Located in eastern Namibia is the city of Gobabis. In the Omaheke Region it is the regional capital. The city of Windhoek is located 204 kilometres to the east of the city. Gobabis is a proud cattle farming area, and the city has a large Brahman bull statue on the outskirts of the city. The region is traditionally home to the Herero people.
There are approximately 1,800 people that inhabit the city and 800 odd local farms that make up the surrounding area. The Omaheke region is a humungous 80,000 square kilometres of land that borders the Kalahari Desert. The scenery is desperately monotonous, with vies as far as the eye can see of grassy savannah with the occasional Camelthorn tree and Acacia bush.
In 1856 the city was settled by the Rhenish Mission Society. However, in 1880 the mission was destroyed and abandoned. Age old grudges between the Herero and the Nama people, caused a constant state of unrest in the area, and subsequently settlement by any European newcomers was stifled. Despite the Herero people signing agreements with the German colonial administration in 1895, it did not deter the Nama people wanting to fight.
Today in Gobabis many of the Herero people come to the city to do their shopping, both from the neighbouring villages in the Omaheke, and also from Botswana. It is quite a blast from days gone by to see the Herero women dressed in Victorian dresses which even include the typical headgear, they certainly do add some colour to the city.
The city of Gobabis does its own airstrip, but it is primarily used for smaller light aircraft. The nearest major airport is the Hosea Kutako Windhoek International Airport which is some 155 kilometres from the city.
One thing you will notice in Gobabis is the extensive variety of native bird life, which includes ostriches, secretary birds, birds of prey as well as other migratory species of birds. There is also a museum located on the outskirts of the city, the Gobabis Museum. It is home to a range of old agricultural paraphernalia and historic artefacts of the people and native tribes of the Omaheke Region.
There are also a large number of safari trips that can be taken from the city, some of them go for quite a few nights in length, and are all inclusive. They afford you an excellent opportunity to see some of the regions true native wildlife such as Zebra, Kudu, White Rhino, Oryx, Gemsbok, Impala, Warthog, Blue Wildebeest, and different breeds of Hartebeest, Roan, Giraffe, Eland, Zable, Springbok, Cheetah, Leopard, Blesbok and many more.