African Wings: Part 2 - Rundu to Etosha

AFRICAN WINGS: PART 2: RUNDU TO ETOSHA

Join us on a 6500km flying adventure through Namibia starting at Rundu on the Angolan border and ending at Oranjemund;  the quirky mining town of the Sperrgebiet

  We pushed our aerie out of the hangar at the Rundu airfield into the crisp morning air and took off into a pale blue African sky. Our next stop was Etosha National Park, one of Africa’s most famous wildlife sanctuaries in the Kunene region of north-western Namibia.

As we gained altitude thousands of miles of bushveld stretched, deep and impenetrable, beneath us. Remote thatched African villages and dirt footpaths were the only sign of human habitation in this vast African wilderness as we made our way west towards Etosha.

As we neared Etosha the scenery slowly changed into Mopane scrubland in full autumn regalia. The Etosha pans shimmered like a mirage in the distance, pale and translucent against the baked earth. As we came closer the sun reflected off the water in flashes of silver and herds of Wildebeest snaked in ant trails across the endless milky expanse of the pans.

Flying over the milky white expanse of the Etosha Pans

Animal tracks lead to water on the vast white of the Etosha pans

A herd of Wildebeest cross the Etosha pans in their relentless search for water

We landed at the Ongava airstrip in fairly strong winds, however as soon as our wheels touched the chalky white soil we knew we were in for something special.



We had been told that getting landing permits inside Etosha was virtually impossible so Taleni Village was our choice of accommodation. Taleni borders Anderson Gate so we were in easy driving distance to the park and it has fantastic safari style tented accommodation. http://www.etosha-village.com/

This lodge is tucked away in dense stands of Mopane and Purple Terminalia and has won awards for its ingenious eco-friendly architecture. As you walk into your tent you are greeted by an enormous fluffy bed clad in crispy white linen with the most beautiful views of the bushveld beyond – a perfect place for a sleep wrapped in the silence and deep earthy warmth of an African afternoon.



Jan photographing Ground Squirrels at Okakeujo Camp

 

We arranged for a morning and an afternoon game drive and with nearly 150 mammal species to be found in the park, including several rare and endangered species such as the Black rhino, Black-faced impala, Tssesebe and Gemsbok we knew we were in for some very special sightings.

An ancient tusker at the Okakeujo waterhole

 

Zebra drinking at the Okakeujo waterhole

   

A Springbok lying in the grass in the late afternoon





The unusual Black-faced Impala

On the afternoon drive we found ourselves at a waterhole north of Okakeujo at sunset. The landscape was bathed in that special golden light that seemingly highlights each and every blade of grass. Silently, an enormous Black Rhino emerged out of the grasslands, his physical presence was mammoth, he seemed to be moulded from then very earth itself.

The endangered Black Rhino in the golden grasslands of Southern Etosha

Lips wet from drinking, this Rhino posed for us in the late afternoon light

We watched in breathless wonder as he came down to drink in contemplative solitude. It really is a tragedy to think that only 2000 of these magnificent creatures are said to still roam free in Africa and that their numbers continue to dwindle as they are poached for traditional Asian medicine and for dagger handles in Yemen and Oman.

Driving back to Anderson gate that afternoon we spotted a flock of Ostrich on the side of the road. Suddenly one peeled away from the group, its wings out and waving like a mad cabaret dancer. It started running at a terrific speed parallel to the road, weaving and twirling and finally ending its charge with a spirited pirouette. We had just witnessed the graceful mating dance of the Ostrich. What magic!

We ended our day sitting around a blazing fire, braaiing lamb chops and drinking ice cold beer. Again we found ourselves thanking our lucky stars that we had been born in Africa, this place of indescribable beauty……..

There are numerous organisations that are involved in Rhino Conservation in Southern Africa. To find out more on how to get involved please visit the following websites:

Endangered Wildlife Trust: https://www.ewt.org.za/
World Wide Fund for Nature: http://www.wwf.org.za/
Save the Rhino: http://www.savetherhino.org/

African Wings: Part 1 - Kasane to Rundu

AFRICAN WINGS: PART 1: RUNDU

Join us on a 6500km flying adventure through Namibia starting at Rundu on the Angolan border and ending at Oranjemund;  the quirky mining town of the Sperrgebiet

The vast and meandering Kavango River

The day dawned bright and clear in Kasane as we gazed out of our balcony onto the shimmering expanse of the Chobe River, a peaceful scene that in no way reflected the simultaneous excitement and trepidation coursing through our bodies. This was the first day of our solitary adventure through the formidable vastness of Namibia.

Following the winding ways of the Kavango River along the border of Angola was a solitary journey. No aircraft crossed our path and despite our numerous attempts, there was no answer from air traffic control for the duration of our three hour flight. The vast bushveld beneath us lay unbroken, punctuated only by the odd muddy watering hole and perhaps a lone tusker.

Lone tuskers in the dense bushveld of the Caprivi

We felt slightly ridiculous landing our tiny aircraft on Rundu’s 3km long airstrip. The airstrip had been built by the South African government for use in the Angolan bush war with Antinovs in mind. We landed and taxied to a halt under the wing of a massive Angolan military Ilyushin 76, much to the amusement of the Russian crew. We fuelled up, cleared customs and headed off to Nkwazi Lodge, our accommodation for the evening. http://www.safarinow.com/go/nkwazi/



The enormous Rundu airstrip - built for the Angolan War back in the 1980's



Our Jabiru 430 (EZP) parked under the wing of an Angolan Ilyushin 76



Rundu itself is a dusty fronteir town with not much going for it. Its is however a gateway to the Caprivi, Etosha, Okavango and Bwabwata and Mudumu National Park and has some lovely lodges situated on the banks of the Kavango River.

Catching a boat down the river to the lodge we sailed languidly down the river watching local settlements drift by in the late afternoon light. The people of the Kavango mainly originate from Angola. The border really only exists on maps as the Kavango tribes have been living for centuries on both sides of the Kavango River. Most families have relations and friends on either side.



You will be treated to a ride down the Kavango in this unusual vessel if you visit Nkwazi Lodge

 

Drifting down the Kavango is like going back in time. Life continues as it has for centuries



Children help with the clothes washing and at the same time have a bath

We spent the late afternoon watching Little Bee-eaters and dragonflies dance over the Kavango River as it turned to burnished gold in the late afternoon sun. The soft clong of cowbells and the gentle rush of water was all that broke the deep silence. All this with a glass of crisp white wine in your hand - quintessential Africa!



A dragon fly dancing with the light on the burnished gold surface of the Kavango

Nkwazi Lodge - Rustic, quiet and on the banks of the Kavango River



Children dragging a drum of water along a dust path by cow power



What’s great about being a frequent traveller (and probably a pre-requisite for a happy traveller) is the ability to enjoy the unexpected, the different and the comical. This particular morning we caught a lift back to Rundu on a low-slung speedboat; our companions; a fat lady, a khaki clad old gentleman and a pit bull terrier, tongue lolling out with front legs on the prow (the bull terrier that is!).

On the banks of the Kavango another day had begun. Men, women and children were down at the river's edge washing themselves and hanging up their clothes to dry like multi-coloured butterflies in the reeds. Kingfishers whirred past us and little Bee-eaters dripped off the bull rushes like gems. What a blissful way to start our first morning in Namibia

Back at the Rundu airfield we pushed our aerie out of the hangar into the crisp morning air and with no fan-fair took off into a pale blue African sky, out next stop was Etosha…….

Dugongs & Dhows - Mozambique

Dugongs and Dhows - Flying across the Bazaruto Archipelago

"For the animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours,

they move finished and complete, gifted with the extension of the senses we have lost or never attained,

 living by voices we shall never hear. They are not bretheren, they are not underlings; they are other nations,

caught in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendor and travail of the earth"

 Henry Beston, Naturalist, 1928

The incredible natural beauty of the Bazaruto Archipelago, its pristine coral reefs and warm Indian Ocean waters are a treasure chest of marine life including the illusive and critically threatened Dugong of which only 40 are thought to remain in these waters.

The future is looking decidedly bleak for Dugongs and a host of other marine life in the Archipelago as Chinese fishermen have moved in to Mozambican waters, primarily to catch sharks for the Chinese delicacy shark fin soup. Their fixed mesh nets also trap other marine life as they move in between the shallow channels between Bazaruto’s islands.

Most worrying of all is that the Chinese are planning to build a shark factory in the nearby town of Vilanculos.

To find out more or to get involved with the Dugong Emergency Protection Project or other Marine and Coastal Programmes please visit The Endangered Wildlife Trust https://www.ewt.org.za/

Flying across the Bazaruto Archipelago is almost an assault of colour, milky white sandbanks emerge out of the emerald waters at low tide, deep water channels

provide sanctuary for Dugongand their calves

Traditional Dhows have been ploughing the east coast of Africa for centuries, here three local fishing dhows make their way across the shallows in search of the days catch.

Local fishing practices (beach seining) destroy forage areas for the Dugong,

incidental (and sometimes intentional) capture in fishing nets (Gill nets) and
collisions with ships are further effecting the survival of the Dugong

Chatting to the local fisherman about their catch

 

A local fisherman proudly holds up his days catch on the Island of Benguerra

Dugongs are listed as critical on the red data list for threatened species and it is

estimated that a mere 40 individuals still survive in the Bazaruto Archipelago. When taking these photos it was exciting to be able to observe a calf - a hope for the future!

To read more about what is threatening this unique creatures survival please read this article http://www.suite101.com/content/tourism-last-hope-for-mozambiques-mermaids-a180953

Please watch this sobering documentary called "Shiver" by Chris Scarffe and Carlos Macuacua of Sanque Bom Productions on the Mozambique shark fin trade http://www.vimeo.com/17295966

To get involved with Dugong conservation please call Karen Allen of the Endangered Wildlife Trust - the project executant of  of the Dugong Emergency Protection Project on +27 82 728 6564 or mail her at karena@ewt.org.za.

Skyhawk Photography is very excited to be partnering with the EWT in the marine conservation of the
Bazaruto Archipelago.

Updates and what this partnership will entail coming soon!