Mesosaurus Fossil Camp – south of Namibia

Rocks, fossils and quiver-tree forests

by Ron Swilling

It was here that giants of old placed boulders one on top of the other in artistic displays or tests of strength, and nature’s sprites delighted one another by planting corky quiver trees on rocky hillsides.

The imagination is understandably stimulated in this area in southern Namibia, 40 km north-east of Keetmanshoop where quiver trees grow in profusion. Giel Steenkamp says he has more than 5 000 of the trees growing on his 7 500-hectare farm. He and his son Hendrik offer guided tours to both these features between tending their sheep and goats, which includes the star attraction, Mesosaurus fossils – reptiles that lived in the shallow seas of Southern Africa and South America 250–270 million years ago.

When Giel was rebuilding his farm road, Hendrik came to show him a piece of rock that had been unearthed. It had an interesting crack in it, and when Giel hit the fissure, it opened to reveal a partial fossil. He excitedly phoned his brother-in-law, a professor of Zoology in Stellenbosch, who eventually directed him to a Dr Oelofson, who identified it as the Mesosaurus fossil. Resembling a small crocodile with a long snout and long thin teeth for filter feeding, these 35-millimetre to 1-metre fossils were the subject matter of Dr Oelofson’s PhD thesis.

The fossils that Giel shows on the tour are all ones that had opened naturally, with the exception of the initial specimen. Holding a rock embedded with the shape of the upper tail of this ancient creature, Giel says with a glint in his eye, “I’m happy to say that I’m the youngest fossil on the farm.” After his informative and interesting explanation of the fossils, which takes you on a long mind-boggling journey back into Earth history, he leads the way to the quiver trees and dolerite rocks. The abundance of trees and block-like rock sculptures make a striking landscape. Before leaving you to wander through the magical landscape, he offers a surprise show. Standing in front of one of the rock sculptures with a small stone in hand, he plays musical stones, inviting you to “Guess the tune.”

Frere Jacques comes across loud and clear, and as an encore, the South African national anthem – Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika – rings though the landscape. His final words as he leaves you in wonder are: “Enjoy yourself; make it your place,” giving you time to take photographs and absorb the interesting scenery.

The guided tours are offered daily for Mesosaurus Fossil Camp guests and visitors. The camp itself, run by the family (Giel, his son Hendrik and daughter-in-law Noleen, who is in charge of the administration of the enterprise) is a small, quiet, endearing and affordable camp and a welcome stop when travelling the main north-south route through the country. Four somewhat rustic thatch-roofed chalets, six camping sites and a bush camp are the accommodation options at Mesosaurus. Electricity and hot water are generated by solar panels. A kitchen for self-caterers makes cooking simple, while Noleen offers meals when pre-booked. Besides the ‘must-do’ one-hour guided tour, a 10-km unguided hiking trail and a 4×4-vehicle trail skirt the camp, while a nearby quiver-tree forest is an inspiring and picturesque place for early mornings or late afternoons when the trees catch the rays of the sun.

It is definitely worth the short early-morning drive to watch the trees bathed in gold when the sociable weavers leave their nest in bursts of chatter, or at close of day to take a sundowner drink while sitting amongst the fibrous trees in the afternoon light and, if you’re lucky, glimpsing a black eagle soaring in the sky.

The simple camp offers a peaceful respite from the road and a chance to recharge worn batteries and fill up energy levels that are hovering on empty. 

This article appeared in the Dec ‘11/ Jan ‘12 edition of Travel News Namibia.