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The Kunene River
The dry heat shimmers and the winter colours vibrate on the Kunene River between Angola and Namibia.
It is hot in the northern reaches of Namibia.
Very hot.
Even in August, in the middle of the dry, winter season, when night temperatures can drop below 10°C (which is pretty cool when you are camping!), the sun rises early and bakes the arid landscape. By mid-morning, the daily highs of 30°C+ have already been reached.
I was tenting at Omarunga Camp, within earshot of the magnificent Epupa Falls on the Kunene River (see: Landscapes of the Kunene). Our trip-organiser, photographer Ben McRae had a shoot planned for the late afternoon, and it was tempting to sit out the heat of the day in the shade, watching the birds on the Kunene riverbank.
But, Omarunga offers an afternoon guided walk upstream along the Kunene River in search of crocodiles. After too many miles bumping across Namibia’s rough roads, a leisurely walk was just what the doctor ordered!
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Crocodile on the Kunene River
Another tourist with binoculars pointed out the crocodile sitting, almost invisible with its mouth open on the rocks in the middle of the river; truth is, I thought it was a fake, until it closed its maw and slithered out of sight!
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Angola across the River
The Omarunga Camp common area, attached to the restaurant and bar, is a delightful place to sit on the banks of the Kunene River…
Mourning Collared Dove (Streptopelia Decipiens)
… and watch the native birds …
Finches, Blue Waxbills, and Laughing Doves
… who take advantage of the seed and water left out for them.
Golden Weaver (Ploceus Xanthops)
Golden Weavers (Ploceus Xanthops)
I could have watched the various birds for hours!
The Yard
Outside the tourist campsites and cabins, the homesteads are modest.
Donkeys
Dainty donkeys scrabble around for food in the dry ground.
Young Himba Men Bathing
This is Himba territory; as we round a bend, we come across a group of young men with their distinctive hairstyles.
Local Guide
Our guide stops regularly to point out plants that have medicinal or aromatic uses.
Crocodile Tail
He also spots a crocodile – who declines to show us anything but its back end.
Petroglyphs
Rock carvings dot the sandstone all along the Kunene River – probably made by stone-age hunter-gatherers around 6000 years ago.
Mountains in the Distance
The water is so quiet here …
Rock in the Kunene River
… that the reflections shimmer in the heat.
The Kunene River
The calm is so different from the noise of the falls just a few miles downstream!
Kunene Scrub
The 1,050 kilometre-long river is one of the few perennial rivers in Namibia, …
Succulent
… and the plants on the riverbank are clearly adapted to the arid climate.
Tourists on the River
Crocodile
Finally! Just before we have to turn around and head back to camp, we spot the front end of a large crocodile.
Top of the Falls
I got back to the campsite and followed the waters to the top of the falls, …
Epupa Falls
… where the nature of the river changes completely, as it races roaring through a primordial landscape of baobabs and into a deep ravine.
In Search of a Location
To round out a day on the river, we are headed further downstream in search of a location to make portraits of two traditionally-dressed young Himba men (see: Himba Model Shoot).
The landscapes in the different regions of Namibia all have real and discrete personalities.
The Kunene River is no exception, with each section distinctive from the next.
I loved it!
Till next time.
Photos: 16-17August20
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