Day 2:

The next morning we were fortunate enough to explore some sections of the farm, and had a visual on the wild horses of the Namib.

Tearing ourselves away, we headed west towards Aus and turned towards the Namib Naukluft Park, were we stayed on the beautiful farm Namtib, at the foot of the Tiras Mountains.

There we were joined by the Johannesburg contingency, comprising of Sarel van der Merwe, JC Erasmus, Tom Mellon, Bennie van Rensburg and Elza Thiart. Dr. Hannes Holtzhausen and Wessel Kotze accompanied us into the Naukluft Park, with Volker Janke of Coastway Tours heading the convoy as tourguide

Day 3:

Straight away the awesomeness of our surroundings were evident in the amount of stops that had to be made for the TV crew of TopCar as well as all the photographers amongst us. The first dunes were encountered with very little difficulty

Fortunately the first part of dune crossing were relatively small and easy, seeing that all had a bit of nerves to deal with, as well as very heavy loads on the double cabs. Later during the afternoon, we crossed some bigger dunes, and a bit of navigation were needed to get across.
We also visited the sight of a broken down bulldozer and were reminded of our vulnerability amongst these giant dunes. It was with a sigh of relief that we were able to set up camp a little bit earlier that evening, giving all a chance to unpack and set up camp with the last hour of sunlight.

Day 4:

Breaking up camp and packing the vehicles are now becoming a whole lot easier, as everybody seems to find there way around the huge task of logistics with great efficiency.
On our way to the coastal dune belt, we passed the wreck of an old truck called Suzy, that made another great photo opportunity. Then the mother and father of all dunes lay ahead of us and were negotiated by all with extra care and light tread.

Our ladies team did exceptionally well, and I think we are correct in claiming that they are the first all female team to drive such an amount of kilometers through these dunes and on this trail, without any problems.

Upon reaching Meob Bay, Helene did confess a very big need of sustenance of some sort, to calm the nerves. Well done girls!!

From there it was back to the coast and driving past the wreck of the Edward T. Bohlen, via Conception Bay, back into the dune belt to find the best spot for setting up camp. Everybody agreed that this was an awesome day, and are very happy and fortunate to have experienced it, with such wonderful vehicles, and sponsors who made it all possible.

Day 5:

Camping amongst the Namib Dunes for the last night, was a great opportunity to do another sing along, watch the stars, and do a countdown with Helene, celebrating her 40th birthday!!
As we left the Naukluft Park the next morning, the desert put up its best show, and we just had to stop for some more photo opportunities.

It was with regret that we left this part of the journey and moved on towards Walvisbay and Swakopmund to restock. We bought supplies, refueled, restocked 17 vehicles, for 7 days, in one hour!!!! This can only be accomplished with the best team on earth!! Thanks guys. What would we do without you? Stayed homed probably!!.

At Swakopmund Dr. Hannes Holtzhausen took us for a quick sight seeing through the aquarium and we were joined with the fly-inn delegation from Pretoria. Happy to spent some time with the people who has to sign the cheques and get to know them. We put up a fine show, but also on a note of sadness, we had to say goodbye to Waldo and Thys, who return to Pretoria and to work!! Thanks Nico for giving them some time off to travel with us, they have been such a great help. Also for the lovely jackets, they are just what we need against the coast!!

We were joined by a new group of journalists, as well as the Jan Sime and Rudi Venter of Topcar. Welcome to the group guys, hope you fit in well.

Day 6:

This morning we will be breaking camp, leaving civilization for the last time, to head towards Cape Cross, where we have been invited to have brunch with Dr. Burger Oelofsen at his lodge. That will be a change to our routine of camp breakfast!! Then it is on towards the Kunene, via Terrace Bay and Rocky Point.

The high tide at Conception Bay in the Namib Naukluft Park meant the entire Eco-Challenge 2002 convoy had to turn inland to continue their journey to the Kunene River mouth. This was previously thought impossible, but the entire convoy of 15 Mitsubishi Colts and Mitsubishi Pajeros completed this tough route without a hitch.

The convoy continued over the roaring dunes of the Namib to the campsite in the middle of the Conception Dune belt, bordering the Kuseb river. The next day the Eco-Challenge continued through the final part of the first leg through the Namib Naukluft Park to Walvis Bay.

"This task was completed without one mechanical failure or flat tyre, which is the norm for this kind of experience," said Gerhard Groenewald, mastermind behind the Eco-Challenge.

The next day the final leg of the Namib Desert was completed and the convey reached Walvis Bay where, with the help of the eight finalist teams, the convoy was restocked and fueled for the final leg of the expedition within one hour.

A number of DaimlerChrysler executives and motoring journalists joined the Eco-Challenge for the evening and the night was spent at a luxury caravan park in Henties Bay. For the first time the expedition members and guests had the luxury of a hot shower.

In Henties Bay the convoy was joined by specialist anglers from the Henties Bay Angling Club. These anglers joined the Eco-Challenge to share in their wealth of knowledge during the tag and release programme of the Bronze Whaler, also known as the Copper Shark. This shark is being irresponsibly harvested by fishing traulers off the Namibian and Angolan coasts.

This was followed by a long and tiring journey through the Skeleton Coast Park and the Extreme Wilderness area north of Terrace Bay, to overnight in the prehistoric river bed called Hoarusib. At one point the convoy of Mitsubishis took a wrong turn and were forced to reverse in their tracks for more than two kilometres not to disturb the delicate eco-system of the Skeleton Coast.

This evening the teams are preparing themselves for the tag and release exercises during the next three days on their journey to the Kunene River mouth.

Lionel Lewis, one of the competitors said, "Today I felt very small and insignificant travelling through the vast Skeleton Coast park. Your heart has to be right to be here, and the fact that we had to reverse so far today bears testiment to that. It was not one or two people who decided that, it was the entire Eco-Challenge convoy. And that, to my mind is important."

This morning contestants, staff and guests woke up to a beautiful day in the Skeleton Coast Park after a good night's rest in the Hoarusib river bed. There was a warm wind coming from inland and all thought it was to be a warm day along the Skeleton Coast.

After a quick breakfast and a talk on the Bronze Wale (Copper Shark) from Dr Hannes Holtzhausen, senior bioligist of the Namibian Ministery of Fisheries and Marine Resources, the Eco-Challenge convoy set off to look for the sharks and to get a little closer to their end destination, the Kunene River mouth.

Soon after the convoy set off the wind became unpleasant, blowing sand over the tracks and making it difficult to see the way ahead. It took a great deal of concentration to avoid cutting a tyre on a hidden sharp stone and making sure you kept the car ahead in sight. The temperature also shot to an uncomfortable 40 degrees by 09h30. This was to change again drastically.

After about an hour the convoy saw a raft on the beach that was apparantly made for a stowaway who sneaked aboard a ship, was thrown overboard and had to cling to the raft to save his life. Dr Holtshauzen said he had been in the area in April this year and the raft was not there. The only conclusion was that this had happened recently. Everybody was a bit wary of spotting the stowaway's body and continued on in silence.

Another grim reminder of how tough and unforgiving the coast can be wasn't far ahead: the convoy stopped at a grave honouring two sailors who died in an attempt to rescue survivors of the Dunedin Star, a British ship that was wrecked in 1942. This prompted an epic 26-day rescue effort that seemed doomed: of the several ships that came to give aid, at least one was itself wrecked, and an aircraft, after being bogged in the sand while landing, crashed into the sea on its way home.

The convoy passed through the Khumib river where rhino, elephant and even lion have been spotted, before stopping near Cape Fria to look for good fishing spots for the Copper Shark and the tag and release programme.

At this point the weather changed again competely, the wind - which had been howling - died down and the sky was a beautiful blue. The temperature also dropped to the early 20s. Some time was spent at a spot the fishermen believed they would be able to catch some shark, but with no luck.

The convoy decided to push on to Angria Fria, stopping first at the overnight spot against a dune on the edge of a salt pan. The fishermen left to try their luck again but returned quite quickly - the weather had changed again, the wind came up, mist appeared on the coast and it became cold.

With an afternoon to kill it was time for some gymkhana driving, to test the teams' communication and driving skills, with drivers blindfolded and navigators talking them through a course.

Tomorrow the convoy will again try to tag some shark at Cape Fria and will continue to the Kunene River mouth, which will be reached in the next day or so.

Kunene River Mouth - Those magnificent men and women in their 4x4 machines have done it !

The 4x4 Eco Challenge achieved its twin objectives at the weekend, not only catching the first bronze whaler sharks in an ambitious tag-and-release conservation programme, but also reaching the northern-most tip of Namibia at the Kunene River border with Angola.

"This is 4x4 heaven," organiser Gerhard Groenewald enthused, as the convoy of 16 Mitsubishi Colt and Pajero 4x4s stopped alongside the Kunene River, having covered 2 775 km since the start in Cape Town on August 3, the last few days through deep power-sapping sand in the Namib Desert and Skeleton Coast National Park.

While it was a time of jubilation as the convoy reached their northern objective, the participants photographing each other and the rugged Mitsubishi vehicles against a backdrop of pelicans, flamingos and seals surfing in the icy Atlantic Ocean, another great adventure was unfolding.

Next on the hectic schedule was the start of Operation Bronze Whaler, with two-member teams required to catch sharks from the shore as part of a tag-and-release programme under the supervision of Namibian marine resources and conservation officials.

Dr Hannes Holtzhausen, senior fisheries biologist with the Namibian Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, said it was important to monitor migratory populations that are prized both by anglers and a sometimes unscrupulous fishing industry that harvests the sharks primarily for the Eastern delicacy of shark fin soup.

"We are hoping to work closely with our Angolan counterparts, who share our concerns about the future of the bronze whaler, with the tag-and-release programme likely to confirm our belief that a single shark population exists off the coast of Namibia and Angola."

By nightfall on Saturday 52 sharks had been caught, tagged and returned to the sea, hopefully to provide important clues for a strategy to ensure their long-term survival.

For participants in the 4x4 Eco Challenge, it is a chance to play a key role in highlighting the urgent need for responsible off-road driving, while acquiring and honing new skills.

At stake for the winning team of two is the honour of being named the 2002 Eco Champions, having demonstrated an Earth-friendly approach to 4x4 driving and keen understanding of Humankind's responsibilities to a fragile and threatened environment.

The Mitsubishi Motors division of DaimlerChrysler South Africa has taken a lead with its sponsorship of the Eco-Challenge and commitment to responsible 4x4 use and eco-friendly tourism.

Spokesperson Bennie van Rensburg, who is on the event, said: "Each and every 4x4 driver needs to play a part in our custodianship of the planet, with the potential to cause major damage if we are short-sighted, selfish or ignorant. We need to ensure the well-being of the world our children and children's children will inherit."

Kunene River Mouth, Namibia - What do sharks, 4x4 vehicles and the dreams of dedicated conservationists have in common?

Everything, it transpired this week, when finalists in the Mitsubishi-sponsored 4x4 Eco Challenge helped transform a conservation vision into breathtaking reality, launching Operation Bronze Whaler in Namibia's Skeleton Coast Park.

Against the backdrop of international concern about the long-term survival of the Bronze Whaler, which is also known as the copper shark, an ambitious tag-and-release programme saw more than 150 sharks caught in the first phase of an international research project.

The shark, which is prized both as a delicacy on restaurant menus in the Far East, and as a fierce fighting fish by sport anglers, is seen as crucial to nature's delicate balance, helping to control various fish populations lower down the food chain.

According to Dr Hannes Holtzhausen, senior fisheries biologist with the Namibian Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, : "Large-scale harvesting of the shark in Angolan waters by a sometimes unscrupulous fishing industry, primarily for shark fin soup, has raised serious questions about its future.

"With so little known about these sharks, it was decided that a tag-and-release programme was essential as the first phase of a research project that is likely to confirm our belief that a single shark population exists off the coast of Namibia and Angola.

"But, to be quite candid, no budget was immediately available for the project and it was only with the intervention and financial backing of the 4x4 Eco Challenge that the dream became reality."

A jubilant Eco Challenge founder and organiser Gerhard Groenewald, said: "We'd hoped to tag-and-release 100 Bronze Whalers, but in just three days 151 of these magnificent crreatures were caught, tagged and released again, hopefully to provide important clues to their habits and habitats."

Each of the Eco Challenge finalists, who are competing in eight two-member teams, fished under the supervision of local conservationists and expert anglers, with astonishing results.

The Skeleton Coast Park is notorious for ferocious storms that build mountainous waves, but instead nature seemed to smile on the project, providing near perfect conditions that saw a record number of Bronze Whalers brought ashore to be measured and tagged.

Poetically it was an exhausted Gerhard Groenewald who landed the 100th fish, after an epic struggle, with the Eco Challenge also proving that age and sex were no barriers to success.

The oldest contestant, 58-year-old Dave Sawers of KwaZulu-Natal landed the biggest shark after being dragged more than 2km along the shoreline, while his wife Sheila was among those who successfully landed bigger examples of the shark recognised as the fiercest fighter in Namibian waters.

For participants in the 4x4 Eco Challenge, it has also been a chance to play a key role in highlighting the urgent need for responsible off-road driving, while acquiring and honing new skills.

Starting in Cape Town on August 3, the contestants have already covered more than 3 000 km in identical Mitsubishi Colt Rodeos, with a series of driving challenges that included the gigantic dunes of the Namib Desert.

They finish back in the Western Cape on Friday, August 16.

At stake for the winning team of two is the honour of being named the 2002 Eco Champions, having demonstrated an Earth-friendly approach to 4x4 driving and keen understanding of Humankind's responsibilities to a fragile and threatened environment.

The Mitsubishi Motors division of DaimlerChrysler South Africa has taken a lead with its sponsorship of the Eco Challenge and commitment to responsible 4x4 use and eco-friendly tourism, with growing international interest likely to see the annual event opened to contestants from a number of additional countries next year.