1908 the first diamonds were found at Grasplatz, a station stop.
Today the most Kolmanskop buildings suffocate in the desert sand and were built between 1908 and 1910. More than five millions carat of diamonds were produced in the first six years. The first world war, the dramatic drop in prices of diamonds and new occurrence in Oranjemund let the town go to rack and ruin since 1956.
The impressive stag houses drown today in the greedy sand. You climb up the dunes to reach the first and second floor. Some buildings were restored and the visitor can use the old bowling alley or a few gym apparatus in the theatre room again. Everything looks like the year of 1920 of course!

The guidance is in English.

---

Pictures gallery - Kolmanskop (please click on the photo to enlarge)

Grasplatz near Kolmanskop (c) Klaus Dierks		(c) Brian J. McMorrow		(c) Brian J. McMorrow		(c) www.smirk.de

(c) Brian J. McMorrow		(c) Penni Warncke		(c) Penni Warncke		(c) Penni Warncke

(c) Brian J. McMorrow		(c) Brian J. McMorrow		(c) Brian J. McMorrow		(c) Penni Warncke

The entire peninsula drive is 65 km long. Fill up your tank, pack comfortable and also warm clothing, extra film and sun screen and let's go to the lunar landscape of the unique peninsula. At all bays you will find enough place for picnicing, fishing and swimming. Or you sit down on a rock at all and look at the roaring waves.....

Second Lagoon

This lagoon is a paradise for flamingos and is known for its oyster culture. Fish can be easily caught in the shallow waters.

Sturmvogel Bay A whaling station was built in 1914 nearby. Today it is used by a youth centre.
		(c) www.smirk.de (please click on the photo to enlarge)

Diaz Point The Portuguese navigator Bartholomeu Diaz landed here in 1486 and erected the original stone cross. 1929 a symbolical cross was put up, which was replaced by a replica of the original cross in 1988. The wooden footbridge is from 1911/12.
		(c) Penni Warncke (please click on the photo to enlarge)

Eberlanz cave

The white painted stones are for your orientation. After a ten-minutes-long stony walk you arrive at the small cave. Even a visitors' book is ready for your entries.

Grosse Bucht The most beautiful beach of the peninsula. A wonderful place ideal for doing long walks, swimming (water temperature about 12 degrees !) or surfing. You could catch lobster for dinner, when you have got a good equipment.
		(c) Brian J. McMorrow (please click on the photo to enlarge)

(Nearly) every day at 8 o'clock you can make a trip with the "Sedina" to Halifax-island. There is a sea of old house ruins from the colonial age on the island, which are occupied by jackass-penguins and cormoranes.
A booking is required at the guest house "Zur Waterkant". The meeting place is the wooden jetty in the harbour.
Price: N$ 300.00 per person (January 2011)

The guided tour to Bogenfels (stony arch caused by erosion) and to the ghosttown Pomona could be booked via a special company. Ask the guest house for further details and please plan the booking in advance.

- Elizabeth Bay (another ghost town)

- Drive to the Wild Horses in Garub In the middle of 2006 there is a plan to get more information about the horses in the Aus Information Centre...
		Wild horses (c) www.namibie.nettementmieux.com (please click on the photo to enlarge)

- Scenic hiking trips near Aus

- Tour to the Fish River Canyon
		Fish River Canyon (c) www.smirk.de (please click on the photo to enlarge)

- Trip to the Luderitz mariculture oyster farm

- 4x4-self catering-tour to Saddle Hill / Otavi ship wreck / Mercury Island
		Otavi ship wreck (c) Brian J. McMorrow (please click on the photo to enlarge)

- (Golf link in the desert - the course is not kept immaculate anymore)

There is no railway traffic between Keetmanshoop - Aus - Lüderitz at the time. The tracks will be reorganize completely, because Luderitz will function (among others) as a port of exportation for Botswana in future. However the construction progresses very slow. So train rides to Luderitz do not exist.