For years, Henk Bogaards and his family wanted to visit Namibia. The trip was actually planned several years ago, but then COVID-19 came, and several more years went by. He decided that 2024 – the year in which he turns 40 – would be a good time to fulfil this dream.
Once we had set a departure date for our trip, I eagerly started researching the places we wanted to visit. We planned to start our trip at the Witsand Nature Reserve. From there, we would go to Pella and Klein Pella, and then cross into Namibia at the Vioolsdrif Border Post. As part of our trip, we planned to see the wild horses near Aus, visit Lüderitz, explore the dunes at Sossusvlei, and end our journey at the Fish River Canyon. We were hoping for some great experiences along the way, and we really weren’t disappointed.
Day 1 – Johannesburg to Witsand Kalahari Nature Reserve
We left home in the early hours of the morning to ensure we could arrive at our first overnight destination – Witsand Kalahari Nature Reserve – around midday and still have some free time to explore the area. Most of the route for the day was on tar, but we hit the first piece of gravel just after Olifantshoek when we took the turnoff at the Witsand sign.
I stopped and deflated the brand-new Maxxis Razr tyres I had fitted before the trip to 1.5 bar. I also put on the rock flaps to protect the Bush Lapa from stones. That turned out to be a good decision as the road to Witsand was strewn with stones and rocks. In my side mirrors I could see the rocks flying as we moved along on the badly corrugated route.
We finally reached Witsand just after midday. We had decided to spoil ourselves with the luxury of a chalet for the first evening, which meant that after checking in, we could quickly unhook the caravan before heading out to the main attraction – the roaring dunes. On this particular day the dunes did not roar, but we still had a lot of fun exploring and playing in the sand. It remains a remarkable experience.
On the way back to our accommodation we stopped at one of the other viewpoints where you have a great overview and can find a lot of facts and information about the dunes. From there, we headed to the chalet to put our feet up, relax around a fire, and prepare a pork neck potjie.
Day 2 – Pella and Klein Pella
After a good night’s rest, we were able to leave Witsand early in the morning without having to pack up camp. At least the gravel road from Witsand to Groblershoop is a bit better than the road coming from Olifantshoek.
At Groblershoop, we got back onto tar and made a quick stop in Upington to buy some groceries and other essentials. From there, we headed in the direction of Pofadder. In Kakamas, we made a quick stop at Die Pienk Padstal. Unfortunately, they no longer have the wall where you can write your name, but they still have a lovely shop and restaurant, which we highly recommend.
From Kakamas, we drove the long, straight stretches of tar road until we reached Pofadder. Here, we filled the Fortuner with diesel and made sure we had enough fuel to get us into Namibia.
Shortly after leaving Pofadder, we turned right in the direction of Pella. We stopped at the Roman Catholic Cathedral, where some locals came over and shared information about the town, including how they make money selling dates and how the proceeds are used to maintain the church.
Leaving Pella, we took the gravel road to Klein Pella. I initially wanted to travel via Charles Pass, but we just did not have enough time. I always enjoy driving the road to Klein Pella, especially navigating the drifts and twisty parts. Upon arriving at Klein Pella, we quickly set up camp at one of the private campsites and quickly prepared something to eat before rushing down to the river in the hope of enjoying the sunset over the water. We arrived just in time to see the last rays of sunshine disappear below the horizon. This brought an end to another exciting day.
Day 3 – Namakwa Eco Trail and across the Namibian border
We woke up early, eager for the day ahead as we planned to cross the border into Namibia. We quickly packed up our camp and left Klein Pella behind, promising ourselves that we would return someday. Just before reaching the last gate, we stopped to admire the mini forest of quiver trees surrounding us.
Instead of driving via Springbok, we decided to take some of the gravel roads, allowing us the opportunity to drive a part of the Namakwa Eco Trail. Although this might not save much time, it is a shorter route.
Turning onto the Eco Trail opened up a different world, one that you need to experience for yourself. The feeling of remoteness is indescribable, but the route is by no means devoid of interesting things to see. We stopped at one of the old mica mines along the way, fascinated by the pieces of mica scattered around. Then, we had an exciting drive through a dry riverbed. I personally enjoyed this part a lot, with the views and surroundings being truly special. We faced a bit of a 4×4 challenge with a steep incline. It wasn’t very technical, but I had to keep in mind that I was towing a caravan.
After the adrenaline rush, we stopped at a group of half-mens trees to take a few photos before pushing on to rejoin the main road near the Vioolsdrif Border Post. The border crossing went smoothly, and we crossed the Orange River, excited that we had finally arrived in Namibia.
Our final destination for the day was Amanzi River Trails on the bank of the Orange River. It was an interesting feeling to sit in our campsite, looking across the river into South Africa.
Day 4 – Klein Aus Vista and the wild horses of Namibia
We woke up after our first night in Namibia on the banks of the Orange River and packed up our camp. It was going to be another long day of driving, and we also needed to stock up on food.
We followed the Noordoewer Rosh Pinah road, which must be one of the most beautiful roads in the world. On the left, you often have the Orange River, and on the right, the Namib desert. Perhaps this striking contrast, along with the fact that you drive through the Richtersveld Ai-Ais Transfrontier Park, makes it very special. Another notable moment is when you cross the Fish River, which was bone dry on this occasion.
Our first stop was at Rosh Pinah, where we got onto the tar road and headed for Klein Aus Vista. After checking in, we quickly drove to the campsite to unhook the Bush Lapa. Eager to see the wild horses of the Namib, we decided to set up camp later and drove out to the viewpoint. We were lucky because, even before reaching the viewpoint, we found some horses next to the road and got really close to them. After that, we drove to the viewpoint where we saw them drinking water. We counted around 34 horses that day (apparently, there are about 70 left). It was a very special moment for us, and we were glad we had come through in the afternoon. Luckily, we did, as we would find out the following day.
Back at the campsite, we pitched our camp. A staff member informed us that strong winds were expected the following day and recommended that we make sure that everything is properly pegged down. So, I did just that before lighting a fire for our braai that evening. As predicted, strong winds that started picking up during the evening. The gusts were so powerful that they shook the caravan while we tried to sleep.
Day 5 – A windy day at Klein Aus Vista
We decided to visit the wild horse viewpoint again but ended up driving straight into a dust storm. This caused the windshield of the Fortuner to get sandblasted, so we decided to turn back. We believe visitors should be better warned about this, especially since the area around the viewpoint is particularly bad when the wind is blowing.
Not keen to sit in the wind at camp, we went to the Bahnhof Hotel in Aus. We had received a recommendation to try their cheesecake, and it was spot on… simply delicious! There’s not much else to do in Aus, so we refuelled and headed back to camp.
Back at the campsite we discovered that, in our absence, someone had kindly removed the cover of the side tent of the Bush Lapa, thus preventing certain damage in the strong wind. We spent the rest of the day walking around camp and also visited the shop at Klein Aus Vista, where we took advantage of their free Wi-Fi.
Fortunately, the wind subsided somewhat by the end of the day. We heard from several people in camp that they had also suffered damage to their windshields due to sandblasting. Our plan was to drive to Lüderitz the following day, but we were concerned about encountering another sandstorm. With this in mind, we went to bed early to make an early start.
*In part 2 Henk and his travel companions explore more parts of southern Namibia and head to Sesriem. Visit his Youtube channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/c/HenkBogaards4WheelingSA
