Kgalagadi & Southern Namibia trip

[Rudolph]

WOW!! This is a fantastic trip report and awesome photo's!

[Chris Skinner]

Great, thanks for the info and photies... this is also one of my most favourite areas to visit!

[JoshJ]

Some pics on Kolmanskop

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Communal swimming pool on the highest hill

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[JoshJ]

So our 3days in Luderitz came to an end as well as our stay in Namibia. Our next destination is the Richtersveld. We where planning to cross with the pont at sendelings drift. On arrival we where told that the pont is broken. It had a oil leak and the oil is comming from Cape town. So we had to take the 180km detour via Oranjemund. This was a rough road. This was also our first visit to the Richtersveld and we where horrified with what we saw. The mining in the park and area before it is terreble. We booked in and headed for camp at pootjies pram. We did not have high hopes for the next 2 days. The next day we desided to drive to de hoop and return to camp via hells hoogte. We where so suprised with what we saw. When you move deeper into the park you forget about the mining as your mind is blown by what you see. Very beautiful. Amazing even. One big rock garden and the fact that the passess and roads resemble some 4x4 tracks is an added bonus. At de hoop I had to take a dip in the orange river. Fabulous.

Botter boom

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So the Richtersveld turned out great. But the mining remains disipointing. We moved on to Port Nolloth from there for 1 night and then to Augrabies for a last overnight before we head home.

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All in all we had a great trip and was very blessed to could have done it. We where a family alone in a Patrol. No convoy. We always felt save. And had no major problems.

What went wrong:
The Girls tent did not make it home. The wind destroyed it over the 3 weeks. After fixing it twice, we desided to let it to rest at Richtersveld rubbish bin.
My rocky shoes did not survive the Namtib koppies. The strap tore out of the sole.
one camping chair broke. All of the above was a bit long in the tooth so it was not a big loss. They paid their deus.
my boost pipe came off. This resulted in the engine management light comming one. I put it back and drove the car. There was no limp mode or any other isseus. The error was reset in Luderitz.

Patrol stuff:
We drove 5872km. I used 877liters diesel. 6.7km/l avarage. 7.8km/l on tar at 100-110km/h. Worst was 6km/l
The Patrol was great on the dirt roads. 2 high 110km/h on Namibia dirt no problem. Never even twiched.
EGT's on tar at 100-110km/h was 380-450. on gravel at the same speed it was 540-630.
No power issues, even with the heavy load and trailer. I also found that 2500RPM is optimum with the load. You also dont loose speed on uphills at this refs.

Thats it guys. Glad I could share it with you.

[JoshJ]

Ettiene, thanx. I have already started working Got to start making money for the next trip. No work no Play. Live is unfair

Herrie, yes we took the foot path to the left into the bushes. Amazing. The roaring sound.

Peter, I must say. The KTP took no.1 spot over the KNP in my preference. Just a pitty it so Damm far.

Rudolph, thanx. Glad I could share

[Herrie]

Ek is bly julle het dit geniet en ek sal ook graag so 'n trip wil doen.

[Etienne Gous]

Great trip met baie memories.
Jy moet daai foto's net op meer as een plek stoor, anders gaan jy daai trip weer moet doen......dit is opsigself nie n vreeslike probleem nie maar jy kry nooit die selfde, en dit is wat die Namib so spesiaal maak, maak nie saak hoeveel keer jy terug gaan nie, die Namib het altyd iets anders om jou te bied.
Gelukkig was ek nog altyd net te bang om so n trip alleen te doen, so ek recover maar die memories so stuk-stuk