The Quivertree Forest (Kokerboomwoud) sits 14km north-east of Keetmanshoop, 75km north of Hobas, and is one of the most distinctive botanical landscapes in southern Africa. Approximately 250 kokerboom trees (Aloidendron dichotomum, formerly Aloe dichotoma) grow across a rocky hillside in a density not found elsewhere in their range. Combined with the Giants’ Playground immediately adjacent, the two sites make a half-day trip that rewards both botanists and photographers.
The Quivertree (Kokerboom)
The quivertree is a succulent tree that grows in the arid regions of southern Namibia and the Northern Cape of South Africa. It stores water in its fleshy trunk, which is covered in a pale, powdery bark that peels to reveal a yellow-green layer beneath. The common name comes from the San people’s practice of using the hollow branches as quivers for arrows.
The trees at the Keetmanshoop Forest reach up to 7 metres and are estimated at 200 to 300 years old. They are under pressure from climate change, the combination of increasing temperature and drought stress is causing mortality at the southern range margins, which gives the Keetmanshoop forest an additional conservation significance.
Fotografie: Dawn and dusk are the optimal windows; the trees are spectacular at golden hour with the warm light on the pale bark. Astrophotography with the trees as foreground is a classic image type; clear new-moon nights provide the best conditions.
Giants’ Playground
Immediately adjacent to the Quivertree Forest, the Giants’ Playground is an area of massive dolerite boulders, rounded by weathering and stacked in formations that appear architectural. The boulders range from head-height to several metres in diameter, arranged in combinations that create cave-like passages and elevated platforms.
The geological explanation is mundane compared to the visual effect: dolerite intrusions hardened into the surrounding rock, then differential weathering removed the softer host rock, leaving the harder dolerite boulders in their current arrangement. The process took millions of years; the visual impression it produced took considerably less time to appreciate.
Praktische Notizen
Ort: 14km north-east of Keetmanshoop on the D650. Entry: Private farm; small entry fee. Dauer: 2 to 3 hours for both sites. Best timing: Dawn or late afternoon for both sites; the quivertree forest is approximately 20 minutes from the Hobas direction on the B1 north. Combination with Fish River Canyon: Visited either on arrival from the north (stopping before Hobas) or on departure heading north toward Windhoek.