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View Full Version : The Importance of Rain - The Namib

etsdit
10th Mar 2006, 14:52
The Following set of pics were taken by Nic van Schalkwyk. It shows what an influence rain has on a desert!

I received the pics in an email-trail but thought they're worth sharing!
etsdit
10th Mar 2006, 14:53
and some more...
K&S
11th Mar 2006, 12:04
The rains really have been good this year throughout the central part of South Africa through the Kalahari through to Namibia. There was a short news item on tv the other day showing how green the Kalahari is at the moment. It's the best rains I can remember for a long time. Now just to find time and money to get there and see it.
K&S
12th Mar 2006, 11:35
The rains really have been good this year throughout the central part of South Africa through the Kalahari through to Namibia. There was a short news item on tv the other day showing how green the Kalahari is at the moment. It's the best rains I can remember for a long time. Now just to find time and money to get there and see it.
El Stiemo
3rd Apr 2006, 07:34
Hi Ets,

only seen this thread now. We have been blessed with absolutely exceptional rains this year, there is even water in Sossusvlei! Windhoek has already had more than 700 mm, about double their normal annual average.

See photo of Sossusvlei from the air, it is a magic sight!

Cheers Frank
Marc Lurie
3rd Apr 2006, 08:10
there is even water in Sossusvlei!
Cheers Frank

Hi Frank,

We were in Sossusvlei in December 1996 or 1997 (can't remember which year) and there was even a bit more water than in your picture. Were we very lucky to see water there?

I will never, ever, ever, forget the dead vlei nearby. What a fascinating, marvelous place!!!

Marc
El Stiemo
3rd Apr 2006, 09:00
Hi Marc,

the Namib Naukluft Park (where Sossusvlei is situated) is a combination of the Naukluft Park, the Namib Park and the old Diamond area 2 (size approx 44.000 sq kms). It was opened in 1979 for tourism and if I remember correctly, this is only the fourth time since then that there is water in the vlei, sometime in the eighties, 1996 I think, 2000, and now. So yes, you were VERY lucky! Most of the trees in the parking area were standing in the water 96, with branches swept into the tree tops by the Tsauchab river...

Dead vlei is indeed beautiful, did you know that some of the camelthorn trees in there have been dead for 800 years and are still standing because its so dry and the wood is too hard for desert insects to destroy (no termites there).

The best thing is, we have another vlei (like Sossusvlei) called Tsondab vlei about 60 km further north, but that one is not open for tourists as it houses a breeding site for Cape vultures, one of the most endangered bird species here.

One of my lifelong dreams has always been to drive across the sea of sand from Sossusvlei to the coast and then up to Walvis Bay. One needs special permission, but that must be quite an adventure...

Cheers Frank
Marc Lurie
3rd Apr 2006, 12:29
In that case, I feel very priviliged for having been able to see Sossusvlei with water. :)

Cheers,
Marc
etsdit
3rd Apr 2006, 22:48
that pic of sossus is good frank!!! those red dunes are awsome...
El Stiemo
4th Apr 2006, 14:02
Some more desert pics. That's why we call it the sea of sand...

Edit: Maybe I should explain where is what.

Pic 1: The Dunes just outside of Swakopmund (they're not that hight, go up to about 150 m), town in background
Pic 2 Kuiseb river in flood at Gobabeb Desert Research station.
Pic 3 Abandoned Diamond mine
Pic 4 Fog rolling in from ocean over the dunes.
YUG
8th Apr 2006, 07:14
I worked i Oranjemund for six years,Sossusvlei was one of our regular photographic trips.

The photo of the abandoned mine reminded me of a trip out to elizabeth bay to check on the radio mast there.

We drove from Oranjemund on one of the De beers tracks( you needed a special pass even if you were an employee of De Beers).

We checked out the rigging on the mast,had a good drive around the area,took loads of photos,went exploring the abandoned houses,and then found to our horror that the fuel dump was empty.....

We only had cb radio in the truck,so had to wait till we were reported missing by De Beers security.

To cut a long story short, christmas eve and christmas day 1986 was spent in the middle of nowhere,no fuel,no food,waiting for the company to send a chopper with fuel for us....
K&S
9th Apr 2006, 15:21
A friend of mine has just come back from Etosha and Sossoussvlei and she also remarked on how much water there was around and the greenery. She said it was fantastic.:)