Brandberg White Lady Lodge, Dune 7 and a Blown Turbo in Namibia

The drive from Puros to White Lady Lodge

Welcome back to our Tusk & Tyre Namibian journey, Where Paths Begin. So far the road has been beautiful, scenes beyond what anyone can imagine. But the higher the reward, the higher the price. This episode we visit the beautiful White Lady Lodge, Corné has to replan for some serious fixes, and the team enjoys quad bikes on the infamous Dune 7. Is the risk and reward worth it? Let's find out on Part 7 of Tusk & Tyre: Where Paths Begin.

We left off the last episode driving from Twyfelfontein to White Lady Lodge, where I slashed a tyre and didn't want to do the Messum Crater without a spare wheel. What happened the next day when we left White Lady Lodge still gives me chills down my shoulders. But let's rewind a little, to earlier in the day, and start this episode.

We had an awesome, awesome drive from Puros to White Lady Lodge today. We left at about quarter past eight and drove all the way to Twyfelfontein. We filled up with diesel at Palmwag, where I put in 293 litres, which gave me a consumption of 3.3 kilometres per litre. That was about 6,700 kays of being in 4x4. Some low range, some high range, some thick sand, some not so thick sand, climbing the Hartmansvlakte, that mountain pass, and going over Rooidrom Pass. So that drank a bit of diesel.

At Twyfelfontein we went to the Burnt Mountain, where a volcano exploded millions and millions of years ago, and to the Organ Pipes, as you saw in the footage. Then, stopping at Twyfelfontein, another bolt broke on the trailer, on the leaf-spring axles. Replaced it quickly. We're professionals at that already. Fifteen minutes and the new bolts were in.

Tyre and rim trouble on the tar

As we joined the little stretch of tar road between Twyfelfontein and White Lady Lodge, about 20 kays, I had a flat tyre. A brand new Cooper mud-terrain. That tyre looks like it's got a million kilometres on it, and it didn't last. So we changed it quickly and put on the rim that was cracked, the one we'd fixed with Pratley Putty. That fix seemed to hold. It doesn't make the rim stronger, but it keeps the tyre from deflating.

Then we stopped at a granite campsite, and the prices were just ridiculous. 600 rand a night per person, and there's eight of us, so you can work out the maths. We left and had another 130 kilometres to White Lady Lodge. By the time we arrived it was late, so we decided to have dinner at the restaurant. It feels like five star. We haven't had any luxuries for the last 10 or 11 days, I'm not sure. It's ten to ten now. We're going to head to camp, pitch, and straight to bed. Tomorrow we're going to Swakop. So stay tuned, see how this journey goes further.

Fixing the rim at White Lady Lodge

So our Pratley steel fix didn't hold. It held for 200 kilometres, then it failed. Here at White Lady Lodge they've got a workshop helping me put the good tyre on the good rim. I don't know what I'm going to do for a spare wheel. I suppose I can find a tyre in Swakop, but I've got no extra rims, since the rims on the trailer are sixteens. If I really have to, I can put the front tyres to the back and the sixteens in the front. Let's see how they get on fixing those rims.

As you can see, it's old-style fixing with tyre levers, which isn't a small job, and it's going to take a couple of hours. But in the bush, you make plans. Luckily there are places like White Lady Lodge. So I put the good tyre on the good rim, and we're ready to roll again. Just waiting for the rest of the friends. They took the hike up to the White Lady Bushman painting while I was getting the tyre sorted.

It's stinking hot here at White Lady Lodge, so I just got in the pool. Wet my Aussie chiller, and I'm enjoying the view. Let me show you what it looks like. This is what it looks like at White Lady Lodge. It really feels like five stars after coming from the Kaokoland. Beautiful swimming pools. Pizza oven's going. Relaxing while I wait for the rest of the crew. I actually don't want to be them, hiking that mountain you see in the far distance, in this heat, going up to a White Lady Bushman painting. I'm going to look at the pictures.

From here we're going to head straight to Swakop, see if we can fix that rim. Don't know how long it'll take. See if I can find a tyre of that size. It's a 37/12.5R17, so not a very common size, but I'm sure somewhere in Namibia there will be one, even if they have to bring it from Windhoek.

The storm we drove past

We left White Lady Lodge at around two o'clock on the 30th of December, 2025. Far out on the horizon, you could already see it. Something was brewing. As we got closer to Uis, the sky started to close in. The clouds went heavy and dark, the wind picked up, and then came the lightning, followed by rain that felt almost out of place in this dry country.

At the turnoff, Uis was left, Henties Bay was right. We took the right, but I couldn't stop looking back at what was building over that valley. It had an eerie feeling, like the air itself was warning you. Because in Namibia, storms like that don't just bring rain. They bring consequences. The rivers wake up, and when they do, things change fast.

We drove on to Swakopmund, honestly thinking it was just another dramatic sky, another beautiful weather moment. We had no idea what we'd just slipped past, and how narrow that margin really was. Only the next day, social media exploded. Flash floods, flowing rivers, cars swept away, people cut off, unable to move. And that's when it hit us: we didn't just miss a storm, we missed the aftermath.

I'll be honest, I'm in two minds about it. Part of me has always wanted to see Namibia's rivers in full flood, because it's rare, it's powerful, and it's unforgettable. But the other part of me felt chills down my neck when I realised what could have been. Because out here, you don't play games with moving water. You don't hope you'll make it. You stop, you check, you wait. Only when you're absolutely sure do you even think about crossing. That day we didn't witness the flood, but we felt its shadow. And sometimes that's enough to remind you just how quickly the desert can turn.

Swakopmund and the coast

We finally made it to Swakop, to the beach. Look at this beautiful sunset. There I was, just in time to take a couple of pictures. Unfortunately I didn't video it properly for you guys. But it's awesome to be at the coast. It's cooled down significantly from what we're used to, coming from Kaokoland and Damaraland into here. Swakop Beach. Always awesome to be here.

Of course, we weren't supposed to come to Swakop, so we didn't book, and the only secure campsite available was Mile 4, which I don't mind. I've camped at Mile 4 before for about two weeks without any incidents, and it was awesome. We're going to be here two nights, then move to Alte Brücke for two nights. Trying to sort out Motsumi's tyres. I need to get the rim fixed and I need to get a tyre. A 37/12.5R17 is not going to be easy in this place, but hopefully we'll manage. I'll keep you guys updated.

Dune 7 and the quad bikes

We're on our way to Dune 7 for the kids to go quad biking. It's the start of the celebrations for Aiden's 18th birthday.

Welcome back to the YouTube channel. Today we're going to ride the dunes. It's going to be fun. Little shame, the girl was stressing, as she's never, never, ever ridden quads before. What to say. Quads and dunes. We came to Dune 7, close to Walvis Bay, doing the touristish things that overlanders normally don't do. But some of us do, as we've got the kids with us. They wanted to come ride quads in the dunes at Dune 7. I'll try to show you some of the dune, but the sun is unforgiving. Dune 7, you can see there in the back.

Apparently one of Namibia's biggest dunes, standing at 383 metres. I can remember reading on the geology of it: sand brought to the ocean by wind and rain from inland, and then from the ocean it formed this dune belt, as we know it from Swakop up to Lüderitz. It might even reach Alexander Bay.

I was not up to it, as I've done these quad rides plenty of times before, and to me it's quite boring. I'm quite a wild cat when I get on a quad, and on these quads you've got to behave, which is very difficult for me to do. Just hanging around, having a couple of drinks, waiting for them to come back, and enjoying the Namibian relentless sun. It's Stefan's eldest son's 18th birthday today, so I think that's the biggest reason for the quad. Tonight we're going to have dinner at Kuki's Pub for his 18th. I'm sure we'll enjoy that. I'll show you some footage of where they've gone, and maybe I can catch them when they come back. The dad's the one that plays the most.

Let's go get the gist of it. How did they enjoy it? Did they make it? Did they come off? Who knows?

It was lekker, a once in a lifetime experience. No falls, but a fright or two. We drove around the green dune and went up one big dune. The descents, the turns and the braking took some getting used to on the first run, but by the end everyone had ridden the dunes, fast and then slow. Everyone got stuck the first time, but a bit of help on the clutch sorted it out.

Looks like they enjoyed it. You can hear, it's just chitter chatter and adrenaline pumping. So off to Kuki's it is, for the 18th birthday party. What a fun day at the quads. And if you ever wondered where Namibians spend their New Year's Eve, keep watching.

Motsumi blows a turbo

So yesterday, another stone in the road I've got to get rid of. Motsumi decided to blow a turbo. It's either the turbo bearing or the oil seal, because it's bypassing oil into the air intake, which can be fatal for the engine. If that oil gets into the combustion chambers, you'll get a runaway engine, and since it's a diesel it'll just over-rev and eventually break a crank or a con rod. Luckily I caught it fast. The engine was still cold. It was just as we pulled out of camp.

Went back to camp, and yesterday was New Year's Day, so I could do nothing about it. This morning I made a few calls and eventually found a turbo in Windhoek, and they've got a branch in Walvis Bay that's open. So Stefan took me to Walvis Bay. We paid for the turbo and we'll pick it up tomorrow. Also found a mechanic who'll fit it for us tomorrow. If everything goes well and he finishes early, we'll leave for Lüderitz.

All in all, still a good day. Drove to Walvis Bay, paid for the turbo, came back, then spent the afternoon in Swakop, walking around the strip malls, on the pier, along the beach. They've got a small kermis, I don't know what you call that. The kids were rollerblading and had some fun. You can see I'm not shaved. Stefan's also not shaved, the kids challenged us. They said we won't make the holiday without shaving. So, challenge accepted. We haven't shaved since the 10th of December, as you can see.

This trip is really, really testing my patience, with breakages and having to fix things. But this is overlanding. You've got to keep positive, fix it as it goes, and just keep going. What else can you do? Tonight we've got a nice dinner at the Brauhaus in Swakopmund, and I'm looking forward to that. Let's see where this takes us. Let's see tomorrow how the turbo gets fixed, or even if it's the right turbo, and we'll take it from there. Cheers, cheers, cheers.

We decided to pull a prank on Aiden. Stay tuned. Just keep watching.

Fitting the new turbo in Walvis Bay

Morning. I'm on the way with Motsumi to Walvis Bay. I'm limping, trying not to let the turbo engage. I'm going to pick up the turbo and then go to the workshop to have it fitted. Let's hope it's the right turbo. Hold thumbs. I'll keep you guys updated.

Well, the new turbo is in. It's a bit different from the other one. Let's hope it works. Okay, so Motsumi's got a new turbo, but the exhaust is leaking on the flange where the turbo mounts to the exhaust manifold. They can only sort it out on Monday, as they can't find a helicoil or anything this time of day. It's twenty to five on a Saturday afternoon, so I guess I'm stuck here another two days. Hopefully by Monday we'll have it sorted and we'll be on the road again.

Will they get Motsumi fixed? We'll find out in the next episode. In the meantime, here are some things we did in Swakop while we were killing time. Enjoy. Stay safe. Be humble. See you next time.

Closing song

Here, where sand and waves dissolve in the evening glow,
time lingers for just a moment, before we're on our way again.
Not too loud, just close enough, for the heart to notice
that sometimes on the road, this is exactly where you belong.

And when tomorrow dust clings to our shoes again,
I'll carry this glowing treasure, that no one can give away.
Just a genuine image, that stays deeper within us.
Like a song in the background, that takes us homeward, ever onward.

Here, where sand and waves dissolve in the evening glow,
time lingers for just a moment, before we're on our way again.
Not too loud, just close enough, for the heart to notice
that sometimes on the road, this is exactly where you belong.