Our first campsite was at the Canyon Roadhouse, near Fish River Canyon.
We camped down on a dry river bed, with a plain stretching away in one direction, but large basalt-capped hills behind us
 
At dawn, mist hangs in the river bed, combining with dust thrown up by the very rare passing vehicles. Wildlife, like this klipspringer, also make an early climb up on the hills worthwhile.
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The only large plants which grew up on the exposed rocky hills around our camp were these extraordinary quiver trees.
Inside a thick papery white bark, they seem to be full of lightweight fibres, I guess to store water. |
Some rocks on the hill looked like works of art or human tools.
I was told that erosion had weathered the basalt floor into this remarkable swirling pattern.
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The dry river bed was sometimes full of annoying flies, but also great birdlife. One kept having conversations with itself in our car wing mirror. A blacksmith plover adopted us, and made such a confusing cacophany of tweets, clicks and whistles, we christened him R2D2.
 
The campsite had a quirky old vehicles theme, and staff were very friendly and helpful, delivering cold beers right to the pool!
 
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