Fish River Hike - Namibia

The Fish River Hike, Namibia - 85 kilometers through wonderful scenic canyon. 8 of us casually walked for 6 days camping on the sand.

A typical spot for a campsite. Most of us didn't use tents, there are very few insects. It was very comfortable.

Saw a couple of these Klipspringers near a hot spring, which was hidden in grass and rocks.

Friend Yvette, a biologist, spent lots of time examining the flora,

All 8 of us: Mac, Sylvia, Dave (me), Yvette (sitting), Aussie Annette, John, Annette and Mike Thompson.

Although the water had stopped flowing by the time we started, it was still perfectly drinkable and here's John cooling down. Temperatures usually got to around 45° so we'd rest a bit after lunch. We certainly didn't want to rush the hike, it was so nice just being there.

The rings indicate each day's evaporation. So I reckon the water stopped running 22 days before this photo was taken. Sometimes the water is 2/3 metres deep after heavy rains but I've not seen that.

After the hike. A Quiver Tree: Aloe dichotoma.

The journey is also part of the holiday so we drove about a bit.

Some Namaqualand flower displays as we got back into South Africa.

Sterkfontein Dam

First day: lovely weather. Thomas and me in my double kayak.

Clouds came early on our second evening.

Thomas insisted we make a fire and even though the wood around was wet, he made a very decent fire.

We were with friend John, ahead of us here. Our last day was long and against the wind. The waves picked up half-way back; so much so, we couldn't stop for lunch.

4x4 trip in Wolkberg

This is the road - 4x4 only.  

Nice place to camp

Didn't quite make it. Had to saw off a branch stub to get through. 

Wolkberg mountains.

I like this shot - almost like a wide-angle lens view.

Lovely camping.

Sunrise.

Tent view not long after sunrise.

Tutankamon exhibition

Amazing exhibition. Everything is a copy. This is how they first found the tomb.

It's only a model, but absolutely perfect. It looks like real gold and perfect detail.

Dad visited us March 2014

Spent a few days hiking near Bronkhorstspruit, sleeping in a stone 'hut'.

What! No Bicycles! Spoilsports.

Slight rain at times.

Nice roadside display of Cosmos.

Kruger Park.

Olifants River resort.

Stuck half-way across the river on our way to a lone Baobab tree attraction. Middle of lion country. Rocks to jack the bakkie up just got pushed deeper and deeper into the sand; tried lots of them. We were there quite a while.
A small car came in behind us and Dad told the driver that we were having a spot of bother. Dad's got no regional UK accent, almost like the old BBC accent, so he was taken aback when the English-speaking, white, South African tour guide (with client) asked him if he spoke English!!!! Dad asked me to talk to him. He told us to wait and he would call the Park's rangers - and be expected to pay a fine for driving down a closed road (the sign had fallen over). Luckily we got pulled out by a 4x4 half an hour later.
Thomas said that that episode was the highlight of the trip.

At our various camp-sites elephants and hyenas would patrol the fences at night.  

At the nearby Crocodile Farm reptile room.

Our back garden.

First chick

June 2013 - Our first chick, incubated in my self-designed incubator.