What’s a country that’s at the top of your bucket list?
I’m not really a bucket list person. I don’t have a list of countries that I’m determined to visit before I die. But every now and then, a country captures my imagination. Namibia is one of those places. I’m not entirely sure why, but something about its landscapes and wildlife keeps drawing my attention.
There are the enormous red sand dunes of Sossusvlei and the ancient, dead trees standing in the white clay pans of Deadvlei. At Sandwich Harbour, towering dunes meet the Atlantic Ocean. In Etosha National Park, elephants, lions and rhinos gather around waterholes in an otherwise arid landscape.
And then there are the flamingos. Thousands of them gather in the coastal lagoons around Walvis Bay, bringing extraordinary colour and movement to a landscape that might otherwise appear almost lifeless.
What intrigues me most is the way life flourishes in places where you might least expect it. Desert-adapted elephants survive in Damaraland, plants and animals have developed remarkable ways of conserving water, and entire ecosystems persist in environments that seem almost incapable of supporting them.
Of course, Namibia is more than its spectacular landscapes. It is a country facing significant challenges, including poverty, unemployment and inequality. I wouldn’t want to romanticise the country simply because its scenery is extraordinary. The lives of the people who inhabit these landscapes matter just as much as the landscapes themselves.
If I went, I’d certainly take a guided tour. In a country so different from Australia, I’d want to travel with someone who knows the geography, history, wildlife and people. I’ve increasingly come to appreciate the value of local knowledge when travelling.
Perhaps that’s what appeals to me about Namibia. It’s a reminder that the natural world is far more resourceful and surprising than we imagine. Even in the most unlikely places, life finds ways to flourish.
I’d like to see that for myself.
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