Wheeling Abroad: Namibia

It’s interesting how things sometimes work out…

There I was, on the 28th December sitting at my desk contemplating why I was the only one not on holidays, and trying to sell more Cooper tyres when the phone rang.

It was Vic Widman from Great Divide Tours, at this point I was expecting Vic to say he needed someone to lead a 4wd Trip or run a weekend 4wd Training Course, but I was wrong! Vic just asked a simple question, want to go to Africa?

Sure I said, hang on…what did you say? Africa says Vic, more precisely Namibia, in April. You know,Elephants, Zebra, Rhino, Giraffe, Lions…

…and by the way, we’re camping. At this point I only heard Lions & Camping, so I naturally said OK let’s do it.

Nothing like making a major decision on the spur of the moment with little information.

So, after hanging up the phone, I made myself a Coffee sat down and started to think about what had just happened.

Wow! Africa, Lions, Camping in 3 months time… Wow… What a brilliant opportunity! I was pleased with my decision.

Now the work begins, Where are we going, Who with, How are we getting there & What are we doing when we get there? More importantly, what do I need to do before we leave.

It wasn’t Long before I received an email with the itinerary, the trip just got better.

To get there we go from Sydney, Johannesburg, Windhoek(Namibia).

In Windhoek, we pick up our fully equipped Avis Ford Rangers complete with Cooper tyres, roof top tent & regular tent plus everything else you need for a 4wd trip, get our supplies and head towards Etosha National Park.

This Park has one of the largest population of Animals and the Campsites are in the middle of them. This is where the Camping with Lions is a real possibility! Apparently Vic has already reserved the Rooftop Tent!

Heading West from here the safari includes remote river beds and canyons, visiting a small village pre-school & spending time with the Himba Tribe, remote Trails and more game reserves on our way to the Skeleton Coast where the desert meets the sea.

We head south from here to the town of Swakopmund for a camp on the beach, then onto Sossusvlei and the worlds largest Sand Dunes and some quad biking.

Unfortunately, from here it’s back to Windhoek then back to reality.

Realistically, I have no idea what to expect. Sure the Offroad driving will be similar to The Aussie Desert conditions but, it’s all the little things, not that Elephants are little, they are not 2nd nature to me that I’ll have to think about.

The other thing is that I’ll be driving someone else’s 4wd with camping gear I didn’t prepare. There is also the additional preparation that needs to be considered – flights, passports, visas, travel insurance, vaccinations, money, general health, and understanding local customs.

So, making the decision to go to Africa was the easy part. Researching, planning, preparation and getting to the airport are all still to do. Ok, time to start!

Catch you next Friday with another update.