We drove from Upington to the Namibian border on 27th September. The Ariamsvlei Border Post was very quiet & we had all our papers & PCR tests in order. No people, No queing, so we were in Namibia! They gave us 90 days, which was brilliant! We don't expect to use all of this time, but these days planning is a precarious activity!
Once we crossed the border, we stocked up on fuel (fuel is much cheaper in Namibia) & supplies. We then drove a few kilometers & enjoyed a peaceful breakfast stop with a couple of Rosy-faced Lovebirds zooming overhead. We then pressed on, as we had another 600 km to drive. The drive itself was long but a pleasure, as next to no traffic on the roads & passing through interesting scenery.
We arrived at our destination The Desert Horse Inn Campsite at Klein-Aus Vista, just a few kilometers outside of Aus. And what a great campsite it was! Delana had asked for a large site away from other people & that is exactly what we got! It was brilliant, with lots of shade. We quickly set up camp & then drove the short distance to the Lodge for a very welcome dinner.
The 28th September was a bit of a lay-in, as we had had two long days of driving previously.
We then conducted a birding walk within a couple of kilometers of the camp. Birds were scarce, but species like Pale winged Starling & Mountain Chat were common.
We enjoyed a lazy time in camp & then went walking again in the late afternoon. A nice evening eating & drinking around the campfire followed.
The 29th September was THE DAY! We were up before dawn & on the road to Luderitz just as the sun was coming up. Our goal was Barlow's Lark, a very range restricted species. We arrived at the site but it was blowing a real gale out there & freezing cold! We trudged across the desert in silence for a couple of kilometers before we saw a brief flight view of a lark. A second view confirmed the identity & I managed to track a pair down with Delana's help & get some decent photographs. It was so difficult keeping th big lens still in the wind & I was shooting at 8,000th of a second to try & freeze the action! After an hour or so we drove on to Luderitz & enjoyed a fine breakfast while trying to warm up.
We then had a birding drive around town, seeing very few species but there were three Black necked Grebes on the sea. We visited Shark Island & drove a little north of town finding a tiny wetland with a trickle of water in it. A surprise was a Capped Wheatear there. In the tiny patches of dry reeds a Lesser Swamp Warbler was singing, but keeping low out of the strong wind.
Then it was time for lunch & we enjoyed a really great seafood meal at the Waterfront Restaurant. probably our last time to eat seafood for a very long time!
In the afternoon we drove to Dias Point & explored the bays & desert around there. It was very scenic & very like parts of Arabia. Greater Flamingos & Black necked Grebes seemed to be around every bay. The desert itself seemed to be birdless but a lone Tractrac Chat was welcome & in the early evening a pair of Namaqua Sandgrouse flew by.
Last day of the month & out birding around the camp. The highlight being a Karoo Chat which eventually gave excellent views. This bird was of the namaquaensis race & is a low density species in this vast habitat so pleased to see it.
The afternoon was spent birding the 6km road to Eagles Nest. Not a lot was seen, but it was interesting scenery.
Southern Namibia has a lot of space! Distances are huge, with few people. In parts the scenery is spectacular, but lack of available water keeps species to a bare minimum. A great place to explore slowly, camping & hiking. We really enjoyed our time here & hopefully will return in the not too distant future.
