Starting at the dry pan close to the entrance of the Vogelstrausskluft, an almost plain plateau stretches to the Canyon Rim, 15km east of the old farmhouse. Savannahs change into fields of various rocks, streaked by sandy, dried out watercourses or small groups of trees.

Although it's exposed to the sun without much protection, this part is among the most fertile on the farm area. During rain season water gathers in dips and forms shallow lakes, that, depending on the amount of rain fallen, can reach dimensions of several hundred meters. Because the water can not drain, a part of it oozes into in the ground and builds up reservoirs of ground water - the rest evaporates in the sun. Desert plants with deep tap-roots like the Kamelthorn tree use these reservoirs to survive the droughts.

When rain finally falls again the dried out ground only can absorb the water slowly. Therefore most of it flows off and forms wide wash-outs of red Kalahari sand. They streak the plateau in several places and mostly end in one of the dips or a valley. Like beneath the dips ground water reservoirs or even small subsurface flows form underneath. The wash-outs normally are easy to identify even from afar because of the dense vegetation and small groves that grow in their vicinity. These groups of trees offer shelter, feed and water for a variety of animals, so there's always the possibility to watch some there.

A few water pumps driven by wind energy, that are left from times when sheep were farmed still, create additional locations for animals to find feed and water. Therefore the plateau is the home of most bigger animals on the Vogelstrausskluft. Nearly all kinds of game can living on the farm can be found here.


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