Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
park. There are also populations of gemsbok, brown hyenas and rare, threatened reptile
species, including the desert rain frog. Bird species are extremely varied, and include the
dune lark, black-headed canary and the African oystercatcher.
The
Namibian Nature Foundation
(NNF;
www.nnf.org.na
)
will eventually take over
the planning for the park and will focus on community-based initiatives to ensure that loc-
als benefit. The eventual development of tourism in the Sperrgebiet is expected to stimu-
late the economy of Lüderitz, which will serve as the main gateway to the park.
Sights
HISTORIC TOWN
Kolmanskop Ghost Town
(tour adult/child incl permit fee N$55/35)
Given that permits can be arranged from Nam-
deb with relative ease, the most popular excursion from Lüderitz is the ghost town of Kol-
manskop. Named after an early Afrikaner trekker, Jani Kolman, whose ox wagon became
bogged in the sand here, Kolmanskop was originally constructed as the CDM headquar-
ters. Although Kolmanskop once boasted a casino, bowling alley and a theatre with fine
acoustics, the slump in diamond sales after WWI and the discovery of richer pickings at
Oranjemund ended its heyday. By 1956 the town was totally deserted, and left to the
mercy of the shifting desert sands. Today, Kolmanskop has been partially restored as a
tourist attraction, and the sight of decrepit buildings being invaded by dunes is simply too
surreal to describe.
You can turn up at any time, and you're not required to arrive as part of an organised
tour, though you do need to purchase a permit in advance through either the NWR office
in Lüderitz or a local tour operator. Guided tours (in English and German; at 9.30am and
11am Monday to Friday, and 10am Sunday), which are included in the price of the permit,
depart from the museum in Kolmanskop. After the tour you can return to the museum,
which contains relics and information on the history of Namibian diamond mining.
DIAMOND DEMENTIA
Geology & the 4 Cs
Diamonds are the best known allotrope (form) of carbon, and are characterised by their extreme hardness (they
are the hardest naturally occurring mineral) and high dispersion of light (diamonds are prismatic when exposed to
white light). As a result, they are valued for industrial purposes as abrasives since they can only be scratched by
