS' worth a visit can be found at farm Garas, 20 km north of Keetmanshoop on the B 1 tar road, or at farm Gariganus, 20 km north-east of Keetmanshoop on the C 17. All the quiver tree groves are located in an area in which large chunks of greyish black dolerite rock are stacked upon one another to form veritable sculpture galleries. At farm Gariganus the site has been named ‘Giants’ Playground’.
The quiver tree grove in the area of the 'MESAURUS FOSSIL SITE', 42 km north-east of Keetmanshoop on the road to Koës, is less known but no less impressive. There are also piled up ashlars of dolerite rock, as at the Giants’ Playground. Even more impressive is the fossil site in this area: fossilised skeletons, about 50 cm long, of the Mesosaurus tenuidens are imprinted in slate. The reptile, which vaguely resembles a crocodile, lived about 260 million years ago in a huge lake which then covered large parts of southern Africa.
The town of KEETMANSHOOP is the administrative centre of the south. Several buildings from colonial times have been preserved in the centre of the town, including the railway station (1907/08), the Imperial Post Office (1910) which now serves as a visitors’ information centre, and a church of the Rhenish Missionary Society with a small museum where photos and items from the early years of the last century are on display.
With a capacity of about 69 million cubic metres, NAUTE DAM south-west of Keetmanshoop is the country’s third largest dam. It is also a bird sanctuary. In the nature reserve on the southern shores there are several beautiful inlets for swimming.
The FISH RIVER CANYON in the lower course of the ephemeral river with the same name is one of southern Namibia’s main attractions. It cuts through the seemingly enormous scenery of the Nama Karoo which is criss-crossed by the courses of other ephemeral rivers, lined by vegetation. Characteristic plants are euphorbia, quiver trees and small shrubs. Between the main lookout point at Hobas and the hot springs at Ai-Ais in the south the canyon is at its most impressive. This 80 km section of the Fish River is accessible on a hiking trail (several days, minimum 3 participants, booking essential, medical certificate required) which is said to be among the most beautiful ones in southern Africa.
State-owned AIS-AIS HOT SPRINGS RESORT is located at the lower end of the Fish River Canyon. The very modest thermal bath is fed by a hot spring. There is an outside pool and an indoor pool with Jacuzzi.
Situated 30 km south of Karasburg and away from the main routes, the little hamlet of WARMBAD was founded in the vicinity of a hot spring. There is a museum on the history of the Bondelswart Nama which covers topics like the work of the first missionaries who started their task in 1806, the uprising against the German colonial power in 1903 or the struggle against South African rule in 1920. There are also the remains of camel stables from colonial times, a mission house, a church and an old cemetery. The hot spring is still bubbling away and fills a swimming pool shaded by trees.
THE GARIEP (ORANGE) RIVER: forms the border between Namibia and South Africa over a distance of 500 km. It bears water all year round and flows into the Atlantic Ocean at Oranjemund. The river is only suitable for small boats. Guided canoe tours for enjoying nature sustained by the river start from the little hamlet of Noordoewer. Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park spreads out north and south of the Gariep.
A road along the Gariep (Orange) leads to the mining village of Rosh Pinah (zinc) and on to Aus. An alternative route is the road north of the Fish River Canyon via Seeheim to Aus.
Bethanien, north of the tar road between Keetmanshoop and Aus, boasts a faithfully restored former mission church (1859) and the replica of the first stone house (1815) which was built there. An exhibition about Bethanien’s missionary history can be viewed in the tiny Schmelen House – named after the missionary with the same name. The house of Nama leader Joseph Fredericks has also been preserved. This is where Fredericks and Heinrich Vogelsang (authorized representative of Adolf Lüderitz, a merchant in Bremen) signed the bill for the sale of the bay of Angra Pequeña on 1 May 1883 – it was the prelude to German colonial rule in South West Africa (proclaimed in 1884).
East of Aus the remains of a POW camp can be found which was set up in 1915 for German soldiers by the South African forces. In Aus itself there is an Information Centre for visitors – with diagrams on the Wild Horses of the Namib at Garub (20 km west of Aus), the unique flora of the area (Succulent Karoo, Nama Karoo and Dune Namib) as well as other fields of interest - such as transport, mining, Karakul breeding and resistance against Apartheid.
Horses from a nearby stud farm, the German colonial forces and the South African army, which were dispersed or abandoned during the First World War, conquered the edge of the Namib as their habitat. In the course of more than 90 years the Wild Horses of the Namib have adapted to the harsh conditions. They can be watched at the drinking trough at Garub, 20 km west of Aus, slightly north of the tar road to Lüderitz.
Lüderitz still boasts numerous witnesses to its history of more than a century. Among the best-known sights are the magnificent Jugendstil buildings from the early years, like imposing Goerke Haus and neighbouring Felsenkirche (Church on the Rock). The modern Waterfront includes a Yacht Club and is the starting point for boat tours to the small islands off the Atlantic coast. The clear ocean water, by the way, provides the culinary delicacies, for which Lüderitz is known as well: fresh lobsters and oysters, depending on the season. Out-of-town excursions are to 'Diaz Point' where Portuguese seafarers erected a stone cross for a landmark in the 15th century, or to the Restricted Area with deserted diamond settlements like Pomona or natural beauty spots like Großer Bogenfels (rock arch).
The diamond town of Kolmanskuppe, founded in 1908, has turned into a ghost town long since. The grand houses of yesteryear have partly been reclaimed by the Namib Desert. Various buildings, like the old ice factory, the butchery, the skittle alley and the general-purpose gymnasium, are included in a guided tour. There is also a small museum and a permanent exhibition on the mining and processing of diamonds.
The Tiras Mountains are located about 50 km north of Aus. The D 707 - dubbed the most beautiful byroad in the country - runs in a wide semi-circle around the south-western flank, with the red sand sea of the Dune Namib on the one side and the solitary reddish-brown Tiras Mountains on the other.
The fortified manor house Duwisib sits on the slope of the wide and truly beautiful valley of a seasonal river west of Maltahöhe. It was built in 1908 by an eccentric horse breeder, Hansheinrich von Wolf, and his American wife Jayta. Castle Duwisib has been preserved relatively well. The splendour of its heyday is still apparent, among others, in the great hall, the dining hall and a chamber furnished in the Biedermeier style.
Socially minded members of the Maltahöhe community have established the 'Oahera Art' market where high-quality souvenirs can be bought and local Nama craftspeople can be watched at work. Tours of Maltahöhe by donkey-cart are also on offer. It is highly recommendable to attend a performance by the school choir which is bursting with joie de vivre and vocal power. Traditional Nama songs and dances are performed by prior arrangement.
Sossusvlei is one of Namibia’s most impressive sights. The famous clay pan is enclosed by the endless red and yellow sand sea of the Dune Namib. For photographers the desert landscape offers the most amazing contrasts, colours and shapes in the early morning and late afternoon light. Climbing a dune should definitely be part of a visit. Sossusvlei can only be reached from the national park’s entrance gate at Sesriem. Sesriem Canyon, a gorge of about 2 km in length, is also in the vicinity of Sesriem. 'Ses rieme', or six thongs of an ox wagon and team were once tied together to scoop water from the bottom of the gorge.
The rugged massif of the Naukluft Mountains fits into the line of the Great Escarpment, the clear-cut border between the lower-lying Dune Namib and the uplands in Namibia’s interior. The Naukluft with its numerous springs and its diverse fauna and flora is very suitable for hiking tours. The 'Naukluft Trail' is regarded as one of the most strenuous but also one of the most beautiful hiking trails in southern Africa.
Farm Neuras in the barren, hilly country east of the Naukluft Mountains is blessed with vigorously gushing springs which are utilized for irrigating vines. The small winery can be toured by prior arrangement.
The petrol station and garage as well as the farm store and café in Solitaire have acquired cult status. Until just a few years ago they were literally hidden away in the great nowhere. With tourism on the rise traffic through Solitaire has clearly increased as well, but with a little luck it is still possible to get hold of a helping of the apple crumble for which Solitaire is world-famous. |
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