Dollar Bush -
referred to for its' coin shaped leaf. Named after a German
geologist named Stapff who was prospecting the Kuiseb Valley in
1885-1886. You'll find plenty of Dollar Bushes on the gravel plains
of the northern Namib Desert.
Old Wagon Wheel Tracks: Here you can see tracks left by the oxen-wagons that
plied the Old Bay Road from the coast to the hinterland over 100 years
ago. It will take centuries before these tracks disappear.
Goanikontes Oasis:
Take a detour for a couple of kilometres to the oasis
at Goanikontes. It lays in the 'dry' Swakop River bed. There's
plenty of Eucalyptus and Palm trees that offer shade for a roadside
picnic. At the turn of the 19th century the farm used to provide
Swakopmund with much of its fresh produce requirements. It is a
private farm, so take care not to trespass from the road.
Scrap Metal: In 1915
the Union of South Africa troops camped at this point. The rusted
remains of petrol cans and an early form of steel vehicle track can be
seen. Visitors are asked not to remove any of the parts.
Dolerite-Dyke: During the time of the break-up of
Gondwana, as Africa and South America began their drift apart,
great stress cracks appeared in the nearby earth's crust. Molten
magma forced its way into these cracks and solidified while still at
a sub-surface level. Over millions of years the surrounding 'softer'
rocks eroded away leaving long ridges of rocky 'outcrops' having a
dark, almost black 'backbone'. A good example of this can be seen
while driving down the road towards the Swakop-River. You will pass
through a man-made cut that exposes the dolerite dyke. It is an
excellent example.
