Heading south.
We saw no-one on this drive!
Rock Kestrel
Beautiful desert scenery.
Quite varied scenery as well.
Going through several passes before hitting
the plains again.
Trac-trac Chat
This was a memorable drive!
Wonderful desert.
immense landscape.
Sunset view from our camp.
Our stunning campsite!
Mountain Wheatear
He was very confiding.
This was the only tree for a long way!
It really was a wonderful wilderness experience.
It is a huge, empty landscape.
Springbok
We drove south from Purros on a very scenic & through quite a
varied landscape, seeing no one at all. It was a lovely drive & we found an
excellent place to camp under a shady tree with a friendly Mountain Wheatear
for company. After an excellent evening we awoke to find 17 Springbok looking
at us!
Edge of the Hoanib.
It starts to get a little greener.
A young calf.
After packing up camp on 22nd,
we drove around 5kms & then entered the Hoanib River.
The riverbed.
Driving down the dry riverbed was a real experience.
Springbok
This was a wonderful place.
Chacma Baboon
In this area they are really dark.
This is a vast wilderness area.
Empty! Empty! Empty!
Gemsbok
A classic Namibian scene.
Water is scarce here, but where you do find it,
you find life.
Namaqua Dove.
Female Namaqua Sandgrouse.
Very few species were seen on this drive,
but small flocks of Grey's Lark were noted.
Present where little else is!
Hartemann's Mountain Zebra
you find life.
Namaqua Dove.
but small flocks of Grey's Lark were noted.
So early afternoon we set off south again & entered the Palmweg Concession Area. It was an interesting drive through total wilderness, but birds & animals were scarce. We did manage to see our first Hartemann’s Mountain Zebra along the way. Great to see these formerly rare animals, at one point on the verge of extinction!
Hairy-footed Gerbil
It was around our camp all night.
We then pressed on camping in a desolate spot called Theun’s Camp. It didn’t have a lot
going for it, but we made camp built a fire & had a nice evening being
constantly visited by a very energetic Hairy
Footed Gerbil!
A few small groups of Ostrich
were seen along the way.
Hartemann's Mountain Zebra
Stark's Lark
Yet again we saw no-one.
were seen along the way.
Gradually the scenery started to change.
Up very early on 23rd
August we pressed on through the wilderness often seeing nothing at all!
Eventually we saw another four Hartemann’s Mountain Zebra. In many ways it was
an amazing wild landscape but largely empty of animals! We eventually s the odd
Gemsbok & a few Springbok but not much else. Birds we few & far between
but we did manage a small group of Stark’s
Lark.
Noon saw us at Palmweg Lodge
which was in nice surroundings & we noted the excellent campsite for future
reference. Definitely a place to spend a couple of days not doing very much but
relaxing.
Granite kopjies started to dominate the landscape.
A nice surprise was a small bar up on a kopjie.
Dusk.
We again drove on crossing the Grooteberg
Pass & on to Hoada. This
proved to be an excellent spot as our campsite was among the koppies which
dotted the landscape. We climbed up to the elevated bar & enjoyed drinks
& the surroundings from a great vantage point.
Our camp among the rocks.
Our kitchen
Someone decided to have a lazy time in bed!
Dawn from our campsite.
Birding the kopjies.
Monteiro's Hornbill
Cape Turtle Dove
Short-toed Rock-thrush
This male was very tame.
Familiar Chat
Lark-like Bunting
White throated Canary
Dusky Sunbird
Yellow bellied Eremomela
We decided to spend all day of the 24th
relaxing in camp. We enjoyed a short walk around the koppies early on without
seeing any birds at all before returning to our camp & finding quite a few
species coming down to drink including an unbelievably tame male Short toed Rock-thrush! He definitely
ruled this particular campsite!
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