News

The midday sun is burning fiercely. The air is vibrating. Nothing but flickering rocks and Fata Morganas are seen on the horizon. Damaraland, an endlessly harsh landscape, huge and untamed. The wheels rumble along a barely visible path. Despite air conditioning in the vehicle, the body feels thirsty ... but the cool box is empty. Rule number one for any safari is to be well informed and prepared. Useful behavioural tips and how to survive in the wild are described in the book The Art of Travel, written by the British adventurer, Francis Galton. The book was however published in 1855 and is now - literally - 163 years old and probably the world's first travel guide.

Have you heard of the unique four man Gondwana Collection team that is gearing up for the Nedbank Desert Dash? The Kaas en Wyn (cheese and wine) team. So, here’s what you do need to know about them and their passion for cycling…

Wood from camel thorn trees leaves the best embers for a braai (barbecue). Fence posts made from camel thorn decades ago still stand firm, because termites and beetles avoid this wood. Camel thorn trees (Acacia erioloba) are found all over the country except for a narrow strip in the Namib Desert close to the coast. These trees thrive in arid as well as humid conditions. They are heat and frost resistant. For man and beast they are an important source of shade. And they offer food and shelter to countless animals.

During the summer months pregnant copper sharks migrate to the coastal waters near Swakopmund and give birth to their young. By then, males have already moved there to mate with the females later. Anglers had noticed for years that at certain times large copper sharks (Carcharhinus brachyurus), also called bronze whalers or "bronzy" in Namibia, occur near Swakopmund and further north.

A boat trip on the Kwando River is a wonderful experience not only for bird lovers. Mammals in the water and on the banks are also part of the diverse animal world. In contrast to the other Gondwana lodges in north-eastern Namibia, Namushasha River Lodge does not have a neighbouring country on the other side of the river, but Bwabwata National Park. A total of 19 wetland bird species were recorded during the boat trip and altogether 84 bird species at Namushasha River Lodge during two days in mid-July this year.