Elizabeth Bay, often overshadowed by better known Kolmanskop, was operational for less than 20 years, but it boasted an immense wealth of diamonds. As a result, in the 1920's German miners flooded the town, building a miniature Germany, in the Namibian desert.
An entertainment hall and casino overlooking the ocean was the centrepiece, and there was also a well equipped clinic. Although more serious injuries or illnesses were taken care of at the hospital in Kolmanskop.
The other major development was a processing plant with monstrous machinery for desalinating ocean water and crushing the diamond bearing gravel. Elizabeth Bay is more of an abandoned industrial vibe, with massive rusting machinery, deep tunnels and huge concrete pylons that carried the trains bringing the gravel for processing.
Rows of housing for German miners with electricity and running water, and large, overcrowded buildings for local workers stand decaying in the harsh desert environment.
While the German workers enjoyed proper housing, the local Namibian miners were subjected to almost slave-like conditions. The buildings where they slept contained cot-size beds separated by a small wall divider. In some, rows were stacked on top of each other forcing more men into the desolate, cramped conditions. The doors to these “houses” were locked at night and their windows were small and high off the ground to discourage any workers from escaping overnight. The entire "compound" was fenced off.
After a quick flash of success, the town was all but deserted by 1935 and was completely closed in 1948. In 1991, a new Elizabeth Bay mine was opened and is still in operation today. The remains of the original Elizabeth Bay still stand, weather-torn and beaten but still impressive as they reflect a time when the town was at its peak.
Being a working diamond mine, it's not possible to self drive, it's necessary to go with an accredited tour operator who will arrange the necessary permits. We went with Namib Offroad Excursions. Heinz is a great guy with an in depth knowledge of the local area, his website: noextours.weebl...
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I’m Chris Corbet, an overlanding, adventure & road trip fanatic and video creator with a passion for nature & wildlife conservation. My motto is "live your adventure". After many years in the digital marketing space, I opted out of corporate life and embraced an overland road tripping and adventure lifestyle instead.
I'm currently embarked on a 2 year long mission, Project #60460, to visit 60 of the most unique places in southern and east Africa to mark my 60th year on this, the only planet that we have. The journey is in support of 3 of Africa's big cats: the Lion, Leopard & Cheetah. I'll be sharing the adventure with weekly videos and daily updates in stories, the community tab and shorts.
Join me on this epic overland road trip and help support these incredible predators. You can help keep the journey going by supporting me on Patreon, AND by doing so you'll be contributing to the conservation of these incredible apex predators: / kangelalife .
Kangela: to search / to look for / to seek
Available for collaborations: hello@kangela.com
"Live each day as if it’s your last, because someday it will be!" ~ Muhammad Ali
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26 сен 2021