Fish River Canyon

It was a long & desolate drive today!

The roadhouse is quirky but we loved it!

We treated ourselves to an evening meal

 after a long day on the road.

Quirky enough for you?

The first Ducati Motorbike!

We left the Kalahari Game Lodge on the morning of 8th March for the 350 kms drive to The Fish River Canyon. It took us a lot longer than planned as the roads were treacherous in parts, after heavy localised rainfall. I have been to Namibia so many times but never been here. One of the greatest & most popular attractions in the country! Delana has been many times, but it was all new for me.

The campsite was spacious & very nice.

Rosy-faced Lovebirds.

They came in to drink just in front of the restaurant

 every day.

These birds gave fantastic viewing & were 

comfortable with the close proximity 

of people passing by.

Common Scimitarbill

White-backed Mousebird

Dusky Sunbird

Male singing.

Female Southern Masked Weaver.

Mountain Chat.

Quite common in the campsite,often utilising

the bathroom blocks!

Pririt Batis

Male

White-throated Canary.

The campsite was reasonably good for birding, especially in the early morning. One of the specials were the Rosy-faced Lovebirds coming to drink mid-morning.

The viewing area.

Dramatic scenery in the second largest 

canyon in the world.

Delana.

Bradfield's Swift.

This was the best shot I got 

despite many efforts!

Familiar Chat.

We spent the next three days exploring the area. On the first day we drove & stopped frequently around the rim of the canyon. The scenery was excellent but few birds about. The best being a flyover Verreaux's Eagle & both Bradfield's & Alpine Swifts breeding in the canyon. Familiar Chats were also resident along the canyon rim.

The national park which surrounds the canyon

is a stronghold for the Cape Mountain Zebra.

Once on the verge of extinction.

 I think I am correct in thinking that they

 got down to 22 animals!

This species has responded well to protection 

& recent conservation measures.

This species is well suited to arid conditions. 

It doesn't need to drink every day.

Gemsbok also have a good & stable population

within this national park.

Klipspringer were also present but extremely wary.

Springbok.

The very scenic drive, which slowly descends the canyon

 eventually arriving at Al-Ais.

It is a barren but beautiful landscape.

One day were enjoyed a scenic drive to Al-Ais,which is a hot spring resort,close to the bottom of the canyon. This was formerly a popular spot for tourists but has recently fell upon hard times. It needs a lot of money spending on it to bring it up to scratch. However where there is water there are birds!

Little Grebe.

There is a tiny sewage works here & there were

 a pair of Little Grebes nesting here.

Mountain Chat.

This is the pale morph, with the pale grey head & back.

Familiar Chat was common here.

Outside Mountain Lodge.

In the bar!

One evening we did a three pub pub crawl within the national park! There are several rather up-market places to stay & they all have bars! It was a very enjoyable evening. 

We really enjoyed our time here, the national park for me up-staged the actual canyon. The park is starkly beautiful, especially in the early morning & early evening light. There are a couple of 4x4 routes which require prior booking & a permit to enter. Along these routes there are also remote camping sites which we would love to further explore & stay in the future. If anyone reading this thinks of visiting this area, we would recommend at least a three night stay.