Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE PATH TO BOTANICAL DISCOVERY
Among Namibia's many botanical curiosities, the extraordinary
Welwitschia mirabilis
, which exists only on the
gravel plains of the northern Namib Desert from the Kuiseb River to southern Angola, is probably the strangest of
all. It was first noted in 1859, when Austrian botanist and medical doctor Friedrich Welwitsch stumbled upon a
large specimen east of Swakopmund.
Welwitschias
Despite their dishevelled appearance, welwitschias actually have only two long and leathery leaves, which grow
from opposite sides of the corklike stem. Over the years, these leaves are darkened in the sun and torn by the wind
into tattered strips, causing the plant to resemble a giant wilted lettuce. Pores in the leaves trap moisture, and
longer leaves actually water the plant's own roots by channelling droplets onto the surrounding sand.
Welwitschias have a slow growth rate, and it's believed that the largest ones, whose tangled masses of leaf
strips can measure up to 2m across, may have been growing for up to 2000 years! However, most midsized plants
are less than 1000 years old. The plants don't even flower until they've been growing for at least 20 years. This
longevity is probably only possible because they contain some compounds that are unpalatable to grazing animals,
although black rhinos have been known to enjoy the odd plant.
The plants' most prominent inhabitant is the yellow and black pyrrhocorid bug, which lives by sucking sap
from the plant. It's commonly called the push-me-pull-you bug, due to its almost continuous back-to-back mating.
Welwitschia Drive
This worthwhile excursion by vehicle or organised tour is recommended if you want to see one of Namibia's most
unusual desert plants, the Welwitschia. Welwitschias reach their greatest concentrations on the Welwitschia Plains
east of Swakopmund, near the confluence of the Khan and Swakop Rivers, where they're the dominant plant spe-
cies.
In addition to this wilted wonder itself, Welwitschia Drive also takes in grey and black
lichen fields
, which
were featured in the BBC production
The Private Life of Plants
. It was here that David Attenborough pointed out
these delightful examples of plant-animal symbiosis, which burst into 'bloom' with the addition of fog droplets. If
you're not visiting during a fog, sprinkle a few drops of water on them and watch the magic.
Further east is the
Moon Landscape
Offline map
, a vista across eroded hills and valleys carved by the
Swakop River. Here you may want to take a quick 12km return side-trip north to the farm and oasis of
Goanikontes
Offline map
, which dates from 1848. It lies beside the Swakop River amid fabulous desert moun-
tains, and serves as an excellent picnic site.
The Welwitschia Drive, which turns off the Bosua Pass route east of Swakopmund, lies inside the Dorob Na-
tional Park. Most often visited as a day trip from Swakopmund, the drive can be completed in two hours, but al-
low more time to experience this other-worldly landscape.
Beach Lodge $$$
Offline map
( 414500;
www.beachlodge.com.na
; Stint St; s/d from N$860/1260; )
This boat-
shaped place, which sits right on the sand about 1km north of town, allows you to watch
HOTEL
