Tierra de Oro Laboratory

Physiology and Ecology in the Pinyon-Juniper Savanna

Tag: desert

  • Namibia Travels Part 1

    Big red dunes south of Gobabeb Research Station in the Namib Naukluft National Park. 10/14/26

    We just got back from spending a little over two weeks exploring southern and central Namibia. We had been there about 15 years ago and are so happy that we returned for another trip. Namibia is an amazing place, full of interesting people, animals, plants, geology, and history. It is especially nice for us that it has excellent, safe roads (mostly unpaved) that can be explored independently. The ability to see a place at our own pace, and to have some wonderful hikes, made the trip ideal. We also learned a lot from talking to local guides, trackers, and scientists.

    This series of post will show off some of the wonderful landscapes and wildlife, roughly following our path through the country.

    The beetle life of Namibia is particularly fun and diverse. That will be the subject of its own post.

    South of Windhoek: Hardap Region

    Wildebeest drinking at a water hole at Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge. 10/7/26

    The Kalahari Desert extends westward into the Hardap region. We only spent one night in the region before driving south and west. Hiking on trails around the lodge we had a chance to see some of the classic African wildlife.

    Sociable weaver nest. This is a remarkably huge complex of nests built by sparrow-sized birds. 10/7/26
    Sociable weavers near their nests. They often travel to and from their nests in noisy mobs. 10/7/26.
    A family of giraffes keeping a wary eye on us. 10/7/26

    We were treated to large and small animals, including the giraffes shown above, plains zebras, springbok, rodents, and birds.

    Ground squirrels, acting every bit like prairie dogs. 10/7/26
    A Kalahari scrub robin keeping an eye out for goodies. 10/8/26

    Karas Region: Tiras Mountains

    The scenery on our way to the Tiras Mountains was beautiful and varied.

    The road after our lunch spot beyond Maltahohe. 10/8/26
    Duwisib Castle. 10/8/26

    We even came across a castle at Duwisib. It was built by a German colonialist in the early 20th century as the base for a large ranching estate and was taken over by the Namibian government in the 1970s.

    Gemsbok on a grassy plain. Red dunes and mountains in the background. 10/8/26

    As we approached our stop at Namtib in the Tiras Mountains, we could see red dunes in the distance in the west, and occasional antelope such as gemsbok (also called oryx elsewhere) and springbok.

    Looking west from the mountains above the lodge. Namibia’s famous giant red dunes can be seen far in the distance on the right side of the horizon. 10/9/26

    The location of Namtib Desert Lodge, nestled among the Tiras Mountains, was perfect. We could enjoy sunsets from a deck among the hills, and hiked on exceptionally well-marked trails through the mountains to enjoy the fascinating plants and rockscapes.

    Pair of klipspringers on a rocky hill above the lodge. 10/9/26
    Rock fig tree growing over a large boulder. 10/9/26
    Rock hyrax viewing us suspiciously. 10/10/26.

    NamibRand

    Our next stop was the NamibRand Nature Reserve. The reserve was created through the acquisition and consolidation of a group of farms and ranches totaling 215,000 hectares (over 500,000 acres). Accommodations are provided by various camps and lodges in the Wolwedans collection. The knowledgeable guides provided information and access to the landscapes and wildlife.

    Grasslands and dunes on the approach to the Wolwedans main village. 10/10/26

    The dunes, grasslands, and mountains in the reserve are truly spectacular.

    On a dune looking east at sunset. 10/10/26
    Zebras and mountains in the southern part of the reserve. 10/12/26

    There was plenty of wildlife. In addition to herds of zebras, ostriches abounded.

    Ostriches at the south end of the reserve. 10/12/26
    Spotted genet behind our tent. 10/11/26.

    I brought along a trail cam to have a look at animals that were moving around while we slept. It was very pleasing to catch a spotted genet, a relative of civets, hunting in the grasses on the dune.

    Peringuey’s adder among the dunes. Note the flat tail that is used to generate extra force as it sidewinds across the loose sand.

    We spent a fun morning joining a Bushman guide as he showed us how to read the tracks on the dunes. He managed to follow the tracks of a sidewinder (Peringuey’s adder) quite some distance to locate the snake that made them.

    That’s enough for this round. The next post will cover our adventures at the Gobabeb Research Station and BullSport guest farm.

    Dung beetle making tracks along a dune. 10/10/26