Travel News Namibia Spring 2015

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VOLUME 23 No 5 | SPRING 2015

Conservation

ECO TOURISM

From the sky

Leave nothing but footprints behind

Desert lions

The GREEN issue N$40.00 incl. VAT R40.00 incl. VAT

Surviving in the hoanib

Villa Margherita info@villamargherita.com.na

hello@ongava.com

OR NAMIBIA

info@skeletoncoastsafaris.com

info@theolive-namibia.com

info@erongowilderness-namibia.com

info@africat.org

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VOLUME 23 No 5 | SPRING 2015

is published by Venture Publications in Windhoek, Namibia www.travelnewsnamibia.com 4 Herzinger Crescent, Klein Windhoek PO Box 21593, Windhoek, Namibia

Text Contributors Annabelle Venter, Ron Swilling, Pompie Burger, Elzanne Erasmus, Sanet van Zijl, Tony Figueira, Conrad Brain, Antoinette de Chavonnes-Vrugt, Ginger Mauney, Luise Hoffmann, Helge Denker, Christine Hugo

Production manager Elzanne Erasmus elzanne@travelnewsnamibia.com

Photographers Paul van Schalkwyk, Ron Swilling, Pompie Burger, Elzanne Erasmus, Sanet van Zijl, Marita van Rooyen, Annabelle Venter, Tony Figueira, Conrad Brain, Gerhard Thirion, Will & Lianne Steenkamp, Dave Cole, Olwen Evans, Celeste Geertsema, Hentie Burger, Sean McCulloch

Public relations Janine van der Merwe janine@travelnewsnamibia.com

Printers John Meinert Printing, Windhoek

LAYOUT & Design Viktoria Human

Travel News Namibia is published quarterly, distributed worldwide and produced solely on Apple Macintosh equipment. The editorial content of TNN is contributed by freelance writers and journalists.

It is the sole property of the publisher and no part of the magazine may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

Managing Editor Rièth van Schalkwyk Technical Director Naude Muller

Customer Service Bonn Nortjé bonn@venture.com.na Online Editor Sanet van Zijl info@travelnewsnamibia.com cover photograph Will & Lianne Steenkamp – Into Nature Productions

Tel: +264 61 223 269 | Cell: +264 81 127 2222 | E-mail: odyssey@iway.na Like us on

www.tala.com.na Available at Namcrafts in Independence Avenue, Tel +264 (0)61 250342 For fine art prints & image library contact: elmarie@mac.com.na, Cell +264 (0)81 277 3334

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ABOUT VENTURE

VENTURE PUBLICATIONS Venture Publications is the pioneer of Namibia tourism promotion. We are the leader in spreading the tourism word around the world. We distribute accurate, credible, up-to-date and regular tourism-related information on paper, in social media, on the World Wide Web, and on mobile apps.

We have reached hundreds of thousands over more than two decades. Be part of our community and let’s do it together.

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Nothing more than a fast click puts Namibia at your fingertips.

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We have become the leaders in Namibian information dissemination for the tourism industry. Travellers rely on information from Venture Publications and now they literally have it on their screens.

Travel News Namibia is published in seven different editions per year. These include four Englishlanguage editions, one German, one Italian and one French annually.

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Conservation AND THE ENVIRONMENT IN NAMIBIA 2015

and the Environment in Namibia

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Conservation and the Environment in Namibia, an annual special edition of Travel News Namibia, is published in close cooperation with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, and is available as a printed magazine and online. The 2015 edition reflects NEDBANK's Go Green initiative. Read more on page 68.

Huntinamibia

This annual magazine has an English edition for distribution in the USA and a German edition for distribution in Germanspeaking European countries. It consists of a minimum of 60 pages and is available as a printed magazine and online. www.huntnamibia.com.na

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VENTURE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Travel News Namibia

@travel_news_namibia

@travelnewsnamib

pompie's second bird book Join Pompie in the second volume of his wonderfully energetic, hilariously funny and photographically stunning Birds of Namibia: The Journey Continues, as he debates, pokes fun at and teaches us all about birdlife in Namibia. Available at reputable bookshops in Namibia. For trade information: bonn@venture.com.na

GET travel news namibia

ON YOUR MOBILE Visit TNN online via your mobile and keep up to date with what's news in Namibia.

EDITOR’S LETTER

as green as it gets

T

hose familiar with our desert country will know that spring in Namibia is not associated with a vibrant colour. The sun does shine every day – from sunrise to sunset – and because of the absence of cloud cover and raindrops, spring in our country is dry. Not that we mind a non-green spring.

Namibians are used to it. And visitors love it, because we all love blue skies. The only spots of natural spring colour in the capital are the pink and purple flowers in front of the landmark Christuskirche and on some sidewalks.

spring

in namibia

Innovative as always, the Venture team came up with a different kind of green in our Spring edition. We lure you with colour and then capture your heart with the content. We hope that the fun theme will make you smile. It is difficult to be truly “green” in the world today. Heated discussions in our office during production time proved that as in all aspects of modern life, it is almost impossible to be 100% true to green principals. We produce our beautiful magazines on state of the art computers, which may not be recycled in a responsible way locally. Namibians drink gallons of beer, but heaps of bottles are still not being recycled in parts of rural Namibia. Not to mention the fact that we travel to the remotest parts of the country in 4x4 bakkies burning diesel at an alarming rate. And so it continues.

Regardless of how softly we tread, we do leave a footprint.

What we can claim in all honesty, however, is that Namibia has an exemplary record of using its natural resources sustainably. No country in the world can claim that 46% of its surface area is under some form of conservation management. We can claim that we are winning the war against rhino poaching. No other country can claim an increase in free-roaming lion populations outside of national parks. As our previous Minister of Environment and Tourism told an audience of adventure travel trade operators two years ago at the world summit in Swakopmund: We do not make excuses for the fact that we allow trophy hunting in Namibia. We do so sustainably and the sector is well regulated. Without that income it would be impossible to convince poor, rural communities to live with wildlife and the sacrifice of loss of livestock and sometimes lives. When you struggle to make a living, the loss of biodiversity will not be a high priority. In Namibia we succeed in maintaining some balance. We consider all species important. In our constitution we pledge to take care of all. Not only the ones with names, or the species that draw visitors and inspire donors to spend money. We hope Namibia lovers all over the world will take the trouble to be informed and to join the voices of reason.

This edition of Travel News Namibia will certainly inspire, entertain and make you smile. Don’t miss Pompie Burger’s attempt to write a “green” birding article - and buy his recently published second book on birding journeys through Namibia.

Enjoy the flight with Conrad Brain and the fun camping story on zero budget by Elzanne. Be inspired by the story of desert lions in the Hoanib, but remember that they are free-roaming animals. Don’t force guides to seek them out and expose them to stress and danger because you want to tick it off your list, or get a better angle for your pictures. Go visit the Waterberg and while you are there, give a thought to the game wardens who have to outsmart the free-roaming baboons, habituated to careless behaviour of humans. Don’t be one of those visitors. Stick to the rules Annabelle reminds us of.

And when your skin starts to crack because of the harsh climate in spring – buy Mbiri and know that you support Himba women to make a living in a sustainable way in one of the harshest climate zones on the continent.

Happy spring

Rièth van Schalkwyk

TRAVEL NEWS NAMIBIA SPRING 2015

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CONTENTS spring 2015 8 WHAT’S NEW(S)? Eco-developments in the industry 13 FAST FACTS All you need to know about Namibia

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14 a green holiday A visitor's perspective 20 GENERATION WANDERLUST Leave only your footprints behind 26 ARCHER'S LAND Sport in the bush 30 BIRDING Tangled up in green 36 WATERBERG NATIONAL PARK 43 Shades of Green

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40 INVASIVE CACTI A threat to Namibia 44 PHOTOGRAPHIC FEATURE Tony Figueira 52 TAKE A BREAK Springtime on the road 56 TNN GOES OFF-ROADING with Cymot 60 TNN SHOPPING Reduce Reuse Recycle 62 aerial conservation Looking up, looking down

CONTENTS

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66 FOODIES Life on a table 68 BOOK REVIEWS Conservation in print 72 commiphoras Tammy's Mbiri 74 desert lions A fight for survival

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fnb launches tourism app FNB Namibia launched a new responsive tourism app called the FNB Namibia Pocket Guide at this year’s Tourism Expo. The bank promotes the product as another FNB milestone in supplying the tourist community with digital tools to enhance their holiday experience. The app offers local establishments and tourism operators the opportunity to feature on the radar of targeted marketing strategies.

Once you have downloaded the FNB Namibia Pocket Guide app you can search for the best experiences in Namibia: be it the location of a tourist attraction, places to see or where to eat and where to enjoy a drink. The guide also includes camping sites, luxurious resorts and hotels for your accommodation needs, while enabling you to share your pictures of interesting wildlife sightings and beautiful natural scenes. The app has an ‘I-Rate’ feature for ratings on how great the food was, how awesome the activities, facilities, treatment by people and much more.

It also provides automatic links to emergency numbers and maps of Namibia - all with the goal of helping establishments grow and improve on their offerings and customer service levels to the benefit of further developing the country’s tourism.

WHAT’s NEW(S)?

Compiled by Sanet van Zijl & Elzanne Erasmus

ntb's new eco-friendly building

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Namibia Tourism Board now calls a brand new, ecofriendly multi-million dollar building home. At the time of publishing the premises were not inaugurated yet, but NTB has officially occupied the new office block which can accommodate about 110 people. The architecture integrates indigenous plants, such as acacia trees which line the front of the building. Global warming was kept in mind during construction and every precaution was taken to reduce the impact on environment. The interior design also bears witness to this goal: natural light is used throughout the building and the latest in energy efficient LED lighting switches on only when doors are opened. Solar panels have been installed on the roof to generate power sustainably and reduce the need to use electricity from the City of Windhoek’s grid.

green on the small screen December 2014 saw the start of an epic journey. A journey of discovery, amazement and inspiration, with Dr Rudie and Marlice van Vuuren of the N/a’an ku sê Foundation bringing their spirit of conservation and their inherent love of Namibia’s natural wonders to the small screen. Rudie and Marlice set up the N/a’an ku sê Foundation in 2006 and have since created an awe-inspiring legacy, taking conservation practices into a new sphere. Who better to travel to Namibia’s conservation gems and meet likeminded individuals – people who have the courage to immerse themselves completely in the cause they have chosen. Filming started at the N/a’an ku sê Foundation itself, allowing the viewers to grasp the passion that drives this conservation couple and catch a glimpse of life in an animal sanctuary. Bath and bedtime with baby baboons, tiny warthogs suckling at their bottles, Marlice’s tender care bestowed on kudu calves and a myriad of animal orphans touched viewers’ hearts, while Rudie’s escapades from cleaning lion enclosures to dealing with wild baboons provided the element of adventure that we all crave.

This was the start of what was to become an incredible film shoot, introducing to the viewing audience the pioneers who with their “wild” jobs lead the many conservation projects in Namibia, meeting the human faces behind these efforts as well as the magnificent, in many cases threatened wildlife species in Namibia. It was the start of what was to become the incredibly popular 13-part television series Groen on DSTV’s Kyknet channel… a series capturing the imagination of all those who dream of making a difference, and planting the seed of a dream in those who envisage embracing the world of conservation themselves one day.

The going gets “wild” Starting from N/a’an ku sê, Rudie and Marlice were joined by Dr Nad Brain, a pilot and wildlife vet, who accompanied them for the rest of their remarkable travels through the “land God made in anger”. First they winged their way to the Waterberg Plateau Park in a Caravan aeroplane from Wilderness Air and met the cheerful staff of NWR who run this mysteriously beautiful and vibrantly green paradise famed for its population of buffalo and black rhino.

The intrepid explorers then took to the skies again and landed in a desert oasis paradise – Neuras N/a’an ku sê Wine and Wildlife Estate, which serves as a carnivore research hub. The world’s longest monitored free-roaming leopard calls Neuras her home.

Located just 80 km from Sossusvlei, this provided the perfect opportunity for Peter Bridgeford, one of Namibia’s leading raptor experts, to give the team a glimpse into the elusive world of the lappet-faced vulture. Next stop: the Kanaan N/a’an ku sê Desert Retreat. Emphasizing the importance of landscape conservation, Rudie and Marlice witnessed the impact that fencing can have on fragile eco-systems. Fences virtually prevent the natural migration

WHAT’S NEW(S)? of wildlife and create a prison in what should be a world of freedom.

The sheer magnitude and beauty of southern Namibia’s barren landscapes sped past the wings of the plane as they headed for Klein Aus Vista as their next dramatic destination. The crew enjoyed the rustic charm of Desert Horse Inn and, as the name suggests, the mystery of the wild horses of the Namib was revealed. Dr Telanie Greyling, an expert on the wild horses, took them into the midst of these magnificent equines. The miracle of life was further highlighted by the birth of a foal. Rudie and Marlice witnessed its entry into the world first-hand and the cameras captured the moment for eternity. Next the crew found themselves surrounded by the magnificence of the world’s second largest canyon – the Fish River Canyon. Rudie and Marlice explored the colossal vistas of this geological marvel with Mannfred Goldbeck, the Managing Director of the Gondwana Collection.

After bidding a fond farewell to the natural phenomenon that is the Fish River Canyon, Ongava Game Reserve on the southern boundary of Etosha National Park beckoned. Dr Ken Stratford, co-founder of the Ongava Research Centre and Director of Research, gave valuable insight into the study of the eco-system at Ongava which also focuses on the genetic management of rhino populations. Tracking rhino on foot and filming with the reserve’s anti-poaching unit was a stark reminder of the conservation challenges which have to be faced on a daily basis. Dr Nad Brain, pilot and wildlife vet extraordinaire who himself is heavily involved in all matters of conservation, on his part divulged the secrets of the anthrax virus. Then the splendour of the Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp was waiting. The crew were awe-struck when the desert elephants performed for the cameras. Dr Nad Brain’s knowledge seemed inexhaustible when he introduced Rudie and Marlice to these giants. Experiencing the raw power of a charging bull will forever remain an adrenalin-fuelled memory.

All epic journeys come to an end far too soon but after the journey Groen allowed viewers to relive the adventures. Groen aired to great applause on Kyknet from April to July this year, and the viewing voyage is far from over. The English version, Wild Jobs Namibia, is set to be broadcast by our very own NBC. The series emphasizes that anyone can make a contribution and that even the smallest environmental gesture can make a large impact on our fragile world.

Read more about Groen and Rudie and Marlice’s epic adventures on www.travelnewsnamibia.com.

the okavango wilderness project The Okavango Wilderness Project was introduced by Dr Steve Boyes in August 2014. This project aims to aid tourism development, protected areas management, biodiversity conservation and the preservation of ecosystem services throughout the Kubango-Okavango River Basin. The project supports transboundary conservation initiatives that share welfare and generate significant proceeds from sustainable tourism development in Angola, Namibia and Botswana. The Okavango Delta is one of the world’s last great wetland wildernesses. Although the delta has been awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status its catchment areas in the highlands of Angola are still unprotected and largely unexplored. Since 2011 the Okavango Wilderness Project has conducted annual trips, traversing the delta, gathering distinctive data and getting the expedition members engrossed in the functions of this unspoiled wilderness. This year the expedition was extended to include one of the delta’s feeder rivers, the Cuito.

In May a team of Ba’Yei, scientists, engineers and adventurers started their journey a thousand miles down the Cuito River. The team collects data on insects, fish, birds, reptiles and mammals, and also conducts water quality evaluations and landscape studies.

In order to safeguard the Okavango and its catchment areas

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effectively it is essential to gain an understanding of and insight into how the system operates as a whole. Once baseline data becomes freely available, effective actions can be taken to ensure the continued health and survival of this great African wilderness.

Follow the team’s progress on the official project site at www.intotheokavango.org. Data is uploaded daily via satellite by the expedition team. Namibian entomologist, Götz Neef, is also part of the expedition.

Did you know?

The Okavango River serves as the border between Namibia and our northern neighbour, Angola. It cuts through Namibia’s northeastern arm which used to be known as the Caprivi Strip and is now called the Zambezi Region. On its journey through Namibia the river drops four metres deep in a series of rapids known as Popa Falls, a popular tourist destination near Divundu and Mahango Game Park. The Okavango is a vital source of water that sustains agricultural activities and tourism enterprises which are unlike any of those found elsewhere in the more arid landscapes of Namibia.

The sustainable use and preservation of this life-giving source is of utmost importance to the whole country, its wildlife and people.

WHAT’S NEW(S)? auas safari lodge on a new Journey

Auas Safari Lodge, situated less than an hour’s drive from Windhoek, is nestled in the beautiful Auas Mountains southeast of Namibia’s capital. The lodge has long been popular with both locals and tourists, its location making it easily accessible from town, and even Hosea Kutako International Airport, yet still leaving it immersed in nature. With wildlife nibbling on the lawn right in front of the main lodge area, it’s easy to forget how close you are to the hustle and bustle of the city. As of 2015 the lodge is managed by Journeys Namibia, whose other properties include Grootberg Lodge, Gobabeb, Hobatere Lodge, Fish River Lodge and Hoada Campsite.

Auas Safari Lodge offers game drives, guided hiking trails as well as bird watching. It is an ideal escape into nature. Bookings can be made through Journeys Namibia: +264 (0)61 228 104 or auassafarilodge@journeysnamibia.com. For more information visit www.auas-safarilodge.com.

experience the taste of namibia... neuras Imagine an oasis in the world’s oldest desert - natural freshwater springs, sparkling crystal clear under the fronds of lush palm trees, with dazzling vines swaying in the gentle desert breeze against the backdrop of the majestic Naukluft Mountains. Step into the “place of abandoned water”: Neuras N/a’an ku sê Wine and Wildlife Estate.

121 years old, Neuras is one of the driest vineyards in the world, and it’s in this desert paradise that the N/a’an ku sê Foundation has combined the production of exclusive wines with the preservation of what makes Namibia the conservation mecca it is today… its wildlife, landscapes and culture.

Through sheer dedication and the utmost attention to every detail that the delicate winemaking process entails, the intrepid Neuras team coax succulence and vivacity from even the most barren of landscapes. Utter tenacity, together with the unique micro climate of the wine estate, has proven to be the perfect combination. A cool west wind from the Atlantic Ocean whispers over the desolate landscape, lowering the searing temperatures by some eight degrees Celsius at night and allowing the grapes to ripen at a far more leisurely pace than would normally be expected in a harsh desert environment. And this suits extremely well because, after all, winemaking can never be rushed. Five freshwater springs provide copious quantities of pure water, the mountains shield the earth from the unforgiving wind and the alkaline soil is just perfect for vines.

And firmly believing in the magic of Mother Nature, everything is kept green at Neuras.

Only local materials such as stone, sand and wood were used for building the wine cellar. Electricity is provided by solar panels, a generator and a battery system.

The extremely popular Neuras Namib Red Blend and Neuras Shiraz have tickled the palates of wine connoisseurs for some time. This year the pioneering spirit that forms the very heart of the N/a’an ku sê Foundation produced a wine lover’s dream… a 100% Namibian brandy and dessert wine. Your taste buds couldn’t ask for a better treat.

Neuras – so much more than just tickling the palate and titillating the taste buds.

See www.neuraswines.com

TRAVEL NEWS NAMIBIA SPRING 2015

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Cradled amongst Camelthorn trees and vistas of undulating Kalahari sands crusted in golden grass, Otjimbondona offers those seeking exclusivity, luxury and tranquility the ideal African retreat. www.otjimbondona.com

welcome@otjimbondona.com | anita@profilesafaris.com Anita Slaney: +264 81 243 5478 | Wilfried Slaney: +264 81 127 4358 | PO Box 11013, Windhoek, Namibia Location: 120 km from Windhoek and 80 km from Hosea Kutako Airport

GENERAL Surface area: 824,268 km2 Capital: Windhoek Independence: 21 March 1990 Current president: Hage Geingob Multiparty parliament Democratic constitution Division of power between executive, legislature and judiciary Secular state—freedom of religion (90% Christian) Freedom of the press/media

ENVIRONMENT Nature reserves: 15% of surface area Highest mountain: Brandberg Other prominent mountains: Spitzkoppe, Moltkeblick, Gamsberg Perennial rivers: Orange, Kunene, Okavango, Zambezi and Kwando/ Linyanti/Chobe Ephemeral rivers: Numerous, including Fish, Kuiseb, Swakop and Ugab

Airport, Eros Airport, 46 airstrips Rail network: 2,382 km narrow gauge Telecommunications: 6.2 telephone lines per 100 inhabitants Direct-dialling facilities to 221 countries Mobile communication system: GSM agreements with 117 countries / 255 networks Postal service: affiliated to the Universal Postal Union

SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE One medical doctor per 3,650 people Three privately run hospitals in Windhoek with intensive-care units Medical practitioners (world standard) 24-hour medical emergency services

POPULATION

14 vegetation zones 120 species of trees 200 endemic plant species 100 plus species of lichen Living fossil plant: Welwitschia mirabilis

2.3 million Density: 2.2 per km² 400 000 inhabitants in Windhoek (15% of total) Official language: English 14 regions, 13 ethnic cultures 16 languages and dialects Adult literacy rate: 85% Population growth rate: 2.6% Educational institutions: over 1,700 schools, various vocational and tertiary institutions

ECONOMY

FAUNA

FLORA

Main sectors: Mining, fishing, tourism & agriculture Biggest employer: Agriculture (46%) Fastest-growing sector: Tourism Mining: Diamonds, uranium, copper, lead, zinc, magnesium, cadmium, arsenic, pyrites, silver, gold, lithium minerals, dimension stones (granite, marble, blue sodalite) and many semi-precious stones

PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE Roads: 5,450 km tarred, 37,000 km gravel Harbours: Walvis Bay, Lüderitz Main airports: Hosea Kutako International

Venture Publications 2015 www.travelnewsnamibia.com

Big game: Elephant, lion, rhino, buffalo, cheetah, leopard, giraffe 20 antelope species 240 mammal species (14 endemic) 250 reptile species 50 frog species 676 bird species Endemic birds including Herero chat, rockrunner, Damara tern, Monteiro’s hornbill

FOREIGN REPRESENTATION More than 50 countries have Namibian consular or embassy representation in

Windhoek.

TAX AND CUSTOMS All goods and services are priced to include value-added tax of 15%. Visitors may reclaim VAT. Enquiries: Ministry of Finance Tel (+264 61) 23 0773 in Windhoek

MONEY MATTERS Currency: The Namibia Dollar (N$) is fixed to and on par with the SA Rand. The South African Rand is also legal tender.

Foreign currency, international Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Diners Club credit cards are accepted.

DRINKING WATER Most tap water is purified and safe to drink.

Visitors should exercise caution in rural areas.

TRANSPORT Public transport is NOT available to all tourist destinations in Namibia.

There are bus services from Windhoek to Swakopmund as well as Cape Town/ Johannesburg/Vic Falls. Namibia’s main railway line runs from the South African border, connecting Windhoek to Swakopmund in the west and Tsumeb in the north. There is an extensive network of international and regional flights from Windhoek and domestic charters to all destinations.

TIME ZONES Summer time: GMT + 2 hours from the 1st Sunday in September to the 1st Sunday in April. Winter time: GMT + 1 hour from the 1st Sunday in April to the 1st Sunday in September.

ELECTRICITY 220 volts AC, 50hz, with outlets for round three-pin type plugs

www.namibiatourism.com.na

ENJOY A

GREEN HOLIDAY in namibia A visitors perspective

Celeste Geertsema

Text Annabelle Venter

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elcome to Namibia! Spring is a good time to think about all things ‘green’. After all, nature is pushing out green shoots all around us. Well, maybe it’s not so obvious in Namibia but if you look closely, the trees are starting to quietly bud and more ostentatiously show their flowering prowess around this time of the year. Spring is about fresh growth and new beginnings in nature, and perhaps it is a good time for us to review how we live, and just as importantly, how we TRAVEL.

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Do you strive to live a ‘green’ life at home, sorting rubbish for recycling, refusing plastic shopping bags, shopping thoughtfully and organically, only to toss all your good habits out of the plane’s window as soon as you step on board for a holiday?

That may not be your intention, and it’s really quite easy to remain ‘green’ when you visit a new country. You may even save money, but more importantly the ‘feel good’ aspect is priceless and you will leave your host country better off than the average environmentally unaware visitor. Here are some tips for enjoying a ‘green time’ in Namibia.

enjoy a green holiday

TRAVEL NEWS NAMIBIA SPRING 2015

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Elzanne Erasmus

Sean McCulloch

Learn more about the desert's small creatures on a living desert tour.

GREEN BEGINS AT HOME Choosing your airline can be a daunting task when travelling abroad, so choose an airline which offers you the option to offset your carbon footprint by supporting local environmental projects.

Be sure to choose reputable options so that you know your money is going to a good cause and not being squandered. Of course the greenest option is not to fly, but then how would you get here? And we love having visitors in Namibia!

Now that you have booked your plane ticket, the accommodation is next. Thankfully today more and more tourists go for ecotourism options and make sound choices when it comes to supporting establishments that subscribe to sustainable environmental practices which benefit the environment and staff as well as the local communities.

Shop for handcrafted goods at Omba Art Gallery. to hire! But if you really need that 4x4, then here are a few ecotips to lessen your impact on the environment: •

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• If you choose a camping holiday it’s a good idea to support community owned camping sites whenever available. Visit www.travelnewsnamibia.com/news/community-basedtourism-go-camping-culture for a list of these sites but don’t expect to book in advance as most of them don’t have telecommunications. You can book on arrival, on a first-come first-served basis.

If you are not into camping, keep in mind that most of our best lodges are situated in environmentally sensitive, pristine areas. Is the company you are considering doing all they can to lessen the lodge’s impact on that area? Visit www.ecoawards-namibia.org for a complete list of accommodation establishments around Namibia that have met the Eco Awards standards and earned ‘desert flower’ awards.

DRIVE GREEN You have arrived in Namibia and need to get around. Hiring a 4x4 seems to be the obvious choice for most visitors these days, but may I suggest that it’s not always necessary? Check out your itinerary and see whether you really need a mean machine. Namibia has good tar roads criss-crossing the country and sometimes a smaller sedan car is sufficient, saving you fuel and money on rental. I have very comfortably travelled on Etosha’s gravel roads in a small car for nine days during the rainy season with no mishaps at all. Twenty-five years ago everyone travelled in small Citi Golfs as there was nothing else

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• •

Be environmentally aware and stay on the roads, always. Never ever drive off-road in our national parks or deserts just because you can, as it destroys the fragile ecosystems and leaves tracks and damage for eternity.

Consult a map before you leave, so you don’t get lost and waste fuel. Or download www.tracks4africa.co.za on your GPS. Avoid unnecessary idling. It wastes fuel and disturbs others at waterholes.

Make sure that you have the correct tyre pressure for the type of road you travel on. If the pressure is too low, fuel consumption goes up.

Take your time and drive slower - it will save you fuel, especially in a 4x4!

Open the windows and switch off the aircon when your speed is less than 60 km/h.

Or you could decide to see our country from the saddle of a bicycle. Visit www.mountainbikenamibia.com for information of a more eco-friendly nature.

GREEN ACTIVITIES Depending on how you spend your money in Namibia you contribute to the sustainability of projects both good and not so good. So it’s wise to do some research online before your visit.

• Join an exciting dune tour with a responsible operator and learn more about the small creatures that share the oldest desert in the world, the Namib.

• Visit Namibia’s World Heritage sites: Twyfelfontein for rock engravings and the Namib Sand Sea for, well, sand and scenery!

• Rhino tracking in Damaraland is unique to Namibia and the fees go towards supporting rangers and research into rhino conservation.

• Visit one of Namibia’s five Ramsar Wetlands of Importance to see water birds: Walvis Bay Lagoon, Sandwich Harbour, Etosha Pan and Bwabwata-Okavango. No. 5, the Orange River mouth, has restricted access.

• Visit the Botanical Gardens at 8 Orban Street in Windhoek for an hour of fresh air and well-being. Free entry during office hours.

enjoy a green holiday You will find handcrafted jewellery and homeware which make unique gifts. Their shop, Arti-San, is in the courtyard of the Craft Centre.

SHOP GREEN

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It’s always a good idea to support local industry when on holiday. Buying at high street gift shops seldom supports local arts and crafts. Rather look out for craft outlets that are truly Namibian, e.g. The Namibia Craft Centre in the Old Breweries Complex in Tal Street. Home to more than 40 craft enterprises from all over Namibia, the centre encourages the use of environmentally friendly products and insists that the majority of products are locally produced. There is also an interesting café for the hungry, a stall stocking Namibian books and photographs and an art gallery which hosts a variety of interesting exhibitions.

Ask for Namibian-made products to ensure you support local artists. Many curio shops stock large amounts of South African, Indonesian and Chinese products.

If you are in Windhoek on a Saturday, pop over to the biomarket at Stefanus Church on Dr David Kenneth Kaunda Street in Klein Windhoek for the freshest selection of organic veggies, farm meats, Namibian honey and homebaked goods.

Don’t forget to take your own shopping bags to the supermarkets even though plastic bags are unfortunately still given out freely in all shops.

Maerua Superspar stocks locally produced organic vegetables and herbs, cleaning and body care products in their health section, as well as local venison in the Deli section and organic Cramer ice-cream. Ask the staff to show you where.

As for skin care we are spoiled for choice with wonderful local products like Desert Secrets and Mbiri which use natural ingredients, including African myrrh (commiphora) collected by Himba people in north-western Namibia. Also try !Nara, Namibia’s new organic range of facial products, produced in Walvis Bay with the oil of the !nara plants from the desert.

Omba Arts Trust is a project providing much needed income to far-flung communities in areas such as Khaudum or Nyae Nyae and the Zambezi Region.

DRINK | EAT | MOVE | LIVE GREEN •

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Namibia is a dry, thirsty land. Bring or buy a reusable waterbottle so that you don’t add to the piles of plastic littering our beautiful landscape. We still have clean, drinkable tap water.

Support our local beer (with names like Camelthorn, Tafel, Urbock - who can resist?) and wines from Kristall Kellerei and Neuras.

Our venison is as green as it gets. Organic, free-range, lean, free of antibiotics and hormones, and harvested on site, it ticks all the boxes.

Try to be a considerate traveller: switch off lights and aircon when you are not in your room, and only put your towels on the floor for washing when it is necessary. Resist the complimentary soaps and bottled water. The lodge can fill your reusable water-bottle anytime.

Get some exercise. Sitting in the car over long distances makes one stiff and lazy! Opt for walking or running instead of that round of golf. Golf is the environmentally most unfriendly sport there is and denies access to some of the world’s most beautiful places in order to flatter the egos of a wealthy few.

Rent a solar-powered bicycle from www.suncyclesnamibia.org and get your phone solar-charged while you wait. With over 300 sunny days a year, Namibia has the potential to become the first carbon-neutral country in the world. Let’s support this awesome goal!

Pick up one piece of litter everyday (or more).

Try to have a technology-free trip. Get up early and listen to sounds. Take deep breaths of our fresh air. As you reconnect with nature, your connection with technology will release its hold on you.

And that is why you wanted a green holiday. Right?

Marita van Rooyen

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Be environmentally conscious and hire a SunCycle to get around.

Nowhere in Africa Text Helge Denker Photographs Olwen Evans

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eople, places and wildlife. Africa’s drawcards. Wildlife usually comes first on the list: lions and leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffaloes. The ‘Big Five’, originally tallied as the animals most dangerous to early European hunters in Africa, are now the key wildlife attraction for tourists. Yet discerning travellers have long since realised that Africa’s real charm lies in its enchanting mix of spectacular landscapes, iconic cultures and charismatic wildlife. Nowhere in Africa can these be experienced better than in Namibia’s community conservation areas.

The Himba: proud, semi-nomadic cattle herders wandering desert landscapes in search of pasture. Twyfelfontein: one of the most stunning rock art sites in the world. The desert lions, near mythical, roaming from the Skeleton Coast to the escarpment. Contrast that with the floodplains of one of Africa’s mightiest rivers, the Zambezi; with large elephant herds along the Kwando River; with lush riverine vegetation concealing the secretive sitatunga; with the vibrant cultures of the Subiya and Fwe. And among these and so many other marvellous sights a sprinkling of wonderful, unique lodges from which to explore them. These are not ordinary tourist lodges, but lodges that help facilitate a balance between the needs of rural Africans and wildlife outside national parks. They provide unique and authentic visitor experiences that generate vital returns for local

Community conservation stats • • • •

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Number of communal conservancies in Namibia: 82 Area they cover: approximately 161,900 km2 People living in conservancies: approximately 180,000 Number of operational joint-venture lodges (with contracts with conservancies): 37

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communities, helping them to coexist with large and sometimes dangerous wildlife. This is conservation tourism in Namibia.

Namibia’s communal areas cover over 40 percent of the country. The land was set aside long ago for livelihood use by local communities, owned by the state but governed by local people through traditional structures. Communal conservancies have enabled communities to become the rightful beneficiaries of tourism and the sustainable use of natural resources in their areas. The conservancies are officially registered with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, and now cover around one fifth of Namibia. They harbour some of our country’s greatest attractions.

The Erongo-Kunene Community Conservation Area, which extends from the Usakos-Swakopmund tar road all the way to the Kunene River, is the largest swathe of contiguous conservancy landscape. It links Etosha National Park with the Skeleton Coast, creating a vast area where wildlife is free to roam. This is the home of desert-adapted elephants, rhinos and giraffe. It is also the land of the Damara and Himba.

Vibrant cultures coexisting with fascinating wildlife in dynamic landscapes.

Numerous great cultural products in community conservation areas make the traditions of local people accessible. Living museums, cultural villages, festivals and craft markets all promote Namibia’s often overlooked cultural heritage. The San and the Herero in the East, the many different communities of the Kavango and Zambezi regions, the Nama in the South and the Ovambo in the North.

The first joint-venture agreement between a local community and a lodge operator was signed at Torra Conservancy (at that time still known as the Ward 11 Residents’ Trust) in 1995. Today there are 37 operational lodges in community conservation areas that have written agreements with conservancies. The

community conservation joint-venture lodge experience in Namibia is a true success of sustainable tourism – it changes the lives of visitors and local communities alike by providing great visitor experiences while benefitting conservation and community upliftment.

The stunning lodges bring travellers close to free-roaming wildlife and facilitate cultural exchange. Generated returns are shared with the custodians of the land – local people committed to conservation. The lodges provide vital employment and training as well as conservancy income to help with running costs and conservation activities. In the process, community conservation is renewing a sense of ownership over resources and is reinforcing a vital sense of responsibility. It is cultivating community cohesion and a pride in cultural heritage.

While the current focus of conservation tourism is largely on the northwest and the Zambezi Region, community conservation areas in the central north, the east and the south all have their own distinctive charm and will surely attract more and more visitors looking for unique adventures off the beaten track. TNN

The latest joint-venture experience: Eco-ethno-tourism. That is the dream envisaged by Namibia Exclusive when they created their four new joint-venture lodges which opened in August 2015.

Situated in surreal landscapes the lodges are ecofriendly, the architecture blending beautifully into the natural surroundings. The placement of the lodges in these wild areas benefits local communities and encourages them to become part of the conservation efforts that are intrinsic to such a project. Communities receive a percentage of the net profit derived from accommodation, sales and activities generated by the larger tourism presence in the area. Namibia Exclusive strives to recruit and train 80% of lodge staff from the local community in order to support local development.

To learn more about Namibia Exclusive’s new jointventure projects or to book your stay at Sorris Sorris in Damaraland, Omatendeka in the Etendeka Valley, Sheya Shuushona on the northen border of Etosha or Xaudum Lodge in Khaudum National Park, visit www.namibia-exclusive.com.

what do Conservancies do?

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manage wildlife and other natural resources monitor wildlife, vegetation, rainfall, fire etc. combat poaching conduct annual game counts zone core wildlife areas enable equitable partnerships between rural communities and the tourism industry

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Leave only your footprints behind Text and photographs Elzanne Erasmus

Fernweh (n). a longing to travel, missing a place you’ve never been

Generation Wanderlust

In the f irst instalment of the Generation Wanderlust series I gave the def inition for wanderlust, a strong desire or urge to wander or travel and explore the world. Now I have happened across another linguistic treasure, Fernweh. It’s a German word which literally means “an ache for distant places�. The word enthralled me and made absolute sense. It is not a need to escape your everyday life but rather a burning curiosity for places yet to be discovered, things to be seen, people to be met. And it is this burning curiosity that drove us young explorers to Damaraland, in western Namibia, for another adventure.

Small hilltops interrupt the vast plains of Damaraland, providing magnificent viewpoints of endless horizons if you’re not afraid of a little climb.

The mountains are calling and I must go It’s a spectacular view from the top of a dolomite koppie in Damaraland. The scattered rock formations protrude like giant molehills from the vast flat landscape, and at the foot of one these heaps of boulders lies the campsite of Mowani Mountain Camp where we spent the first night of our newest fernweh-driven expedition. After we had set up camp and unpacked our two vehicles (our group had grown since the last time) we set off in search of the perfect sundowner spot on the molehill’s summit, two Labradors in tow. Yes, I brought my two Labrador puppies along on the trip, for they, too, are young and curious and aching for new adventures.

Many people might tell you that Namibia is decidedly not dog-friendly when it comes to travelling about. While this is true for national parks and conservation areas, many accommodation places along Namibia’s dirt roads don’t mind your canine friends as long as they are well-mannered and don’t disturb other guests. Be sure to check their behaviour before you set off from home with them in the back. So, with the dogs bouncing from rock to rock ahead of us we carved a path up the mountainside and found a spot under a quivertree, or was it a moringa? I’ll look it up in Sean’s book Trees and shrubs of Southern Africa. From up there the landscape stretched out before us and the curve of the earth appeared to be visible in the distance as the sun descended beyond the horizon on its next trip around the rock.

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Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt From Mowani it’s only about a 25-minute drive on beautiful gravel roads to Twyvelfontein, one of Namibia’s most popular and eco-conscious tourist destinations. Twyvelfontein is the site of one of the largest collections of rock engravings in Africa, dating back some 6000 years. In 2007 it became Namibia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s World Heritage status as well as the measures which the Natural Heritage Council of Namibia has put into place to protect the area have gone a long way to preserve the magnificent rock art for future generations. Our guide, Raymond, did a fantastic job intriguing us and endearing the spectacular place to us that we were lucky enough to find ourselves in. He enjoyed the fact that he could speak to his latest group of tourists in Afrikaans, and even in Damara to Abe… The dogs stayed with the lovely ladies who man the base camp and found their names, Willem and Simon, very funny.

A little dirt never hurt The next part of our adventure involved rivers and dust and a search for very large mammals. Famous for its populations of the rare desert-adapted elephants, we planned our Damaraland trip around the idea of camping in the Ugab River.

Our road there from Twyvelfontein was bumpy and rough, with a quick detour down the Aba-Huab riverbed after some

Generation Wanderlust

Our guide, Raymond, shows us an ancient classroom.

Rock art at Twyfelfontein is over 6 000 years old.

Natural fountains in the Ugab are great swimming spots.

Tall reeds make for tricky thoroughfares in some areas.

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misinformation about a potential elephant sighting. Eventually we did reach the Ugab, as dry as only rivers in Namibia could be, lowered the tyre pressure and got on our way to find a camping spot.

Love her but leave her wild Populations of desert-adapted elephants can be found in Damaraland and the Kunene Region north of it. Although they are the same species as the African elephant, seen in Etosha National Park, the desert elephants have longer legs, are taller and have larger feet, to be better suited to the soft sand in their environment. These elephants have more cautious and particular feeding patterns. They rarely fell trees, break fewer branches and drink only once every 3 or 4 days, whereas an average African elephant found elsewhere normally drinks between 100-200 litres of water a day. When you come across a desert elephant on your journeys be sure to follow the steps below: • Avoid areas where the animals might feel trapped • Don’t stop your vehicle in their migration path • Drive slowly and keep your noise levels down • Keep to existing roads and tracks • Stay in your car when encountering an elephant herd • Don’t camp at waterholes We weren’t lucky enough to spot any elephants on this trip but they are a magnificent sight to behold. Book a guided tour with one of the lodges in the area to increase your chances and to make sure that you have taken the least intrusive route to enjoying this wonder.

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The thing about the Ugab is that it is no great secret.

Namibians, and many South African self-drive tours, have been scouting up and down the river for years, and this is evident by the many tracks they have left behind. It is sad to see a natural eco-system disturbed to such an extent, but even though Namibia is currently going through a drought my disappointment was somewhat appeased by the knowledge that someday rain will once again fall in the catchment areas further inland and that the water making its way to the Atlantic will wash away the remnants of human curiosity. In spite of this, however, if you ever make your way through a Namibian riverbed in a 4x4, try to stick to the existing spoors and tracks as far as possible, even if it’s just for aesthetic reasons.

Blessed are the curious, for they shall have adventures The course of the Huab follows along the edge of Namibia’s highest mountain, the Brandberg, and in its shade we found a swimming hole fed by a natural fountain in the dry riverbed. The cool clear water was a welcome respite from the scorching sun on this hot afternoon, and as we explored the rocks and birds and animal spoor along the river banks the dogs plunged into their new favourite place in the world, chasing fish and having a blast.

A few kilometres downriver we found an overhanging cliff to camp under. It’s never a good idea to camp too close to water sources frequented by animals as you disturb them and expose yourself to the possibility of being disturbed by them. As spectacular as 5-star hotels and lodges are, I always love the thought that us camping enthusiasts get to spend the night in a 10-billion-star

Generation Wanderlust resort! From the banks of a river in the wilderness you can gaze up in absolute wonder at the Milky Way stretching across the undisturbed Namibian night sky. The key to future enjoyment of places as wild as Namibia’s dry rivers lies with us though: the privilege could easily be taken away if we do not make sure that we act as responsibly as possible and stay cool…

Green is the new black I feel that the key to being a good and responsible explorer of natural places is to always make sure that you keep the golden rule in mind: Cool or Not Cool. This rule or credo is easy to adhere to as you base it mostly on your own experiences. For example, upon arrival at our campsite for the night we discovered that others had been there before us.

The evidence of their intrusion on nature was there for us to see. Leaving tinfoil next to open coals and not packing your empty soda cans is totally Not Cool. Nor is not burning your toilet paper after you’ve answered nature’s call. There are so many easy ways to be

Mowani campsite from a dolomite peak. a Cool explorer. For one, make sure to take your own wood.

It’s Not Cool to break down or tear the limbs from centuriesold Ana trees for your braai. Remember that large fires are unnecessary - leave bonfires for the movies. Keep your noise levels down and don’t disturb furry friends. And last but not least make sure that everything you brought into nature goes back with you, following the old but wonderful cliché: Take only pictures, leave only your footprints. TNN

When was the last time you did something for the first time?

Don’t miss these awesome activities or hotspots in Damaraland and beyond: • Twyfelfontein • Burnt Mountain • Organ Pipes • The White Lady of Brandberg • The Damara Living Museum • Petrified Forest • Spitzkoppe • Ûiba-Ôas Crystal Market

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Archer’s Land The green sport of the bush Text & Photographs Ron Swilling

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Do you want to keep score or just have fun?” The father looked at his son, quizzically. It was the young boy’s ninth birthday and he was proudly wearing a badge stating ‘I am 9’. He was surrounded by a group of friends who had gathered at Archer’s Land for a morning of bow shooting. They looked like diminutive Robin Hoods with their assortment of bows and arrows. The birthday boy didn’t need to think about the question. “Just for die lekkerte,” he replied, using the Afrikaans expression. Just for the fun.

“The adults have just as much fun as the kids,” Kathrin Dürrschmidt assured me before I followed the birthday group into the bush. She had just fitted out each of them with a bow and quiver, four arrows, an arm protector and a protective glove. She had also given a demonstration how to handle the equipment and how to shoot, and explained the rules, which include to walk the trail in one direction only, not to dry fire (i.e. shoot without an arrow), not to shoot into the air, to only shoot at a target when it’s clear and NEVER to shoot at anything that moves. During a practice run each boy and his dad took turns shooting at a target. When everyone felt comfortable with their bow and arrows, the group set off to walk the trail, stopping to shoot at the various life-size 3D animal targets - such as warthog, gemsbok, springbok and hartebeest - placed at intervals along the way.

Bow beginnings Kathrin filled me in on the details: traditional bow shooting (or archery) can be learnt at any age, no experience is needed and the whole family can take part together. Her interest in bow shooting began when she and her husband, Sebastian, were introduced to the sport by a German bow builder friend.

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He’s made a habit of bringing a few bows and several sets of arrows on his annual visits to Namibia and holding traditional bow shooting tournaments for his friends. Two years ago the couple invited their friends Angela and Etienne Hofmeyr to one of the friendly farm tournaments. They enjoyed it so much that when the couples met up a few weeks later they discussed the idea of offering traditional bow shooting in Windhoek. When Kathrin and Sebastian travelled to Germany later that year, they visited their friend’s shooting range and joined a bow-shooting trail through a forest with 3D targets. They were excited about starting something similar in Namibia. On their return, the foursome joined forces and registered ‘Archer’s Land’.

Into the bush The first hurdle was to find a piece of land. It had to be a large area close to town with flat terrain suitable for bow shooting.

Eventually, they found the perfect place at Heja Game Lodge, well-known by locals as a lunch spot halfway between Windhoek and Hosea Kutako Airport. They built an entrance hut, repaired the windmill, cleared the trails of vegetation and ordered a variety of targets from South Africa. In April 2014 they opened Archer’s Land, which soon became popular for birthday parties, team-building events, functions and family outings in the bush. After completing the trail, children can enjoy their birthday cake at outdoor tables and groups have the option of bringing their own picnic, having a braai or eating at the lodge’s restaurant. The entrance fee includes both trails and ‘you can stay as long as you want’, as Kathrin told me.

Fun! A passing warthog (a live one!) caught my attention before I followed the trail into the bush to find the birthday group. As I

archers land approached I heard various exclamations as the boys aimed and took their turn shooting at the various animal targets. A series of successful shots was followed by “eeeeew!”, “aaaaah!”, “what a shot!”, while comments like “you really got those bushes, boys, we are going to have lots of salad today,” were made after some unsuccessful attempts. When all the arrows were spent they were collected from the target and from the ground before the group moved on along the trail to discover which African animal awaited them next. A crocodile in a ditch proved challenging while the chance to shoot springbok from a wooden tower added extra excitement and offered a different perspective.

As the party moved along the trail a group of kudu cows passed in the distance, reminding me that although the collection of wellmade animal targets was artificial we were actually in the African bush. Towards the end of the trail the first question of “Dad, what are we having for lunch?” was uttered as tummies began to rumble and the boys looked forward to their boerie-roll lunch.

There was still a final target or two, giving even the smallest boy a chance to hit the mark and go home bearing a proud grin.

If they could, the little Robin Hoods would have been wearing a feather in their caps as they returned their gear and happily climbed into the vehicles to take them back home. I overheard one of the dads say: “This has been the gathering of the year.” TNN

Two trails

There are two trails: the Canyon Trail (approx. 1.3 km) and the Great Migration Trail (approx. 2.6 km) with 8 and 14 targets respectively (the longer trail has an optional shortcut), allowing for a large group to be split into two or giving separate groups some privacy.

Three training ranges are available, allowing the children to carry on shooting when they have finished the trail – and the cake.

Green Sport

Archery, 'the skill or practice of using a bow to accurately propel arrows’, was once used in combat and dates back to the late Palaeolithic times, about 10 000 to 9 000 BCE. Bows and arrows were used around the world, in classical civilisations and in ancient Egypt. Today, archery is mainly enjoyed as a recreational sport.

Traditional archery is a green sport that has minimal impact on the environment, and the equipment is durable and lasts a long time if treated with care.

The lowdown

www.archersland.com contact@archersland.com 081 657 4689 Open on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 9am (open during the week by special request) Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult The turnoff to Archer’s Land/Heja Game Lodge is ±20 km east of Windhoek on the B6.

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www.scenic-air.com

StayToday HP aug2015.indd 4

17/8/15 9:25 AM

Tangled up in Green “To every season there is a turn.”

Text & Photographs Pompie Burger

I am colour-blind. That is what Helga, my wife, thinks. If I happen to put on a green shirt and trousers (no, I do not have green trousers or shirts, only blue ones) she will immediately say it does not match! Green is green and blue is blue, at least that’s what I thought, but apparently there are different greens and different blues. The reason why I make this wise and wonderful statement is that when Rièth said we need a green article I thought, ‘no problem, green is green, and there are lots of green birds’!

Not so. Apart from the fact that there are only a few “green” birds in Namibia, the few that do occur are all fancy shades of green.

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birding

Comb Duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos)

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Rosy-faced Lovebird (Agapornis roseicollis)

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fter a lot of research into the deeper meaning and different types of green I came to the conclusion that green is not always green, so not all my green birds are – if you will allow me to say so – the correct colour. Indeed all the green birds I have identified over the past 30 years suddenly seem not so green. You get emerald green, olive green, citrine green, lemon green. In fact, at the end of my intensive research I came to the sad conclusion that there are very few “green” birds (this is now according to Helga, the colour expert). My long and interesting list of green birds shrunk by about 50% but the good news for all those colour-impaired people, like myself, is that I will add all my “green” bird pictures – no matter what the

colour-blind fundi might say. If you agree with me enjoy them, if you don’t get lost.

When my long list of green birds turned out to be much shorter than I expected (with my greens added), I was amazed how few green birds we have in Namibia. I thought that would be the prevalent colour in birds, being tree sitters and grass sitters, both of which to my mind are green. The only three species of birds with green as the dominant colour are bee-eaters, parrots and sunbirds. In my opinion they are also among the most beautiful birds in the world, even though green is not my favourite colour!

African Pygmy Goose (Nettapus auritus)

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birding

Diderick Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx caprius)

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After digging very deep into Roberts Bird Guide I found the odd other green birds: those with the green spots, green stripes, green legs, green windows (speculum feathers) and my own “green” birds. The odds and ends regarding other green birds are the Green Wood Hoopoe (Phoeniculus purpureus), Narina Trogon (Apaloderma narina), Schalow’s Turaco (Tauraco schalowi), Allen’s Gallinule (Porphyrio alleni), African Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio madagascariensis), Diederick Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx caprius), Yellow-bellied Greenbul (Chlorocichla flaviventris), Grey-backed Camaroptera (Camaroptera brevicaudata) and Green-winged Pytilia (Pytilia melba). Maybe we have so few green birds because Namibia is not the greenest country in the world?

To add to the spectrum of green bird species (somehow all the green birds are spectacularly coloured in addition to the green), the parrots are not only green and spectacular but also very vocal and musical. Grey-headed Parrots (Piocephalus cryptoxanthus), Meyer Parrots (Piocephalus meyeri) and Rosy-faced Lovebirds (Agapornis roseicollis) are three of the more spectacular parrot species occurring in Namibia.

Two of our dove species sport some green: the African Green Pigeon (Treron calvus) is completely green (Helga does agree on this one), while the Emerald-spotted Wood Dove (Turtur chalcospilos) has a green (emerald) spot on its wing.

Allen's Gallinule (Porphyrio alleni)

In our country the bee-eaters are by far the birds with the most green, among them the Whitefronted (Merops bullockoides), Swallow-tailed (Merops hirundineus), European (Merops apiaster), Little (Merops pusillus), Madagascar (Merops superciliosus) and Blue-cheeked (Merops persicus) Bee-eater. In fact the Southern Carmine Bee-eater (Merops nubicoides) is the only member of this species in Namibia which has no green (not even my green).

The sunbirds are also generously endowed with green – in this case an iridescent green (another green!). The metallic appearance is an optical phenomenon caused by the structure of the feather cells and outer layers of keratin which interfere with the waves of sunlight.

The sunbirds with green in their plumage are the Malachite (Nectarinia famosa), Collared (Hedydipna collaris), Shelley’s (Cinnyris shelleyi), White-bellied (Cinnyris talatala), Scarlet-chested (Chalcomitra collaris) and Marico (Cinnyris mariquensis) Sunbirds.

An interesting group of birds with a window or

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Grey-backed Camaroptera (Camaroptera brevicaudata) speculum in their wing are geese and ducks, for example the Cape Teal (Anas capensis), Yellow-billed Duck (Anas undulata), Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca), South African Shelduck (Tadorna cana) and Cape Shoveler (Anas smithii). Male African Pygmy Geese (Nettapus auritus) have a bright green neck and back which primarily seems to serve as a signal in courtship display.

There are many wild and wonderful reasons why birds have specific colouration.

My guess is that in this case (green) it is mostly for camouflage while sitting in

birding

Marico Sunbird (Cinnyris mariquensis)

Little Bee-eater (Merops pusillus)

Green-winged Pytilia (Pytilia melba)

Green-backed Heron (Butorides striata)

trees and in the grass on the ground. Another reason for colour is display, i.e. just for show (to look beautiful).

Unfortunately none of the raptors have any green in their feather armour (on this one I could not convince Helga), so no raptors feature here this time. The idea with “green” in this edition is that spring is imminent with all its splendour and green… I still think a touch of brown would not be that bad

(see raptors) even in spring, but I must admit green is fair enough considering that we can add all the bee-eaters and sunbirds. Interesting that none of the sunbirds and bee-eaters change their colour for the turn of the seasons. I suppose it is more difficult to change green pigments than the other ones.

We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun, but the stars we could reach where just starfish on the beach. TNN

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43 shades of green at Waterberg National Park Text and Photographs Elzanne Erasmus

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n a treasure chest of rare Namibian game species a green utopia rises above the surrounding plains. The red sandstone cliffs of the Waterberg Plateau stand as a beacon of hope in the Waterberg National Park, one of Namibia’s most successful wildlife rehabilitation areas -– a park that is anything but green behind the ears when it comes to conservation.

I awake with a start by an unlikely wake-up call. There is a baboon on my roof. The roof of my tent on top of my bakkie as it stands parked in the camping area at Waterberg Resort. I give a bit of a half-hearted kick at the canvas overhead and with that the critter jumps down onto the bakkie’s back railings and then to the ground, running off with what I swear is laughter in his guffaws. Awake, albeit not happy about it, I decide that I might as well get up and start the day’s activities, as my time in the park is short and precious. Two hours later I am back at the car, exhilarated and satiated after a hike along the base of the plateau, after having made friends with no fewer than eight Damara dik-diks, countless birds and a kudu darting through the thick bush that the nature walk leads through.

The previous night had been a highlight of my Namibian safari experiences. On a game drive with an NWR guide and a group of European tourists, I had been treated to sightings of sable, roan and buffalo, all but two hours from the capital! Now for those of you who know, sable and roan are not your everyday antelope spotted on a Namibian safari. The only other time I had seen them was all the way north in Bwabwata National Park in the Zambezi Region.

Since 1972 it has been a sort of credo of the Waterberg administration to rehabilitate species that had long since died out (or been poached to extinction) in the region. Initially proclaimed as a conservation area to protect eland populations that were unfavourably looked upon by cattle farmers in the region, the reintroduction of species was broadened to include sable, roan, tsessebe and black and white rhino, bringing them back from the brink of extinction. The conservation programs are so successful that the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) has been able to relocate animals from the park to other parts of the country to improve their distribution, genetic variation and also reintroduce them to other territories where the species had once thrived before human intervention, such as black rhinos in the Kunene region.

Animals on the plateau are kept in a safe pocket of conservation as they are protected not only by MET rangers, but also by the natural impenetrable boundaries formed by the high cliffs on all sides but the

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Guided game drives are the only way to access the plateau of the park.

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Waterberg National Park is home to an abundance of Damara Dik-dik, Namibia’s smallest antelope.

Here you will find the only population of buffalo south of the red (veterinary) line. These buffalo are all certified disease-free.

Healthy populations of sable and roan antelope thrive in the park.

north. Dams have been built over the years and game-proof fencing has been erected. Surveillance cameras powered by solar energy have been placed at waterholes and custom hides were built so that wildlife can be monitored. An Alcatraz in Namibia! Not to keep anything in, but rather to keep the threats of the human world out.

travel to the Waterberg. The popular 3-day guided and 42 km self-guided hikes on top of the plateau have been suspended until further notice. In an attempt to do everything in their power to curb the ever-increasing poaching epidemic in Namibia, park officials now restrict access to the top of the plateau to guided nature drives.

“The amazing thing about Waterberg is that it is unique in terms of the variation in the vegetation and geological makeup. Add to this the fact that everything is basically constituted at the top of the plateau and you have one of the most pristine conservation areas in the world.” – Kaiporo Kandji, Warden, Waterberg Plateau Park.

Even though the main hiking trails have been closed, there are still nine different nature walks and hikes to lookout points within the resort area managed by NWR. These hikes vary between bird-watching trails and rock-clambering expeditions that lead to natural springs on the edge of the cliff faces, all of them revealing breathtaking views of the flat landscapes stretched out west, south and east of the plateau as far as the eye can see.

So, if you’re looking for an adventure so immersed in nature that you could not begin to imagine that a modern world exists, head to the island of red and green near Otjiwarongo, a conservation success story 43 years in the making. TNN

Unfortunately, despite the immense measures that have been applied to make this Eden of wildlife protection as safe as possible, growing concerns about poaching persist. As a result MET was forced to close down one of the most exciting activities for which nature lovers from all over the world used to

Dreams of the past have become reality

“The Waterberg Plateau should be converted and developed as the last stronghold of the rare and threatened plant and animal species that occur further north.” – Bernabé de lat Bat, Director of Nature Conservation, 1973

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Invasive cacti

a threat to farming and tourism in Namibia Text and Photographs Luise Hoffmann

In order to save water, and because they have beautiful flowers and are often easily available, one may be tempted to plant cacti in the garden.

However, the entire African continent boasts no indigenous cactus species.

All cacti originate from the tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas.

Being very well adapted to arid conditions, they thrive excellently in our dry climate and since they are from a different part of the world they experience a total lack of indigenous pests or diseases in Namibia.

Do NOT plant these cacti on your farm, lodge or guest farm It is probably for this reason that they easily become naturalised and highly invasive. Any section of the plant that drops to the ground will root, grow and produce flowers and seed. In addition, sections of the stems are washed away by water, attach themselves to vehicle wheels, shoes, the wool of sheep,

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the hooves of livestock and are consequently spread far and wide. Baboons, birds and small mammals eat the fruit and disperse the seeds, which tend to sprout in thorn bushes on which the birds roost. The cactus geminates and often reaches a considerable height before it becomes clearly visible. By planting cactus cuttings from friends or from the bush in their gardens, humans are mostly responsible for the long-distance dispersal of cacti species.

invasive cacti

Opuntia stricta is one of the invasive culprits often found in Namibian gardens.

The photos show some of the most invasive cacti species around Windhoek. The moon cactus and the common pest pear are easy to spot while driving along Sam Nujoma Drive from the intersection with Robert Mugabe Ave towards Klein Windhoek, while the rosea cactus (Cylindropuntia pallida) is very common in the area below Avis Dam. The moon cactus (Harrisia martini) forms an untidy mass of very spiny long stems that root wherever they touch the ground.

The large white flowers are spectacular, measuring up to 18 cm across, and produce fleshy spherical, bright pink to red fruit containing a white pulp with numerous black seeds. The arching stems are ribbed and look like plaited rope, hence the Afrikaans name “toukaktus” (‘rope’ cactus). The flowers are very similar to those of the well-known garden plants queen of the night (Selenicereus grandiflorus) and princess of the night (Selenicereus pteranthus). The queen of the night has square stems, the princess of the night flat, somewhat triangular stems, both with much shorter spines than the moon cactus.

The common pest pear or sour prickly pear (Opuntia stricta) – suurturksvy in Afrikaans – is found on many farms where fruit syrup and jam are produced from the waxy magenta red fruit.

It is an erect or spreading succulent shrub usually up to one metre high, with the flattened stems or pads which are typical of most Opuntias. The pads are dotted with tufts of numerous very fine short, barbed bristles, either spineless or bearing up to 11 longer spines. The delicate bright yellow flowers often have pink or reddish markings and may be up to 6 cm across.

The rosea cactus (Cylindropuntia pallida) – roseakaktus in Afrikaans – is a densely and fiercely spiny, much-branched

succulent shrub branching from near the base and up to 1.5 metres high. The cylindrical stems – referred to by the generic name Cylindropuntia - are grey-green to green, 3-4 cm across and lumpy. Flattened silver-grey to yellowish spines are carried in dense groups of up to nine and may reach a length of up to 40 mm. The spines are covered with tiny barbs that work themselves deeper into the flesh as the animal or person moves around. They are difficult and painful to remove and often have to be cut out. While the latter is an option for humans and pets, wild animals have to suffer unassisted.

According to South African weed researcher Dr Helmuth Zimmermann, a world expert on the bio-control of cacti, it is not uncommon to find dead birds, reptiles and small mammals, even small antelope, impaled on the thorns. The joints attach themselves to the mouths or groins of livestock, preventing the animal from feeding and resulting in death if not removed.

All these cacti form thick impenetrable mats or thickets covering many hectares where they crowd out grass and other indigenous vegetation, thus reducing the grazing available to our livestock. Neither humans nor animals can walk where they grow and they seriously spoil the aesthetic value of the countryside.

For more information on invasive cacti search the web for “Helmuth Zimmermann South Africa invasive cacti”.

But what to plant instead? A large number of indigenous succulent plants are found in Namibia. The various aloe species, such as the Windhoek aloe (A. littoralis) and the quiver tree (A.dichotoma), make beautiful accent plants. Butter trees (Cyphostemma sp) are well adapted to arid conditions, as are

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the various Hoodia species.

Adenium boehmianum, known as bushman poison, has shiny green foliage and beautiful pink flowers. Many Euphorbia species look similar to cacti but are not invasive. Also think of the great number of Mesembryanthemum, referred to as mesembs or ‘vygies’, which form large patches of bright colour and are very easy to propagate.

Try to find members of the following genera: Sansevieria, succulent Othonna and Senecio, Stapelia & Orbea (‘carrion flowers’), Sterculia trees with beautiful trunks, Commiphora (the Myrrh family comprising trees and shrubs with beautiful bark), Crassula (the ‘plakkie’family), Tylecodon, Cotyledon (pig’s ear or ‘varkoor’), Kalanchoe (also known as ‘plakkie’), Cheiridopsis, Ruschia, Drosanthemum, Lampranthus, Ebracteola, Euphorbia (or milkbushes) and Sesamothamnos.

Ask Silke Rügheimer for advice, tel. 061 202 2014. She is in charge of the National Botanical Garden and the indigenous nursery of the National Botanical Research Institute where many of the above species are available, or get advice from Coleen Mannheimer, tel. 061 233614.

Visit your local forestry nursery and also ask commercial nurseries for advice. TNN

A useful little book in the Kirstenbosch Garden series is Grow Succulents by Ian B Oliver.

Publisher: National Botanical Institute (1998), ISBN 10: 1919684077 or ISBN 13: 9781919684079 seems to be available second hand via the internet. www.succulents.co.za contains a lot of useful information as well as a botanical dictionary and there are many other sits on the subject.

Aloe littoralis

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invasive cacti

Ruschia

Othonna opima

Commiphora saxicola

Euphorbia virosa

Cheiridopsis robusta

Make your garden Green in true Namibian style by getting indigenous flora from any of the following nurseries: • • • • •

Ferreira’s Garden Centre, Maxwell Street, Windhoek Camelthorn Garden Centre, Tennis Street, Windhoek The Garden Inspiration Nursery, Hebenstreit Street, Windhoek Okakango Gardens & Landscaping, Anderson Street, Okahandja Little Foot Nursery, Theo Ben Guribab Street, Swakopmund

Hoodia sp.

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african gold

tony figueira A passion for the image Text and Photographs Tony Figueira

photographic feature

Mostly we don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are. Photography changes that, it makes us really notice, appreciate and respect what and who is in front of us

And to be Namibian is indeed something special. I just need to think of all my friends who ended up settling in Namibia after travelling through Africa, other continents or the world, only to f ind solace, peace and spirit in the soil, light and weight of Lee’s lyrical Namibia.

I had just finished a shoot at the Spitzkoppe for a British Tour Operator when, on my way back, I spotted these kids at one of the informal gem selling kiosks. I chatted to them for a while, asking all sorts of relevant questions. One thing is for sure, they all knew Gazza, the Dogg, Messi and Christiano Ronaldo. When I asked them what Namibia meant for them, this is what they did.

G

hanaian jazz virtuoso George Lee pays tribute to Namibia and its people with a delightful combination of vocals and saxophone in a song from an album entitled African Jazz Men. Lee shares the platform with other African legends such as Moses Molelekwa, Pops Mohamed, Winston Mankunku, Tony Cox, Denis Mpale, Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse and Sipho Gumede in a real celebration of Africa and African music.

The pinnacle of this fine compilation is, however, the manner in which the celebrated Lee sings about Namibia and how so much of this song is in tune with my imagery of this magnificent country.

It is indeed home sweet home, a desert basking in the sun, the hope for all, the hope for one, of how the “African moon will be mine tonight”, or how this African song “rises from the far light”.

Lee’s guttural voice introduces a raw but hauntingly beautiful Namibia, a land of promise seen by a thousand eyes, a land where I run barefoot through your sand and see the African sun stealing you away from me. A promised land waiting for her destiny to be Namibia.

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And to be Namibian is indeed something special. I just need to think of all my friends who ended up settling in Namibia after travelling through Africa, other continents or the world, only to find solace, peace and spirit in the soil, light and weight of Lee’s lyrical Namibia.

Often identified with a variety of styles, sometimes mixed together into a sort of spicy musical potjie, the multi-talented Lee has the knack of being able to encapsulate the essence of Namibia through this sensual song. His is a tribute to wealth of spirit, to the abundance of hope, to wisdom and truth “in your stories told”. According to Lee, Namibia’s African nerve channels like African gold. She whispers in the wild, is filled with mystery and “I am listening to you”.

The images in this photographic feature are a bit like Lee’s stew of life, music and styles. They were taken through the years of a Namibia that I love, a Namibia that is a treasure to photograph, a Namibia where “I will be the rain for you”.

Previous page: One fine Sunday I headed to the informal settlements of Katutura on my way to document shack dwellers being briefed on the advantages of solar energy as life enhancer. Sheltered from the scorching sun, the neighbours sat under a massive tree surrounded by shacks.

Informal meetings are like that. Time is not much of an issue, and on this particular occasion I was only too happy that proceedings took a while. I wandered around for an hour or so, capturing Sunday morning life, when I came upon a bunch of kids playing football in an open area between the shacks. My camera triggered extra enthusiasm, and a great deal of fun.

Top: Early one morning during one of our camping trips to the Marienfluss, my daughter Gina and I climbed one of the small mountains near our impromptu camping spot. The morning light was glorious, as is Gina, who is now a young woman, talented and beautiful. And I am a seriously proud dad. Shot on Velvia film, Nikon F5.

Right: I love this image. A lot. Shot on film many, many years ago at one of the oshonas in the north, this youngster was embroiled in a mud fight with a few other children, when she noticed me, as if caught out, although there was nothing to catch out. The light was just perfect, as were the smile, the glint in the eyes and the mud splatters.

Overleaf left and right: Both taken on film more than 20 years ago, these images bring back fond memories of bitterly cold mornings near Tsumkwe in the Otjozondjupa Region, where I was documenting a people whose histories are written in sand and rock. Draped in very little protective material, these two women stand out from my wonderful bag of portraits that I have documented throughout the years.

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@

Your

Namibian journey D A A N V I L J O E N W I N D H O E K

Sun Karros Daan Viljoen is a stylish yet relaxed lodge a mere 20km from Windhoek. Located inside the Daan Viljoen Game Park a perfect start or end destination for your safari.

We offer overnight options to all nature enthusiasts be it on a comfortable camp site for the outdoor adventurer or in a modern stylish chalet for the nature lover enjoying the fine comforts in life.

A visit to the Daan Viljoen Game Park is a must when passing through Windhoek. Day visitors welcome to visit our Boma Restaurant.

Central Reservation Office: +264 833 232 444 Lodge direct: +264 61 232 393 Email: reservations@sunkarros.com

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Springtime on the road

take a break between Noordoewer and Windhoek Text and Photographs Ron Swilling

J

ourneys are about exploring and discovering. They are crammed with surprises: interesting people, fascinating stories and intriguing places. Instead of racing to your destination, consider slowing down this spring and spicing up your trip with some colourful stops.

It’s that inspiring time of year when the weather warms and the earth responds, bursting with life. The black-thorn acacias (the ‘swarthaak’) are in bloom, the camelthorn trees boast their bright yellow pom-pom finery and the bees are abuzz.

Across the waters of the Orange River and its ribbon of verdant vegetation, lies the long road to the capital city. There are many interesting places to stop along this route, whether you fancy shopping for rose quartz, walking through a quiver tree forest or taking photographs at the Tropic of Capricorn.

But first there are the wide open spaces north of Noordoewer to make your soul sing. Freedom seems to frolic in the

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predominantly flat landscape of southern Namibia, and with little traffic and no pit stops until you reach Grünau, this 142 km stretch is reserved for peace – and for playing your favourite selection of music. Signs indicating routes to the Fish River Canyon might tempt your adventurous spirit. If time is on your hands, veer off the tar to overnight in the canyon surrounds and pay your respects to the second largest canyon in the world. If Windhoek is calling and your dates are set, continue northwards...

Rose quartz & love There are several places to break the journey between Grünau and Keetmanshoop. A few simple padstalle (farm stalls) sell farm biltong, and an array of guesthouses offer a warm bed for the night. The first stop north of Grünau is the White House at Mickberg Farm, home to Dolf and Kinna De Wet - and a small rose quartz mine. Natural and polished clumps of the pink stone, said to calm nerves and restore clarity, are sold from the farmhouse along with a selection of jewellery made by Kinna.

take a break from the road

The century-old White House, a few kilometres further along the farm road, was built by Friedrich Haschke for his bride in 1912 with material imported from Germany. He failed to consider the importance of water in southern Namibia, however, and unable to locate water on the farm, the couple soon returned to Germany. Water was later found and the house’s love story continued with Dolf’s parents holding their marriage ceremony there. Dolf and Kinna followed the pattern and lived in the house for the first year of their marriage. In the mid-1990s the White House was renovated and became one of the first guesthouses in the country after independence.

Eat-Sum-More biltong Namibia is known for its quality biltong – beef and game – and although you might find some koekies en konfyt (biscuits and jam) and a cold Coke at the padstalle, they are all about biltong and chilli bites. Eat-Sum-More Padstal, open every day of the week, is bedecked with fabric and metal sunflowers and marked by a line of colourful flags. I asked shop assistant Hilma from

Oshakati what you should eat some more of. “Eat some more meat!” she replied. Obviously. Further on, Skillies Farm Stall, a simple stall made from corrugated sheeting and named after the icon of the slow road, the skilpad (tortoise), also sells farm biltong, dröewors and cold drinks.

Karakul sheep and quiver trees The road passes through an area with gently undulating hills and small camelthorn trees before it levels out again en route to Keetmans, as the town is known locally. It crosses over ephemeral rivers like the well-known Löwen and Huns that remain dry until good summer rains drench their catchment areas and water rushes through the riverbeds in lively exuberance.

Take a drive into Keetmanshoop to view the bronze karakul monument erected on Swakara Road (the pelts were once considered ‘black diamonds’) and the museum. It is housed in the old rock church, consecrated in 1895, that still retains a few

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rows of pews and has the lofty energy of a sacred place. Visitors can learn about the Nama-German wars of the early 1900s and about the traditional dress of the Nama women. Enjoy a bite to eat at Central Lodge on 5th Ave (with off-road parking) or Bird’s Mansions Hotel on 6th, or, if brave, try some local fare across from Central Park: vetkoek (cakes fried in oil), vleis (meat) and offal. For more information about the town make a turn at the tourism office on 5th Ave, housed in the Kaiserliches Postamt, the old imperial German post office built in 1910.

A highlight of the south is the quiver tree (Aloe dichotoma) and there are several small quiver tree forests near Keetmanshoop.

A fourteen kilometre drive on the C16/C17 will take you to the Quiver Tree Restcamp on the farm Gariganus and 25 km further to the Mesosaurus Fossil Camp. Alternatively, keep on the B1 for 20 km until you see the sign to //Garas Park. This is a recommended stop not only for its bevy of quiver trees but for the quirky figures placed between the trees. Jannie Hulme started the tradition of creating the figurines, which was continued by his daughter, Marian. The rustic charm of this small bush camp is well worth the short detour off the main road.

Karosses & the Tropic of Capricorn Once back on track, Brukkaros Mountain becomes visible in the north-west, rising 600 m above the plains about 40 km from Keetmanshoop. It was the site of a German heliograph station in the early twentieth century and an observatory for studying the impact of fluctuating solar radiation on the earth’s weather patterns from 1926 to 1931. Between Keetmanshoop and Rehoboth, goats and their herders can often be seen, as can donkey carts which travel on sandy tracks parallel to the tar. They are the local transport in Namibia’s rural areas, characteristic of the countryside.

A long stretch of flat-topped hills, called the Weissrand escarpment, keeps you company as you drive towards

Rose quartz is said to calm the nerves.

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Mariental. The roads to the Kalahari branch off eastward from here and streaks of red Kalahari sand peep out from grassy hills. For a lunch break, turn off onto the C21 to Hoachanas just after Kalkrand. The Altes Farmhaus Restaurant provides a place to stretch legs and order a Teufelskrallen burger (beef and bacon burger) or a kudu pie. A short distance further along the B1 rows of springbok karosses decorate the fences around Duineveld to attract passers-by. Karosses, originating from the Khoisan people, were traditionally cloaks made from animal hides. The hides are now made into mats, throws and cushions, with various panels sewn together in decorative patterns.

Karosses are quintessentially southern African.

Before you reach Rehoboth, signs for the Tropic of Capricorn appear and a wide shoulder provides ample off-road parking for that memorable photo. The Tropic of Capricorn marks 23˚ south of the equator and is one of the five major circles of latitude on maps of the Earth.

Picnic tables and benches along the route offer opportunities to take a break from the road. The shade of a large camelthorn tree is especially appreciated on this last stretch.

Nearly there!

Last stop. The B-One service station and smart shop, next to the new Rehoboth shopping centre, is a convenient place to stop for fuel and purchase padkos (food for the road). Read about the intriguing history of the town and the Baster people on the information panels.

From Rehoboth the route turns into a tree-filled expanse through the hills, winding into the city through the ‘window bridge’ and past Heroes Acre, a large war memorial on the outskirts of Windhoek. Anticipation builds as you near the capital and the onward journey holds untold promise as the country opens its arms wide to welcome you. Mooi ry! TNN

Visit the Keetmanshoop tourism centre, housed in an old German post office.

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Karakul pelts, once considered ‘black diamonds’, are memorialised in copper in Keetmanshoop.

take a break from the road

Stop to take a pic at the Tropic.

You'll find fun figurines at the //Garas Park quiver tree forest.

Karroses, traditionally used as cloaks, are sold along the roadside.

Countryside creativity will always put a smile on your face.

Donkey carts are the 4x4s of rural Namibia.

Snacks, biltong and cold drinks are available at the small quaint ‘padstalle’.

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TNN goes off-roading with CYMOT

THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED Text and Photographs Elzanne Erasmus

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tnn goes offroading

D

rive slowly, don’t rush. Take it all in. Feel the rocky crescents as your tyres grip the edges and you slowly make your way over the uneven terrain. Take in the beauty around you as you cruise at leisure over the dust roads in this wild corner of the earth. Make sure every moment is etched into your memory as you sail head-on down the face of a dune, with the exhilaration of it running through your veins.

Plan your trip well and make sure you enjoy every moment!

From the insanely steep rocky climbs of the Namib-Naukluft Park to the monstrously high and fun sand dunes of the Namib Desert and the slip-sliding mud tracks through national parks teeming with wildlife - there is literally a trail for every 4x4 driver’s skills level and interest.

There are numerous opportunities to explore off-the-beaten track 4x4 destinations in Namibia. With the versatile landscape of the Kalahari in the east, the uninhabited expanses of Kaokoland in the northwest and the Namib Desert’s giant sand dunes along the coast beckoning adventurers and adrenalin junkies alike, Namibia is a 4x4 off-roader’s greatest challenge and most epic quest. But the biggest and most important challenge of them all is how to go on this adventure without destroying parts of the country we so enjoy.

Many would say that trying to undertake a “green” 4x4 quest is simply impossible. It is true that this particular activity does not lend itself to the aspects taken into consideration when discussing eco-friendly adventures, but that does not mean that it must be completely disregarded. There are many tricks and turns to make your next 4x4 trip into Namibia’s wilderness more environmentally friendly, less hazardous to the nature on which you’ll be intruding and, for that matter, less strenuous on the vehicle for which you’ve spent thousands on “kitting out”.

Follow these incredibly simple tips and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a green adventurer and better person all around in our eyes:

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Top 3 causes of corrugation: Wrong gear Hard tyres High speeds

Celeste Geertsema

• • •

1. Stay on the tracks

5. Use your gears

It takes nature much longer to remove the scars of new tracks that you leave behind than it would for you to stick to already existing routes and not take that “shortcut” which you think might save you a lot of time.

When heading down steep climbs, use your gears and not your brakes. Low range and a slow pace is the saving grace for inexperienced drivers who tend to overuse brakes.

2. Use your 4x4 You prove nothing if you try and see how long you can push your car forward on a rough track by staying in 2x4. The phrase “I haven’t even needed to use 4x4” is uttered far too often without the speaker realizing the damage he has done to both the terrain and his vehicle. Use your 4x4 when you hit the rougher terrain, you bought it for a reason.

3. Check your route It is often a good idea, especially when on rocky turf, to stop and get out of your vehicle to inspect the road ahead. Mountainous courses often call for this inspection so that you can decide on the best route ahead without straying from the existing path and getting stuck in tricky situations. Planning also decreases the risk of punctures from sharp rocks. Since the tread is the strongest part of the tyre, make sure your tyres run straight over rocks so that they are not cut on the softer sides.

4. Slow down The only terrain for which you really need speed are the dunes.

Otherwise slow down, take your time and enjoy the environment you’re exploring. Plan your trip well so that you don’t have to rush anywhere. High speeds on gravel roads are one of the main causes of corrugation.

6. The importance of water Remember where you are when you go off-roading in Namibia.

A dry desert country calls for hydration and your most important asset will be water if you experience a breakdown somewhere far and remote. Make sure you always carry enough H²O with you, you can’t drink petrol…

7. Tyre pressure Make sure that your tyre pressure is correct for the specific terrain you are on. Wrong pressure levels damage your tyres and the environment and often make for a very uncomfortable drive. Hard tyres are like a full balloon and can get damaged much easier. Many people don’t decrease their tyre pressure when they go off-road simply because they are too lazy to pump them up again when they get back onto tar roads. Don’t be that guy… make sure that the bar match the road and also remember that insufficiently inflated tyres decrease your fuel economy on tar roads. A compressor is an off-roader’s best friend.

8. Seatbelts save lives Never be under the misconception that just because you are not on a main road you don’t have to wear your seatbelt. Cars roll and accidents happen on gravel roads all too often in Namibia, more often than not as a result of inexperienced drivers or encounters with animals. Your seatbelt could save your life.

9. Handbrakes were made not to be broken For applying some of the tips above you might need to leave your vehicle, often on an incline. Be sure to put on your handbrake instead of taking chances with a potential runaway.

10. Petrol or Diesel: an age-old dilemma.

HEAD OFFICE & WAREHOUSE 15 Newcastle Street PO Box 726 Windhoek Tel: (+264 61) 295 6000 info@cymot.com • www.cymot.com

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Though the choice between a petrol or diesel vehicle is a personal preference and a decision you would have made long before hitting the dirt road, it is worth taking into account that in many African countries diesel is more readily available than petrol. You shouldn’t have a supply problem in most parts of Namibia, but taking extra fuel along is never a bad idea. TNN

get 'kitted out' at cymot The Greensport 4x4 Offroad Centre in Windhoek specialises in the fitment of 4x4 vehicles for any off-road need, including Old Man Emu suspension systems, ARB vehicle protection equipment and African Outback roof carriers and drawer systems. Visit them at 60 Mandume Ndemufayo Avenue in Windhoek.

Popular off-road adventures in Namibia include the Dorsland Trek 4x4 tour, Kalahari Bush Breaks 4x4, Klein-Aus Vista 4x4 route, Naukluft 4x4 Trail, BrandbergWest 4x4 Route, Omaruru River 4x4 Route, Doros Crater 4x4 Route, Messum Crater 4x4 Route and the extremely challenging Van Zyl’s Pass, to name a few.

1. TRADITIONAL STYLE AT ITS BEST

Made out of recycled PVC pipes, these handcarved unisex bracelets are one of a kind.

They are fair trade products, ensuring a better income for the artisans. Discarded plastic pipe is collected, hand-cut and carved. The unique colouring of the bracelets is the result of exposure to direct sunlight and deep red ochre tinted soil found in certain parts of Namibia – such as northern Namibia. These accessories are traditionally worn by the Ovahimba people of the Kunene region. The appearance is comparable to bone or horn, but no animals are harmed in the process of producing these bracelets. You can find Mary at the Bio Market every Saturday morning or outside Joe’s Beerhouse on weekdays. Contact her at +26481 616 5444.

PVC pipe bracelets N$ 80

TNN SHOPPING Compiled by Sanet van Zijl

2. WEAR THE NEWS ON YOUR WRIST

Mary at Blessed Art creates these innovative recycled newspaper bracelets in a variety of colours to make a statement for ecological responsibility. The beads are individually hand-rolled out of shredded paper, tightly shaped with the aid of glue and lightly varnished for durability. The light water-based varnish is non-irritating to exposed skin.

Recycled newspaper bracelets N$ 40

3. TAKE CARE OF YOUR SKIN The !Nara is a thorny shrub endemic to the Namib Desert. The Topnaars who live in the Namib have for generations used the oil from crushed !Nara seeds to nourish and protect their skin in the harsh desert conditions. The plants which are now processed commercially for !Nara skincare products are either certified organic or wild harvested. The new Natural Organic range was formulated together with a team of experts in organic skin care science. The high permeability of !Nara oil is fully utilized to carry antioxidants, vitamins and essential moisture deep into the skin, to keep it naturally balanced and protected.

All of the products contain pure cold pressed Namibian !Nara seed oil which is rich in omega-6 fatty acids. You can purchase the range on Saturdays at the Desert Hills farm stall, plot 103 Swakop River plots, or at the !Nara Shop in the new Cosdef Arts & Crafts Centre in Swakopmund.

Contact Stefanie Huemmer at +264 64 461361 or visit their website at www.nara.com.na. !Nara organic face cream N$ 170 !Nara hand and body cream N$ 156

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shopping 4. CHRISTMAS IN JULY

This year the “Christmas in July” exhibition of the !Ikhoba artists focused on the key theme of recycling and sustainability. Christmas in July presented an opportunity to exhibit Namibian Christmas traditions and symbols to visitors at the peak of the tourist season and also provide Namibians with ideas for early Christmas presents. Among the items found on sale were some creative and striking masks, handmade from beverage cans, plastics and lids, and adorned with beadwork and other materials. The exhibition featured the unique masks for the first time this year. The !Ikhoba group of artists pushes the boundaries each year to create a fresh range of products and showcase a different perspective on African handiwork and crafts. To purchase one of these colourful masks and support the !Ikhoba project contact +264 61 226710 or email ikhoba@iway.na.

Small masks N$ 110 Large masks N$ 360

5. LEAVES AREN’T JUST FOR SALADS

Young fronds of the Makalani palm are split into narrow strips, dried and without further processing woven into simple, yet striking necklaces which display an understated beauty coupled with an intricacy that sparks curiosity in anyone who sees them. You can purchase these trendy natural necklaces at the Bio Market on Saturdays or find Maria Nembwaya at the Post Street Mall Market during the week.

Contact her at +26481 357 3235.

Large necklaces N$ 120 Small necklaces N$ 80

6. SAY IT WITH A CARD

Miracle Arts & Crafts was started by Elisabeth Hangara in 2007 when she decided to give Namibians a glimpse of the artistic vein of the country by sourcing a variety of handmade crafts from all over Namibia. Among the items you’ll find at her stall are fragile and elegant elephant dung paper cards. Don’t fret: the cards are hygienic and odourless. Cleaning the dung is one of the most important processes when making this paper. The front of each card bears a wire and tin character made with the greatest attention to detail. The cards are perfect for any occasion. Added to that they are 100% recycled, ecofriendly and no trees were harmed for their production. Contact Elisabeth at +264 81 312 1660.

Greeting cards N$ 35

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Looking up, looking down Text and Photgraphs Conrad Brain

A

cross all habitats in the vast expanse of Namibia desert, bush and floodplain - eager and hungry eyes are continuously scanning the sky above. It is a habit of survival and it is as old as the species themselves.

Gerhard Thirion

As the predators and scavengers look up, far superior eyes are looking down. The eyes aloft, often as high as ten thousand feet and more, are the first to detect death on the ground below and swirl and spiral down in an instantly recognizable descent configuration. This descent triggers a response from terrestrial species which follow their feathered partners in finding food for survival.

It is a fact of the natural African world that vultures are the first and probably most important animals to detect death below and alert others. This airborne early warning system is of particular importance in Namibia where vast areas of desert or semi-arid savannah have sparse and scattered populations of wildlife. Top predators and scavengers depend largely on vultures to guide them to food. Unfortunately, the biggest and most destructive predator of them all, man, is all too aware of this and in a perverse notion of greed, is destroying this very system. Man, after killing an elephant or other large herbivore, now attempts to get rid of the system of natural survival and evolution by poisoning the carcasses and thereby killing the vultures so as to “hide� the kill from others that are intent on either finding them or the carcass.

The use of aircraft in conservation makes for the perfect synergy of man, machine and mission.

Making a difference from up high Westair Aviation has acted as a protector with a bird’seye view since 2006. Aiding conservation through aerial monitoring of rhinos and surveying vulture nests, the company’s contributions to Namibia’s on-going struggle for wildlife protection are making a difference, one tagged nest or rhino at a time.

Westair, established in 1967, has left its mark on Namibia’s aviation history.

After Wolfgang Grellmann joined in 1980, the company surpassed its primary function as a workshop and training centre and became one of the country’s first noncommercial aviation services with a charter license. With 50 years of experience in the aviation industry and a deep love of nature and travelling, Wolfgang stepped on board as a trustee of the Save the Rhino Trust and wanted to find an area within the organization where he could make a significant difference.

And so he started Westair’s involvement in rhino conservation, adding aviation to the endeavours.

Over the past nine years the Westair ‘eyes in the sky’ have been trained on the enormous task on the ground below. With support from companies willing to provide expertise, time and equipment, the colossal challenge Namibia is faced with may just be conquerable. www.westair.com.na

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Data obtained from aerial surveys is of critical importance for the management and protection of wildlife at risk.

Thus it is not surprising that some concerned humans in Namibia are copying the vultures’ example by using an aerial platform to detect mortalities and provide an early warning system for the protection of our wildlife. In all operations involving capture and research of wildlife, the process is made immeasurably more viable by having eyes in the sky. We will never be as refined or successful as the vultures, but with training and experience our surveillance from the sky is arguably the most important initial phase of any conservationrelated project. And three species that are in dire need of our involvement in order to protect and monitor them are rhino, elephant and the vultures themselves.

Wolfgang Grellmann, Save The Rhino Trust Boardmember and Group Chairman of Westair Aviation

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Finding and catching a black rhino is a massive logistical undertaking. It usually starts at sunrise with the start-up roar of a huge six cylinder Continental engine. The crew on board the Cessna are experienced in airborne spotting and overall coordination of the operation.

From improvised dirt strips the wonder of airflow over metal lifts the craft into the morning air and the process begins. Once a rhino is sighted, the plane – in contrast to what the vultures do - is put into an upward climbing spiral to bring the observation platform to a height from where it can coordinate the whole operation.

From the plane the truck, bakkies

and team on the ground are all guided into suitable positions and then the signal is given for the helicopter to start and follow directions from the aircraft. It usually goes something like this: “Ok, fly 10 miles northeast and say when you have me visual.

Ok, have you visual. Fly straight towards me. Ok, also have you visual, turn right five degrees, now straight, left, left 500 m on your right, close to that rock outcrop in front of you, now crossing the open area on your left, two animals, cow and D size calf, have you got it? Slightly left, OK, got it and going in for darting. You can direct ground crew in now�.

Thus the very species that spawned the success of aircraft in conservation, the vulture, has recently itself become a focus of aerial surveys. Aircraft are particularly good at finding vulture nests so that ground teams can ring and mark the chicks. Last year over 100 vultures were successfully marked. The use of aircraft in conservation makes for the perfect synergy of man, machine and mission. It merges an age-old biological system with modern technology for the better of the fragile habitat that we all share. TNN

Gerhard Thirion

This process is so efficient that when carried out by trained and experienced crews, rhinos can be caught, treated or moved in a very short period of time. The same is true for the actual counting of a population in a given area. In a systematic aerial survey program a huge area can be sample counted. The subsequent analysis and projection of results provide an extremely accurate estimate of the population.

Over the years these data show trends in population growth

and distribution. Both of these indicators are invaluable for any successful conservation and management program. For elephants, who have a much larger home range than rhino, the distribution and movement data obtained from aerial surveys is of critical importance for their management and protection. So, too, is the location of elephant carcasses and, as mentioned, now more than ever because one poisoned carcass results in the death of many hundreds, even thousands, of vultures.

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life on a table Stories from antoinette's namibian kitchen Text Christine Hugo Main photographs Hentie Burger

In June 2010 My Hungry Heart - notes from a Namibian kitchen was the f irst Namibian book ever to be entered and awarded at the International Gourmand Cookbook Awards in Paris. Antoinette de Chavonnes Vrugt’s f irst book was also the only one of the four f inalists in the category Best Cookbook in the World for African Cuisine that was actually produced and printed in Africa. Life on a Table, her second book, again combines Hentie Burger’s photography and Christine Hugo’s concept and text with Antoinette’s “love letters to the people and the land she holds dear”.

Food is a language that communicates beyond the borders of words. It is true that we are what we eat. Not only physically, but also emotionally. The Spanish are very much Sangria, tapas and paella people. The French are foie gras, champagne and haute cuisine. The Germans beer and eisbein, the Italians wine, pasta and good slow food.

And Namibians? We are the braai, kapana, lazy afternoons and long evenings around a fire – we are a hearty feast of the very best of meat grilled on real wood fires under an endless sky. It is beautiful to see how people cook and eat the way that they talk, think and live.

But the language of food also has a more private and individual significance. It is a way for us to demonstrate love and compassion when words alone are not enough. Home-cooked meals bring families together around tables, where people sit and talk, make eye contact and connect again. In the kitchens of all our earth mothers and patres familias, meals are prepared to feed bodies and souls, to make memories and to create a legacy of love that is passed on from generation to generation.

So every recipe book becomes a collection of love letters, a recollection of history, stories of times and people and places

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that were good, that made life better for the people for whom the food was prepared.

In celebration and in mourning, on birthdays and holidays or just simply every day, food is the golden thread, the central theme in the stories of our lives. Our association with food is so powerful that the aroma or flavour of a dish or a spice can instantly transport us to people and places, unleashing a flood of memories and feelings that are buried deep in our hearts and minds, often from a great many years before as if we were right back there that very instant.

It doesn’t matter if you are a mother who knows exactly which dish is the favourite of each of your children or your husband, or if you are a world traveller who savours the exotic flavours of foreign countries and brings them home to share with friends or even if you can’t boil an egg yourself, but cherish the thoughts of meals that were prepared for you – we all have recipes that are roadmaps to our own true selves, a Southern Cross for the soul, that will continue to walk our hearts home until the end of time.

“I love to cook”, says Antoinette, whether it began out of sheer desperation to save us from a potential embarrassment of having my mom cook for dignatories when I was 12, or whether it is the

foodies

relaxed atmosphere of my farm kitchen, surrounded by my husband Chris and my children Christoph and Marietjie, our faithful dogs, and always as many friends and family we can get together around a table.

I love to cook.

“Through the years, through chance encounters with random foodies on my path, I realised that I was called to cook. Lovely flavours, exotic combinations and pungent tastes resonate with me. It was especially during the early time of my marriage to Chris when we lived in Oshakati during the last years of the war, where we met all these interesting and fun people and eating together was the main recreational activity in our lives, that I really fell deeply in love with the art of food.

The older women in our social circles taught me so much about how to make gourmet meals out of limited and erratic supplies. This book is the story of food in Namibia – making the best of what you have, practical and maximal. It is metaphorical of the character of our nation. Who would not be swept away?

Back in Windhoek my career took its course, from cooking demonstrations for food enthusiasts to judging braai competitions for various farmers associations and the odd party catering favour for friends, to a fully-fledged catering business. I became involved in the annual national Tourism Expo, developing the “Chef’s Theatre”, which was an incredible journey. I met many of the giants in the gourmet industry and some of them have become dearest and closest friends.

I have embraced every opportunity to travel, to experience new cultures and learn about people through their cooking. I fanatically collect recipes and cookbooks. I love it, especially, when the great loves of my life – my family, my friends and good food all come together, which is what this book is all about. TNN

There is an abundance of "Green Things" to look forward to in Life on a table along with Antoinette's spectacular Namibian dishes.

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Giraffe Conservation Foundation

Celebrating the beauty and depth of

conservation in Namibia Text Ginger Mauney

Conservation and the Environment in Namibia - Nedbank Namibia’s Go Green Fund Special Edition A leopard peers through the branches of a tree, its green eyes penetrating, its expression curious. This is a travellers’ dream, even if it is found on the cover of a magazine.

Since its inception in 2001, Conservation and the Environment in Namibia, a Travel News Namibia initiative, has provided much needed exposure to the threats facing our natural world and the efforts being made to protect Namibia’s fragile, fascinating biodiversity.

2015

and the Environment in Namibia

14

YEARS

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An evolution in the approach to conservation in Namibia is evident in projects covered in the magazine.

From pure research to environmental education and involving communities in the sustainable utilization of our natural resources: all of them are part of Namibia’s globally acknowledged conservation efforts.

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This evolution of approach and coverage is mirrored in the funding that Nedbank Namibia’s Go Green Fund has provided to conservation efforts over the past 14 years.

The latest issue of Conservation and the Environment in Namibia, a Go Green Fund Special Edition, brings the two corporate initiatives together in beautiful, informative symmetry.

The magazine showcases some of the projects that have been supported by the Go Green Fund over the past 14 years. These projects – and articles covered by the magazine – include research on giraffes, brown and spotted hyenas and the return of the oxpecker, along with features on environmental education in the desert and students’ involvement in research projects.

At the launch of this edition Dr Andreas Mwoombola, Nedbank Executive Head of Transformation, Strategy and Marketing, said: “Having to date disbursed more than N$5 million to a range of deserving projects and initiatives, we thought it prudent to immortalise some of the groundbreaking work of these projects in a special edition of the renowned Conservation Magazine.”

As Conservation and the Environment in Namibia reveals, our conservation efforts are as diverse, beautiful and inspiring as our country.

Conservation and the Environment in Namibia and other Travel News Namibia publications are available at bookstores and Spar shops nationwide as well as online at www.travelnewsnamibia.com.

book reviews

Elephant Don

The Politics of a Pachyderm Posse Text Ginger Mauney

In Elephant Don: The Politics of a Pachyderm Posse, Caitlin O’Connell writes, “the view from the Okaukuejo waterhole never got old…”

Visitors to Namibia’s Etosha National Park will heartily agree with this sentiment.

the lives of Etosha’s elephants is detailed with a scientific eye and a writer’s compassion in this book.

Each year, for nearly 30 years, O’Connell has left a comfortable life in the US for the dusty, dramatic surroundings of eastern Etosha. Each year, she’s been reacquainted with the elephants she’s come to know, name and understand, and each year, with fresh insight, new questions arise.

When O’Connell follows this by adding that she spent her “thirtieth birthday here, and then my fortieth, and next year, my fiftieth,” this is where visitors will shake their heads in wonder and appreciation, and this too is what draws the reader into this special book.

As O’Connell contemplates the behaviour of Etosha’s elephants, specifically that of the adult males, she takes the reader on a vicarious tour of various fields of scientific study and how these relate to other species before returning to how this information can help her – and us – better understand the complexities of life for Etosha’s elephants.

O’Connell’s decades of dedicated research and her insight, gained through patient observation and keen questioning, into

Intelligent and insightful, Elephant Don is a true reflection of the animals that are at the very heart of this lovingly crafted book.

A must-have book

for all farmers, nature lovers and tourists Text Luise Hoffmann Grasses & Grazers of Botswana and the surrounding savanna

by Veronica Roodt is a richly illustrated and fascinating book on grasses and herbivores and their interrelation. Each of the approximately 100 grass species is beautifully and very clearly illustrated by photographs and drawings, with concise and highly informative details on the facing page. In addition to the scientific name of the grasses the English and Afrikaans names and in many cases even the German names are provided.

Matters such as successional and ecological status, leaf yield, palatability, nutritional value and soil type are addressed while veld management, common insects and birds as well as the grass’s medical and ornamental value are also discussed. The identification of grasses in this region has never been easier.

More than two thirds of the book’s 304 pages are devoted to the various grasses. The grazers are equally well illustrated and documented on 51 pages. Details are provided on food preferences, digestion, droppings and water requirements. The interaction between domestic grazers and wild animals is also discussed.

Pages 278 – 294 deal with pasture management, soil erosion and methods to counteract it, sowing grass, establishing seed reserve camps, bush encroachment, burning and related matters.

The role of various animals such as harvester termites, locusts, quelea finches and different mice species is addressed as well.

There are separate indexes for grasses, grazers and general matters plus a glossary and a list for further reading.

This wonderful book is not only about Botswana – it also includes the entire north-eastern region of Namibia right up to the Namib Desert. The map on the cover and on page 4 shows the extent of the ‘surrounding savannah’. At least two thirds of the grasses and 20 of the 22 grazer species mentioned in the book also occur in Namibia.

The author, Veronica Roodt, holds a B.Sc. in botany and zoology and a B.Sc. (Hons.) in animal physiology. She spent many years in her bush camp in the Okavango Delta working with the local tribes on the medicinal and food uses of plants and conducting research on wildlife, plants and their uses in general. She is well known as a highly knowledgeable as well as entertaining writer from her earlier books Trees of the Okavango Delta and Common Wild Flowers of the Okavango Delta.

Her latest book is now available in all bookshops at N$ 290.

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www.swakara.net

COMMITTED TO

COMMIPHORAS Tammy Nott’s scented passion for arid Namibia Text Annabelle Venter

M

BIRI Natural Skincare is a truly Namibian skincare range, launched in Windhoek earlier this year. Based on the core ingredient of Namibian myrrh, wild harvested by Himba women from the Commiphora wildii plant, Mbiri is a unique product made by women, for women.

The dynamic force behind Mbiri is local business woman Tamarind Nott, who successfully launched the Rare Scent cosmetic range in 2013. Her new product is taking the Commiphora wildii story that started with Rare Scent, to the next level.

The soul behind Mbiri

Tammy grew up in the small town of Omaruru, where we first met when she was just 5 years old! Already at that age the sparkling eyes and bubbly personality hinted at an interesting future for this young Namibian. A self-confessed ‘peopleperson’, Tammy has a passion for her country, specifically the desert and its people and plants. She takes inspiration from the arid serenity of the desert, and her parent’s lifelong involvement in conservation helped open her eyes to the

beauty in the ‘nothingness’ that lay around her. After school she left Namibia for a while to pursue her studies in video editing at AFDA in Cape Town. She returned to her beloved country in 2012.

The start of scented things

In that same year a course on the art of soap-making set this young mind off in a new direction. While she spent time in the desert with her mother, who was starting a new project with the nomadic Himba people of the far northwest, Tammy began formulating ideas on how to turn her soap-making skills and the myrrh collected by the Himba into a business. Around this time a competition was launched, called Namibia’s Essential Oil Challenge Fund Competition, sponsored by the Millenium Challenge Corporation and the Natural Resources Institute.

They were looking for an innovative cosmetic use for the oil of the Commiphora wildii plant that the Himba were harvesting.

Tammy entered the competition and triumphed as one of the two winners. With the title came the financial boost and exposure that she needed, and Rare Scent was born.

Rare Scent products were well received by the local market and sold extremely well all over Namibia. But being a onewoman production line from start to finish was restricting the business. There is only so much you can do from your garage!

It was time to look further afield and bring this amazing story to the attention of the outside world.

Mbiri is born

Tammy needed to upscale her brand to make it more accessible to more customers outside the small Namibian market. In the past, her long-suffering family and friends had tested her products but now she wanted to comply with international regulations and have unlimited production capacity. Engaging professional cosmetic formulators meant offering a safer product and enabling her to be transparent about the products’ claims. She also wanted the packaging and name to be sophisticated and more Namibian. It took just one year to take this leap to a new level and in April 2015 the revamped product was launched under the new brand name Mbiri.

Tammy launched her Mbiri range in April 2015

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The range consists of lip moisturiser, body wash, body lotion and myrrh essential oil.

Dave Cole

Namibian Myrrh (Commiphora wildii resin) has been collected and used by Himba women for centuries.

They mix it with animal fat and ochre, which is then rubbed into the skin.

Three of the main ingredients are 100% Namibian: • Namibian myrrh (resin of the commiphora wildii plant) • Marula oil (from Eudafano Women’s Co-operative in Ondangwa: EWC) • Kalahari melon seed (from EWC) Other ingredients are sourced from elsewhere in Africa, ensuring an entirely African product.

In July this year Tammy was selected to attend the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Kenya to learn more about marketing her unique product. She feels that these days people are looking for products with a story, rather than yet another mass-produced cosmetic item. Mbiri’s story is certainly one of its kind and she is looking forward to expanding the range in 2016.

Is it Green?

Tammy would like to inspire other young Namibians. “When something inspires you just go for it! There are so many ways to convince ourselves not to do something and that is what holds us back. Take a leap of faith and believe in what you do!

It’s worse to take no risk. In moments of doubt I remind myself why I first started the business and I remember my inspiration: the desert, my childhood, the Himba people. I grew up with the project and it has always been a part of my life. Through Mbiri I can support a community that I have been visiting since I was a young girl”. TNN

Commiphora wildii resin is a protected resource. The resin is processed at a community-owned factory in the heart of the Kunene region.

Visitors are welcome to join a tour of the Opuwo Processing Facility and see how the whole process is conducted. No chemicals are ever used here, all products are 100% natural.

It’s one of the few opportunities for tourists to meet the locals in Opuwo, and buy local products. What fabulous gifts you will find there! In the meantime visit www.scentsofnamibia.com.

The scent of inspiration

Tammy says her mother Karen’s work with the Himba – which has created a sustainable source of income for them, based on their ancient knowledge and skills – has been her greatest source of inspiration.

In addition, her love and respect for the Himba people shines through in the conversation with her, and she is enormously inspired by their ability to live in one of the most arid places on earth.

When returning to Namibia for holidays, Tammy says the car was always packed and ready to head up north to the Kunene Region where her mother started the Omumbiri project. Tammy has spent much time with the Himba, attending conservancy meetings and joining the women as they harvest the resin in dry times. More recently she has seen the Opuwo Processing Facility being built and watched how the precious essential oil is extracted from the resin.

GREENIE POINTS: • • • • • •

Mbiri is 100% natural Endorsed by The Vegan Society Endorsed by Beauty without Cruelty Approved by Phytotrade Africa Body wash is biodegradable Packaging is recyclable

WHERE CAN YOU FIND MBIRI PRODUCTS? • Maerua Superspar in Windhoek • Various lodges and gift shops around Namibia • Faithful to Nature in South Africa (online store) Future plans include health stores in South Africa and entering the US market in two years.

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For all of them The fight for survival continues as kings vanish in the desert Text Elzanne Erasmus Photographs Will and Lianne Steenkamp

We were making our way down the Hoanib when he came out from behind a bush on the riverbank. He was beautiful. Strong and young. And by the collar around his neck I immediately knew who he was. His brother followed soon after and the two young male lions made their way down the dry river toward an unknown destination.

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desert lions

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Just 15 minutes earlier we had been sitting on a couch discussing photography and debating the pros and cons of having Wi-Fi and DSTV in the desert. Then came a call over Clement, the lodge manager’s two-way radio, with a key code word (which I am not at liberty to divulge) and we were off to find the ever-elusive desert-adapted lions of the Namib.

If this seems like an easy everyday sort of activity to you, you are mistaken. With approximately 120 of their kind left, the desert lions are a rare group of carnivores that have adapted to survive in one of the harshest, most unforgiving landscapes on earth. With their numbers dwindling as poaching and human encroachment threaten their future, sightings are few and far between.

It astounds me to think of the amount of work it takes to keep tabs on them in this vast landscape and treacherous terrain. Dr Philip Stander is devoting his life to this cause and through his Desert Lion Conservation Project he has set a course to fight for the survival of these spectacular felines. Even stranger still is the thought of how difficult it must be to encapsulate such an epic story of survival into a single narrative. But it has been

done… with an immaculate film produced for them and by them, which tells a story so special that you will walk away with a flame in your heart that burns only for them.

As the music starts and the last scene fades, a round of roaring applause resounds through the theatre. With timid relief I notice that I am not the only spectator with tears in my eyes.

Other members of the audience also seem to have difficulty deciding whether it would be worth it to stop clapping long enough to wipe their wet cheeks. The ovation signals the end of the hour-long premiere of Will and Lianne Steenkamp’s film Vanishing Kings. The documentary, two years in the making, follows the trials and tribulations of the Hoanib pride of desert lions in north-western Namibia, as they fight for survival. With stunning cinematography featuring breathtaking scenery and unimaginable moments captured in cinematic splendour, encapsulated in an enthralling narrative, Vanishing Kings is a wonder of silver screen nature documentary. The cameras follow the pride on its home territory as two young mothers, under the watchful guidance of an old queen, teach their five male cubs (the ‘five musketeers’) the skills of survival. While the

Taking the Vanishing Kings to the World

Vanishing Kings was produced and created by Into Nature Productions with support from Wilderness Safaris and B2Gold in Namibia. After its premiere in Windhoek in July 2015, the production team took the film on a road show through Namibia with screenings in Swakopmund and also in villages and settlements (Wêreldsend, Bergsig, Sesfontein and Purros) that acted as backdrop and supported Will and Lianne in their endeavors. These places are also key stakeholders in the lion conservation effort, as they are most at risk of coming into human-wildlife conflict, something the creation of a film like this is set to educate about, and hopefully helps to diminish. The film has even been translated into Damara, the local language spoken in these villages.

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Did you know?

The 5 Musketeers

Prior to Namibia’s independence in 1990, wildlife populations in common areas had plummeted as a result of poaching and drought. In the mid1980s an innovative program was introduced to inspire communal stewardship of wildlife. In 1990 the program evolved so that communities could identify areas with defined borders, governance structures, membership and management plans. These communities have rights to manage and distribute benefits from wildlife resources in their areas, also known as “conservancies.”

The five young brothers still frequent the Hoanib River area of Damaraland, but their territory stretches to the far reaches of the surrounding plains and landscapes where they learnt to hunt and endure without their mothers’ help. They are among the last males of their kind and therefore hold the key to the survival of the desert lions of the Namib. voice-over narrative often evokes giggles from the crowd around me, followed by gasps of horror and crestfallen faces as nature takes its course on screen, I see a storyline unfolding with great weight and depth of meaning. The film is in no way limited to the kind of amazing slow-motion shots of a lioness leaping as she attempts to bring down a fully grown giraffe bull, or of wind and sand enveloping her when she lay dying. It is a storyline that was not intended to just awe and thrill, but to make you think about the pride of lions long after the credits have rolled.

Same as when watching a film about mythical beasts, one becomes enthralled by the romanticism that surrounds a story such as this. It then seems surreal when you realize - or in my case experience - and thus finally understand that these animals and their struggles are real and not stories of legend.

In 2014 one of Dr Stander’s collared lions, the Terrace Male, was shot when he “made a nuisance of himself” by encroaching on human farmland. A sad end to such extraordinary lives should not induce pity and trepidation but rather respect and hopeful optimism for a future where these animals still exist. Unnecessary and unlawful kills, however, should be met with harsh and strict criticism, and human-wildlife conflict should be an important topic of discussion every single time conservation plans are set into motion. The plea has been made. It is a global one and the fight must continue. Not just to save now-famous animals like the desert lions, but for all of them. TNN

1. Namibia is one of the few African countries where wildlife numbers are actually growing. It is the only African country in fact, where giraffe numbers are growing.

2. Namibia is the first country in the world to have included conservation of natural resources into its constitution.

3. Today, more than 46% of Namibia is under conservation management.

4. Namibia is home to the largest population of freeroaming cheetahs in the world as well as thriving populations of lion, black rhino and mountain zebra.

Although the rhino population is under constant threat from illegal hunting, it continues to thrive in communal conservancy areas in Kunene.

5. Revenue and benefits generated from conservancies for local communities in Namibia exceed N$ 70 million annually.

6. As of October 2014 there are 82 registered communal conservancies in Namibia covering a total of 161 900 km² of land.

Gerhard Thirion

Namibia’s conservation success stories

To learn more about Dr. Philip Stander and Desert Lion Conservation visit www.desertlion.info. Watch the trailer for Vanishing Kings at www.intonatureproductions.com.

To experience the magic of Wilderness' Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp visit www.wilderness-safaris.com.

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