Year End 2023!

And what a year it has been!

Hard, I think. I've not met anyone in this year that has said it was a great year, but many new projects were taken on, new situations encountered, life changes made, and decisions for the future in planning. And so, we look forward to the end of the year with a certain amount of trepidation paired with some excitement ... and as with any business owner, a longing for that thing called "leave".

Not everyone might know, but I'm also a partner in an IT business which takes a lot of my time, and this company doesn't close. Although we might try over December to take a bit of down time, work never really ends - and of course, preparation for the New Year must start. The more organised you are, the easier things will be.

With the coming of 2024, there is never a better time than to start updating all your word-related requirements - websites, contracts, company letters, or just that fun project you started five years ago and never had the energy to finish. Perhaps you just need a boot in the butt, as one of my writing friends always says. When she gets stuck, we sit down together with a coffee, go through some writing, and brainstorm to get the creative juices flowing. Often, a different perspective and a few new ideas will give you the energy and inspiration to tackle new projects or try the old ones again.

It's also so rewarding to go back to the drawing board with the good old-fashioned pen and paper, move away from our electronic gadgets and take a break from being "connected". Although a requirement, there is pleasure in picking up a pen and a clean notepad or little book, and scribbling away thoughts or new ideas. Free writing is a manner of cleansing the mind and the soul, and clarifying the chaos as we write often leads to renewed vigor and better decisions.

And so, I invite you to join me on a new project, whether you want the creative outlet or simply need to get the words in your business back on track and use them to your advantage. We wish you a wonderful Christmas!

The History of the Skeleton Coast

This is a piece I did for Shipwreck Lodge recently, on the history of this awe-inspiring coastline.

History of the Skeleton Coast:

It is important to acknowledge that the documented history of the Skeleton Coast is vague and uncertain, with multiple opinions and tales found. Perhaps the true chronicles are forever lost to us in this modern day and age, and the best we can do is to wonder at the truths behind the myths.

Prior to 1973 the entire coastline of Namibia was known as the Skeleton Coast, named for the vast number of bones littering its shores. It was also dubbed “The Gates of Hell” by sailors and those attempting to settle on or colonise this inhospitable landscape and reap the benefits of its natural resources – efforts that were quickly ended. There are stories that the ancient San gave it the name “the Land God Made in Anger”.

However, on walking these shores, you will find the above names appropriate. Swedish explorer Charles John Andersson stated Death would be preferable to banishment to such a country; certainly, for the humans that escaped wrecked vessels with relief, and then found themselves stranded in this rugged environment with no knowledge on how to survive.

While modern times have relieved us (mostly) of such occurrences, the ghosts of the past remain tangible here, and instigate reflection on a time gone by.

In 1973, the Skeleton Coast Park was founded and stretches from the Ugab River to the Kunene River. Access to the park is on arrangement by registered tour guides or operators only, adding to the mystery of this unique and wondrous place. The Park now covers approximately 16,845 square kilometres, and is bordered by additional conservancies and protected areas, creating a space of some 146,000 square kilometres of sparsely populated conservation areas.

The Atlantic Ocean and Benguela Current make this area notorious for treacherous waters, rough surf, shifting shores and changeable weather, and often all four seasons are experienced in one day. Dense fogs frequently shroud the area, and your imagination can run wild when thinking back on the sailors that had to traverse these waters.

Over the centuries and through various attempts by explorers to establish trade routes, time and time again vessels fell victim to this coastline. Here are some that we do know of:

One of the most famous is the Blue Star Liner Dunedin Star, running afoul of these waters in 1942 while enroute from Liverpool to Cape Town. Apparently carrying munitions for the World War II efforts, crew, and a few paying passengers, it ran into trouble near Agate Beach on the Skeleton Coast. The people on board managed to escape to the shores, only to be faced with the desert, fogs, limited rations, no water and no shelter. Numerous efforts were made to rescue them, which led to a tugboat also being grounded, and those poor souls were added to the number requiring rescue. While dropping supplies, a Lockheed Ventura Bomber crashed, adding to the disaster. The remains of both can still be seen near the Dunedin Star. Thankfully, all were rescued eventually – a happier ending than most.

The Eduard Bohlen is another impressive wreck, having run aground in 1909. Over the last century, the ever-shifting sands have encroached, and appear to have moved the ship almost 500 meters inland. It was enroute from Swakopmund to Table Bay, carrying supplies for the new diamond fields that were springing up in the area. Encountering dense fogs and strong winds, the crew and Captain grew disorientated and the ship ran afoul of the Skeleton Coast.

The stories abound, as do the wrecks, giving this coastline the apt name of a ships graveyard, with the bones peeking through the sand. Gotfrod, a tour guide along the Skeleton Coast, wrote Sometimes I wonder how many ships have met their end here. The wreckage disappears over time, but the ghosts haven’t.

And yet, life flourishes.

The Himba and Damara people are at home here, and before them, the San, having passed the knowledge of survival on generation by generation. They have a deep understanding of the land and the wildlife and live in partnership with both. Their history is a marvellous tale of survival and success, and until today they maintain their traditional ways of life.

The wildlife too has adapted to the desert environment; the elephants generally being smaller in stature than their inland cousins, with wider feet to better walk the sands. The game is plentiful, with lion, gemsbok, zebra, hyena, jackal, duikers, and a large number of smaller creatures living here. As with life across the globe, in plentiful times the births of buck and other game increase – and thus then so does the lion population. As the lions then reduce the numbers of their prey, or perhaps drought and disease cause numbers to decrease, so then does their population. The animals are accustomed to minimal fresh water and can at times go for days without drinking as they make their way from one waterhole to another, in search of sustenance.

A trip to these rugged and desolate shores is indeed a once-in-a-lifetime experience, as you learn of the history, the people, and the wildlife. There is much more than is mentioned here, and this experience is sure to amaze even the most world-weary traveller. Do contact us to book a trip that will stay in your heart and memories forever.

A New Journey

My love of words started at a very young age – we didn’t have a TV in the house, so my options for escape from reality were limited. My mother, also a voracious reader, would take us to the library once a week, where the five of us (siblings and parent) would each take out at least three books each. We would devour them, and then read everyone else’s as well.

The library was a place of magic for me – all those fantastic stories and worlds in the pages of a shiny new hardcover or musty old soft jacket. And so, writing began. With the imagination being piqued by all these amazing stories, it was the start of a lifelong creative outlet for me, and as the years passed, the passion grew.

In 2012, I discovered the wonder of writing groups and did a number of courses through All About Writing in South Africa – such amazing support, and patient mentors that guided us day by day as we went through the coursework. I went on to mentor with them through the process of rewriting and polishing but one of the novels I’d written, and the experience was just out of this world for me.

This year, I decided to take this love of writing to a new level, and help people locally improve on the text that they require. We have started with businesses, and am waiting with bated breath to see where this venture goes!