Sugar We’re Going Down

Today our drone fights the earth… 

Check out that tube

But we must start our day with the most important meal, coffee, alcohol and boiled eggs, the breakfast of champions.  Hitting the road we quickly end up in a dead end, I figure by looking at the maps it’s a solid 200m of bush, I’m not really willing to go bush bashing in this thick of bush, so we spin around and cut back through the small camp and head back towards the mine.  Getting back on the main track we head west and on our way we find old lava tubes, wide enough to crawl through. I must visit with some proper gear to explore them. So tempting.

Back on the river floor we are the only set of track for ages. And we quickly find heaps of blocked routes, and back tracking. At one dead end it almost seems hopeless, not wanting to go bush bashing we launch our secret weapon, the drone and have a look for the old road, we find it. The trail is so over grown if you blink you miss it, I back track 200 meters and make a right turn, here we go.

Working our way down
It’s all about the hat

 Following the winding river we find where it opens up to the flats and cut to the original track which is finally in view. Busting the drone out we begin filming and while trying to fly at 40kmh and film I lose track of the drone position and BAM. Drone down. I get lucky and it only requires 2 new blades to fly again.

Our plans for the rest of the day is to quickly zip out to view an abandoned drill rigs and a few ship wrecks along the skeleton coast before parking up, The lady at the gate doesn’t want to let me in, as its 1:30 and they won’t let day drivers in after 1. I explain my situation and how I just want to go in 40kms and spin back around. What a fight. But in the end my persistence pays off and she finally lets me go through the gate.  We hit the open road, which is in very good shape, salt road and not rutted so we make excellent time. 

Time for some high speed

The Skeleton Coast entrance

 

Pulling up to the rig it is incredible to see how the ocean salt is destroying the steel, there is almost nothing left. Although 50 years neglected will do that. It apparently went bust when it didn’t hit oil, the literally left everything behind, even the pipe racks. Next up is an old boat that ran aground. Most of the boat is missing but the engine is a bit of sandpaper away from being start able.

Decent sized rig

The ocean is unforgiving Just needs a jump start

We grab a campsite so we can shower and find a place with protection from the wind. Buying wood we get cooking, Peri peri chicken is in order tonight along with gem squash. A simple yet tasty meal. I am over the moon with our success in completing some of the tougher areas through Namibia.

Sitting at the coast, what an accomplishment

 

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