This lighthouse was the next destination. Heading further north from
Hondeklipbaai Lighthouse we encountered a cloudburst. The heavy rain turned the gravel
road into a skidpan and a nerve wracking, uncontrollable, 4 wheel drift skid
resulted. John handled it superbly. It is a pity we could not photograph the
skid tracks as the heavy rain could have damaged the camera.
At one point there is a
superb tar road thanks to De Beers. On arrival in Port Nolloth the first stop
was for fuel. This is something to watch as there are limited fuel stations in
this northern section.
The Lighthouse is located on “Beach Road” and viewing it (in the rain, unfortunately) was the culmination of our trip. The congratulatory handshake photo has been shown previously.
The Lighthouse is located on “Beach Road” and viewing it (in the rain, unfortunately) was the culmination of our trip. The congratulatory handshake photo has been shown previously.
It was on this site that we
met Gawie Brandt (orange overall) who is the resident Lighthouse official in Port
Nolloth. He explained the history and
mentioned that the Lighthouse, currently on the town side of “Beach Road” will probably
be repositioned to the sea side. In fact, it may be sited on the concrete base
of the first Lighthouse. The base is visible to the right of, and behind John. In the
foreground is the electrical fog signal emitter.
Gawie also explained a
signalling system previously operated by the Lighthouse keeper. A basket (with yellow
band) would be hoisted to the top of a wooden mast to advise vessels to remain
at sea in the event of heavy swells making entry into the harbour dangerous.
A “must” when in Port
Nolloth is a visit to the PN museum. It is between the Lighthouse and the harbour on
“Beach Road”.
Here one will meet George, a
retired diamond diver. He would explain the history of PN, the copper mining
era (when copper ore was exported from PN) and the diamond mining (diving) era.
The history of the various Lighthouses at PN can be seen on the door behind George.
With time in hand we decided
to start the trip back to CT, sleeping at Springbok. Between PN and Steinkopf, this
melanistic springbok was sighted.
Somewhere along the trip we did enjoy a celebratory dinner.
The drive back was uneventful and we arrived timeously at the CT airport for my flight back to Johannesburg and John proceeded on to Hout Bay. Thank you to the LH personnel (Wayne, Samuel and Gawie), to Joe for his advice, and to John for the use of his vehicle and all his driving. We look forward to further exploration and adventures.
Drafted : 16 June 2016.
