Omaruru
Sited at the crossroads between the C33 – the short cut between Swakopmund and Otjiwarongo on the main road north – and the less frequented C36, which leads to the Brandberg, OMARURU, a small, somnolent town, makes a good stopover. It’s also within easy striking distance of the scenic Erongo Mountains. Established in 1868 by Wilhelm Zeraua, the first Herero White Flag chief, it later became a mission town – the old mission house is now a small, rather uninspiring museum – and was repeatedly the focus of battles between the Nama and Herero, then later the Herero and the German army. The distinctive, cylindrical Franke Tower memorial, which lies across the Omaruru River in a street parallel to the main drag, is a remnant of the latter. Over the weekend closest to October 10, Herero flock to the former township of Ozondje, to mark White Flag Day, in commemoration of those who died fighting colonialism.
These days, Omaruru is garnering a reputation as a centre for arts and crafts – check out the shops on the attractive, shady main street. In particular, don’t miss the Tikoloshe workshop and souvenir store at the western end, where you can watch the Kavango root-carving artists at work, and peruse the craft shop, which sells their work, as well as all kinds of crafts from all over Africa. If you’re in the area towards the end of September, look out for the increasingly popular annual arts and cultural festival, which involves exhibitions and workshops.
The road north
As Windhoek continues to expand northwards, the town of Okahandja, 70km away, seems ever nearer, an impression likely to be felt more strongly once the interminable road-widening project between the two urban centres is complete. Once past Okahandja, where the two nearby resorts of Gross Barmen and Von Bach Dam attract Windhoek’s middle classes at weekends, urban life is left behind; the traffic thins out and the land flattens out as the savannah takes over once more. The B1 speeds northwards with scarcely a bend in sight for the next 180km, before eventually arriving at the next main town, and capital of the Otjozondjupa Region, Otjiwarongo. As you driving north, you’ll notice the landscape transitioning into thornbush savannah, with taller shrubs and trees and denser cover than is evident in southern Namibia, due to the relatively higher levels of rainfall and more fertile soil. Termite mounds are visible along this stretch of road too, and families of warthogs are often to be seen at dusk.
Cheetah conservation
A third of the world’s cheetahs – around 3500 – roam the savannah lands of Namibia, predominantly on communal and commercial farms. Africa’s most endangered cat is a protected species in Namibia, but there are ongoing conflicts between these powerful hunters and people when livestock is threatened or killed. Loss of habitat and prey is another problem cheetahs face, as the increase in livestock rearing, and subsequent overgrazing, have resulted in bush encroachment. Recent expansion of game fencing has also affected the availability of food.
At the forefront of conservation efforts in Namibia, and the global leader in cheetah research and education, is the Cheetah Conservation Fund, 44km east of Otjiwarongo, which is well worth a visit; if driving, turn east off the B1, onto the sandy D2440, just north of Otjiwarongo. The entry fee includes an excellent two-hour guided walking tour round the large enclosures, where around fifty rescue cheetahs are kept, though good sightings of these splendid beasts depend on whether they happen to be prowling or lounging close to the perimeter fence. Arriving at feeding time (2pm weekdays, noon at weekends) will increase your chances, as will signing up for the hour-long cheetah drive option (N$480, including entry). You’ll also be taken to see the veterinary clinic and livestock dogs, one of the centre’s most successful programmes, in which Kangal and Anatolian Shepherd dogs are trained to live among livestock and bark to scare off predators, thus safeguarding the farmer’s livelihood, while saving the cheetah from a likely bullet. Around five hundred dogs now live on farms, with impressive results.
Another highlight is the Dancing Goat Creamery – one of several model farms used to help share predator-friendly management practices. Make sure you stock up on some of their superb feta or goat’s cheese; they even produce fudge. Then, after trying to absorb all the information in the new interactive cheetah museum, you’ll probably be ready for a cup of coffee and a bite to eat in the café. If you’ve not had your fill of cheetahs for the day, you can overnight in the luxurious Babson House – another fundraising venture, which can accommodate four in two rooms with four-poster beds, and which overlooks a cheetah pen.
Okahandja
An hour’s drive north of Windhoek, where the main road divides – continuing north as the B1, and veering off west to the coast as the B2 – sits the important historical town of OKAHANDJA. Its 24,000-strong population is rapidly expanding, bolstered by growth in light industry, the relocation here of some government offices, and an improving road link with Windhoek, which is making it a commuter town for the capital.
Okahandja has a long history of trade and strategic importance. The Herero were the first to settle here, around 1800, before it later became an important mission station and trading post, as well as a site of conflict between the Herero and Nama, and later, the Germans. Today the town is still the administrative centre of the Herero people, as well as containing the burial sites of many of their former chiefs, notably Samuel Maharero, who led the uprising against the German colonial forces, and Hosea Kutako, a pivotal figure in the independence movement. These and others are honoured in the annual Herero Day commemoration. Jonker Afrikaner, the Orlaam-Nama leader, is also buried here, but these graves are not open to the general public. Nor is the expensive military museum, which has stood behind iron railings on the main street since 2004, but remains off-limits to the public for reasons that are unclear.
However, what the town lacks in tourist sights it makes up for in its fine craft markets; two occupy either end of the main road into and out of town. Though basketry, painted gourds, gemstones and the like are on display, the markets are predominantly about wood. The array and size of some of the carvings are phenomenal, from beautifully polished masks to sculpted life-size Himba women, giant giraffes and even dugout canoes – not easily stuffed into your luggage. Be prepared to be hassled if the stallholders are short of custom when you arrive.
Less well known to tourists is the town’s reputation for high-quality biltong – not to be missed, provided you’re not vegetarian; head for the Closwa Biltong Factory Shop and Butchery on Vortrekker Street (see The Waterhole). A few kilometres away, two resorts – the hot springs of Gross Barman and the serene Von Bach Dam – have long been favourite weekend getaways for urbanites in need of some R&R.
Otjiwarongo
As you enter OTJIWARONGO, the road broadens into a dual carriageway, punctuated by traffic lights, leading you to expect a town of some size. But blink and you’ll miss the town centre, and find yourself heading back into the bush. That said, Otjiwarongo is the regional capital of the Otjozondjupa Region, and when the jacaranda and flamboyants lining the main street are in bloom, the place exudes a cheery feel.
There are scarcely any attractions in town, though railway buffs should swing by the station to take a look at the splendid retired old German steam locomotive. The only other place that draws visitors is the crocodile ranch, which gives guided tours of what is effectively a battery crocodile farm providing skin for the European and Asian leather markets – something to consider before paying the entry fee.
For tourists bound for Etosha or Caprivi, Otjiwarongo is a natural pit stop, providing a selection of well-stocked supermarkets and several petrol stations. The town is also within striking distance of the Waterberg Plateau, Namibia’s premier cheetah research and education centre and the AfriCat Foundation at Okonjima.
Outjo
With a small population of about 6000, the ranching town of OUTJO – meaning “little hills” in Otjiherero – sits on the pleasantly undulating fringes of the Fransfontein Mountains, just north of the Ugab River. It’s a surprisingly leafy town, which has recently taken on a new lease of life as a staging post for tourists trekking up to Etosha, a fact exemplified by the transformation of the high-street bakery from a small-town shop into a slick two-storey glass-fronted operation with restaurant, large shop and playground.
Beyond stopping for lunch and wandering down the pleasant main street, which boasts a quasi town square, and several tourist shops, there are a couple of German historical monuments worth a cursory glance before moving on, since Outjo was one of the German colonial army’s most northerly, and shortlived, outposts; it was established initially to control the rinderpest in the areas of white settlement, but then to try and win over the Owambo kings. One of the first structures they built was a water tower to pump and supply water to the soldiers, their horses and the hospital. Though the wooden windmill has long gone, the square stone base can still be seen on the east side of town off the northern end of Sonop Street.
Waterberg Plateau National Park
An impressive table mountain popular with hikers and nature lovers, the extensive Waterberg Plateau National Park is located 60km southeast of Otjiwarongo; to the east, it surveys the arid Omaheke Desert – part of the Kalahari – to the west, acacia-covered savannah. The sheer sandstone cliffs that top the plateau glow a glorious deep reddish-orange in the late afternoon sun; they are surrounded by a sloping “skirt” of scree and boulders, with patches of dense vegetation clinging onto the rock face. Water is relatively plentiful, hence the name Waterberg (“water mountain” in Afrikaans). Rain filters through the porous sandstone on top, but upon reaching the impervious lower layers of mudstone and siltstone, it re-emerges as springs through fissures in the southern slopes of the plateau. Unsurprisingly, water, and the resulting abundant wildlife, has attracted human populations for many years. San rock art near one of the plateau’s waterholes testifies to their having passed through the area for thousands of years. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, the Herero settled in the area with their cattle, and it was here, on August 11, 1904, that the decisive Battle of Omahakari (or Waterberg) was fought between the Herero, who were defying colonial rule, and the German army.
The trails
Waterberg is synonymous with hiking; in particular it’s renowned for its multi-day trails, which ordinarily are booked through the NWR office in Windhoek, but for some time all long hikes have been suspended due to an increase in rhino poaching; the park authorities had stepped up security and, at the time of going to press, were still unsure when or whether the trails would reopen. In the meantime, hikers have to make do with the handful of shorter trails (maximum 3km) leaving from the camping or chalet areas. The forty-minute hike up to the plateau rim for sunset is well worth the effort, while the Fig Tree Walk is a favourite with birders. Since park visitors are not allowed to drive themselves around the park, the only way to get to know the top of the plateau is by signing up for one of the twice-daily game drives, though the ready availability of food and water plus the dense vegetation means that wildlife sightings are often disappointing.
Flora and fauna of the Waterberg Plateau National Park
On account of its inaccessibility, the park is used to reintroduce and breed rare species, which are then transferred to other protected areas. These include white and black rhino, eland, tsessebe, roan and sable antelope, and Cape buffalo. They join other large mammals present in the park, such as giraffe, wildebeest and kudu. The birdlife too is impressive, with over two hundred recorded species, including a number of rarities. Namibia’s only breeding colony of Cape vultures inhabits Waterberg’s southwestern cliffs, while other notable avian residents include Verreaux’s (black) eagles and large numbers of peregrine falcon. But wildlife is not just confined to the mixed wood- and grassland of the plateau top; even around the campground, you’ll catch sight of paradise flycatchers flitting around the trees, hoopoes probing the soil and Damara dik-diks picking their way delicately round tents. At dusk, if you’re lucky, you might spot the bulging eyes of a lesser bushbaby. Regular visitors you can’t miss are the baboons; make sure you keep food stowed away, all chalet and car windows closed, and tents zipped up.
The “Triangle”
Viewed on a map, the roads linking northern towns of Tsumeb, Otavi and Grootfontein form an isosceles triangle enclosing the scenic Otavi Mountains, which provide welcome topographic relief to anyone travelling down from the flatlands of the far north. It’s one of the most prosperous areas of Namibia, rich both in minerals and agriculture – thanks to fertile soils nurtured by annual rainfall that usually tops 500mm; maize cultivation is particularly widespread, resulting in the sobriquet of the Golden or Maize Triangle. Located on the way to Etosha’s eastern gate as well as the lush game reserves in the Zambezi Region, many visitors pass through these small towns. Of the three, Tsumeb is the most attractive and has the best facilities, followed by Grootfontein; both are good places to withdraw money, stock up on supplies and top up your fuel, with Otavi a rather forlorn third. In terms of sights, the museum in Tsumeb, and the Hoba Meteorite – the world’s largest – west of Grootfontein, are worth a brief detour, while a few lodges and guestfarms in the area make the most of their scenic surroundings and offer very pleasant overnight stops.
Grootfontein
On a sloping hillside at the northern extreme of Namibia’s central plateau, Grootfontein is really quite attractive in September and October once the jacaranda and flamboyants bloom; even so, it has a slight frontier feel, in part due to the increasing numbers of informal Kavangan street traders in the town centre. Though Grootfontein is set in fertile agricultural land – producing meat, dairy products, sorghum, maize, ground nuts, sunflowers and leather goods – below and to the east stretches the endless Kalahari, while to the north the flat, dry lowlands extend as far as the Okavango River at Rundu, some 250km away. The Otjiherero name for the place, Otjiwandatjongue, meaning “hill of the leopard”, was eschewed by the first white colonizers in favour of the earlier Hai||om and Bergdamara designation, Gei-|ous, meaning “big spring”, giving rise to the Afrikaans name Grootfontein that persists today. There’s little to do in the town, except drop by the old German fort that now houses the museum.
Dorsland Trekkers
The Dorsland Trekkers were originally granted free land in the area that went on to become Grootfontein by a certain W.W. Jordan, an adventurer and trader, who claimed to have bought a vast tract of land from Ndonga King Kambonde, in exchange for some cash, weaponry and brandy. In 1885, the Dorslanders declared the area the Republic of Upingtonia (later Lydensrust), after the prime minister of the Cape Colony at the time, whom they thought would offer support. None was forthcoming, however, leaving them reliant on protection from the Germans. The republic was doomed from the outset, as the Boers were variously challenged by Herero, San and Owambo groups, who disputed their claim to the land, and when Jordan was killed by Owambo King Nehale in 1887, the republic crumbled and was absorbed into German South-West Africa.
The most popular attraction in the area is the Hoba Meteorite, the planet’s largest single known meteorite; measuring just under 3m square, and around 1m deep, it weighs in at approximately 60 tonnes – almost five times heavier than a laden double-decker bus. Though its age is estimated at anything between 190 million and 410 million years old, it can more accurately be said to have fallen to Earth less than 80,000 years ago. This lump of alien rock is primarily made up of iron (82.3 percent and nickel (16.4 percent), with small amounts of other minerals. It was revealed to the outside world in 1920, by Jacobus Hermanus Brits, a farmer who was out hunting on his land when he noticed a strange, black rocky protrusion that stood out from the surrounding pale limestone. He chiselled a chunk off, and took it for analysis, which confirmed its extra-terrestrial nature. After it became clear that Namibia would lose its “fallen star” altogether to enthusiastic vandals who were keen to chip off their own space souvenir, the meteorite was declared a national monument in 1955. Once you’ve marvelled at the lump, which sits in a sunken stone surround, there’s a pleasant picnic area to enjoy and a kiosk selling souvenirs, information leaflets and cold drinks.
Otavi
The smallest and most down at heel of the Triangle towns, OTAVI seems a forgotten place. Most of the action happens outside town, at the flagship Total petrol station and major truck stop, complete with ATM, neighbouring bar-restaurant and biltong shop, on the main crossroads east of the centre. Here the B1 divides: heading northwest to the population centres of Oshakati and Ondangwa, or northeast along the B8 towards the Trans Caprivi Highway. Note the heavily irrigated areas along this initial stretch of the B8, where the town’s original springs – long known to nomadic Hai||om and Damara groups – are located.
Dominating the skyline as you drive into the nondescript town are the gleaming grain silos of the maize and millet mill, across the railway track. It was the arrival of the railway from Swakopmund in 1906 that marked the town’s boom period. The German colonial mining company, the Otavi Minen und Eisenbahngesellschaft (OMEG), completed what was the longest narrow-gauge track in the world at the time – on the back of slave or enforced labour – in order to transport the copper being mined at Tsumeb and Kombat down to the coast and onto ships bound for Europe. Once the copper deposits were exhausted, the town’s fortunes slumped. So far, the new gold mine and cement factory in the area do not seem to have had the economic impact on Otavi that its 4000 inhabitants were anticipating, with Otjiwarongo appearing to benefit more from the mine.
A few kilometres north of town, signposted off the B1, stands the unremarkable Khorab Memorial. Of interest only to colonial history buffs, as there’s little to see, it marks the site where in World War I, on June 9, 1915, the Schutztruppen, under the ubiquitous Lieutenant-Colonel (by then) Victor Franke, finally surrendered to Louis Botha’s South African Union troops, signing the Khorab Peace Treaty six days later.
Tsumeb
The largest and most populous of the Triangle towns, TSUMEB is also the most attractive, its main roads lined with mature trees, including palms, jacarandas and flamboyants – which provide splashes of lilac and red when in bloom, and brightly coloured bougainvillea hedges. There is even a large leafy park, the town’s fulcrum, overlooked by several of Tsumeb’s main buildings, and off which the high street leads. On the park’s south side stands the excellent museum, next door to the town’s oldest existing building; erected in 1913, the striking Saint Barbara Catholic Church was aptly named since Barbara is the patron saint of miners. Mining, from the outset, has been the town’s raison d’être, though the disused mineshaft that dominates the west end of President’s Avenue is a reminder of its more recent decline. Nevertheless, Tsumeb is a pleasant enough place to spend a night, with a choice of accommodation, which generally serves up decent food. If you’re just passing through en route to Etosha, this is the last stop for groceries, in one of the town’s well-stocked supermarkets. At the end of October, the town parties during the annual Tsumeb Copper Festival, essentially a trade fair centred on the United Nations Park, but also with the usual food and drink stalls, musical and cultural entertainment.
Top image: Cheetah Standing on Termite Mount © Sekar B/Shutterstock