- Gondwana Cañon Park/ News



		News 2006News 02.03.06

Springbok leap for Joy - 02.03.06
“Not just the odd shower, but torrents of rain came down, and so did the rivers”, Activity Manager Fritz Curschmann recounts. “Our 'Rosijntjiebos' River between Cañon Lodge and Cañon Village was in flood three times during January.” Most of the roads in the park were washed away, and towing cars through thick sand was the order of the day. Since the access road to Cañon Lodge was not fit for traffic and had turned into a 4x4 playground, two hastily manufactured signs diverted all non-4x4-drivers via Cañon Village.

Most of the roads in the park were washed away, and towing cars through thick sand was the order of the day.

Two guests of the park, Julian and Michelle Probets from Britain, had a particularly adventurous experience in January: "The weather had caused flooding and our booked hotel, the Cañon Roadhouse, was not accessible due to flooding rivers. We had enjoyed a horse-riding trip when the weather turned for the worse, so stranded and soaking wet we waited for the weather to improve, but that option soon became a non-starter. Drenched to the bone we were given a room and a hot shower, and our host Fritz sent us some of his own clothes down to the room. At 20h30 we proceeded to

Julian and Michelle Probets from Britain.

the bar area for a much needed drink. Not only did they offer a place to stay but we were asked to eat with both Fritz and Fiona (Holton, Operation Manager), and what a fantastic meal it was! Such pleasant company. My personal thanks to all the staff, including Alex, the riding instructor, who looked after us on the ride and during the storm. The following day we left some twenty hours later than expected but felt superbly taken care of." (Julian Probets, Manager In-Flight Audit, Thomas Cook Airlines, UK)

Worse was to come in mid-February: on a single day about 60 mm of rain came down within a very short period of time. The brown floods forced their way through the storeroom and some of the staff quarters, and they even dragged the old lorry, which serves as a marker at the driveway to the lodge, several hundred metres away with them.

“At the Cañon Roadhouse in the middle of Gondwana Cañon Park we recorded 180.5 mm in January and February alone”, says Park Manager Otto von Kaschke. “Usually we get about 80 mm for the entire year.” The veld (original grassland) is green and resembles a garden with its abundance of flowers. And many plants which we haven’t seen for years now also start to reappear. Fritz Curschmann adds: “Springbok can be seen pronking everywhere - that is, they are leaping about in their characteristic springy way, as if totally exuberant with joy.” Other game species, including mountain zebra, gemsbok and hartebeest are clearly enjoying themselves as well.

The brown floods forced their way also through the laundry.

The whole of Namibia is over the moon about an exceptionally rewarding rainy season. Many of the ephemeral rivers flooded and thereby blocked quite a few tourists on their way to the next accommodation facility. The country’s dams – vital for the supply of drinking water – are full, some of them literally to the brim. Everywhere the desert shows off its green finery...


		- See news item on rainfalls countrywide at - www.gondwana-desert-collection.com - See news item on rainfalls in the other parks of the Gondwana - Desert Collection at - www.gondwana-kalahari-park.com, - www.gondwana-sperrgebiet-rand-park.com and - www.gondwana-namib-park.com