Trip Report – Winter 2003

Botswana-Zambia-Vic Falls- Namibia

21 June – 12 July

 

Planing and preparation

 

Planning started in February 03, when the family decided to do a ‘once in a lifetime’ trip.  Once in a lifetime? The brief was to plan a visit to Vic Falls and Walvis Bay, and fit in interesting stuff and places in between.  The Overland forum, was used as a source of information and as the ‘second opinion’.  The route was planned, and the concensus from the forum was ‘too much, too quick, too far’.  Budget planning resulted in a drastic change to the Botswana section of the route.  Moremi and Chobe were out of the planning. The planned route was settled, budgets were accepted, we had a trip to go on!

 

Planned route.

 

Home to Marnitz, 20km from Martin’s Drift, the Botswana border.

Marnitz to Kubu Island

Kubu Island to Nata – Nata Lodge

Nata to Hwange NP Zimbabwe - Robin’s Camp

Robin’s Camp to Vic Falls to Livingstone Zambia - Maramba River Lodge

Livingstone via Katimo Mulimo to Drotsky’s Cabins – Shakawe Botswana

Shakawe to Grootfontein

Grootfontein via Otavi and Oudjo to Kamenjab – Outjitotongwe Cheeta  farm

Kamenjab to Ongongo (Warmequella )

Ongongo via Twyfelfontein and Brandberg West to Walvis Bay.

Home via the ‘Trans Kalahari Highway’

 

Preparation.

 

I took a week off before departure to get the Landy and equipment sorted out.  Changed the leaking rear left hub seal, fitted a new, 2nd hand, front windscreen washer nossle, greased the prop shaft, checked all the oils, and filled the front swivels.  Friday was fit the roof top tent and fit the radio day, with the pretrip wash and vacuum.  Everything was going well, until…. EuroLock said ‘Here’s a Murphy’ and immobilized and started making a hugh racket with hooters, sirens and indicators going.  This just before my dentist appointment!… Had to silence the truck, and borrow a car to get to the dentist.

 

Well after the dentist, EuroLock kept me busy until about 7pm, when I got hold of an auto-electrician, who was in party mode, so we arranged to get together at 7am on Saturday.  Mmmm, I was going to be late in leaving…. Even with a weeks prep time!!!

 

Saturday morning, quickly showed the auto-sparkie, where I’d found what, gave him the circuit diagram, and casually said… ‘Remove the @#$%@&*$% thing’. No problem, 20 minutes later, we were checking that only the EuroLock was removed.

 

Got home just after 9am, 1 hr to planned departure, and the truck was not packed yet.  Everything, well almost everything was ready waiting to be loaded, but first we had to fix the roof top tent to the rack, not such a quick job.  I was about half way packed at about 10:30, When Oom Koos arrived after filling up, and reported his left rear was hot and smelly and that the brakes were not optimum, the prep ‘strip and check’ had gone wrong?

 

The brake drum was removed with a bit of  ‘convincing’ with 4lb and tyre levers, the washer thingies on the release springs had decided not to co-operate, and new thingies were ordered from town.  Shoo, I was ready to roll, about 11H30, and we finally left at noon.

 

 

 

Day 1- We left late and it being the shortest daylight day of the year also didn’t help, and just after 4 pm, still far from the planned stop we decided to look out for a sleeping spot, which we found only 20 km from the planned stop over at TB. A nice place at Marnitz, at only R129 for 5 adults and 4 kids.  The roads were fine and little did we know how much we’d miss such nice roads.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Day 2 – Getting camp set up and repacking in the morning went very well, ‘All hands on deck’.  We hit Martins Drift, full of excitement and gusto, til we had to pay the 3rd party in Pula’s which we didn’t have.  A quick trip to the ‘Bureau de Change’, and we were on our way again.  It was decided not to use Basimane butchery in Serowe, but to live on chicken, till we could get red meat at Nata.  A quick stop at Khama Rhino Sanctuary, then on to Kubu Island.  Dust on the pans in the afternoon, ah man, this is what it is all about!  Kubu Island, magic place, must spend more time when I go that way again. On the way to Kubu the water tank in the Cruiser drained after the pipe connection to the outside tap broke, we only had 5 l water between 9 people, but enough beer for a small army. The road to Kubu was initially good tar, which made way for a good gravel road, with some road works on the gravel, and then the ‘twee spoor’ through the pans, also in good nick, with the occasional dust bowl and mostly with a small ‘middlemannetjie’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

Day 3 – No morning coffee, just pack and go, gotta get to water!  Oh yeah the sun rise was fantastic! Took a trip around the Island, no dust!, but those boababs, they’re spooky and magestic.  Took the tracks heading North, all along the western edge of the pan! Going was good, spotted some wild life, including a pair of Eagles who put on an aerobatics display for us. Reached the Nata/Gweta road, to the relief of everyone!  Kubu Island is beautiful, but make sure you have water, enough water with you. Dang Island’s been dry for about 10 000 years. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Arrived at Nata Lodge, and left the Landy for the ladies to start setting up camp, while we took on the local hardware stores! To get the required plumbing for the water tank, and buy some steak for the evenings braai.  The encounters with the hardware stores should have alerted us to beware of the meat supply!  Got back to camp fixed the water tank, and set about completing the camp site.  Only three of us managed to eat the steak, why it was tough, looked funny (hacked up road kill donkey! come to mind)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Day 4 – The first change of plans, Zim phobia struck, and it was decided to push straight on to Livingstone, Zambia. The road to Kazngula is a good tar road, and we were waiting our turn to cross the Zambezi by lunch time.  After an hour and a half wait, we boarded the ferry.  The ferry carries four vehicles and a 75 ton double trailer truck! Was a bit worried, but all was fine. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


The Zambian border post was a shambles, we got through everything, except 3rd party, who stopped us at the gate, and let us go again without issuing the 3rd party, apparently our comprehensive insurance was acceptable.  But not to the traffic officer who stopped us 20 km from the border!  R600 for not having a valid 3rd party disc!  A bit of negotiation, diplomacy, and a$$-kissing, got the fine reduced to R150 each, for not being able to show the 3rd Party, and 24 hrs produce the said disc. This we paid, and got an official receipt from the officer.  Got to Livingstone in the late afternoon,  had to exchange Rands for Kwatchas,  600:1 exchange rate.  The local shoprite would only take Kwatchas, so we had to return to the money-changers.

 

 

Maramba River Lodge would be our home for the next two days of exploring the Vic Falls.  Got woken at 2am by the lawn mowers walking around our campsite!  Two youngish Hippo’s keeping the grass short.

 

 


Day 5 & 6 – Vic Falls – words on paper can’t do them any justice. We did the drive over the bridge, stop and walk over the bridge, photo’s – more photos, totally dumbstruck! Checked out Vic Falls town, the big tree, then on to the Falls themselves.  Soul-stirring experience. 

 

 



Day 6, we stayed in Zambia, exploring the Zambezi and it’s gorges, and visited the Zambian side of the Vic Falls.  Got very wet, and was again left in awe of nature, such awesome beauty and power in the falling waters. Mosi-au-Tunya, you will see me again. 

 


Day 7 – Planned to be a long tar road day from Livingstone via Katimo to Shakawe. Do-able if you believe the maps!  After passing the turn off to the Kazangula ferry the road turned nasty-no very nasty-no extremely shyty.  Our planned 100 km/h, was reduced to a crawl as the road for the last 70km to Sesheke, consisted of huge, deep potholes connected by bits of tar here and there.  This section of road will be fixed in the near future as Concor were busy upgrading the road, and building the bridge over the Zambezi at Sesheke.  The road is about 10% complete and the bridge is about half way across.


 

 


The ferry at Sesheke is a much smaller than Kazangula, and had been broken for the two days prior our arrival. 

 

We decided it was not feasible to try the trans-Caprivi dash and to sleep over in Katimo.  Found the Zambezi River Lodge, and set up camp, after buying provisions and 3rd Party (R100).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 



Day 8 – The trans-Caprivi dash. About 30 km outside Katimo we came across a herd of mother and calf elephants, one was about 3-5m from the road. I don’t know if the elephant or myself got the biggest fright, as I was braking quite heavily and had not seen her yet as I was watching the herd further from the road.  The road was very good tar and progress was good, with a slight tail wind. 

At the Namibian border, we hit snag. Our 3rd party discs had to be handed in, and the police office snatched mine out of my hands when I started expressing my disgust, but he was right the fine print did say the 3rd party was only valid while inside the country, and had to be handed in when leaving.  Our party decided to ditch crossing the border and headed back up the road to Ngepi Lodge on the Okovango River.  Ngepi was a find!  But expensive at N$50 per person.  We were entertained to a nocturnal dialogue between an elephant and a large lion.  It was opera, sounded fanatstic but I couldn’t make out what they were trying to say to each other.

 

Day 9 – Day of rest at Ngepi – weariness was setting in and the break was well deserved.

 

Day 10 – To make up the lost day, it was decided to head for Grootfontein and skip Rundu. A good decision, as Rundu did not look like a comfortable place.  The road was first rate, and we were in Grootfontein by 2pm(SA time), and I was a bit upset that the bank was not open? Waited like a ? until 3pm, for the bank to open!  Stocked up on provisions as we were about to hit DamaraLand.  Spent the night at Olea caravan park, nice ablusions, suitable for a overnight spot.

 

Day 11 – Back on schedule and off to Kamenjab and the cheeta farm.  At Otavi we took the gravel road to Outjo. Very nice road, but we were informed by the locals in Otavi that a Dutch couple had become stranded along this road and were ‘lost’ for 16 days? The husband unfortunately did not survive and the wife was comatose when they were found. Imagine stranded for sixteen days – no food, no petrol, burned all the tyres trying to get attention!, no water, too scared to leave the vehicle, your partner lying dead next to you for 3 or  4 days!  When they were rescued, they were +- 20 km from Outjo, and 5 km from a village.

 

We arrived at Otjitontongwe cheeta farm in the mid afternoon, set up camp in 20 min, yip you get kinda professional.  Spent the afternoon, with the tame cheeta’s.  Three years previously we’d visited the farm, and were glad to see how the babies had matured.  The children were absolutely petrified and were so well behaved I almost decided to get me a pet cheeta.  In the late afternoon we went on the feeding the wild cheetas game drive.  Awesome cats, they get fed daily 2-3kg of meat, and they are fussy eaters.  Only fresh meat and no road kill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 


Day 12 – Our second off road section from Kowares to Ongongo through the Kowares Canyon.  But first we had to find the right track as I only had the waypoint for Ongongo.

Stopped at a school, just off the main road, and got directions.  The track starts just in the village where the school was. The GPS showed 57 km to Ongongo, it was about 11am, so no problem!  The track was a good ‘twee spoor’ with lots of dust and springbuck by the thousands.  The start was a bit rocky, but soon we were in the river bed, and thinking this is a rather boring track.  We had done the canyon 3 years previously, and it was a lot rougher than this! Obviously 3 years ago we lost the track somewhere.  Dust was a problem and the following vehicle had to fall back quiet far for fresh air and visibility.

 

The directions given by the teacher were very good and we came to a village, where we asked further directions. While talking to the locals, we were surprised to see a beautiful young German student, who informed us that she was studying the farming methods and culture of the people in such arid climes.  Could have listened, to her for hours but we had  only done about 20km, according to the GPS we were 34Km from Ongongo.  I relinguished the lead to Oom Koos, as they were not seeing the springbuck, which disappear into the bushes before the dust from the Landy settles.  We only had directions to the next village, where we were to again get fresh directions.  Oom Koos, blasted through the next village, and we came to a grinding halt about 1 km out of the village. GPS says we must go right, yes over the canyon wall, and only 23 km to go.  A hour and a half later, with much debate and discussion we made it back to the village.  Here a deal was reached that I would give a local a lift, and she would show us the way. 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Hello, Beverley +- 250kg of passenger.  She showed us the way, and asked every now and then if we wanted to do some 4X4.  If they had told us go right at the end of the village we would have found our own way, but a good samaritan like me I gave her a lift.  Got to play in some mud, much to the consternation of the regular passengers.  Damn 5pm and we are still 21 km from the Ongongo campsite.  No more 4X4 detours! Stick to the main track.  We got to the main road to Ongongo from Palm, after dark, but the sun setting in the canyon, makes for splendid vistas.  Dropped Beverly off at some unsuspecting relative, and drove the last 14 km to Ongongo.  Got to the campsite, and no ‘official’ type person on site.  Selected a camping site by use of the spotlight, and engaged low 1st, and trundled down the embankment (wall), across the stream.  We ate a bit late, and I was not popular at all. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 12 – Day of rest Ongongo.  The Ongongo community campsite, is not a luxury lodge. It is just rocks and a stream with a fantastic little waterfall and warm spring.

 


 

 

 


Day 13 – We made our way to Twyfelfontein, Aba Huab campsite, which would be home for the next two nights.  After 4500 km, the Landy had it’s first of four punctures.  All had no intrusions through the tyre! K@k tubes. 

 

 


 


The first of four punctures!

 

The lists advice on puncture repair came in handy, just getting the tyre off the bead?  A beer or two, low range and the bead was off.  Two tube had two punctures, wonder if I put too much jam on with the patches!  One was leaking at my patch and the second had a new hole, maybe I pinched it!

 

The first night we were visited by 15 elephants, which made the puncture repairs fade from memory.  Man those beasties are huge. There was a youngster amongst them, with a 12cm diameter footprint, all the others were 25-30 cm diameter.

 

Day 14 – Set out early to see ‘Brandberg’, the bushman paintings, and the organ pipes. On the way back to a turn past the Twyfelfontein Lodge, what a place. No I didn’t stop in for a beer or to find out the going rates. Then onto the garage, and back down the river bed. Some unhappy passengers, getting upset when the Landy slows down in the thicker patches of sand. ;-).  Off to Khorixas, mechanical breakdown, the aircon idler pulley bearing seized, so what’s new?  10 minutes the belt is off and we’re on our way again.

Stopped off at the petrified forest, and back to camp, oops with a puncture to deal with.

 

 

 

Day 15 – Around the ‘Brandberg West’ mountain to the old mine and the ‘Rhino Conservancy’ campsite in the Ugab River.  Stopped at the ‘White Lady’, and was peeved, yes the 3rd of the 4 punctures. Put on the spare and left. By the way the rate for white lady? R20 pp, to see rock art? Maybe a discount is in order seeing the distance from anywhere!  The old mine was interesting, being a mining oke and all.  Oom Koos suggested we move on to HentiesBay (only 250 km away), but I insisted, much to the constinasion of some, on spending the night a the Rhino gate.  It would after all be our last night in the boonies!

 

A signboard in the river bed said Twyfelfontein/Aba Huab 75km,  we had just done 350km on the ‘gravel roads’, Must do that cross country track sometime.

 

Day 16 – Through Henties to Walvis Bay.  The gravel road brought us to mile 100, where we joint up with the salt road running up/down the coast.  I was sad that the ruff-stuff was history, but couldn’t help catching the excitement of reaching civilization again, that was so apparent in my fellow travellers. The kabeljou and chips at Henties, very lekker. While waiting for the fish and chips, I had the puncture taken care of and a new tube fitted. After a few enquiries we decided to camp at Langstrand. Which would be home for the next four nights.

 


Day 17 – 19 – Walvis and environs.  We were blessed with ‘Oos weer’. In the day hot bergwinds laden with sand, at night off shore with mist, cold and wet.  Went to Dune 7, Salt pans, Pelican Point, Moon Landscape, ‘Topenare’ gravesite, did some dune driving, and generally visited old friends.  Got my fourth puncture due to over deflating the tyre. Replaced the aircon pulley, and did a check all oils for the trip back.

 


 


 


Seals on Pelican Point, Walvis Bay

 

 

 

Day 20 – Walvis Bay to Zelda’s Guest Farm 20 km short of the Buitepos Border with Botswana.  We were lucky and Tanie Zelda (thought she was male, at first glance) made beds for us in the conference room, at the camping rate of N$ 35 pp. Zelda’s also have some cheeta, and a leopard along with the other less dangerous animals.

 

Day 21 – Trans Botswana.  750km between borders, and then on to home.  Busy day behind the wheel.  The road through Botswana was fantastic, except for 50kn North of Jwaneng to Jwaneng major roadworks are in progress and the detour is extremely narrow and severly potholed.