Cape Town to Lüderitz, Namibia. (Plus a hint of the Kalahari)

Kalahari Bush Breaks lodge (30km west of the Botswana border, about 300km east of Windhoek), Namibia. Sunday 1^st March, first day of Autumn.

We are exploring Namibia! We got ourselves a bakkie and we hit the road. This morning we had a drive and saw 3 types of antelope (waterbuck, impala and springbok), some zebra, some ostrich, ground squirrels and lots of enormous beetles. This afternoon we went for a walk, got lost and saw lots of flies. Lots of flies. Now we're just chillin' in one of the most (if not the most) expensive rooms we've ever splurged on in our lives.

Waterbuck - they have targets on their bums.

Even the beetles had flies on them.

So we've been in Namibia a week now after sailing from Cape Town to Lüderitz. We had a lovely week or so in Cape Town, explored some of the suburbs (Salt River and Woodstock – a very Sydney/Melbourne old suburb vibe) that we missed the first time around, revisited our old haunts (mainly the Waterfront), walked the bit of coastline we missed the first time and generally enjoyed being back but having Gráinne with us this time and having made it around the Cape in one piece.

The Royal Cape Yacht Club, our temporary home.

As we left Cape Town it gave us one last kick in the bum with the hairiest departure from a berth maybe ever. Much fending off was done. Thankfully the lovely crew of Tao 8 were there to lend a hand and no damage resulted, apart from to Karl's ego which had been flying high from all the hero comments that followed his arrival into this marina. Lesson learnt - we have not suddenly become manoeuverable and still can't get in and out of tight docks unassisted. After escaping the marina though, Cape Town gave us a beautiful farewell in the shape of sunshine, a beautiful Table Mountain view and Table Bay full of seals, dolphins and whales. Passing Robben Island we could see the view of the city the prisoners (including Nelson Mandela) would have had – beautiful, imposing and so close you could almost touch it.

The trip to Luderitz was nice – no major drama, long enough to settle into, wind and swell from behind, hardly any shipping and loads of seabirds. And the most amazing dark sky with a gazillion stars, the most amazing sky I've seen yet. This Atlantic business though, not so sure about that. Absolutely bloody freezing! We've dragged out the thermals, the fleeces and the foul weather gear. I'm even wearing seaboots. So we look like real sailors now, a little bit Vendée Globe (well, only a little). And arriving in Lüderitz was fine.

Rounding the lighthouse approaching Lüderitz.

Karl spoke with an Australia boat that was just sailing out of the harbour – the first Aussies we've encountered since leaving Australia. They gave us the lay of the land as regards the harbour and getting a mooring and so it was all delightfully straightforward. Well, apart from the lecture we had to endure from the immigration official who gave us a dressing down for not checking in on Sunday when we arrived. We waited until Monday as per Port Control's instructions (and we were feeling way to lazy to bother getting off the boat) but I think that meant she missed out on her Sunday overtime pay. Oh well. Customs were friendly and efficient and the lads at Port Control were extremely relaxed, friendly and welcoming. I think I want to work at Lüderitz Port Control office.

Approaching Lüderitz town.

So Lüderitz. Interesting little spot. Population of about 12,000. Surrounded by desert and diamonds. A former German colonial town mainly built in the first decades of the 20^th century and halted by WWI (Namibia was part of German South West Africa but after the German's poor performance in WW1 South Africa invaded and took over until Namibia became independent in the 90s). The paved roads eventually give way to sand outside the main streets in town. Strange to be in such a quiet, sleepy little place after months in big cities but very pleasant.

Spot the cruise ship that arrived one morning bringing an invasion of 1200 German tourists who took over town for the day and then all sailed away in the late afternoon.

Attending church requires enough commitment to walk up a steep hill.

Despite the German history there's a clear African vibe.

And it's safe to walk around – even after dark! The things you take for granted sometimes: the simple pleasure of wandering out for dinner and being able to walk back home whenever you manage to stumble out the door of the (dark, warm and cosy) pub. The harbour has a small fishing and diamond dredging fleet and is often wonderfully full of moody fog. Between the cold and the fog and sound of seagulls it often seems like a little European fishing town. And it's so lovely to be on a mooring (after months of marinas) with a bit of space around you and a view from the harbour towards the town.

Doris in the fog, the town is only about 100m away but you can't see a thing.

View of the harbour from the Yacht Club.

After a few days in Lüderitz we decided it was time to explore further afield in Namibia. So, 20 years after our original desert road trip (California and Nevada), we headed off again. It was quite the logistical challenge to get ourselves, backpacks, esky and jerrycan of water into Doris and ashore and then get her back on the boat and safely stowed and then get Karl (I had stayed sitting on the dock with our stuff) back to shore. Happily the local who manages the moorings helped us out and rowed Karl back ashore. It's not like just walking out your front door in Brisbane and into a taxi to the airport. Driving out of Lüderitz was fantastic – sand, sand and more sand. And a diamond mining ghost town abandoned in the 50s just sitting there in the desert – we'll visit it on the way back.

Then the desert very gradually became less dry, with occasional hints of green, then bigger and bigger shrubs, then proper green grassy stuff with beautiful little yellow flowers. Finally some of the rivers we crossed actually had water in them and eventually properly lush looking vegetation appeared just as the rain clouds rolled in (and a red sandstorm blew up) and we approached Windhoek, the capital.

It was just a quick pit stop before heading east the following day. Yesterday morning we got up, had breakfast, repacked, checked out and went to the car all set for a quick 3 hour drive (after 7.5 hours from Lüderitz the previous day). Flat tyre. Right. OK. So things go wrong on land too. We had the tools so just went about changing to the spare. But the wheel had seized and wouldn't come off.

Despite the help of a hotel staff member that wheel was just not budging.

We called the rental agency and it just so happened that the lovely couple who run it were in Windhoek that morning (very far from their home in Lüderitz) so they popped over, pumped the tyre and gave us directions to a reliable garage close by. And then we got to spend some time in a Namibian garage while they fixed our tyre and made sure all the wheels were able to come off. And finally got underway around lunchtime arriving at our lodge late afternoon.We were the only guests here! A lovely thatched building, open at the side to a view over the Namibian bush, only three rooms around a central fire/sitting/dining area with a circular opening in the roof. So we had our private four course dinner served to us by the waitstaff as we listened to the birds and insects (huge beetles as loud as drones when they fly!) and waited for larger wildlife to appear.

Our pad in the Kalahari.

The lounge in the lodge isn't very vegan-friendly.

This morning we had our private breakfast in a similar manner before heading out on our 4-wheel drive adventure. This afternoon though at least six other people have arrived. It'll be over-run! We even have to go up the main lodge for dinner – I don't know how we'll cope.