We were ready to leave at 10am but stopped at reception in the hope of getting some Wifi and coffee. Neither was successful. The restaurant wasn’t yet open and the Wifi was too slow to achieve much.
We set off for Aus. The day was spent driving, 337 kms. The morning drive was stunningly beautiful. All on gravel roads and with mountain backdrops and latterly through the valley of the river Gariep.
We stopped on the roadside to brew a coffee/hot chocolate and admire the surroundings.
Happy campers..:)
There had been no sign of habitation or anything resembling agriculture or industry, until we approached the Gariep valley. A bright green strip where vegetation could survive. Out of nowhere we came across a small area of vineyards. Water makes such a difference.
Later we passed a few small mining operations, but we don’t know what was being mined. At Rosh Pinah there was a large mine with rows of tiny houses for the workers.
The afternoon drive on the tar sealed C13 was pretty dull. A straight road with nothing until we got to Aus. The good thing, I suppose, was it allowed us to cover the distance quickly. I had hoped to find a supermarket, but two small grocery stores were all that were on offer. Sadly lacking in much in the way of fresh fruit and vegetables. I did manage to find some pears and bananas. Fortunately we stocked up before we entered Namibia, so we won’t starve, even if we have to resort to my stockpile of tinned veggies.
We also topped up with diesel and found an ATM. It wouldn’t let Dennis have any money and only let me have 900 Namibian $ (about £40). I asked in the shop if they were agents for MTC SIM cards. They were and a very helpful young lady tried to get my internet working. I purchased 3 Gb yesterday, but it isn’t working. She tried and tried and did not understand why it’s not working. It’s very annoying. The campsite is run by the local garage and it’s their Wifi we have been given tonight. However, the garage is on the opposite side of the road and the Wifi doesn’t connect from here. Such a pain!
Finding a camp in Aus
We wanted to camp just outside Aus at Klein-Aus Vista – Desert Horse Campsite. We drove into a smart looking ranch. Reception was up some stairs to a coffee shop/restaurant/shop area. All very smart and appealing. Sadly the lady at reception advised me the campsite was fully booked.
We retraced our route back into Aus where there was a small campsite in the centre of town. It is tiny but has nice ablutions and is perfectly adequate.
Will we were cooking dinner our campsite neighbour, Erica came to talk to us. She gave us lots of tips on good camp sites and places to visit in Namibia. A bit later Erica returned with a written list, including coffee stops with good cakes!
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