,- [ D.R.F.N. ,-Kmlbl' REFERENCE, __ J_cL --- rI 1 0'BRARY j'\LHJ(.. ---- I <)1.., !fhe toun st potent laJ of the Sperrgeblet of the Na::b :e~e~.t,bei ngO , 'Ie area wIthIn IUU krn ot the Ati;:mtlc coastline bordered by the Lotn ~ p,"lralle 1 in the north and by the Orange River in the South. I ~ !i~. GIno Noli Luederltz j August 19Y3 Terms of reference 1 am a professionally trained tixed-wlng and helicopter pIlot. Whll~ 1 was the pilot of the Nature Conservation Super Cub spotter plane I spent a total of 1300 hours in the air over Namibia, 300 of which involved aerIal census work and radio telemetry tracking over the sOlllhel-nNamIb. As a Nature ConservatIon officer stationed In Luederitz and Aus I did perimeter patrols in the coastal area from Luederltz to WalVIS Bay and in the escarpment area from the Haiber F'lats to Rosh Pinah. I also did regional patrols on the Haiber Flats throughout the Koichab Rlver System, in the Kowis Mountains, 1n the Hottentots Bay/Anichab area. and in the region of the Kaukausib water hole, 1 took part in game capture operations in the Klinghardt mount.'j,ins, While I was involved with public relations for CDM I did VIP f3scorls to Atlas Bay, ElIzabeth Hay, ~}omona and Bogenfels. 1 ~ .. spent a total of five years working for Nature Conservation. and five yedl"S working tor CUM, During these ten years 1 dealt w1th 11Lerally t,llOUSM,ds of tourists and scores of scientists. from 1986 to 1989 1 <:l.cr;omp"'nted my bl~other, Dr. Dieter No Ii, on numerous archaeo j ogica I surveys and e>:cavations in the southern Namib. 1 am currently operating my own tour company (Kolmanskop Tour Company) in the Sperrgebiet, l-'oss1bletourist routes (see mapl 1) The are,3.betweerJ the Koichah Pan and the Kowis mountains: This is a vel-y at tract ive but h 19h 1Y sens 1t 1ve area. wh ich can be accessed by rne."lnsof the 4:-:4track used by the CDM fishing club to reach Meoh Bay. 2, '[he Kowis Mountains: l'hese are ideal tor 2-3 day hiking trips. strik1ng north from roughly oPPo!3ite the CDM road near Rotkuppe. The actual mountains provide a very userul navigation aid and shelter, both of which become indispensable in the event of a sudden sandstorm. J) From Luederitz to Hottentots Bay: This trip is for well-equipped 4x4 parties with experienced drivers. The route from Agate Beach to Anichab has a low sensitiVIty, but the part between Anichab and Hottentot Bay is characterized by sensitive salty mudflats. narra growths, damara tern nesting sites, Yare black sandroses and a qemsbok population which should not be unduly disturbed, Hottentots Bay forms a poss1ble overnIght stop. VillI- \ s: \ uiIU O...;~;.."l .....Q1'" I.... l(e\l; .. Robl'~ t ~ .23'>'---If-------------- ~ '~l FIC,m L,uedeYJt,z to EJ izabeth Bay. west of the dunes: Kolmansl~op 1_'ill'>c::t lUi-ill. ':ie.:.d r;olr'lly at Atlas B'-:iy, I::-Bay Ghost Town and the moL1t.-'rn E-B~y tnlne. This IS a 2):4 route. A water hole tor possible game VI.,~l--lIn<Cl(~>:lc-,tf; 'in the eastern hinterland at E--Hay. This leg IS a 4:;:4 1 'Jute. :.,1 Fl'e-,m Lueder)!.:::: to Aus ulonlJ the old (Jerman wa<;.:rontraIL. VIa l'~otJ'.ul)pe. I's.-)ukaib, LettelJo:uppe and Kubub: 4>:4. lJ) Sout It a long [...:01'1 ruad aJ ~~st along ~UM paLrol route. up the Kaukauslb river to the l·~auk.:tusib Fountain: 4z4 route. open Hater at fountaIn, sUltable t<.jr yame vJ€Hing ut Getnsbok/Hyena. hi I~rj lJ011tllal: Huge Hay can [Junes cross 1fig old road. dlld old w'''lt"''Ot" pUlilp statl,)n. l\ccess tor !,/'4. c) Frurn ::Jcl1Harzer Berg turn--of t to Pomona: 1'7 lUrI of POOl', rocJ-~y alld s~ndy 4x4 road. Bushmarl candles at turn-off. ~omona ghost town. grLlveyard. d) !{()i'lcl tr()[ll POlnOlld to Bogcnfels: 810"l pIcturesque drlVC on po("'t' 4x4 road. Bogetlfels ghost tOHn. photogenic buildings. Bogentelg ruck arch. HOlJentels cave. e) Return to CDM rouel. :2z4 when not covered by driftsand. [I ~oustal 2x4 drIve from BogBnfels to Bakers Bay. Attractl0tlS L,r this route are sandy beaches "lith l'ocky outcrops on then! and clC':::~e pn~zIlllity to PlullIpudding Islands, Black SophIe rock and ::-:;inclail' Island. The old miner accommodation at Bakers Bay could be a possible overnight stop. q) Ftom 13'3,kers Hay one can ei ther cut back to trle COM road (a.uout l:) km) or II! 1"l1'S!; c,_,ntinue south to Cll,lmLlu'J Bay and a spectacLllul wrpck belc,re 1) Hea.d,Lng Hl!dtld Lo the CharnalS checkpoint on the CUM 1'00.\<.1. j J l-(Jingh'-:t'rdt mountains: The "Lost Valley", sometimes populated by tllJndreds of Gemsbok. could possIbly be suitable tor dlttlCUJt <3nd sandy 4):4 gLlme vie ..d.ng by sm·).11 parties. It could be lleveJoped Into a very exclusive 11igJlt stop. accessed by helicopter or STOL alt'craft. / ) I{o.:td trow Rosh Pl!lah to UranJemund: ThIS is a very scenic drlve llilleed. \--lith the added attractIon of Hatet-Sports and the possibility ')1 OrC1IlJemund itselt being developed as Ll recreat Ion camp. 3 Bl '['he4x4 Nature Conservation patrol road from Garub station to Rosh Pinah. 'fhe route generally tallows the Nature Conservation road and lhe line of boreholes put down during the emergency grazing peYlod. The main attractions l'he Sperrgebiet has. from the point of view of the tourist. three main attractions: i) The photogenic beauty and splendor of the terrain. its biology and geology. combined with isolation. desolat:i.on, the ultimate in wide- open spaces. and the very fact that access has to date been denied. ill The romance and history of diamond mining with all its technicaL politlcal and personal details. spanning the whole spectrum from the decaying splendor of Kolmanskop to the modern plant at ElIzabeth Bay. iiil The untold story of the first Inhabitants of the Sperrgebiet. the desert Bushmen. whose many campsites contain a veritable treasure house of archaeological clues in the form of stone tools. ostrich eggshell beads, paintlngs and potsherds. Possible types of tourist activity 'rtlevery nature of these attractions rules out the concept of large gl-oupS of unescorted tourists roamIng around at will. Most at the Sperrgebiet is currently pristine. the main exceptions being the coastal strlp which has been mined and the Nature Conservation patrol track and the old emergency grazing areas along the escarpment. A very conservative approach is advised in opening up the untouched area, as most of it has not yet even been subjected to baseline scientific research. Initially. at any rate. tourism should largely be restricted to t~o~e areas which have already been disturbed. It would also be advisable to inItially make use of the services of small. contrc)llable operators. Big operators tend to have the tIn'3.ncjaland political leverage to steamroll. bypass and ignore any conservation-orientated objections to their way of doing things. They also have very hIgh overheads and therefore need to have a large turnover to m;:l.keends meet. A large turnover is the last thiQ.9-.the desert needs. Even so, there are at least nine possible types ot tourist activities which can be considered. i) Lurge scale llOO+ people per day} visits by tour buses and/or private vehicles: Only in the case of the Kolmanskop ghost town. which is directly next to a public road, should large scale visits be tolerated in the Sperrgebiet. Even there. however, only guided viewing should be allowed, as is currently the case. iiJ Medium scale (about 30 people per day) visits by tour busses and/or private vehicles: Single buses with a guide on board and small groups of privi:l.tevehicles accompanied by a guide could be allowed to visit the seals at Atlas Bay, the E-Bay ghost town and the new E-Bay 4 IIllnp-. i\ tUI.'th'~r pOSS.ilJl1jty for such viSlts muy be BogentAls. but the rllll ent Y()ad Hould fiy~;t have to be e;.:tensively upgraded and then S\lt'l€cLed to constant rfh)intenance. 111) ::::3mal1 SClll.-:'! spel_'ial,ist tOLllS: The other attractions unci routes '-Ill'-> oJll Lde,)l to·,t- cC:iJ.latlS by slJlalt. p>:pel~tly guided gl'OllpS ot pf'oplp .ill ,~t llillited number of lIght IIx4 vehicles. Ideally no group should ',"(Jlll_ulll [lI(j.te LlhHl t'.)ur vehicles and titteen people. Larger numbers l,-/i)IjJrj )H.:tke it difficult to maintaIn proper tracJ~ discipline and would ll\JII th0 e:·:clusive nature 01 the experience. It has to be stlf;'ssed tl,at irl ordel- to be able to market most of the Sperrgebiet as the only 'Jll.'3!J'-J) led desert of the world. it has Lo remall1 unspoile_d. (onsequentJy access to IllOSt of it has to be severely restrIcted. wlth llp~ tFJ<.l)ll:y rathel' than the quuntll;y ot the tourIst uctlV)tIes beJrH] elliphasi_sed ill these areas. The guiues, therefore. would l'"1a,veteJ be €):PS1'tS 111 theIr fields (e.g. archaeology. geology. boluny. biology, paleontology) with highly developed practical. social. and. if J:"-J5S1blp. uC.3demic SkIlls. The ['esult would be truly specialIsed expedItions, [or Wllich the tourist would be prepared to pay the If'.·quned pt~lIlJlltri.