Lüderitz, Southern Namib.

Lüderitz is a small coastal town, surrounded on one side by the South Atlantic Ocean, and on the other side by the sand dunes of the Namib desert.  This isolated town owes its existence to the discovery of diamonds in the desert in 1908, but unlike other diamond boom towns of that era, the town has survived thanks to its other major industry - fishing. 

The journey from Aus is only 115 km, and along the good tarred B4 road will take about an hour to drive there.  If you're lucky you may even catch a glimpse of the Namib Horses that roam free on these desolate gravel plains.

About 20 km from Lüderitz, the road from Aus passes through desert landscape, and the sand is frequently blown over the road so that it is sometimes difficult to work out where the road ends and the desert begins. 

The first impressions of the town itself is that it is slightly run-down and tired.

Its character comes from the eclectic selection of colourful  Bavarian / German colonial style architecture, complete with turrets, gables and bay windows. 

Two of the most striking buildings (apart from the yellow brick prison on your left hand side when you first enter the town!) are the German Lutheran Church or the Felsenkirche, consecrated in 1912, and the Goerke House, built in 1909. 

There is a large Waterfront development being planned, but it is not anticipated that this will be finished for another 5 years (as of February 2004).  The current 'Waterfront' is a small area with a few shops and a restaurant - don't be fooled into thinking it will be similar to the V&A Waterfront at Cape Town, for example - else you will be in for a great shock!

Lüderitz Peninsula and Dias Point

The drive around the Lüderitz Peninsula, just south of the town,  is a pleasant way to spend a few hours. 

The fairly good gravel road leads off to several small bays, where it is possible to walk along deserted stretches of beaches with just the wind, rocks, shells and seagulls for company. 

At Grosse Bücht, there is the rusty remains of a small fishing boat, and the beach here is safe for swimming if you can brave the cold.

Halifax Island is the home to a small colony of African or jackass penguins, but you need good binoculars to get a decent view of them.

The Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias was the first European to set eyes on Lüderitz, when he sought shelter in the bay during a storm on Christmas Day 1487. 

Upon his return from the Cape of Good Hope in July 1488, he erected a stone cross at what is now known as Dias Point.

Although the original cross is no longer there, a replica marble cross has been erected in its place. 

From the extremely windswept rocks, you can look out over a nearby small Cape fur seal colony.  

Agate Beach

Just a short drive out of Luderitz takes you to Agate Beach, a vast expanse of sand which is an ideal place to go for a long walk - if you don't mind being buffeted by the strong winds! 

Bogenfels Rock Arch

A reputed interesting day tour is to the Bogenfels Rock Arch, a 55 m high rock formation that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean.  The tour also includes a visit to 2 abandoned diamond mining towns.

Because this tour involves travelling through the restricted Diamond Area 1, or Sperrgebiet (German for 'closed area'), a permit has to be issued. 

Visitors must submit a fax of their passport to the tour company, Coastway Tours, 7 to 14 days in advance of the tour date.

The real thrill of the tour is knowing you are travelling through an area that has been strictly off limits to the casual visitor for the past century.