22 August - The desert trip

So we set out for the desert after letting air out of the tyres down to about 1 bar to improve traction on the soft sand. We saw flamingos on the way to the desert which was only at the edge of town, about 10 minutes drive, but it was still misty………………

Flamingos in the mist

At the desert’s edge we stopped at the salt farm and at that moment the sun came out and we saw the desert in glorious light.

Colleague Shaz on the top of the first dune with the salt farm behind her

So off we went………along the beach for the first stretch across a narrow band of sand between the sea and the salt flats behind

The drive was spectacular with dunes up to 60m (200 feet) tall right at the sea’s edge………….

This is the tallest dune we saw and some visitors climbed to the top. The area behind the dune on the coast is Sandwich Bay, which used to be a significant fresh water lagoon - sadly now reclaimed by the sea. A possible effect of climate change it has been suggested.

It was at this point that, just as I was asking the guide about pelicans and their only flying VFR we looked up and.............................

.....there were 5 pelicans flying south-supremely elegant and definitely in VFR conditions!

Then a bit more fun driving up - and down - sand dunes. The wind blows daily and smooths out all the wheel tracks overnight so the impact is minimised. This really was a steep as it looks and was pretty exciting. But the sun had come out and we had a ball. It is not our Land Rover of course on the slope as we were already down at the bottom………..

Looking straight down the dune slope from the top.......

Going down…………

There was lots of sand (and not too much else) but we did see a solitary (and thirsty?) jackal……..

....................and some very spiky desert vegetation, in flower…….

……then it was time to admire the light change as the sun started to set over the dunes

and then back across the salt flats past these old holes.

Rumoured to be the locations of wartime tent sites created by German soldiers to keep the wind from blowing them away!
– and we had to race back along the beach before the tide cut us off!

B ut there was still time to watch a final sunset over the salt pans…….

…say farewell to the flamingos………..which is pretty well how the afternoon had begun............

…and a real thank you to our hosts http://www.photoventures-namibia.com/

who had organised a great trip… and head back to Swakopmund for dinner and a beer after “A Grand Day Out” (with apologies to Wallace and Grommit). And the next day we caught the plane to Johannesburg and thence home to Vienna for me…….