Namibia: The Northern Diamond Fields

The Northern Diamond Fields

When in October 1908 prohibitive restrictions were placed on the pegging of claims south of the 26° latitude in the southern diamond fields (Kolmanskuppe, Bogenfels, Elizabeth Bay) many a prospector left the area for the less popular northern diamond fields (Spencer Bay, Saddle Hill, Oyster Cliffs, Meob Bay, Conception Bay), in the hope of some good finds.

In 1909 after about 5,000 claims had been occupied, it was found that these fields were much poorer than those in the south as well as having a lot more obstacles standing in the way of their development, including the vast distances and transportation difficulties. Nevertheless, there was no shortage of optimistic prospectors as they came from all walks of life wanting to try their luck at diamond mining and surely many dreamed of overnight riches.

Today when entering this remote area, it is not difficult to imagine the hardship man, beast and machine had to endure. Harsh desert conditions, with the cold, fog and the ever-blowing cold southerly winds.  The area is difficult to describe as there is an abundance and vastness of nothingness and yet so much beauty.

Hats off to those early pioneers and migrant workers who entered into this way of life making a tremendous contribution to the economic success of the diamond industry.

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Namibia: Conception Bay water supplies

Where there is Water there is Life...

Rolling vat at Grillenberger

The biggest challenge by far these early pioneers had to overcome was fresh water, particularly the shortage thereof.

Rolling vat

Fresh water supplies to Conception Water were delivered by boat and then transported by mules and camels to the individual mine fields.

Rolling vats cemetery

Fortunately, potable water found among the dunes of Conception Water during 1913 consequently resulted in the sinking of wells and a windmill being erected.

Grillenberger & sand well

Anyone who has been to this laborious area would realize the massive task and effort it took to construct the 80 km pipe line across the dunes and linking it with the Meob Bay pipeline. 360 ton (13,300 pieces) of 6m long steel pipes were used to cover the 80 km.

Well at Conception Bay

These imported pipes from Germany arrived by boat and then transported on ox wagons to the area.

Windmill at Conception Bay

Transportation of water to the fields was done using metal rolling vats covered with wooden strips.

Pipes used for the construction of the 80 km pipe line

These Lüderitzbucht constructed vats pulled by mules unfortunately also resulted in the conditions of the drinking water not always being favorable as a result of contamination.

Pipeline

Pipeline across the dunes

Rolling vat pulled by mules

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Zambia: Health & Safety Update from Chundukwa River Lodge

Chundukwa River Lodge

HEALTH AND SAFETY UPDATE

We would like to take this opportunity to discuss the recent outbreak of cholera in the Lusaka region of Zambia and to address safety concerns that our valued agents and guests may have on this matter.

Cholera surfaces in many of our rainy seasons in Zambia (November-April). It peaks at the height of our rainy season (January-March) and it is generally limited to the peri-urban areas of high density living. It is closely linked to inadequate access to clean water and sanitation.

Infection will only cause symptoms in 5 people out of 100 infected and as per the World Health Organisation "Cholera is easily treated. The majority of people can be treated successfully through prompt administration of oral rehydration solution (ORS)." There are oral cholera vaccinations available, "While the vaccines are safe, the risk of disease, even to travellers is so minute" so vaccination is not commonly recommended for travellers." Nevertheless, these vaccinations are readily available and provide 90% protection against illness within 2 weeks the second oral dose.

Enhanced Health & Safety

Chundukwa River Lodge lies 25 km outside of Livingstone town and does not use municipal water. We are almost 600 km from the outbreak which is in Lusaka, our capital city.

The Matero township, one of the affected shanty compounds of Lusaka, the country's capital, is most affected by the current outbreak and this is where health workers have now commenced the administration of the oral cholera vaccine. The mass vaccination campaign will target over 1,5 million people in areas of high risk of transmission in Lusaka – including Matero, Kanyama and Chawama.

We have always had a comprehensive sanitation program at Chundukwa River Lodge and Zambian Horseback Safaris, and this strong foundation allows us to adapt quickly to evolving advice from the World Health Organization and our local health officials. We will continue to monitor their guidelines and adjust our measures accordingly.

We utilise bottled, mineral water in the lodge for drinking, ice, washing vegetables and salads, kitchen use and bottled water is readily available in our guest rooms for brushing teeth and other.

Chundukwa River Lodge remains a haven where your guests can retreat, breathe, and reboot among beautiful surroundings.

If you would like to know more about our increased hygiene levels and safety measures, we would be happy to answer any specific questions you may have.

Doug, Gail and the Chundukwa Team

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Namibia: World's largest self-propelled floating crane calls at Walvis Bay harbour

World's largest self-propelled floating crane calls at Walvis Bay, Namibia

The largest semi-submersible crane vessel (SSCV) in the world, the SSCV Sleipnir moored at Walvis Bay last week for a two-day lay-over to undergo prescribed inspections and procedures before continuing its journey to the Grand Isle oilfield in the United States.

The US$1.5 billion SSCV Sleipnir is owned and operated by Heerema Marine Contractors. It was built by Sempcorp Marine in Singapore and commissioned in 2019. In 2022 it set a world record by lifting a 17,000-tonnes structure for TotalEnergies onto the base of one of its rigs in the North Sea.

The Panama-registered vessel docked at the Port of Walvis Bay anchorage on 11 January 2024 where it underwent essential procedures, including a quick rundown and provisionals facilitated through a launch, crew change, and bunkering via STS (Ship-to-Ship).

The SSCV Sleipnir propulsion system eliminates the need for tugs to maneuver her across the high seas.

Logistics Support Services is the vessel’s Walvis agent and following this initial call, SSCV Sleipnir is expected to make a second call at the Port of Walvis Bay later this year.

“Namport looks forward to a successful partnership with SSCV Sleipnir and reaffirms its commitment to facilitate efficient and seamless maritime operations in the region.” The authority said it remains committed to play a pivotal role in maritime trade and operations contributing to the economic growth and development of Namibia.

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Namibia: Reimagined Wilderness Desert Rhino Camp – craft meets conservation

Wilderness Safaris Desert Rhino Camp – craft meets conservation

Rejuvenated Wilderness Desert Rhino Camp

In Damaraland’s expansive Palmwag Concession, Wilderness Desert Rhino Camp (DRC) had humble beginnings as a research base dedicated to protecting some of Africa’s most precious wildlife: desert-adapted black rhino. Now a thriving partnership between local communities, Save the Rhino Trust Namibia and Wilderness, Desert Rhino Camp remains a beacon of purpose-led partnership, conservation success and one-of-a-kind guest activities in this extraordinary Namib landscape. The protection of specialised desert wildlife drives everything we do at DRC, including the design of the new camp, which is now even more inspired by, and connected to, this remarkable environment.

In 2023, we celebrated 20 years of pioneering partnerships, measurable conservation successes and meaningful guest experiences in Namibia’s desert.

We couldn’t be more thrilled that after two decades of operation in the unforgiving desert landscape, Desert Rhino Camp is being redesigned and rebuilt for greater comfort, inviting more guests to help us protect the Critically Endangered desert-adapted black rhino.

Repurposed for purpose

Remaining true to its ultimate purpose, reimagined Desert Rhino Camp will continue to prioritise valuable research and meaningful water conservation in this arid area.

ACTIVITIES

NATURE DRIVES

Offering the best possibility of seeing desert-adapted wildlife and predators, nature drives showcase the magnitude of the landscape.

GUIDED NATURE WALKS

Discover the details of the desert on a guided walk, the flora and fauna that survive this harsh landscape.

RHINO TRACKING

By vehicle and on foot, accompany Save the Rhino (SRT) monitors and walk in the footsteps of remarkable desert-adapted black rhinos.

FULL-DAY OUTING WITH PICNIC LUNCH

Spend a full day exploring vast tracts of this famed conservation area in search of wildlife, fascinating desert flora, and a scenic spot to enjoy lunch.

BIRDING

The desert regularly delivers birding rarities, and the Palmwag Concession is home to some extraordinary avifauna.

WILDLIFE

Alongside the iconic black rhino, there are desert-adapted elephant, Hartmann's mountain zebra, giraffe, oryx, springbok, and kudu to see, as well as the occasional lion and leopard.

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South Africa: Saxenburg, Mountain Ashe, Orchomene & Heathfield shipwrecks

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

January 9:

Zeila shipwreck in Namibia

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”

1730: Saxenburg, this Dutch East Indiaman struck a reef and then foundered during a heavy gale off Cape Agulhas/L’Agulhas in the Western Cape. Of the 88 that were on board, only seven survived. Some sources list the year of wrecking as 1729. 

1881: Mountain Ashe, this wooden sailing barque drifted onto the rocks at Mouille Point in Cape Town in the Western Cape and although it was refloated, it was condemned. 

1892: Orchomene, this iron sailing schooner struck Roman Rock in Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape and to stop it from foundering, was beached, where it became wrecked.  

1964: Heathfield, this motor-powered fishing vessel wrecked on Three Sisters Rocks at Kayser’s Beach in the Eastern Cape. Of the crew of 12, five perished in the heavy surf.

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South Africa: Bato & Spray shipwrecks

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

January 8:

Staaten Generaal under Vice-Admiral Pieter Melville.
The Staaten Generaal was renamed 'Bato' after it had finished serving in the North Sea and was moved to Cape Town

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”

1806: Bato, this 74-gun Dutch ship of the line was scuttled on Long Beach in Simons Town in False Bay in the Western Cape. The Bato was a 74-gun Dutch ship of the line built in 1784 in the Rotterdam shipyards. Initially named Staaten Generaal, she was renamed Bato after completing her service for the Dutch in the North Sea.

Edges of burnt timber on the Bato (1806) in 2012

She served in defending Amsterdam and then as part of the East India squadron, travelling between Cape Town and Batavia. On 27 February 1804, the Bato returned to Table Bay and would never leave South African waters again. Deemed unseaworthy, the vessel was used as a floating battery to defend Simon's Town.

What remains of the main site of the wreck of the Bato (1806) is visible on satellite images, with much kelp having grown over it

The crew was ordered to burn it when the Dutch lost the Battle of Blaauwberg to the British and a new occupation became inevitable. Today very little of the wreck remains, but because it is a very shallow wreck in a sheltered bay, it has seen been the subject of many maritime archaeological projects. Timber and conglomerated iron and kelp patches make this wreck visible on satellite images too. The unit last inspected this wreck in November 2020.

One of the Bato's (1806) guns which stands in front of the Simon's Town post office

1906: Spray, this wooden steam-powered fishing ketch wrecked on North Patch Reef at Bird Island in Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape. Two lives were lost as a result of the wrecking.

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South Africa: Diana, Francis Spaight & Wigtonshire shipwrecks

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

January 7:

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”

1846: A strong north-westerly gale claimed two ships and 21 lives in Table Bay, in the Western Cape:

• Diana, this Portuguese wooden sailing barque had operated as a slaver when it was captured and taken as a prize by the HMS Mutine. It was lying in Table Bay when the gale drove it ashore, wrecking at Imhoff Battery on Woodstock beach; 

• Francis Spaight, this British wooden sailing barque parted from its anchor during the gale and struck the Papendorp Rocks below Craig’s Tower on Woodstock beach, becoming a wreck. A surf boat and a whale boat were launched from the shore to attempt a rescue.

A painting by Alexander Turnbull depicting the Francis Spaight (1846) at Hokianga Harbour, New Zealand.

The whale boat managed to reach the ship, and whilst attempting to run a line after reaching its side, 15 of the 16-man crew of the Francis Spaight jumped on board and swamped the whale boat. The result being the drowning of the four rescuers and all 15 members of the crew that jumped onto the whale boat. Two further surf boats were launched to rescue those in the water, but they also capsized resulting in the drowning of a further two rescuers. The carpenter, who had refused to get on the whale boat and remained on board until the storm had calmed enough, was the only person to have survived the ordeal from the crew of the Francis Spaight.

The wrecking of the Francis Spaight (1846) as depicted in the London News at the time

About ten years before the wrecking, the Francis Spaight, on return from Canada to Ireland with a cargo of timber encountered heavy gales and it became stuck on its beam ends. The crew resorted to cannabilism to survive after two weeks at sea and were finally rescued after three weeks. Although the Francis Spaight was badly damaged, it was repaired in England and returned to service, to wreck 10 years later in Cape Town. 

1885: Wigtonshire, this iron sailing barque wrecked on Atlas Reef of Klippestrand at Arniston/Waenhuiskrans in the Western Cape.

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South Africa: Mentor shipwreck

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

January 5:

Unknown, Walvis Bay, Nambia

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”

1780: Mentor, this Dutch East Indiaman foundered somewhere off the southern Cape coast in the Western Cape. Only two of the crew survived, having been found four days later, clinging to a piece of the poop deck by the French merchant ship, Le Saloman. 

1948: SAA Lockheed 18 Lodestar (registration no. ZS-ASW), this passenger transport aircraft crashed after striking a drainage ditch after running off the runway at Palmietfontein, in Johannesburg in Gauteng. It was damaged beyond repair with the 11 passengers and crew of four making it out alive.

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South Africa: Emma, Indian Packet, Pescadora, Blackstone, Lockett, Felicia II & Jidy Aym shipwrecks

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

January 4:

1961, Simferopol, Walvis Bay, Namibia

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”

1821: On this date a north-westerly gale struck Table Bay in the Western Cape, grounding at least five vessels, two of which are confirmed to have wrecked:

• Emma, this British vessel wrecked at Woodstock beach,

• Indian Packet, this Danish schooner wrecked near the Salt River mouth with the crew being saved by a Francis Rose, who drowned in the end. 

1839: Pescadora, this Portuguese wooden sailing schooner wrecked on a reef near the entrance of Saldanha Bay in the Western Cape.

1846: Blackstone, this wooden sailing barque was put into Table Bay in the Western Cape for repairs but was instead abandoned and broken up. 

1884: Lockett/Lochett, this British wooden sailing barque wrecked in a south-easterly wind on the west bank of the Buffalo River in East London in the Eastern Cape. The enquiry into the wrecking reported that it was in a state of disrepair, having sailed from Plymouth in a leaky condition and requiring a new anchor whilst berthed in East London. 

1973: Felicia II, this motor-powered vessel wrecked at Danger Point in the Western Cape. Very little is known about it. 

2006: Jidy Aym, this South African fishing vessel was capsized by a freak wave off Dassen Island in the Western Cape resulting in the death of three crew members.

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South Africa: Lord George Bentinck shipwreck

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

January 3:

1961, Simferopol, Walvis Bay, Namibia

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”

1861: Lord George Bentinck, this British wooden sailing barque wrecked on Back Beach in Durban in KwaZulu-Natal after its defective cables parted in a north-easterly wind.

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Rwanda: Wilderness Bisate Reserve - a new luxury camp

Wilderness Bisate Reserve - a new luxury camp in Rwanda

This September, at the edge of Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, something new is coming. Nestled high in the East African rainforest, optimal habitat for engaging and personal interactions with mountain gorillas, Wilderness Bisate Reserve is our latest offering. Here luxury and privacy combine, and in addition to moving encounters with these gentle giants, there are comically entertaining golden monkeys, and over 200 magnificent bird species to see, in a dramatic landscape set against the backdrop of six striking volcanoes. A true haven of rainforest endemism.

Wilderness Bisate Reserve is crafted with meticulous detail. A spacious main area and just four expansive villas are perched on the rim of a weathered volcano; featuring private hot tubs, Bisate Reserve is ideally poised to capture the majestic views. Moreover, the lodge's architecture embodies the traditions of Rwandan royalty and heritage, while in-room dining options and personalised  service offer the ultimate in intimacy and exclusivity.

Continuing a Wilderness legacy

Artfully blending sophistication and sustainability, Wilderness Bisate Reserve represents an extension of our conservation efforts in Rwanda. We recently recorded a monumental achievement in the country – planting our 100,000th indigenous tree through our reforestation project to transform a former agricultural site into a thriving forest – and hence the apt naming of our ‘reserve’.

Now guests can weave themselves into this profound conservation tale, and actively participate in Bisate’s conservation success story, to become integral contributors to safeguarding Rwanda's wilderness. Every single guest becomes a partner in biodiversity protection and local community upliftment, directly contributing to the preservation of the iconic endangered mountain gorillas.

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Botswana: Okavango Expeditions' - New MmaTsebe Tented Camp north of Khwai

Okavango Expeditions

New MmaTsebe Tented Camp north of Khwai - opening Apr 2024  

Introducing the NEW MmaTsebe Tented Camp

Opening 1 Apr 2024 in Khwai

MmaTsebe Tented Camp is named after Mmatsebe, the iconic leopardess of Moremi – a leopard whose life became synonymous with Khwai.  Mmatsebe, meaning "ear marked", was loved by all and was quite the celebrity during her time in fact your photo of a leopard in Khwai could very much be that of Mmatsebe. Her cubs still roam the forests and floodplains of Khwai to this very day.

MmaTsebe Tented Camp Directors are all veterans of the Botswana tourism scene. Greg & Kelly Butler, formally of Khwai Private Reserve for 19 years, have vast experience in owning and operating first class camps and lodges.

Pieter Ann Sollitt and Clint Gielink have run Okavango Expeditions for 15 years & have a reputation of delivering simply some of the best safari experiences in the industry.  They have come together to create MmaTsebe Tented Camp and in the near future a circuit that brings exceptional quality at very reasonable rates.

The camp is situated approximately 8km north of Khwai Village along the Mbudi channel flowing from the Khwai River and the Okavango River further north.

The camp faces west offering iconic African sunsets.   Buffalo, elephant and hippo are regular residents in camp along with kudu, impala, lion, leopard, hyena and wild dogs.

Access to MmaTsebe Tented Camp is via air with the Khwai airstrip located a short drive from camp and road transfers from Maun, all intended to offer our guests a fabulous experience with very affordable rates.

The camp offers peaceful mekoro excursions along the Mbudi Channel in front of camp and game drives early morning and late afternoon into the Moremi Game Reserve.

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