Cruise liner special: Swakopmund and Namib Desert Highlight Tour

Our tour takes us past Bird island , the only manmade Guano Island along the coast, ( 10 minutes)to the Swakopmund Jetty.( 30 minutes) We learn about the interesting fact about the struggles to build the Mole( 15 Minutes) and the Jetty then we see some old German colonial buildings ( 20 minutes)and onto Martin Luther the Steam tractor ( 15 minutes) that was tried to be used to tow wagons in the years of the Rinderpest and onto the Namib desert gravel plains to Goanikontes. ( 1 hour)
we spend a lot of time driving to the next site as they are far apart

On our way to Goanikontes a very important land mark and watering hole in yesteryear we pass by the Lichen fields ,( 30 minutes) We look for the tiny plants only millimeters big , covering the desert , which is a combination of an algae and a mushroom, growing in a small strip in the desert, adapted to living off the Fog that blows in. We learn about some Desert plants and how they have evolved to live of the moisture of the fog. Then we drive along the gravel plains to the Moonlandscape.

We are then surprised by arriving at the Moonlandscape. This area is about 500 million years old, its unique, its vast and its very quiet. Wind erosion is evident. We can see the layers of lava flow that happened millions of years ago. This area is believed to have had at least 2 ice ages.
we go to various view points to view this unique landmarks AND SPEND ABOUT 15 MINUTES ON EACH VIEW POINT.

the route takes us to Goanikontes , the first oasis or watering hole in the Swakop River, of great importance in the olden days. Here the Horses and Oxen were watered and changed. Then it became the vegetable garden for Swakopmund. Here was an old Police station. Nowadays we have a little restaurant here and some toilet facilities. We pass through it to a few point high up in this harsh environment . About 30 minutes and then we drive to the Welwitschia plants about 20 minutes.
the age old Welwitschia plants which grow only in this desolate and harsh area. Some plants are believed to be hundreds of years old. This unique desert plant has no stem and only has two leaves. Leaves are ripped by the wind and Zebras feeding on them and are pollinated by little light brown and bright orange bugs.

We drive along a desert path and see Uranium Prospecting sites. Also some weather stations and about 20km onwards we stop at the Welwitschia Plants. There is a male and female plant, it grows very old and very slowly, has only two leaves and no stem. Very unique and only found from this spot on northwards in Namibia. Locals call it the plant that never dies. After seeing the Welwitschia Mirabilis we drive about80km or 40 minutes to Dune 7
on our way back to the harbour we pass Dune 7, unfortunately we will not be able to climb it as our time has run out and we return to Walvis Bay port

After our long drive back to Walvis Bay we stop at Dune 7. outside Walvis Bay. This Dune was called Dune 7 as it was 7 miles from Walvis Bay and the British Enclave of Walvisbay went to 10 miles into the Desert. We view the dune. It is not the highest Dune in Namibia as you will see yourself. It is probably the highest Dune you can climb in the area, but we sadly do not have time to climb it. Admission fee not included as we do not go in. It costs about us
(Dune 7 near Sossusvlei is the highest Dune in Namibia, but you cannot climb it.)
we now make our way back to the harbour and our Namib desert highlight tour ends. Thank you for joining us.