Day 19 … from the capital to the ocean

October 7, 2024

Today marked the last full day of our Southern Africa adventure, so of course we wanted to make the most of it. We were up early, enjoyed a lovely breakfast at our hotel (made to order) of eggs, bacon, yoghurt, juice and coffee. Then a final pack of our gear in the car and we were away before 8.00 am.

Our journey today would take us from Windhoek to Swakopmund … on a lovely sealed road  … a distance of about 360 kms. However, would we just drive straight through! No! Never! We had to make a detour.

We took a detour off the B2 highway to travel on what was the roughest road of our entire journey. The D1918 wasn’t too bad but boy the D3716 was a bone rattler! For about 30 km we did a shake, rattle but thankfully no roll … a slow and steady drive that had Ian clenching the steering wheel.

But oh boy was it worth it! Our destination was Spitzkoppe … a group of bald granite peaks. The peaks are believed to be 120 million years old and the highest peak rises 1,728 m above sea level. The peaks rise dramatically out of the flat landscape, and at times are large singular mounds whilst at other times they are a series of boulders wedged together to form incredible peaks.

We spent over an hour scrambling over the rocks … climbing as high as we dared, attempting to reach the Rock Arch (sadly too steep for us), climbing up to see the almost dry Rock Pool, discovering the ruins of an old fort and marvelling at these incredible formations. They reminded us of Uluṟu in many ways … so incredible!

Back on the road … Ian at the wheel for the 30 km return journey to the highway where I then took over the driving so that Ian could relax his hands! We snacked on the remains of our grocery shopping from a week ago and headed onwards to Swakopmund.

Swakopmund is situated on the Atlantic Ocean (just across the ditch from Rio) … and is a true seaside township. Filled with seaside accommodation, bustling cafes and many local street hawkers begging you to purchase their wares (which I swear in many cases were made in China).

It is a pretty little town, steeped in German history from the time of the German colonisation era when the town was a main harbour for German South West Africa. We completed 3 Ad Labs (there are not a lot of them in Namibia) which took us on a tour of some of the more notable locations and history.

We stopped for an ice cream (yum), sat on the waterfront, wandered the Main Street, checked out the grounds and lounge of a plush hotel we are not staying at (no one stopped us), walked along the jetty (which has a mezzanine level) and through the Promenade gardens. Our hotel is lovely … just one block back from the ocean and we have a balcony that overlooks the water.

The pier

The Esplanade

We unpacked the car … making sure to empty everything out. After dinner we repacked our suitcases. I am leaving behind 2 pairs of shoes that have worked hard over the last 3 weeks … and Ian is leaving one pair … so we will go home just a tad lighter!

Dinner was a wonderful meal at The Lighthouse Restaurant on the ocean front. Our waiter Benedict was super friendly and was keen to know about our adventure and about our home in Australia. We enjoyed nachos (traditional Namibian meal!) followed by Pork Schnitzel with Bratkartoffeln (German Fries … potatoes pan fried with bacon and onion) and Rotkohl (red cabbage). Absolutely delicious. Our meal … with a glass of wine for me, a bottle of water for Ian, and a generous tip for Benedict … less than $30.

I abandoned Ian just before 7.00 pm (left him to pay for tea) whilst I sprinted down the waterfront to catch the sun setting on the Atlantic Ocean! Absolutely stunning … and Ian made it just before the sun descended beneath the horizon.

And so … we are almost at the end. We have a flight out of Walvis Bay early tomorrow afternoon. What can we manage to do before then?