Day 112: Welvisbaii – Day 1
We didn’t have any activities planned for Welvis Bay that day, so we allowed ourselves to have a lazy morning at the Rooiklip Farm. While all the big dogs were out in the fields with the farmer, the Jack Russell Terriers stayed close by us, excited about the prospect of a walk! We explored the farm, meeting Linus, the pet zebra (does he *know* what his owners ate last night?!?!), and checking out the farm’s hillside campsites and research facility for university students.
While we needed our down jackets at breakfast, by 10AM we were starting to feel the desert heat, so we got back on the road and headed north. At dinner the night before, we asked the farmers if there was a petrol station nearby, as we were worried about only having half a tank of gas. They said the two closest stations were Welvis Bay or back to the capital of Windhoek! They told us the golden rule of Namibia: never, ever pass a gas station without filling up! Even if you just top it off, that could make all the difference. Lesson learned! We left the farm, and tried to drive as efficiently as possible to conserve every drop of gas.
Morning on the Rooiklip Farm
These Russell Terriers were so sweet! Affectionate lap-dogs during our breakfast coffee, and SO EXCITED to go on a walk with us to visit the campsite! You can see all three of them patiently waiting for us on the trail.
Linus, the farmer’s *pet* zebra, comes when he is called for a snack
After a tasty snack, Linus lets us pet his nose, and check out his stripes. You can tell he is a Mountain Zebra (not a Plains Zebra) due to the stripes that run down his back through his tail.
The farmer also has an affectionate Oryx – kissy kissy!
When we tried to pet the Oryx, he started head-butting the fence!
We continued up to the camp site with our puppy escorts
The camping facilities were awesome! Running water and flush toilets…with a view! Making Igor wish we had been camping on this trip…
A wild zebra running down the road as we leave the farm – he probably heard that we ate one of his kin… L
Driving through the Kuiseb Canyon
We pass a lagoon on our way into Welvis Bay – even though our fuel light is starting to blink, Igor pulled over for a picture!
After checking into our guesthouse, we had the afternoon free to explore Welvis Bay. The Welvis Bay Lagoon was only 10KM away, and home to a huge flamingo population, so we spent the rest of the afternoon taking WAY too many pictures of pink birds.
The salt flats of Welvis Bay
The salt flats are home to the biggest salt factory in Namibia, and about 75,000 flamingos
Igor wanted a picture of the flamingos in flight, but after 10min they were still just standing around eating brine shrimp, so Lindsay helped get the show started by running through the salt flats
Flamingos! Lots, and lots of flamingos.
We parked out by the salt flats for over an hour waiting for the perfect sunset photo op
Flamingos flying off into the sunset
A magical Namibian sunset
Rooiklip Farm looked like a great place to stay. Linus, the Zebra, was too cute and those adorable Jack Russells. Loved the sunset.