30th Sept.
Hi, A few photos uploaded but having trouble with text. Will try again later.
Gary
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
22nd Sept. Nata Bird Sanctuary
22nd Sept. Nata Bird Sanctuary.
I guess you might say we started heading home today. We left Kasane this morning and drove south some 300kms over uninspiring country apart from a couple of Elephant herds close to the road, and made it as far as Nata, an uninspiring town on a major intersection. Some 20kms out of town though was this bird sanctuary started up by a local community group to protect the area’s birds and also make a bit of money for themselves.
The land here is flat, grassy, leading down to a large soda ash pan. On first impression we thought it might turn out a waste of time as all we saw the first few kms were a couple of ostriches. But as we made our way to the dry river bed that flows into the pan in the wet season we came upon a series of water holes filled with sand pipers, pied avocets, pipits, plovers and the odd duck thrown in. Our overnight pass allowed us to stay wherever we wanted to in the sanctuary. So here we are, on the banks of a dry river bed, waterholes either side of us, and a procession of birds any twitcher would be envious to see. As the night lengthens the twittering continues with the odd splash of some newcomer. When the river flows into the pan the area is full of lesser flamingoes and other birds after the crustaceans in the pan.
We had to park close to the track leading to the river mouth as the grass was long and prickly. As the sun began to drop we suddenly had a line of safari vehicles passing by heading to the mouth to watch the sun set. We felt obliged to greet all and everyone as they were literally a metre away. We even were the object of a couple of camera clickers. Once they had headed off it was just us once more, and the birds. An idyllic situation and quite unexpected. A memory that will last.
I guess you might say we started heading home today. We left Kasane this morning and drove south some 300kms over uninspiring country apart from a couple of Elephant herds close to the road, and made it as far as Nata, an uninspiring town on a major intersection. Some 20kms out of town though was this bird sanctuary started up by a local community group to protect the area’s birds and also make a bit of money for themselves.
The land here is flat, grassy, leading down to a large soda ash pan. On first impression we thought it might turn out a waste of time as all we saw the first few kms were a couple of ostriches. But as we made our way to the dry river bed that flows into the pan in the wet season we came upon a series of water holes filled with sand pipers, pied avocets, pipits, plovers and the odd duck thrown in. Our overnight pass allowed us to stay wherever we wanted to in the sanctuary. So here we are, on the banks of a dry river bed, waterholes either side of us, and a procession of birds any twitcher would be envious to see. As the night lengthens the twittering continues with the odd splash of some newcomer. When the river flows into the pan the area is full of lesser flamingoes and other birds after the crustaceans in the pan.
We had to park close to the track leading to the river mouth as the grass was long and prickly. As the sun began to drop we suddenly had a line of safari vehicles passing by heading to the mouth to watch the sun set. We felt obliged to greet all and everyone as they were literally a metre away. We even were the object of a couple of camera clickers. Once they had headed off it was just us once more, and the birds. An idyllic situation and quite unexpected. A memory that will last.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
20th Sept
Hi there,
Managed to finally get some posts and photos on board. Hope it is interesting.
Take Care, Joan & Gary
20th Sept. Kasane, Nrthrn Botswana.
It has been a full on 5 days. The three days at 3rd Bridge in Moremi Game Reserve were relaxing in as much as we had a bit of time up our sleeve instead of rushing around taking it all in. But yesterday, because we didn’t have a booking for Savuti Camp which was half way through Chobe NP, meant we had to get to the exit gate of Chobe in the one day, And the whole of the day’s driving would be in sand, sometimes quite deep. Not counting the river crossings one of which had water surging over the bonnet as I eased the bakkie over in low range first. Our faith in the vehicle had been enhanced many times over on this trip.
Chobe, one of the jewels in the Botswana crown disappointed us. Apart from a couple of greater kudus and dik diks, we saw no animals. We were tired and tried to cadge a place in Savuti but at US$50 per head as well as the park fees, and that was to share a sight, we said ‘no thanks’ and drove on into more deep sand. Not long after leaving the park and still in the forest reserve we turned a corner and there ahead of us were 8 African hunting dogs relaxing on the road before heading off on their evening hunt. We hadn’t seen them before and were intrigued as they were one of the animals REST was trying to protect. Much maligned, their numbers have been reduced horribly until there are only a few thousand left. Their numbers are not helped by their strange reproduction arrangements as the alpha female is the only bitch of the clan that bear off spring, the father being the alpha male. The whole clan looks after the pups. They are a beautiful animal with golden colourations on their fur. That wasn’t the end of what we saw as we had to wait for a herd of elephants to cross the road, giraffes nonchalantly watching us, greater kudu, impala and dik diks abounding and as we stopped for the night, free camping, a magnificent eland showed up down the road. The largest of the antelopes they are still able to clear A 2 metre fence. All this outside the park.
That night we lit a big fire, free camping near so much wild life can be a little unsettling.
Today we headed to North Chobe NP. A sweep of land bordering the Chobe River. The border between Namibia and Botswana. Renowned for its elephants at first we were more worried by the deep sand after the gate entrance but after hitting the river we were very soon gobsmacked by what lay below us. The land above the river had been denuded by the elephant herds but the plains either side of the river were green and covered by hundreds of zebra and further upstream, thousands of elephants. Interspersed with these were cape buffalo, hippos, crocs, water buck, giraffes (30 in one group), kudu, impala, wart hogs, to name most. But it was the elephants that were the star whether they were feeding, drinking, taking mud baths, or just protecting their young, they are so interesting of beasts. It was an amazing day. We made it to Kisane where we are staying for a couple of nights, very tired.
Managed to finally get some posts and photos on board. Hope it is interesting.
Take Care, Joan & Gary
20th Sept. Kasane, Nrthrn Botswana.
It has been a full on 5 days. The three days at 3rd Bridge in Moremi Game Reserve were relaxing in as much as we had a bit of time up our sleeve instead of rushing around taking it all in. But yesterday, because we didn’t have a booking for Savuti Camp which was half way through Chobe NP, meant we had to get to the exit gate of Chobe in the one day, And the whole of the day’s driving would be in sand, sometimes quite deep. Not counting the river crossings one of which had water surging over the bonnet as I eased the bakkie over in low range first. Our faith in the vehicle had been enhanced many times over on this trip.
Chobe, one of the jewels in the Botswana crown disappointed us. Apart from a couple of greater kudus and dik diks, we saw no animals. We were tired and tried to cadge a place in Savuti but at US$50 per head as well as the park fees, and that was to share a sight, we said ‘no thanks’ and drove on into more deep sand. Not long after leaving the park and still in the forest reserve we turned a corner and there ahead of us were 8 African hunting dogs relaxing on the road before heading off on their evening hunt. We hadn’t seen them before and were intrigued as they were one of the animals REST was trying to protect. Much maligned, their numbers have been reduced horribly until there are only a few thousand left. Their numbers are not helped by their strange reproduction arrangements as the alpha female is the only bitch of the clan that bear off spring, the father being the alpha male. The whole clan looks after the pups. They are a beautiful animal with golden colourations on their fur. That wasn’t the end of what we saw as we had to wait for a herd of elephants to cross the road, giraffes nonchalantly watching us, greater kudu, impala and dik diks abounding and as we stopped for the night, free camping, a magnificent eland showed up down the road. The largest of the antelopes they are still able to clear A 2 metre fence. All this outside the park.
That night we lit a big fire, free camping near so much wild life can be a little unsettling.
Today we headed to North Chobe NP. A sweep of land bordering the Chobe River. The border between Namibia and Botswana. Renowned for its elephants at first we were more worried by the deep sand after the gate entrance but after hitting the river we were very soon gobsmacked by what lay below us. The land above the river had been denuded by the elephant herds but the plains either side of the river were green and covered by hundreds of zebra and further upstream, thousands of elephants. Interspersed with these were cape buffalo, hippos, crocs, water buck, giraffes (30 in one group), kudu, impala, wart hogs, to name most. But it was the elephants that were the star whether they were feeding, drinking, taking mud baths, or just protecting their young, they are so interesting of beasts. It was an amazing day. We made it to Kisane where we are staying for a couple of nights, very tired.
18th Sept. 3rd Bridge.
18th Sept. 3rd Bridge, Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana.
We had a bit of luck in Maun when we tried to get a place in one of the camp sites in Moremi GR. Usually bookings have to be made up to 12 months before but the 3rd Bridge camp site had availability for 3 nights commencing 2 days hence. We also wanted to stop off at Chobe NP but the camp at Savuti was full, there is a privately run one nearby and hope to make that tomorrow when we leave here.
Moremi GR is smack bang in the middle of the Okavango Delta and is the only place where you don’t have to pay exorbitant prices although, now that the campsites have been privatized, AU$105 per night for the two of us for camping and park fee is not what you would call cheap. Still, the lodges here charge what they like and when you include the fly-in price as well, it is very expensive. We have been here two nights now, the drive from Maun was an experience, watching a variety of wildlife in the waterholes we drove near and yesterday we took a loop to the west that included an hour’s paddle on a mokoro poled by Action. The mokoros are slim flat bottomed river craft, holding a couple of people and poled by a bloke standing in the back. Before paying our money Action pointed out that we won’t see any animals but the vegetation is interesting and the tranquility of the water passing by. He was honest and we appreciated that. It will be one of the highlights of this trip; reeds on both sides, water lilies along the edges, clear water, silence apart from the birds and the pole slipping into the water. So relaxing.
This loop is noted for its elephant herds and on the way to the river we passed a couple, one fairly close to the road. But after the cruise we headed back and soon ran into a big herd that were feeding and wallowing in the nearby mud. Unfortunately three of them decided to feed on the road ahead of us. We had to back track a couple of times to give a couple of younger ones room when they showed their dislike of us being so close. But these three just ate on, 50 minutes later one by one they decided to browse elsewhere and we were at last able to get by. We checked later and were told that what we did was correct. Driving up to them and tooting the horn would be asking for disaster I would think as they are capable of flipping a car with one trunk tied behind its ear.
The camp site here is what is called a walk in site. There are no fences and the animals just walk in. We were warned against the baboons and hyenas helping themselves to food left out but last night we watched a lion about 500 metres away and the crowd in No 7 next door had a hippo sleep the night a few metres from their caravan. Two elephants were feeding near the reeds about 50 metres away yesterday morning and this afternoon the baboon troupe have been entertaining us with their antics in the tree above us then over at a vacant site where they spent hours playing and cavorting tne the trees.
The staff here have been excellent, helpful in advising us on viewing routes and up to date info on the road ahead. The Okavango Delta has had the best rain in the last 12 months for many years and flooding has only started to lessen. Many of the roads have been closed and others have had bypasses around the worst areas. Bit like Australia, when the rains come, everyone smiles.
We had a bit of luck in Maun when we tried to get a place in one of the camp sites in Moremi GR. Usually bookings have to be made up to 12 months before but the 3rd Bridge camp site had availability for 3 nights commencing 2 days hence. We also wanted to stop off at Chobe NP but the camp at Savuti was full, there is a privately run one nearby and hope to make that tomorrow when we leave here.
Moremi GR is smack bang in the middle of the Okavango Delta and is the only place where you don’t have to pay exorbitant prices although, now that the campsites have been privatized, AU$105 per night for the two of us for camping and park fee is not what you would call cheap. Still, the lodges here charge what they like and when you include the fly-in price as well, it is very expensive. We have been here two nights now, the drive from Maun was an experience, watching a variety of wildlife in the waterholes we drove near and yesterday we took a loop to the west that included an hour’s paddle on a mokoro poled by Action. The mokoros are slim flat bottomed river craft, holding a couple of people and poled by a bloke standing in the back. Before paying our money Action pointed out that we won’t see any animals but the vegetation is interesting and the tranquility of the water passing by. He was honest and we appreciated that. It will be one of the highlights of this trip; reeds on both sides, water lilies along the edges, clear water, silence apart from the birds and the pole slipping into the water. So relaxing.
This loop is noted for its elephant herds and on the way to the river we passed a couple, one fairly close to the road. But after the cruise we headed back and soon ran into a big herd that were feeding and wallowing in the nearby mud. Unfortunately three of them decided to feed on the road ahead of us. We had to back track a couple of times to give a couple of younger ones room when they showed their dislike of us being so close. But these three just ate on, 50 minutes later one by one they decided to browse elsewhere and we were at last able to get by. We checked later and were told that what we did was correct. Driving up to them and tooting the horn would be asking for disaster I would think as they are capable of flipping a car with one trunk tied behind its ear.
The camp site here is what is called a walk in site. There are no fences and the animals just walk in. We were warned against the baboons and hyenas helping themselves to food left out but last night we watched a lion about 500 metres away and the crowd in No 7 next door had a hippo sleep the night a few metres from their caravan. Two elephants were feeding near the reeds about 50 metres away yesterday morning and this afternoon the baboon troupe have been entertaining us with their antics in the tree above us then over at a vacant site where they spent hours playing and cavorting tne the trees.
The staff here have been excellent, helpful in advising us on viewing routes and up to date info on the road ahead. The Okavango Delta has had the best rain in the last 12 months for many years and flooding has only started to lessen. Many of the roads have been closed and others have had bypasses around the worst areas. Bit like Australia, when the rains come, everyone smiles.
14th Sept Maun
14th Sept. Maun, Okavango Delta, Botswana.
Botswana is flat and built on sand. As soon as you go off the sealed road it’s all sand.. We traveled almost 600kms yesterday and saw three hills, the highest about 50 metres tall. Yet there is water here, more than we saw in the 7 weeks in Namibia. We hope to get out to some of the national parks over the next couple of weeks but the parks board is similar to that in Namibia, saying all camps are full. We shall see today.
The trip to Windhoek was very successful, having the work done on the camper and a new battery fitted in the one day. We put a 102ah one in compared to the minuscule 60ah one that was already in. That means we should get 3-4 days without plugging in. Caught up with a couple of people, did the shopping the next day and were heading east to Botswana by lunch time. We made it to the Zelda Game Farm a few kms from the border but spent two days there as we both felt we needed to recuperate after REST.
It was good to have grass in the camp site again as those in Namibia are generally devoid of such a luxury. Also to walk around in bare feet, something the acacia thorns don’t allow you to do. They can pierce all but the thickest of shoe ware.
The Okavango Delta is well known as where a large river, the Okavango, divides into many channels then disappears into the sands of the Kalahari Desert. Most of the area is privately owned with very expensive lodges built to cater for the well off fly-in guests. The area for us plebs is the Moremi and Chobe National Parks. I see on the map there is one stretch getting to Moremi that takes 5 hours to do 45kms. That will be interesting.
These blogs may be delayed as I can’t use my Namibian dongle here in Botswana so will be making use of internet cafes etc.
Botswana is flat and built on sand. As soon as you go off the sealed road it’s all sand.. We traveled almost 600kms yesterday and saw three hills, the highest about 50 metres tall. Yet there is water here, more than we saw in the 7 weeks in Namibia. We hope to get out to some of the national parks over the next couple of weeks but the parks board is similar to that in Namibia, saying all camps are full. We shall see today.
The trip to Windhoek was very successful, having the work done on the camper and a new battery fitted in the one day. We put a 102ah one in compared to the minuscule 60ah one that was already in. That means we should get 3-4 days without plugging in. Caught up with a couple of people, did the shopping the next day and were heading east to Botswana by lunch time. We made it to the Zelda Game Farm a few kms from the border but spent two days there as we both felt we needed to recuperate after REST.
It was good to have grass in the camp site again as those in Namibia are generally devoid of such a luxury. Also to walk around in bare feet, something the acacia thorns don’t allow you to do. They can pierce all but the thickest of shoe ware.
The Okavango Delta is well known as where a large river, the Okavango, divides into many channels then disappears into the sands of the Kalahari Desert. Most of the area is privately owned with very expensive lodges built to cater for the well off fly-in guests. The area for us plebs is the Moremi and Chobe National Parks. I see on the map there is one stretch getting to Moremi that takes 5 hours to do 45kms. That will be interesting.
These blogs may be delayed as I can’t use my Namibian dongle here in Botswana so will be making use of internet cafes etc.
8th Sept. REST
8th Sept.
Offal day again. Not the most pleasantest of jobs. I mentioned to Maria how it would be made less messy if the animals to be killed were given no food for 36 hours to let them empty their stomachs, like they do in any abattoir, I don’t think the idea went further than her.
We had spent the morning stock piling stones and building more steps, always hard work though the pace did slacken somewhat when she had to attend a meeting. Earlier, Jack the purple roller was ceremoniously carried by Joan out to his new aviary. He loved it; bush around him once more, birds calling. He will never be released but at least he catches the cooling wind and is alert to the sights and sounds around him.. He came alive again. Just hope the honey badger doesn’t tear the door off.
Maria surprised us all after the offal delivery by sitting down saying it as too hot to do more stones. We had a group discussion after which I went up to feed Nesher. I have mentioned earlier the problems they were having getting the wild birds to come down and feed at the restaurant There were quite a few vultures circling as I put Nesher’s food out, then I saw one come in to land at the offal. It was fantastic. It didn’t take long before 40-50 birds were feeding. Funny, usually vultures follow jackals to the kill, as I said earlier all the jackals had been poisoned in the area but the last couple of nights both Joan and I had heard them howling through the night, at least three of them and Martin had surprised one at the hide that morning.
A fitting farewell as we had decided to leave a couple of days earlier than planned. We have to get a 2nd battery for the van as well as some more repair jobs on the camper. It has been hard here at REST at times. Maria is a ‘Work Hard’ not ‘Work Smart’ person. She listened to some of my suggestions at the start then decided she knew better, to everyone’s sufferance. The work demanding but the workers here are great, the vultures so interesting. We have learnt so much, we will miss it.
Offal day again. Not the most pleasantest of jobs. I mentioned to Maria how it would be made less messy if the animals to be killed were given no food for 36 hours to let them empty their stomachs, like they do in any abattoir, I don’t think the idea went further than her.
We had spent the morning stock piling stones and building more steps, always hard work though the pace did slacken somewhat when she had to attend a meeting. Earlier, Jack the purple roller was ceremoniously carried by Joan out to his new aviary. He loved it; bush around him once more, birds calling. He will never be released but at least he catches the cooling wind and is alert to the sights and sounds around him.. He came alive again. Just hope the honey badger doesn’t tear the door off.
Maria surprised us all after the offal delivery by sitting down saying it as too hot to do more stones. We had a group discussion after which I went up to feed Nesher. I have mentioned earlier the problems they were having getting the wild birds to come down and feed at the restaurant There were quite a few vultures circling as I put Nesher’s food out, then I saw one come in to land at the offal. It was fantastic. It didn’t take long before 40-50 birds were feeding. Funny, usually vultures follow jackals to the kill, as I said earlier all the jackals had been poisoned in the area but the last couple of nights both Joan and I had heard them howling through the night, at least three of them and Martin had surprised one at the hide that morning.
A fitting farewell as we had decided to leave a couple of days earlier than planned. We have to get a 2nd battery for the van as well as some more repair jobs on the camper. It has been hard here at REST at times. Maria is a ‘Work Hard’ not ‘Work Smart’ person. She listened to some of my suggestions at the start then decided she knew better, to everyone’s sufferance. The work demanding but the workers here are great, the vultures so interesting. We have learnt so much, we will miss it.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
3rd Sept. REST
3rd Sept. REST
Had a day off in Otjiwaringo today, we have a Zimbabwean girl working here and was going home for a month; we offered to take her in to catch the bus.
You might be interested in a typical day here at the vulture aviary. The workers have a roster system though I have taken on the 7pm job of going up to the aviary to check the gas freezer is working, all birds are looking ok and taking the meat out of the fridge for the daily feeding. That starts at 8am when the food for the lappet face vulture, Batelau eagle and purple roller is weighed and taken up to them, the cape vultures are fed twice a week. It’s a case of slowly walking up to them and placing the meat near where they are. They usually get stuck into it immediately and we normally wait around to take the plate away. After that we start the daily work which could be cleaning out the vultures drinking pond, carting rocks to add steps in the aviary, removing wasps from the hide, cutting up meat, maintenance on the water and solar hot water systems etc. Joan and I have spent the last week finishing off a large aviary for Jack. At the moment he is in temporary accommodation. Rollers are a very colourful medium size bird that feed on flying insects. Unfortunately someone amputated a wing at some time, and didn’t make a very good job of it. He will never fly again but at least in the aviary he will be outside with it all happening around him.
At 9.45 and 2.45 either Maria or I take a handful of meat pieces up to Nesher, the male cape vulture. We are trying to get him into the habit of coming down to the education centre area for visitors to see a vulture at close range. I can walk slowly up to him and he will take the food out of my gloved hand. Now it is just a case of enticing him to follow me down. That’s why we are building extra steps to help them. At 4pm Jack gets a 2nd 10gms of meat and we knock off at five.
The site has no electricity making it difficult to do so many jobs even like drilling holes and many of the tools are not in the best of condition bringing one’s ingenuity to the fore. Not being able to plug in to power is also playing havoc with our 2nd fridge in the van. The one installed can’t hold the fridge to a good temp for more than 24 hrs meaning I have to start the van up at least twice a day to charge it. It is one thing we will be looking at before we leave to come home; either 2 good 2nd batteries or even solar on the roof.
It’s a pretty good crew here; I have mentioned Maria earlier and Martin her manager, then there is Jackee, from the UK, in her late twenties studying to be a zoologist. Luwazi, a young girl from Zimbabwe doing her bsc with an interest in wild life. A new girl, Christina, from Germany arrived yesterday with her Prada bags. Quite funny seeing it being dragged through the dirt to the front door. She will be here until Nov I believe.
Martin is a great bloke, softly spoken with a gentle smile he never seems to get stressed with what is going on around the place. He trained as a chef and made us a delicious spinach quiche last night. Today he made us get the ingredients for a health loaf that he will make us next week when our normal bread starts to dry out.
Had a day off in Otjiwaringo today, we have a Zimbabwean girl working here and was going home for a month; we offered to take her in to catch the bus.
You might be interested in a typical day here at the vulture aviary. The workers have a roster system though I have taken on the 7pm job of going up to the aviary to check the gas freezer is working, all birds are looking ok and taking the meat out of the fridge for the daily feeding. That starts at 8am when the food for the lappet face vulture, Batelau eagle and purple roller is weighed and taken up to them, the cape vultures are fed twice a week. It’s a case of slowly walking up to them and placing the meat near where they are. They usually get stuck into it immediately and we normally wait around to take the plate away. After that we start the daily work which could be cleaning out the vultures drinking pond, carting rocks to add steps in the aviary, removing wasps from the hide, cutting up meat, maintenance on the water and solar hot water systems etc. Joan and I have spent the last week finishing off a large aviary for Jack. At the moment he is in temporary accommodation. Rollers are a very colourful medium size bird that feed on flying insects. Unfortunately someone amputated a wing at some time, and didn’t make a very good job of it. He will never fly again but at least in the aviary he will be outside with it all happening around him.
At 9.45 and 2.45 either Maria or I take a handful of meat pieces up to Nesher, the male cape vulture. We are trying to get him into the habit of coming down to the education centre area for visitors to see a vulture at close range. I can walk slowly up to him and he will take the food out of my gloved hand. Now it is just a case of enticing him to follow me down. That’s why we are building extra steps to help them. At 4pm Jack gets a 2nd 10gms of meat and we knock off at five.
The site has no electricity making it difficult to do so many jobs even like drilling holes and many of the tools are not in the best of condition bringing one’s ingenuity to the fore. Not being able to plug in to power is also playing havoc with our 2nd fridge in the van. The one installed can’t hold the fridge to a good temp for more than 24 hrs meaning I have to start the van up at least twice a day to charge it. It is one thing we will be looking at before we leave to come home; either 2 good 2nd batteries or even solar on the roof.
It’s a pretty good crew here; I have mentioned Maria earlier and Martin her manager, then there is Jackee, from the UK, in her late twenties studying to be a zoologist. Luwazi, a young girl from Zimbabwe doing her bsc with an interest in wild life. A new girl, Christina, from Germany arrived yesterday with her Prada bags. Quite funny seeing it being dragged through the dirt to the front door. She will be here until Nov I believe.
Martin is a great bloke, softly spoken with a gentle smile he never seems to get stressed with what is going on around the place. He trained as a chef and made us a delicious spinach quiche last night. Today he made us get the ingredients for a health loaf that he will make us next week when our normal bread starts to dry out.
1st Sept REST
1st Sept. REST
Almost a week here now and the work is starting to fall in to some semblance of routine but with plenty of opportunities to diverge at any time.
Today, Wednesday, was offal collecting day when Maria toddles off to the next door game park to pick up the offal from the just killed donkeys or horses. The meat is fed to the cheetahs, lions and I think leopards on the park. Africats is the company and Ohjingwa is the name of the resort and park. They do considerable research into cheetahs as well as run one of the best resorts in Southern Africa.
We were denied the pleasure of seeing where guests pay from US$100-10,000 per night to stay, but turned left and went to the small abattoir where a bakkie was sitting there with its back filled with mellifluous offal. We had 6 garbage bins on the back of her bakkie with rubber gloves the only protection between this stomach churning (for the weak) pile. However the two employees of the abattoir got stuck in transferring it bare handed into our garbage bins.
Back at the restaurant it was another story. Martin, Maria’s fantastic manager, and the two girls Jackee and Lwaza were there waiting for us to arrive. It was a case of emptying a portion of each bin by hand as they were too full to just up end. That was when the fun started and before we finished I don’t think anyone was not sporting some ingredients of the donkey’s stomach on some part of their clothes.
Some of Joan’s work colleagues will be saying, ‘dealing in shit again’ no doubt, but she took it so very well.
This week has been an extreme case of stepping outside your comfort zone and has stretched Joan’s physical ability but we have loved it and the people we are working with. I have spoken about Maria before but her manager, Martin, is such a quiet, thoughtful man who can turn his hand to any task that comes up. He used to be a chef and we are looking forward to the spinach quiche he is making us tomorrow night. He is appreciating having me here to spread the workload as Maria is still getting this place set up and the jobs for him are never ending be they smoking out wasps, fixing water lines that the porcupines have pierced or meeting visitors arriving for a presentation.
Almost a week here now and the work is starting to fall in to some semblance of routine but with plenty of opportunities to diverge at any time.
Today, Wednesday, was offal collecting day when Maria toddles off to the next door game park to pick up the offal from the just killed donkeys or horses. The meat is fed to the cheetahs, lions and I think leopards on the park. Africats is the company and Ohjingwa is the name of the resort and park. They do considerable research into cheetahs as well as run one of the best resorts in Southern Africa.
We were denied the pleasure of seeing where guests pay from US$100-10,000 per night to stay, but turned left and went to the small abattoir where a bakkie was sitting there with its back filled with mellifluous offal. We had 6 garbage bins on the back of her bakkie with rubber gloves the only protection between this stomach churning (for the weak) pile. However the two employees of the abattoir got stuck in transferring it bare handed into our garbage bins.
Back at the restaurant it was another story. Martin, Maria’s fantastic manager, and the two girls Jackee and Lwaza were there waiting for us to arrive. It was a case of emptying a portion of each bin by hand as they were too full to just up end. That was when the fun started and before we finished I don’t think anyone was not sporting some ingredients of the donkey’s stomach on some part of their clothes.
Some of Joan’s work colleagues will be saying, ‘dealing in shit again’ no doubt, but she took it so very well.
This week has been an extreme case of stepping outside your comfort zone and has stretched Joan’s physical ability but we have loved it and the people we are working with. I have spoken about Maria before but her manager, Martin, is such a quiet, thoughtful man who can turn his hand to any task that comes up. He used to be a chef and we are looking forward to the spinach quiche he is making us tomorrow night. He is appreciating having me here to spread the workload as Maria is still getting this place set up and the jobs for him are never ending be they smoking out wasps, fixing water lines that the porcupines have pierced or meeting visitors arriving for a presentation.
Friday, September 3, 2010
28th Aug REST
28th Aug. Rare & Endangered Species Trust. Near Otjiwaringo.
Long before leaving Australia we looked at volunteering web sites in Namibia but were pt off by the high fees involved. One web site I hit upon was for low cost volunteering of which REST was one of them.
Maria Diekmann is a very full on, passionate woman committed to the preservation of the Cape Griffon Vulture. Originally from the US and a background in politics 25 years ago she made Southern Africa her home after coming here on assignment.
Here, a short distance from Otjiwaringo, she has built an amazing aviary that is the home of three Cape Griffon Vultures as well as a Lappets Vulture and a Batelau Eagle. These birds serve as an educational focus for visiting tourists and school groups as they are unable to be released because of physical trauma in the past. Through them she is getting the message across that vultures play a very important part in the environment with their group ability to reduce a carcass of medium size to skin and bone in an hour. Thus reducing the spread of diseases such as anthrax and rabies, both diseases being prevalent in this area.
Farming practices are one of the main causes of the depletion in vulture numbers and by working with the land owners the vulture support group is trying to reverse the downward spiral. Poisoning carcasses to reduce attacks by leopards and jackals have a flow on affect on the vultures as they would eat the primary source as well as the initial victims of the poisoned animal. The use of vulture restaurants are another method of farmers helping the birds as well as an easy way of getting rid of dead animals. They are an area set aside in some corner of their farm that any dead beasts are taken. As long as they have not been poisoned or recently dipped they are a tasty meal for the local vultures.
As well as the aviary they have now a visitor information area, laboratory and an amazing hide built nearby. All they need are some wild vultures to feed at the restaurant. Maria had built restaurants elsewhere that have attracted hundreds of vultures at a time but for some reason they are loath to land and feed on the inviting offal on hand. She and her staff are trying to work out the problem.
On arrival, our first impressions were uncertain, but when shown over the setup, we were very impressed. The break here has come at a good time on our trip; not that we were tired of travelling, but to stop in a place for a week or two and hopefully achieve something is a good change. For me it’s good to get my hands dirty again although picking offal up with bare hands took some doing.
I will give an idea of our daily tasks in the next post.
Long before leaving Australia we looked at volunteering web sites in Namibia but were pt off by the high fees involved. One web site I hit upon was for low cost volunteering of which REST was one of them.
Maria Diekmann is a very full on, passionate woman committed to the preservation of the Cape Griffon Vulture. Originally from the US and a background in politics 25 years ago she made Southern Africa her home after coming here on assignment.
Here, a short distance from Otjiwaringo, she has built an amazing aviary that is the home of three Cape Griffon Vultures as well as a Lappets Vulture and a Batelau Eagle. These birds serve as an educational focus for visiting tourists and school groups as they are unable to be released because of physical trauma in the past. Through them she is getting the message across that vultures play a very important part in the environment with their group ability to reduce a carcass of medium size to skin and bone in an hour. Thus reducing the spread of diseases such as anthrax and rabies, both diseases being prevalent in this area.
Farming practices are one of the main causes of the depletion in vulture numbers and by working with the land owners the vulture support group is trying to reverse the downward spiral. Poisoning carcasses to reduce attacks by leopards and jackals have a flow on affect on the vultures as they would eat the primary source as well as the initial victims of the poisoned animal. The use of vulture restaurants are another method of farmers helping the birds as well as an easy way of getting rid of dead animals. They are an area set aside in some corner of their farm that any dead beasts are taken. As long as they have not been poisoned or recently dipped they are a tasty meal for the local vultures.
As well as the aviary they have now a visitor information area, laboratory and an amazing hide built nearby. All they need are some wild vultures to feed at the restaurant. Maria had built restaurants elsewhere that have attracted hundreds of vultures at a time but for some reason they are loath to land and feed on the inviting offal on hand. She and her staff are trying to work out the problem.
On arrival, our first impressions were uncertain, but when shown over the setup, we were very impressed. The break here has come at a good time on our trip; not that we were tired of travelling, but to stop in a place for a week or two and hopefully achieve something is a good change. For me it’s good to get my hands dirty again although picking offal up with bare hands took some doing.
I will give an idea of our daily tasks in the next post.
25th Aug Usakos
25th Aug. Usakos
Here lies Martin Luther. A short journey into history. Five kms out of Swakopmund this 14,000kg steam behemoth now stands. It was imported from Germany some 114 yrs ago to transport supplies inland. The inaugural trip was delayed by a local war, the engineer went back to Germany taking with him the secrets how to operate it. A US prospector managed to work out how to get it going. It then managed a few journeys between Walvis Bay and Swakopmund before grinding to a halt west of Swakopmund. The people realized that the amount of water required to run the beast was out of all proportion to its viability that this thirst ravished country could permit. It lay there all those years, rusting. Some pieces were removed. Until in 2005, the students from the Namibian Institute of Mining resurrected it. Once again it shows of its Teutonic glory housed under protective cover.
We returned to the Namib/Naukluft Park again today on a day excursion to look at the lichen that covers much of this desert. It lives off the mists that come in from the Atlantic and is important in holding the soil together. Easily damaged and slow to recover, its growth rate is 1mm per year. The other plant that was intriguing was the welwitschia. Endemic to Namibia it is a ground hugging plant with amazing longevity, one plant is reputed to be 1500 years old. A photo below. Other places of interest were the remains of a German camp from World War 1. Rusted tins and the tracks of a tracked vehicle were still visible. The Swakop River flows through this area, at the moment a dry riverbed, it has eroded the surrounding land into a grotesque lunar landscape.
Here lies Martin Luther. A short journey into history. Five kms out of Swakopmund this 14,000kg steam behemoth now stands. It was imported from Germany some 114 yrs ago to transport supplies inland. The inaugural trip was delayed by a local war, the engineer went back to Germany taking with him the secrets how to operate it. A US prospector managed to work out how to get it going. It then managed a few journeys between Walvis Bay and Swakopmund before grinding to a halt west of Swakopmund. The people realized that the amount of water required to run the beast was out of all proportion to its viability that this thirst ravished country could permit. It lay there all those years, rusting. Some pieces were removed. Until in 2005, the students from the Namibian Institute of Mining resurrected it. Once again it shows of its Teutonic glory housed under protective cover.
We returned to the Namib/Naukluft Park again today on a day excursion to look at the lichen that covers much of this desert. It lives off the mists that come in from the Atlantic and is important in holding the soil together. Easily damaged and slow to recover, its growth rate is 1mm per year. The other plant that was intriguing was the welwitschia. Endemic to Namibia it is a ground hugging plant with amazing longevity, one plant is reputed to be 1500 years old. A photo below. Other places of interest were the remains of a German camp from World War 1. Rusted tins and the tracks of a tracked vehicle were still visible. The Swakop River flows through this area, at the moment a dry riverbed, it has eroded the surrounding land into a grotesque lunar landscape.
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