Heading towards the Naukluft Mountain region
Our Self Supported Camping Trip One February
We camped at a farm in the Namibian Naukluft mountains which was far away from everywhere, the point I suppose. My brother, his girlfriend, and I pulled up to our pitch one late afternoon. It was quiet and immaculately clean, a good place to spend our last few nights in Namibia. We eagerly explored the region, cooking simple meals at night under a canopy of stars; those unfamiliar constellations of the Southern Hemisphere showed bright.
Our host, the lessee of the farm, gave us a jeep tour of the property our last evening there. He excitedly showed us the indigenous plants of the region describing their various attributes and even their medicinal uses. He then took us for a short walk to an overlook of the most amazing sight, a young Quiver tree forest.
Young Quiver Tree Forest
An endemic tree species of Southern Africa the Quiver tree is an example of another endangered species that may have a very short future. Quiver trees have been disappearing from the landscape due to:
the effects of global climate change,
being cleared from farmlands and vineyards,
poaching, these trees are sold to plant collectors on the black market.
We were pleased to see mature Quiver trees here and there in the Naukluft Mountain region but stumbling across this young forest was breath taking. We understood that the forest occurred naturally and was being studied by academic scientists. This last night in Namibia was an astonishing experience. We supposed how wonderful it would be to keep driving south into the Namibian landscape to learn and discover more about its wonderful ecosystems.
Email me or read my earlier blog for more details about road tripping in Namibia.
