Westair Wings Charters - Etosha celebrates centenary,Cycling through the Namibian desert,mountain biking,Windhoek Karnel in April

March 2007

Etosha celebrates centenary

A whole century has passed since Etosha National Park was established in northern Namibia. The centenary is celebrated with several events throughout the year. As a prelude a new stamp issue depicting
Etosha’s flora and fauna was launched
at a small function in Windhoek on 22 March.
The main event is scheduled for 28 September at the Namutoni restcamp. To get Etosha
ready for the next one hundred years, accommodation facilities are being renovated, roads are upgraded, fences mended and
gates embellished. On 22 March 1907 Etosha National Park was proclaimed ‘Nature Conservation Area Number 2’ by Friedrich von Lindequist, then governor of the German colony of South West Africa, to protect the dwindling herds of elephant, giraffe and other game from rampant hunting. The systematic development of the park for tourism started during the fifties.

Carnival after Easter

Windhoek Carnival, or Wika, gets into swing the weekend after Easter. Like in Cologne or Mainz there is a colourful procession through the city centre, complete with King’s Guard, cheerfully decorated floats and volleys of sweets. Other events are the prince’s ball and a fancy-dress ball as well as several orators’ evenings for poking fun at politics and social affairs. Carnival in Namibia does not have religious origins (the start of Lent): it started in 1952 as a fundraising party for a sports club. As it proved highly successful, other towns followed suit. Swakopmund celebrates in June, Otjiwarongo in July, Tsumeb in August and Lüderitz in September. This is a carnival fan’s dream – a fifth season which lasts for five months!

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Bush Telegraph CC,
P.O. Box 96541, Deimling St. 6, Windhoek,
Tel +264 (61) 224822,
Fax +264 (61) 255148,
Email: kanzler@mweb.com.na

Cycling through the desert

In sync with Namibia’s desert landscapes – this is what makes the latest offer from Mountain Bike Touren so special. Cycling enthusiasts can choose between five different routes which take between 8 and 18 days: the Namib, Damaraland, Kaokoveld and Etosha as well as a combination of any two routes. Groups consist of 4 to 14 participants. Cycling is done in the mornings and afternoons when it is slightly cooler; nights are spent in tents or modest accommodations. A backup vehicle is always closeby in case of breakdowns and emergencies; the driver also helps to pitch camp. As these routes cover up to 3,000 km, participants need to be fit – and well up in the saddle, of course. See www.mountainbikenamibia.com

(updated April 2007)