Etosha – Land of dry water

By Annie Murray

It is incredibly difficult answering the question “Where is your favourite place in Africa?” as each country and area is so unique and each draws me in a different way. In this blog, I will try to describe what it is about Etosha national park in Namibia that keeps calling me back.

“Etosha” is a word that has its roots in the language of the Herero people, and roughly translated means either the ‘Place of Mirages’, ‘Land of Dry Water’ or the ‘Great White Place’. For me it is all of these and more. It is vast and flat and appears to be endless – the horizon shimmers and dances either in pearly whites or soft blues depending on whether there is water in the vast pans or not. The ground is chalky white and a fine dust coats the shrub giving an appearance of silver gilding in the sunlight. At night, the sky is so clear and the stars so bright you feel as though you could reach up and pluck one from the heavens.

It is an arid place of rocks and dust and scruffy shrubs and small trees and yet it has a vibrancy and incredible variety of wildlife of all types from our feathered friends to things that slither, from tiny mice to cheeky squirrel and bat eared foxes to tawny lion.

After the rains, the land is transformed to greens and pinks and blues as the pans become a vast “sea” which draws huge colonies of Flamingo and reflects the colours of the sky. The grassy plains are littered with herds of zebra and wildebeest and thousands of Springbok and black-faced Impala. Inquisitive Giraffe stroll across the horizon stopping to stare as you stare back.

In the dry months of winter, the waterholes are the stage and there is a constant stream of animals making their way to quench their thirst. At times it is in a quiet order, at others it is a chaotic cacophony of sound and colour as huge herds of Zebra descend, whinnying, kicking and biting as they splash into the life giving water. Lion lie in wait in the shade of a nearby bush, ready to ambush an unsuspecting animal. Gemsbok, regal and elegant, drift across the dusty plain and a Leopard slinks through the short, golden grass. A few large bull Elephant stride towards the water and the rest of the crowd draw back to let them through. With a shake of the head and a trumpet of warning, the stage is now theirs. Water sprays through the air causing shimmering rainbows and then cascades down their back washing away the white dust and turning them to glistening grey. They roll and splash and wrestle like kids and then leave the water to trundle soundlessly away. Trumpets and shrieks ring out and the rest of the family rushes to the water – babies tucked close to mum and teenagers barging and charging each other. A low rumble from the Matriarch is the call to leave and they form a chorus line as they move away. A couple of recalcitrant teenagers linger until another rumble signals the end of patience and with a surly swagger they follow the rest of the family into the fading light.

This is my Etosha, a place that feeds my soul and fills my senses and draws me back time and time again.