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Many believe that the enormous crater of Brukkaros west of the national road between Mariental and Keetmanshoop is an extinct volcano. Geologists initially shared this opinion because of the mountain’s external shape. It is 1,603 metres high, rising 600 metres above the plain, and the shape of the slope is typical of a volcano. But the rock types that are usually found in the vicinity of fire-spitting mountains are absent around Brukkaros. Only when geologists studied the rocks in and around the crater thoroughly was the secret of the formation of Brukkaros finally unravelled.

As guests explore the Canyon Village they will come across clusters of curiously beautiful quiver trees along the way, thanks to a project launched by the Gondwana Collection that aims to preserve these extraordinary but rapidly declining trees. The quiver tree is one of Namibia’s national plants and is widely regarded as a symbol of the south. The fascinating trees were named by Simon van der Stel in 1685 after he was told that the San (Bushmen) used the branches to make quivers for their arrows. 

Swakopmund was created out of necessity because the German colony urgently needed a harbour. The bay 30 kilometres to the south, Walvis Bay, was already in British possession when South West Africa was declared a protectorate of Imperial Germany. In 1892 the Reichskommissar (commissioner) of the German colony, Curt von François, began searching the central part of the coastline for a site suitable for a harbour.  

The Dune Lark is one of the most desert-adapted birds in the world. It lives on sparsely vegetated sand dunes in the Namib. It does not drink water and it feeds on whatever seeds and insects it can find. It has a number of interesting behaviour patterns that help it survive in the intense heat and aridity of the Namib sand dunes. It searches for food mainly in the morning and late afternoon, running rapidly over the bare sand between patches of vegetation. The hotter it gets, the longer are the bird’s strides. 

As of 2017 Gondwana will be offering slack-packing tours in the northern parts of the Fish River Canyon. This will give participants the opportunity to enjoy the hiking trail without the added weight of luggage and equipment. The Canyon Klipspringer Trail will replace the Mule Trails, which will only run until mid-September 2016. After ten years of faithful companionship to about 1,000 adventurous hikers, the mules have already found a new home near Windhoek. 

Taking a scooter through the Fish River Canyon? Impossible! This would be the reaction of any sensible person who has seen the second largest canyon on earth with their own eyes. Yet this didn’t stop six members of the Cape Town Vespa Club to nevertheless attempt the impossible in 1968 – getting themselves into an adventure without equal! They wanted to be the first to take a vehicle through the second largest canyon on earth in 1968. They planned to descend into the canyon at the main viewing point and take their Vespa’s to Ai-Ais, 80 km to the south.

In November this year, the leading hospitality company in Namibia will turn 21. From the beginning, the founding member and managing director, Mannfred Goldbeck, has been in the driver’s seat, steering the company in innovative new directions with his energy, warmth and vision. As Gondwana moves into the next decade, he has decided to hand over the reins to new blood. Mr Goldbeck will remain with the company as a senior executive and focus his energy on Gondwana Branding and Marketing.

There is no doubt that the baobab is a special tree with its massive trunk, unique shape - that according to legend is the result of God planting it upside down - and its powerful presence. This king of trees seems to emanate aeons of life-experience, much like a wizened old elephant matriarch or a tall rugged mountain. It is one of nature’s cathedrals, offering shelter, food and relief from sickness. It is no wonder that this gargantuan deciduous tree has inspired myths and superstition and holds a place in our hearts. It is the stuff of legends.

Namibia is home to the Namib wild horses of the Namib Naukluft Park, yet there is another population of wild horses that is often overlooked. A separate, younger and smaller population of wild horses is occasionally seen from the Sulphur Springs viewpoint. Independent and free, the canyon horses live a tough existence evident in their rugged appearance. They drink from the puddles and pools of the Fish River as it makes its way southwards, feed on reeds and hard grass, are preyed upon by leopard and suffer in years of drought.

The view from the top of the mountain pass is overwhelming. The magnificent vast desert scenery spreads out far below, and the dry Marienfluss riverbed meanders through it. Now is the time to take a deep breath, compose yourself and gather your wits. Because the only way into the valley is down Van Zyl’s Pass, the most notorious pass in Namibia.