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On
the fringe of the Diamond Restricted Area
Majestically they rise from the vast desert plains:
the granite mountains of the Great Escarpment which
separates the uplands of Namibia’s interior from
the coastal lowlands. The austere mountain scenery is
perfect for hiking; the slopes on the western edge offer
grand views of the desert that transforms into a sea
of blossom after soft winter rains. And above the very
plain which is home to the Wild Horses of the Namib,
'Dikke Willem' towers mysteriously.
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| Guests
of Gondwana Sperrgebiet Rand Park can choose between
four types of accommodation: Desert Horse Inn
(predominantly for tour groups); Eagle's Nest
Lodge (for individual travellers, in the midst
of nature, a 15-minute-drive from the restaurant
and reception); 'Geisterschlucht' dormitories
(for self-catering) and a camping site. Activity-wise
there is plenty to do: guided excursions to the
area of the Wild Horses, hiking trails and scenic
drives through the park as well as guided 4x4
tours (self-drive or passenger) to the dune belt
of the ephemeral Koichab River. Furthermore, Aus
Information Centre is definitely worth a visit,
as is the deserted diamond settlement of Kolmanskuppe
and the harbour town of Lüderitz. |
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However, a
truly remarkable characteristic of the 510 km²
Sperrgebiet Rand Park is the fact that it affords the
opportunity to experience ‘Namibia’s Namaqualand’.
The largest part of the park, the west and south-west,
falls under the desert system of the Succulent Karoo
which is world-famous for its magnificent display of
blossoms after rainfalls during the winter months of
August and September. But the park also happens to be
the area where the Succulent Karoo meets with another
two desert systems: the Dune Namib in the north and
the Nama Karoo in the east. |
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| Small
wonder that botanists speak of a ‘hotspot’:
there are more than 400 known plant species in
the area around Aus; many of them are endemic,
which means they do not occur anywhere else but
here. In many cases these plants have developed
fascinating survival strategies, especially with
regard to water resources. The precious liquid
is stored - in bulbs, stems and leaves. This is
also referred to as succulence. Hence the Succulent
Karoo derives its name from the plants which dominate
in this area: (leaf) succulents alone make up
about 1,700 of the more than 6,000 plant species
of this desert. They also include the 'Living
Stones'. In order to protect themselves against
sandstorms or getting eaten by |
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animals they
have lowered their leaves into the ground and disguised
themselves to look like stones. Some of the typical
game species in the park are Klipspringer, Springbok,
Gemsbok, Ostrich and Jackal. |
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Geologically
it is a highly interesting area as well - in fact it
is highly valuable in the true sense of the word. The
Aus Mountains are part of the Great Escarpment which
was formed after the primeval continent of Gondwana
disintegrated about 120 million years ago: the rim of
southern Africa rose and was then eroded off the coast.
In the process the escarpment shifted into the interior
and coastal plains appeared. The Gariep (Orange) River
washed diamonds from the area around Kimberley to the
coast, where they were picked up by the Benguela Current
and carried northward. As the sea level dropped, the
deposits were exposed and the wind blew some of the
gems inland – where in 1908 man started to discover
and systematically mine them. Two Restricted Areas,
each about 100 km wide, were proclaimed along the coast
in order to prevent illegal prospecting and to curb
the smuggling of diamonds. |
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Man, by the
way, left his traces in this area as early as 70,000
years ago. At the foot of the Hunsberge Mountains south-east
of Aus layers of a total of seven ‘cultures’
were discovered in the 'Apollo 11' grotto. Furthermore,
slabs of slate with 27,000-year-old paintings were found
there in 1969. So far this is the oldest rock art in
Africa. |
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The area was
roamed by hunter-gatherers for ages. In the 17th century
Nama groups started to move in and displaced the San
(Bushmen); the ‘newcomers’ were later joined
by Orlam groups (related to the Nama) who settled around
Bethanien. |
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In 1883
Orlam Captain (leader) Joseph Fredericks sold the
coastal strip between the Gariep mouth and Angra Pequeña
to Adolf Lüderitz, a merchant in Bremen –
this was the prelude to the German colony proclaimed
in 1884. At first the route for ox wagon transports
went through Kubub, south of Aus. But the railway
line was built through Aus in 1906 because the incline
was not as steep. During the First World War South
African and German forces clashed at Aus. Numerous
horses were lost in the turmoil of war; they became
the core herd from which today’s Wild Horses
are descended. South African Apartheid policies (starting
in the sixties) left their mark in Aus, as did the
rise (sixties, seventies) and fall (eighties) of Karakul
breeding. After Namibia gained independence in 1990,
tourism increased considerably.
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| Willem
Swiegers senior bought farm Klein-Aus in 1983.
During the nineties his sons Willem and Piet introduced
the hospitality business, established Klein-Aus
Vista and step by step extended the accommodation
facilities, hiking trails and tours; they also
initiated the Aus Information Centre. In early
2004 the oldest of the brothers, Johann, joined
the family business. When they became partners
of the Gondwana Desert Collection in the end of
2004, the name of the 510 km² area was changed
into Gondwana Sperrgebiet Rand Park. |
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