Today is a full day in Etosha, as I leave Onguma Tented Camp (which was fantastic), to head across Etosha National Park to the south-western Anderson Gate, beyond which Ongava Tented Camp is located.
It’s approximately 180km door to door as the crow flies, but that doesn’t allow for detours to waterholes in the park itself. I decide to visit the north eastern waterholes to start with, and then concentrate on the centre around Halali as I have another day to explore the western section when I reach Ongava.
It’s still early and cool as I head north, and this black-backed jackal is catching some retained heat from the road, and isn’t bothered by me in the least. The ‘whiteness’ of Etosha is surprising – white roads, gravel and patches of green.
Also out and about on the quiet road is a leopard tortoise – an unusual sight.
Further on, a group of kudus provide some road traffic.
I spend a fair amount of time visiting waterholes, and by the time I reach the Groot Okevi waterhole, it’s an unseasonably scorching 36 degrees Celsius. The waterhole is busy with kudu, oryx, and a Kori bustard.
Suddenly all of the animals scatter – the reason why becomes clear when a spotted hyena trots down to the waterhole for a drink. It’s hard to tell whether this hyena is pregnant or simply gorged after a kill.
Not content with just a drink, the hyena lays down in the water to cool off. It has the entire waterhole to itself until a pair of warthogs decide they are brave enough and thirsty enough to venture closer for a drink. The hyena is wary of the warthogs, and vice versa. Soon enough, the bravery of the warthogs inspires some thirsty kudus and calves to approach for a drink.
The hyena shows no signs of getting out of the water, so I eventually leave it in order to explore other waterholes.
A large maternal herd of elephants is found at Kalkheuwel waterhole between Namutoni and Halali. A man made waterhole with a water pump, the elephants have worked out that if there’s a crowd at the waterhole, drinking from the leaking pump is just as good.
Sometimes the best place to lean for a rest and shade is against mum.
8 hours of driving in Etosha, and it’s time to head to Ongava Tented Camp before it gets dark. It’s 18km from the entrance to the reserve to the Tented Camp. After Onguma, it feels like a step down or two in accommodation with its ‘eco-friendly’ noisy diesel generator and policy of not allowing charging of electronics in the tents.
Not even the black rhino that comes down to the obviously man made waterhole compensates for the fact that this is the second venue I’d cheerfully leave if I wasn’t booked and paid for 2 nights. The ‘family table’ style for dinner is unbearable with a Brit next to me banging on about tyre pressure on rental cars. Can’t get away fast enough.
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