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- Thread starter Mortymoose
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OrbitalDawn
Ulysses Everett McGill
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What camera did you use for those?
Mortymoose
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Did you find any diamonds Mortymoose?
Is that a snake on the ground in the last photo "The Caves on Bogenfels Beach"
Chances of picking up diamonds were pretty slim, the germans did quite a thorough job up here and the guy leading the trip happened to be the Chief of the Security dept...
Interesting point about the diamond mining.... up until about 12 years ago, they believed that the land based diamond mining operations would come to a close in 2014.... but it turns out that after decades of building sea walls to keep the ocean back..... a new beach has formed some 300m out into the ocean and 90km long.... it is also reckoned that the value of the diamonds now to be recovered from that 300m surf zone will be worth more than all the diamonds mined on the land... so here we go again...
Here are a few photographs to illustrate this...
In 1976, the mine built a 300m long Jetty into the ocean to pump water into their plant! This is the 1st Photo.
In the 2nd Photo you can see a photo taken in 2013, where the end of the Jetty that use to be in the ocean is now on land and behind the seawalls.
In photo 3.... it get's interesting, this is the mine removing all the sand to get to the bedrock, where a treasure trove of diamonds can be found, see the Jetty exposed on land behind ? Do you see the line of Bulldozers? Well they were rediscovered, as they had been dumped next to the jetty during the construction phase in 1976. to help break the wave action......
Mortymoose
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Mostly a Sony Cybershot, 7.2meg..... el cheepo....
The one at the cave, taken with a Canon by my mate, not sure of the model, he is a Camera nut of sorts....
ToxicBunny
Oi! Leave me out of this...
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Dude.. you are a lucky bugger...
You live the life most of us city dwellers would love to have... Small town life with considerably less stress and such.. especially in a place so far away from everything.
You live the life most of us city dwellers would love to have... Small town life with considerably less stress and such.. especially in a place so far away from everything.
Grant
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interesting
i went there as a toddler to visit relatives.
my uncle was a geologist with de beers at the time
all i remember (was about 6) was sitting at the back of a great big mercedes as we drove past desolate sand for hours and hours and hours and hours.
i went there as a toddler to visit relatives.
my uncle was a geologist with de beers at the time
all i remember (was about 6) was sitting at the back of a great big mercedes as we drove past desolate sand for hours and hours and hours and hours.
HapticSimian
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Fascinating thread, Mortymoose. Thanks for taking the time to post. Though I suppose 'time' is something you have a fair bit of...
HavocXphere
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Nice.
Morty...second pic in thread...can you send me full res for that? Looks like a nice wallpaper candidate. Or even better all of them in high res - I've got a family member who loves that corner of the world.
"Do not spit on the ground" (huh?)
The grave says
Here rests in God ("in" being direct translation...RIP with religious overtones essentially).
Rudolf Hebebrand
Raboldshausen (<His place of birth I think)
Pomona (<Place of death / Don't know)
A letter or three might be wrong...that old alphabet is a mission.
Morty...second pic in thread...can you send me full res for that? Looks like a nice wallpaper candidate. Or even better all of them in high res - I've got a family member who loves that corner of the world.
"Do not spit on the ground" (huh?)
The grave says
Here rests in God ("in" being direct translation...RIP with religious overtones essentially).
Rudolf Hebebrand
Raboldshausen (<His place of birth I think)
Pomona (<Place of death / Don't know)
A letter or three might be wrong...that old alphabet is a mission.
Mortymoose
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We arrived at Bogenfels arch, about an hour before the sun was due to set in the west. As per normal for this part of the world, there was a fresh breeze blowing in over the Southern Atlantic from the South West ...
"Bogenfels is a location in the coastal Namib Desert of Namibia, noted for its natural rock formations (hence the name, which means "arch rock" in German). The main formation is a 55 metre high rock arch close to the coast. It is not easily accessible, due to the terrain and its location within a restricted diamond-mining area"
We first stopped next to some cliffs that had turned a golden brown due to the setting sun and proceeded to walk down a sandy track to the unspoilt breach.
There are actually two arches, the main Bogenfels Arch and then a lesser smaller known one just a few hundred metres to the North. This can be seen on the below snap of the coastline.
On top of the big Arch there is a hole, that you can peer through and see the thundering surf pounding the rocks below...
Now the old abandoned mining town of Bogenfels lies about 4 km to the east of the Arch and was a popular place for the miners and their kin to visit back in the glory diamond days....
"Bogenfels is a location in the coastal Namib Desert of Namibia, noted for its natural rock formations (hence the name, which means "arch rock" in German). The main formation is a 55 metre high rock arch close to the coast. It is not easily accessible, due to the terrain and its location within a restricted diamond-mining area"
We first stopped next to some cliffs that had turned a golden brown due to the setting sun and proceeded to walk down a sandy track to the unspoilt breach.
There are actually two arches, the main Bogenfels Arch and then a lesser smaller known one just a few hundred metres to the North. This can be seen on the below snap of the coastline.
On top of the big Arch there is a hole, that you can peer through and see the thundering surf pounding the rocks below...
Now the old abandoned mining town of Bogenfels lies about 4 km to the east of the Arch and was a popular place for the miners and their kin to visit back in the glory diamond days....
Mortymoose
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Not really, although there is a company operating out of Luderitz called Coastways, but not sure how long they will be allowed to have a concession to do tours....
When the park was declared a few years back, there were grand plans, but then the various ministries got into a battle and nothing much has moved forward....
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abandonallhope
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These photos are absolutely fascinating and eerie at the same time. I imagine I'd feel quite small and insignificant when setting foot on those pristine beaches and barren deserts.
You are quite privileged to have the opportunity to experience that.
You are quite privileged to have the opportunity to experience that.
Mortymoose
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Whilst standing on top of the Arch we gathered for a group photograph, watching the sun set, the camera on the tripod clicked away, I glanced over my shoulder, inland to watch the winter moon rise above the long abandoned settlement of Bogenfels.... the cool wind starting to nip now.... the beer starting to warm me up....
We would be staying in an old german building known affectionately by the Security dept as the Pink House.... they had kept it renovated over the years....
The wind blowing a tune in my ears, we started to head for the bakkies....
We would be staying in an old german building known affectionately by the Security dept as the Pink House.... they had kept it renovated over the years....
The wind blowing a tune in my ears, we started to head for the bakkies....
Nerfherder
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Great thread.
Thanks for these photo's.... planning my next holiday now
Thanks for these photo's.... planning my next holiday now
Wow that's sooo interesting, you sure do know a lot of history behind the area,
Can't belive they actually dumped those bulldozers...
What about that picture is it a snake? in the "The Caves on Bogenfels Beach" picture?
Very choppy... Don't think you can fish there....? But very beautiful! I wonder what fish are in there...
Those pictures are really desktop and screen saver quality photo's! love it!
Be kind, please don't requote the entire post, pictures included.
Mortymoose
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If I recall, that was actually a piece from of a boat or drum, there are plenty of fishing boats and also the Diamond boats off the coast here, in fact back along the beach was one of those large hoses they use for sucking up the seabed....
