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Life on the Skeleton Coast

^{Casey-Ann Seaniger | AUGUST 2009}

Three years ago, Sally Henderson set out for what she believed would be a trip of a lifetime. Located in one of the most isolated safari camps in the world on the Skeleton Coast of Africa, the conditions were harsh and forbidding. This is Sally’s story of being lost and found among the elephants of Namibia.

It was meant to be a story of animal conservation, becoming at one with nature and Sally’s meanderings among the desert elephants.

Instead, in Sally’s memoir, Ivory Moon, she tells a much different story where she confronts isolation, dangerous encounters with wildlife, cultural differences, physical trauma and even death.

Sally’s love affair with animals began when she was a child, but it was not until an elephant saved her life from a pack of lions in Botswana that she really began to follow the life of elephants.

Her passion to help conserve endangered African wildlife was fulfilled in 1990 when she travelled to Zimbabwe to work on an elephant research project.

But after seeing the dreadful treatment of animals by humans in Zimbabwe, she wanted to do more.

“I had a single-minded need to simply ‘be’ in an African wilderness that remains pristine because it is inhospitable to humans, to hear the silence and gain the assurance that there are places in the natural world that still hold the power to repel the incursions of our kind,’’ she said.

So in 2006, Sally and husband Jeremy took on a three month stint working as volunteer managers for a remote safari operation at Hoanib River Camp in Namibia.

It was the only way Sally could stay for an extended period of time in the northern Namib Desert to study desert elephants.

“It is probably the most remote safari camp in the world. It’s an incredible place of myth and magic and, to me, Namibia is the most amazing place on the planet.’’

To set the scene, Hoanib River Camp is around seven hours by car to the local store, travelling through dunes, dry river beds and canyons.

It never rains so few people live there except some tribal people. There is no access to first aid. Helicopters cannot land there as it is too unreliable. Malaria and parasites are common.

“The logistics were terrifying,’’ Sally said. “We had one man spend the whole day, from 4am until 10pm at night, doing two round trips to bring in water, he drove 360kms every day just for water.’’

It was not long after arriving that Sally discovered this pristine place of stillness was anything but.

“I went there thinking, ‘it won’t be hard - I am a woman who’d lived with a herd of elephants for goodness’s sake- I can do anything’,’’ she said.

There were six staff members from three different tribes assisting Sally and Jeremy.

Sally was meant to be in charge of the camp but she soon discovered it was a man’s world and she did not belong.

“They gave me absolute hell,’’ she said sternly.” It was not nature that prevailed over me: it was the men.’’

They insulted her, yelled at her, made her cook the food and treated her like dirt. One of the men, Tensie, introduced himself as “I am the one”.

“They tested me to the very edge of sanity really but I didn’t judge their attitude to women because it’s cultural, it’s not chosen.”

The emotional hurt was compounded by the isolation she felt from her husband who backed away whenever the men insulted her.

Because of his problems with sleep apnoea and his machine breaking down, Jeremy went to sleep on the other side of camp, around 300 metres away, and Sally retreated even further into herself.

“There was this complete alienation; I thought we’d died and gone to hell,’’ she said.

“My husband, this most wonderful, compassionate man, stood back and let me go through it alone and at the time it was very painful. I felt everyone had betrayed me, especially Jeremy.’’

I ask her, if, in hindsight, would she have wanted him to stand up against the men.

“I think I wanted him to come to me and say, ‘if you can’t take this anymore, we’ll leave’ and he never did that.

“But it ended up being the best thing ever,’’ she said. “He’s very wise and he knew that if he interfered and said ‘don’t you speak like that to my wife’ that that would be the end of me and there would be no chance of me being respected like an equal.’’

Other than her trouble with the men, one of the most harrowing experiences she encountered was getting lost in the desert at night.

“When I got lost I thought I was dead for sure,’’ she said. “It was well into the evening, I was lost without water and it was very hot during the day and it was about to drop down to sub zero temperatures. Everything looks the same out in the dunes.

“But I was saved by something extraordinary.” In an amazing turn of events, a springbok appeared and led her to safety where Jeremy had been searching for her.

Sally was also experiencing other intangible experiences surrounding dreams and myths.

“I would have this constant dream about this girl who died and in those times my elephant friend Charles would come to my tent and just stand there, he only ever came when I had that dream,’’ she said.

“All my black and white friends have said that first elephant who saved me was the spirit of Africa and it had come to save me because of the conservation work I had to do. So I don’t know whether I believe in that, but they do.”

Throughout her time, Sally found solace with Charles, Sam the springbok and another elephant, Clarissa.

Reflecting on her time, Sally says she learnt a lot about Africa, elephants and life in general.

“What I find exhausting back here is the anxiety we all have around us. We’ve got regret for the past, fear for the future, instead of living totally in the moment because there only ever is the moment and that’s what I feel when I’m in Africa,’’ she said.

Despite it all, one can tell she is forever grateful for all the wonderful experiences.

“By the time I’d left that place, I absolutely loved it. I got what I went there for,’’ she said as her eyes light up.

“I have lived a life some see as crazy. But it’s mine and it’s been fun to believe anything is possible.

“So when I drove away after they sang us this beautiful lullaby, I didn’t look back.’’

If the adventure was gruelling and the living was harsh, the trip did her no harm as she was told she came back looking younger.

“It was a bit brave to go when we were older. But it also keeps you young doing these things.’’

The government has since closed down the camp.

“It turns out that it was so impossible to run that camp that we were the only nutters who could so now it’s not operating,’’ she laughed.

Sally, who was born in Toowoomba and now lives on the Sunshine Coast, says she is looking forward to settling down and spending time with her husband, children and grandchildren here in Australia.

But it is clear her heart will always belong to Africa.

“Our last trip there was meant to be a final reunion with the elephants but I’m going back again soon for a short trip. I want to see if I’ve resolved all the things that happened to me.

“I also want to see if there are any more opportunities.

“My quest forever has been to search for a brown hyena and I still didn’t see it,” she said raising her eyebrows with a coy smile.

“But that’s OK. Quests should always be kept open don’t you think?’’

Ivory Moon by Sally Henderson is published by MacMillan Australia and is available for $34.99.