NAMIBIA

Safaris could well be likened to sex or fireworks - the first occasions are the most memorable and some people would perhaps not entertain the idea again. Not so yours truly who, being a lover of all things to do with Africa in general and the animal kingdom in particular, could safari permanently.

So why the apprehension about this trip? Was it the fact that we were going to do it as self drive, or maybe that it all seemed far too inexpensive, that Zimbabwe and it's problems was right next door? No - we'd faced similar situation many times before, the truth was that we had no real gut feeling what Namibia was going to be like. Sure I could talk confidently about getting someone there and could easily point to it's geographic location but unlike the previously experienced Kenya, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe even Ethiopia, we had no 'feel' for what Namibia would be. Well after 40 years in this travel game I'm happy to be able to use the 'awesome' word again - Namibia is AWESOME!

We flew in on South African Airways via Johannesburg. An overnight stay at the Emperor hotel in the Caesar's Casino complex near to Johannesburg airport was a welcome break. It's like Star City meets Las Vegas - and it was our first taste of how inexpensive things currently are when you're paying in rand

Next day on to Windhoek where the airport is quite a way out of town. We took the shuttle bus and realised immediately that we were well and truly in Africa. It took forever as a result of having to do lots of stopping and chatting and even finding an ATM for some man who had boarded penniless. Eventually we arrived at the Rivendell Private Hotel and were very pleasantly surprised. They promote themselves as 'back packer' which does them a disservice as this is a very comfortable private hotel. Windhoek has been compared to an Australian Country town - well maybe so - but the current signs of a tourism boom have created quite a bit of modern building activity and it now has a good selection of shops and street stalls. One development project in the very centre of town has reached the 'large hole in ground stage' and the sides of the 'hole' are falling in at such an alarming rate that it is feared the entire city might end up in there - yes this is Africa.

Next day we picked up our self drive car from Andes Car Hire. We had been assured that 2 wheel drive was adequate for what we had planned so into our Hyundai Accent we climbed and started off with a drive out to the nearby game reserve of Daan Viljoen to get used to the car, spot our first game and also get back into the swing of gravel/dirt road driving. It's a beautiful park and we did indeed achieve what we had set out to. We were also left in no doubt that this country's most prolific visitors are German and the food is provided accordingly. If you don't like schnitzels or sausages you won't exactly starve, but it will help if you do.

Africa is an early to bed early to rise place and we were on our way to the Waterberg Plateau soon after sun up. The main tarred roads are excellent. The most dangerous thing about them being that they are unbelievably straight from one horizon to the next. I was constantly thinking of the ad on television where the guy falls asleep at the wheel so took plenty of breaks at the rest stops along the way.

Waterberg Plateau National Park has to be one of Nambia's most attractive parks. You can see the plateau from a good 50 kilometres away. The gravel road into the park was in great shape and our lodge had every facility needed for the princely sum of less than $60 Australian per night. Good restaurant - lovely old bar dripped in German colonialist history and had seriously wobbly bar stools from the same era. The charming barman had recently suffered from malaria and could never drink again as a result of it. This did not however prevent him from pouring the meanest gin and tonics. Morning and afternoon game drives take you up onto the actual plateau, a lush area and actually used for the conservation of endangered species such as the roan and sable antelopes At sunset and sunrise you can climb up from the camp to the lip of the plateau and watch the spectacular sunrise and sunset. Why does Africa have the very best sunrises and sunsets? Waterberg also has one of the most beautiful swimming pool in Nambia. It's all just too perfect - so 'Why were you catapulting that snake in the tree" says my partner in crime to one of the rangers. 'It was a Black Mamba madam'. 'Aren't they poisonous? 'Oh yes madam, only last week a man was bitten just over there' 'How is he?' 'Dead Madam" "Hmmm" At night a klipspringer slept outside our lodge. He/she was too beautiful.

The drive to Etosha was a breeze and again stunningly beautiful. We paid our park fees at the entry gate together with a donation to the local football team and within minutes of being in the park were running out of superlatives. This area is more than amazing and nothing we had seen in Africa before could come up to it. Springbok as far as the eye could see, zebra with their recently delivered foals who were busy growing into those enormous manes, wildebeest either calmly grazing or attempting to beat the crap out of each other and birds, birds, birds. Lilac breasted rollers, tiny finches and bee eaters, huge bustards (yes that's a 'u'). The Etosha Pan is an enormous salt lick, so flat at times that the bright blue of the water it still held blended into the sky at the horizon and left you unsure whether you had reached the end of the world or just couldn't see it - you really can see forever here, or fall off.

We had 3 nights in the park staying at each of the 3 Namibia Wildlife Lodges. Namutoni, which was originally a German fort, is the first and maybe the best. Halali in the centre is the most lush and therefore had less game as we were at the end of the rainy season, and finally Okaukuejo. They are all excellent and offer a variety of very inexpensive accommodations from comfortable bungalows to camping sites.. We will go back to Etosha - I would like to think we will go back to Etosha many times.