The Forbidden Land Shipwreck Route

New routes, giant dunes and new wrecks are all in a special desert magic coastline tour that covers areas not seen by the public in more than 107 years.

The Namib Desert has always held a certain mystique, its siren call luring many people − from yesterday’s diamond miners, to today’s adventurous 4×4 owner. It’s a must-do destination on any seasoned traveller’s list, if huge dunes, desolate spaces and the wrecked evidence of centuries of sea trade get you ready to pack bags.

But I am one who has travelled the Namib Desert extensively, and have gone from Luderitz all the way to the Kunene River mouth numerous times; so I had to wonder, after a phone call from legendary Namib Desert guide Volker Janhke, what could possibly be different about his latest shipwreck tour.

However, as there are more than 486 known shipwrecks along the treacherous Skeleton Coast, from Oranjemund in the south to the Kunene River mouth in the north, a trip to explore some of the better known wrecks did hold some allure.

“The route starts out in Luderitz and finishes in Walvis Bay,” explained Volker, “but, unlike the route others have followed, we enter directly opposite Kolmanskop (the ghost town) and go to an area into which nobody has been allowed for 107 years: one which forms part of Diamond Area 1.”

My interest was certainly piqued, and then came the clincher: “And, Bernie, you can drive the backup Land Cruiser.” Having had two of my own 4.5-litre EFI Cruisers in the past, I was now as bok as the first guy ever to pick up a diamond in the Namib Desert!

This new six-day route between Luderitz and Walvis Bay was finally approved by the Namibian government in 2015, along with Namdeb, thus clearing the way for Desert Magic Tours to pass through their diamond concession area between Luderitz and Hottentots Bay/Gibraltar area for the first time since 1909.

All Luderitz-to-Walvis-Bay crossings have to make a detour via the Koichab Pan, which involves approximately 70km of road-driving before the vehicles are able to enter the coastal area in the late afternoon of Day 2.  With the new route, one is able to enter the coastal dune belt an hour into the trip via Kolmanskop, and have the first shipwreck hove into view an hour later.

Volker was born and raised in Luderitz and has an extensive knowledge of the Namib Desert − from its fauna and flora, to the history of the diamond-mining activities that took place from the early 1900s. He is the pioneer of almost all Namib Desert routes, making him a true legend in his own right.

His company has now joined with Popyeni Safaris, who are the official concessionaires for this route – an assurance that this new route will become a world-class adventure product, with nothing to beat its diversity, scenery, history and wildlife… And providing a dune-driving experience second to none.

The new route

On day 1, our convoy of eight vehicles (12 maximum permissible) entered the Diamond area at Kolmanskop, and 10 minutes later we entered the old Charlottental diamond area where a huge sorting plant dating back to 1910 and German colonial times awaited us. The scenery is awe-inspiring, and Volker makes the history come alive with his rich story-telling. It was not even an hour later that we approached the first shipwreck at Agate beach: an old barge, converted to facilitate the growth of black mussels, which had broken loose from its moorings.

From there, we continued north along the beach until we reached Boats Bay and entered the tricky dune areas for the first time. And tricky they are, indeed!  The second wreck of the day is that of the Frotamerica, which rises out of the mist like a mystical phoenix. The story behind the beaching of this huge cargo carrier in 2013 is very interesting, as the authorities have not been able to establish who the rightful owners are to make them foot the bill for the salvage. In this day and age, it is almost unthinkable that no one can establish something as simple as ownership, but there it is…

Day 2 and 3

On day two, after breaking camp, we set out down to the ocean once more − to look at the third wreck, that of the Solingen, which ran aground in 1904. Not a lot remains of it today, but the amazing workmanship is still clearly visible. You can’t help wondering about the hardships endured by survivors; and if any did, indeed, walk south to Luderitz, which is not far. Not a lot is known about this wreck.

We then travel further north, traversing huge dunes, which makes for interesting driving. The destination is Gibraltar, which marks the end of Diamond Area One and thus the end of the traditional Sperrgebiet.  We drive past the old minefields and equipment of the Saddle Hill diamond mining operations. This area was mined by Mose Kahan, a charismatic Prussian-born
prospector who applied to work a concession in Diamond Area 2 just after World War II. He is famous for ferrying supplies to his remote mining area using surplus war stock Ford trucks fitted with soft Dakota DC3 tyres. What remains of the equipment used in his operations is still visible, although it is now starting to succumb to the harshness of the environment.

Our lunch stop is at a spot known as “Moby Dick”, a hole in the rocks where the waves breaking into a hollow cause a jet of water to rise several metres into the air – just like a whale spouting.  After lunch, we drive along the beach and reach Spencer Bay. Mercury Island, found in Spencer Bay, is one of the few inhabited islands along the Namibian coastline.

There is a huge penguin colony on the island, as well as the second-biggest breeding colony of Cape Gannets in the world.  A short walk along the rock face reveals the wreck of the Otavi, which was stranded in 1945. The Otavi was a guano boat used to collect the guano mined on the islands on the Namibian coastline, and was involved in the rescue operation of the Eduard Bohlen which had run aground further north. The Otavi was salvaged, but when it was discovered that the hull had a huge crack, she was beached again. Some of her cargo was offloaded and can still be seen neatly stacked.  She is surrounded by a huge seal colony. After taking in the sights of Spencer Bay, we head off to our camp in the dunes, but not before we have had an opportunity to try out our sand-driving skills on huge dunes.

This certainly gets your adrenaline going. The fifth shipwreck we encounter is that of the United Trader, which was stranded in December 1974, and which was rumoured to be carrying more than 700 tons of detonators and explosives. The stories about this ship are numerous. When it was decided not to salvage the ship, the decision was taken to blow her up.

The fuse that was lit is rumoured to have been 25km long. There are stories that the USA authorities thought that a nuclear bomb had been set off because the tremendous explosion registered on the Richter scale. One thing is for sure; it was a huge bang and the debris was flung 5km.  There are pieces scattered everywhere, with the anchor housing being the most visible.  Not far from the United Trader lies what is left of a Japanese shipping trawler called the Tongwa, which ran aground in 1972. There is not much left of her today, and that little is also partially covered by the dunes.

From the Tongwa, it is on to what is known as the “Devil’s Workshop”. This is a section through the coastal dune belt of the Namib-Naukluft that can take anything from 45 minutes to four-and-a-half hours.

Luckily, we don’t have to travel the whole distance, and after about 2km we turn north again to what is called Oyster Cliffs. The dunes here become quite tricky and the sand is very loose, making it a difficult drive. We head to a small bay known as Knoll Point, which has a rock table in its centre; the waves crashing over it look as though a table cloth is being repeatedly rolled over the table.

Breathtaking!  From Knoll Point to Eater Point is quite a challenge, as there are huge dunes, high slip faces and long climbs in loose sand. Here we encounter what people call “thundering
dunes” (brul duine). The explanation as to why this happens is varied, but the most popular belief is that the sound is caused by tiny air pockets which escape when one is driving down the dune.

We end on top of what is known as De Langewand, a 30km section of coast where the dunes stretch straight down to meet the ocean, with hardly a gap between the water and the base of the dunes. I remember driving on this stretch and finding that the sand around the rocks at the end had been washed away, making it almost impossible to continue. I have never seen 30 people work so feverishly to build a sand road over the rocks. Volker now prefers to miss this section, which can be unpredictable, and routes the convoy through the dunes further inland.

The first three days of this new Luderitz to Walvis Bay experience are totally new, with huge shipwrecks and tricky areas on the menu. We have to cross technical dunes near the beaches as some areas can be driven only at low tide.  From Spencer Bay to Oyster Cliffs and Easter Point, a whole day is needed to cross some unbelievable dunes, with rocky cliffs separating us and the ocean.  The second half We reach Sylvia Hill only on day four and continue with the normal route to Walvis Bay.

However, I most certainly agree with Volker’s promise that no other route beats his new Shipwreck Route in terms of scenery, history, and dune driving. This new route offers the highlights of other routes, but at the same time takes you through hardly-touched areas, with every day offering something different.

The shipwrecks viewed are the best on the entire African coastline, and viewing them in areas that have been inaccessible to the public since 1909 makes this journey all the more spectacular.

We still had two wrecks to visit, however:  the first was the Eduard Bohlen which was stranded in 1909, and is now lying some 850 metres from the ocean in Conception Bay.

She ran aground in heavy fog, and Captain Parow’s efforts to drop anchor and reverse off a sand bar led only to the engines overheating. Parow, after whom a Cape suburb is named, has the dubious honour of having captained more than one boat that ran aground!

The furniture and fittings of the Eduard Bohlen were later used in the Bismarck Hotel, which no longer exists.  Then, not far from the Eduard Bohlen, we came across the wrecked American tugboat, the Shawnee. Urban legend has it that she was beached in an insurance scam, but officially it is said that she ran aground because of engine failure.

We visited eight wrecks in total on this section of coastline, making a fitting link to the theme of this world-class route developed by Volker and his team. I can strongly recommend this route to all my wildlife/adventure enthusiasts with a passion for the desert, as Desert Magic Tours puts its emphasis on nature and history first, with the 4×4-ing being the bonus. The routes change daily and your sand-driving and 4×4 skills will most certainly be tested to the maximum.