NAMIBIA PART 5: HENTIES BAY
HENTIES BAY (ENGLISH, LITERALLY: HENTY'S BAY. AFRIKAANS: HENTIESBAAI, GERMAN: HENTIESBUCHT) IS A COASTAL TOWN IN THE ERONGO REGION OF WESTERN NAMIBIA. IT IS LOCATED 70 KM NORTH OF SWAKOPMUND AND IS AN IMPORTANT HOLIDAY SETTLEMENT. 70 KILOMETRES TO THE NORTH OF THE TOWN IS THE SEAL COLONY OF CAPE CROSS. THE TOWN HAS 3,300 INHABITANTS AND OWNS 121 SQUARE KILOMETRES (47 SQ MI) OF LAND
THE SATELLITE MAPS SHOWS THE STREET WHERE WE STAYED IN A NEWLY BUILT MODERN HOUSE.
THE HOUSE IN SPITZKOPPE STREET
HENTIES BAY IS NAMED AFTER MAJOR HENTIE VAN DER MERWE, A FARMER WHO WENT ON A HUNTING TRIP FOR RHINO AFTER HE LEARNT THAT A MUSEUM IN PENNSYLVANIA WAS OFFERING A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR A RHINO CARCAS. HE SET OFF TO THE BRANDBERG WHERE HE SHOT A RHINO AND STARTED PREPARING THE CARCAS BUT THEIR WATER SUPPLIES WERE LOW AND HE NEEDED TO FIND WATER. HIS FORTHWITH SEACH FOR WATER TOOK HIM ALONG THE COAST FROM CAPE CROSS TOWARDS THE OMARURU RIVER. A FEW MILES SOUTH OF THE RIVER MOUTH HE DISCOVERED A REED BED FED BY A SMALL FRESH WATER SPRING.
FOR YEARS HE USED THIS SPOT AS A HOLIDAY DESTINATION ERECTING A WOODEN HUT. LATER ON HE INVITED HIS FRIENDS TO CAMP THERE WITH HIM. HIS FRIENDS REFERRED TO THIS SPOT AS HENTIES BAY.
THE HENTIES BAY GOLF COURSE IS NOW IN THE RIVER BED
NEAR THE MOUTH OF THE OMARURU RIVER.
IN 1951 THE SOUTH WEST AFRICA ADMINISTRATION PROCLAIMED ERVEN IN THE RIVERBED THAT COULD BE RENTED WITH THE CONDITION THAT NO PERMANENT STRUCTURES WERE ERECTED. SHACKS WERE BUILT FROM WOOD AND HARDBOARD.
IN 1966 THE ADMINISTRATION DECIDED THAT THE PEOPLE MUST MOVE OUT OF THE RIVERBED AND 27 PEOPLE WERE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUY ERVEN ON THE NORTH AND SOUTH DUNES, EITHER SIDE OF THE RIVERBED. IN 1967 THE DE DUINE HOTEL WAS BUILT AND SINCE THEN THE TOWN HAS SLOWLY STARTED TO DEVELOP.
DE DUINE HOTEL 2012
CAPTURED BY JOHAN JOOSTE
WITH A WONDERFUL SUNSET REFLECTION IN THE WINDOWS
ACTIVITIES INCLUDE MAINLY FISHING BUT ALSO 4X4 TRAILS AND QUAD BIKING. THE INFLUX OF MANY VEHICLES POSE A THREAT TO THE FRAGILE LICHEN FIELDS NORTH OF HENTIES BAY AND IN THE ADJOINING DOROB NATIONAL PARK. NO OFF-ROAD DRIVING IS ALLOWED NORTH OF HENTIES BAY TO PROTECT THE LICHEN ECOSYSTEM.
WHILE MANY TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY, OTHERS SHRUG IT OFF AND BARREL OFF THE ROAD TO FIND ‘IDYLLIC’ CAMPSITES OR EVEN UNLOAD QUAD-BIKES TO VENTURE FURTHER ACROSS PRISTINE LANDSCAPES, LEAVING WEBS OF TYRE MARKS BEHIND THEM. WHAT FEW PEOPLE UNDERSTAND IS THAT A TRACK ACROSS ANY DESERT SURFACE WILL TAKE TIME TO RECOVER, WHILE A TRACK ACROSS SOME OF THE NAMIB DESERT’S GRAVEL PLAINS CAN TAKE OVER 500 YEARS TO RECOVER, IF AT ALL.
READ MORE ABOUT THE LICHEN HERE:
I WILL TELL THE REST OF THE HENTIES BAY STORY BY MEANS OF PHOTOS
THE TOTAL GARAGE WHERE WE PUT IN PETROL (GAS) AND ALSO BOUGHT NICE HOMEMADE VETKOEK AND OTHER TAKE-AWAY FOOD.
THE FOLLOWING PHOTOS WERE TAKEN BY JOHAN JOOSTE A PHOTOGRAPHER FROM WINDHOEK WHO WE MET IN PERSON AFTER MY FIRST CONTACT WITH HIM THROUGH THE BOEREMUSIEK KLUB OF NAMIBIA.
JAKKALSPUTZ STREET
MODERN HOMES
THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF JAKKALSPUTZ STREET
MY HENTIES BAY PANORAMA ON A TYPICAL FOGGY DAY
VIEW FROM THE SOUTH DUNE
LOOKING NORTH TOWARDS THE OMARURU RIVER MOUTH
AND THE PLAYGROUND
AN INTERESTING COLLECTION OF LARGE ROCKS
IN FRONT OF DE DUINE HOTEL
AN INTERESTING HOUSE...
THE SALT ROAD THAT LED US TO AND FROM
HENTIES BAY ON MANY OCASIONS
MY FIRST SUNSET PHOTO IN HENTIES BAY
SUNSETS WERE ALWAYS SPECTACULAR AND I WILL DEDICATE ONE ALBUM TO ALL MY SUNSET PHOTOS.
AS USUAL YOU CAN ALSO JUST SIT BACK AND ENJOY THE SLIDE SHOW.
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