I lived in Abay for 10 years, and at first it was hard. I cried when I was transferred and had to leave. I remember crossing over to Oranjemund to go do shopping at Spar, because we only had Sentra locally. It was always hard coming back to South Africa, since Oranjemund was such a beautiful little and well developed town😂 I love that you put Abay on the map though❤
You've made my day. My place of birth. It's difficult to explain just how barren the surrounds to the town are. We never wore shoes, had many cuts to the feet and to this day wonder why we never suffered snake bite. At Brand Karos a little further up the river, there is basic rondavel accommodation. Thank you again. I loved it.
I'm glad you could see birthtown again through our eyes. 🤩 It has always been a very intriguing place to us and it didn't disappoint. 😁 Because of its location, Brandkaros was my preferred choice, but they had no availability for our date. I was rather bummed about that. While in town, the locals seemed to think that our vehicle wouldn't have made it out that way anyway. We had done some pretty rough gravel roads by this stage of our trip and I wasn't going to expose the Kwiddie to more if I've been warned. 😏🚗
Wow!!! This is so cool!! The mouth of the Orange River. If you guys ever come back to the USA yall can stay here at my place in the Louisiana swamp lands. It is not the Taj Mahal but very comfortable and will take yall down to the mouth of the Mississippi River. I even have fishing poles for you guys.
Thank you for your kind offer. 😎 We'd love to visit the USA again in the not-too-distant future and can only imagine the sight of the Mississippi River Mouth. We will probably not believe our eyes. 😳🌊 The fishing poles can stay in the garage, Sonia says. 😁
My childhood years were across the river - Oranjemund, which was a nice town. Alex always seemed bleak to us. Every mid year school holiday would see the family off somewhere for a 10 day break. One of the most awesome journeys was from Oranjemund to Luderitz, an area not open to the public back then (Sperrgebiet) but a company bus provided transport. Now, that is a trip in a different world. Move heaven and hell, you have to do it somehow. Weekends would see us kids (6 - 10 yrs old!) on bicycles down to the river mouth for overnight fire and fishing - through the desert and salt pans for about 7 km take 2 hours with lots of wild mini-adventures along the way usually involving gemsbok, cobras and even a hyena once. We never saw the reported leopards. Also some old German Army stuff from WW1 days caused imaginative skirmishes! A paradise for youngsters.
What a lovely trip down memory lane! I grew up in Alexander Bay. We moved away in 1996 when I was 14. I only have great memories of this town. We walked everywhere - to the school, friends, and the shop. I remember walking to the Spar for 'draairoomys' so often! The annual 'kerk basaar' was a highlight on the calendar! The grownups also regularly had dances in the N'Orsmond 'saal'. Us kids would run around outside to keep busy. I could go on and on! I'm glad to see so many trees and green lawns despite how barren and rundown the area is! Thank you for making the video. :)
Thank you for your kind comment. 😊 We're so happy that we could take you back to Alexander Bay, your hometown back in the day. We agree the area is bare and barren, but for us as first-time visitors to this, up to now mysterious town, the area had a mesmerising beauty all its own. I can completely understand how you could spend a very happy childhood there.👌 We can finally say we've been to Alexander Bay and it was a treat from our arrival to our departure. We appreciate you coming along! 🤩🚗
Hi you two! Barren and desolate, but fascinating. The town itself seems neat enough to live in, but the people there must feel isolated, not by distance, but because of the surrounding desert. Hats off to them. Thank you for taking me along to the very corner of our country. Keep safe!
Absolutely fascinating, let me tell you! Mysterious almost too. We chatted to quite a few locals and surprisingly enough, all of them love it there and have even returned to the town after moving away for a period of time. They say the desert and isolation get into your blood somehow. The natural beauty is phenomenal, but I'm not sure I could live there permanently. My reason wouldn't be the desert though, mine would be the distance. I'm happy that you could also see Alexander Bay for the first time. 😁🚗
Loved this video! Made me cry. I lived there for the first 18 years of my life (left 1997) and could not have wanted for a safer and more wonderful childhood - and this was because of the 'isolation'. 'Outsiders' may think it would be horrible to live there, but it was so safe and everyone knew everyone. There were hardly ever 'strangers' in town when the permitting system was still in place. Yes, the town does seem very run down now, but in it's prime it was beautiful, with lots of green areas, parks, etc, in between the sandy desert parts. The landscape is a different kind of beautiful. I wish you had used your local contact to give more context to the viewers regarding the town as it could seem quite weird if you do not know it. For example, why the town is divided into two parts, the 'Noorde' and the "Suide' and the history behind it (Binne and Buitekamp). But overall loved this video and looking forward to watching the others you made of the whole route (N7).
I'm glad you enjoyed our video and that it brought back some good memories of your hometown, which you clearly still love dearly. We agree that the landscape is absolutely beautiful. Different, but beautiful all the same. 😍 Our videos aren't intended to provide the full history and information of a town or place we get to visit, we merely document our travels and our experiences as mostly first-time visitors to a specific area. We travel for enjoyment and find beauty in every single place or town we get to visit and Alexander Bay was no different. We had lost a good few sound clips in which we relayed a little more info which we found along the way as we chatted to locals, but we couldn't remember everything when we got to editing and would rather not provide info which we didn't obtain from a local person. We rely on our recordings to put together our videos when we return home and this time our mic had failed us. 😏 We appreciate you filling in some of the blanks. 🙂🚗 Oh, and we didn't find the town weird at all! Isolated and desert-like, absolutely. But definitely not weird.
Barren and bleak almost an understatement and yet, I'm sure, that there are many who have fond memories of their childhood days of these West Coast towns. There is something enchanting about these dry and deserted areas of our country. It's a pity that the mining and fishing companies could not have made the effort to clear up some of the dilapidated structures they left behind. Enjoyed the view of the veldt from the car.
We also found the area enchanting, that's a good word to describe the stark natural beauty here. We're glad you enjoyed the trip to Alexander Bay with us! 😁🚗
Hi guys amazing video town in the middle of nowhere size of the orange River is impressive loved the bus stops people who live here must love the solitude one guest house and one restaurant you definitely wouldn't want to be barred lol what a kind gesture for the lady to let you stay in her house gives you faith in humanity this place has added to my education of South Africa thanks for the video cheerio till the next one
It was really a kind gesture to provide us with accommodation for the evening, we so appreciated that. The Orange River is indeed extremely impressive, even when the skies are grey like they were on the day of our visit. I'm so glad you noticed the murals on the bus shelters, we thought that was so cool! 😎🚌
Funny how everyone assumes it's a lady. 😁 The person was indeed very kind and we felt right at home from the moment we arrived. It was a special experience. 👌🏻🏡
The music you were playing as you drove into Alexanderbaai made me think of a herd of cows. Dont ask me why. I kept expecting to see a herd of cows on the mooooove. Its amazing the contrast between the desert and the whopping big river flowing through it. The house you stayed in is truly beautiful and its so amazing that the owner offered you the accommodation. Cant wait to see where you are heading next!
We just loved both the big river and the desert. There appears to be nothing in the desert, but sand, but there is still this mystical beauty which we couldn't overlook. We're still blown away that someone offered their house for us to stay in for the evening, otherwise we would've had a slight problem and might've just had to sleep in the car! 😁🚗 I'm sure you'll love the next destination too, you might want to get out your easel so long! 🎨
I just love your videos. Thank you for showing people the parts of the country, we do not see every day. Also, thank you for clearing up all of the misconceptions people might have of the places.
Daar gebore,opgegroei en het op die myn daar begin werk as 'n vakleerling. Het 2017 weer daarnatoe getrek en 2020 weer weg. Die plek lyk nou baie verwaarloos,maar was 'n baie groen dorp met baie bome en grasperke destyds.
Yes...like people are commenting...barren and desolate..and sand...and more sand...but that is what makes our country so interesting. Pity you did not bring your passports along you should have just popped over and had a look at Oranjemund...where the Oryx wander on the grass in the parks...complete different place. But thanx for bringing us all the lovely places in our country...and please just give me a hint...will you eventually cover the whole of South Africa?
We left our Passports at home on purpose. 😁 For us, it's never a matter of just 'popping over'. We're really slow-coach explorers and wouldn't have gotten to our next destinations as we planned to if we dared cross that border. We lived in the US for a number of years and when we returned, we promised ourselves that we will explore our own country first before we do so outside the borders again. We intend to cover as much of South Africa as we can do safely, if that answers your question. 🇿🇦🚗
Hi Curtis and Sonia, I was stationed at Alexander Bay with the Weather Service. Got there mid 1984 , on a gravel road from Port Nolloth having been transferred from Ladysmith after my training and study . The 2 and a half years I was there was a time learn to learn new skills namely learning to do Upper Air ascents with a weather balloon and instrument package called a radiosonde . It was a different way of life back then under the closed town due to the alluvial diamond diggings . From what I heard prior to my arrival the control was even stricter , as it was if we had to supply copies of IDs of people visiting us to the security . The barrenness took some getting used there , do remember going out of town .for a weekend for a break and also to try observe Halley's comet in 1986 , think it was at Brandkaros but cant entirely remember as we got there in a normal non 4X4 vehicle. We knew of a road that took you the beach but it was long walk from there to get to the mouth about 3km , did it on a few occasions back then . Did it again more recently when I was up that way to see a couple of guys I knew while living in Ermelo who did a source to sea canoe trip on the Vaal and Orange rivers. My daughter who was a journalist did a story on the trip for a local newspaper and took I her to their destination., the mouth That was my trip as mentioned in your Delareyville video. The high school used to be the primary school, what is interesting was that the school was still painted the same colours. Back then our children were only 1 of 2 families with English speaking children in the school, our home language is English The strong winds experienced in the area were easterly winds (berg winds) , they also caused rapid rises in temperature and the probable cause of those trees lying over . On one occasion the rise was so dramatic it was queried by Cape Town weather. office 20C in two hours . I reported back to them it was indeed correct. Such winds were accompanied by dust storms . Lots of sand blowing off the desert
Definitely not a tourist destination. I'm not complaining - watching the video was an experience for me. I've never been to that part of SA and I dooubt if we'll ever go there. Thanks for all your videos.
We don't really visit that many tourist destinations, since with those come a whole lot of people and vehicles and that's exactly what we run away from every few weeks. I'm glad we could provide you with a glimpse into the town which is Alexander Bay. 🙂🚗
Hi me from the backseat again. I can remember back in the day, De Beers flew us in from the schools in the Cape to Alexbaai during mid-year and end-year. And every time we landed, the wind were blowing strong. Maybe that is why the trees were lying down.
Hello again! That's very interesting that you got flown in to Alexander Bay from the Cape Province! I understood from other viewers too that the wind was responsible for the trees lying flat like that. It must've been some pretty strong winds because those were big trees! 😳🌳
Interesting! I thought they were meant to act as barriers for the wind, but a viewer explained that wood is used instead of iron because wood doesn't rust. Makes sense. 👍🏻
We did that trip frorm Johannesburg to Springbok stopped at all those places what a trip down memory lane we had our first Curry snoek.We always went off road never highway.Sadly Hubby passed away but thesr videos bring back happy memories.thank you😊
Very sandy probably because the Namib Desert starting on the other side of the mouth. The real Sperrgebiet is just north of here. Those trees were possibly claimed by the wind and desert.
Curtis, you receive so many requests to put a face to Sonia’s refreshing voice. I have an idea. Here is the plan, why don’t you take a photo of her, make a puzzle of the photo and strategically place pieces of the puzzle in future episodes. Placing the last face revealing peace in an episode when Sonia gives you the go ahead. Maybe not a good idea.
That's certainly a novel idea and something I will definitely consider, but only when Sonia gives me the go-ahead. She gave a wry smile when I read your comment to her, so her reaction wasn't an immediate 'no', which is encouraging. She will still not put a timeframe on it though. 🤷🏼♂️
Ons het my karavaan en suv se bande by daai garage opgepomp na ons trip vanaf Sendelingsdrift...daai pad vanaf Sendelingsdrift na A/bay was so erg sinkplaat gery dat ons plek plek 15-20km/h moes ry...ek was nog nooit so bly om weer teerpad te sien nie... dankie vir die video 🇿🇦👍
Thank you for sharing that memory! 👌🏻 There was a time or two on this trip that we were also grateful for sections of tar. The gravel roads were really rough in some areas, and I would imagine especially for us in a sedan. 🚗🇿🇦
We toured Alexander Bay wayback in Feb 2009 when you had to register at the checkpoint with passport/ID before being allowed to drive around this beautiful community & Orange River Mouth! Amazing location! Thanks for sharing your movie!
My experience with visiting was not pleasant we wanted to visit caravan park but denied. Must say we travelled by motorcycle where you came in was boom gates then we travelled to border to go into Namibia same story police was rude on SA side but in Namibia very polite and friendly.
It sounds like you visited the town when it was still a closed mining town. The booms have obviously been removed and everything, for the most part, is accessible to the general public. Perhaps when you visit again, you'll have a different experience. 🙂🚗
Northern West coast reminds me so much of cape town, just less developed but with loads of potential. I plan on moving up north eventually to start an Olive Grove and try for producing saffron to bring in some much needed vitality to that rugged land.
Those are certainly grand plans! I take my hat off to those folks who make a living in that harsh environment. I hope you're able to put all your thoughts into action! Keep us posted. 😎
The landscapes of this north west region also reminds me of the Judean Desert. I love it. I imagine the local climate could be perfect for growing olives and saffron. Maybe also dates? I like your project idea.
As for dates I did some quick research and saw that among others the Karsten-group grows dates in this part of the world for the local and international market. At Klein Pella along the Orange River.
Where the Orange river meets the sea so beautiful. It was amazing that someone gave up their own house for your accommodation how marvelous, that was so beauriful and kind . Thank you so much for this episode. I really enjoyed it.
We're very happy that you managed to come to Alexander Bay with us! 😎 Our host was indeed very gracious and kind to give up their own lodgings so that we could have a comfortable place for the evening. The Orange River Mouth was absolutely gorgeous and we're so grateful that we got to experience it up close. 🤩🌊
I have always been attracted by the name.....thanks for helping. I am interested to see more towns in the NC, I only know common ones like Kimberley, Warrenton, Hartswater and Jan kemp......I want to visit further in like Upington & Springbok
Hey man, I have heard about the Boksburg Tanker Explosion and it was really terrible. 37 people died on that day and worst part about it is that it took place on Christmas Eve.
Only crime there is the occasional IDB (Illegal Diamond Buying). I left there in 2020,and up to the time I left,I never locked my vehicle or my house if I went somewhere. My vehicle was standing in my driveway or even sometimes in the street in front of my house during the night,with the keys(and sometimes my wallet also) in it
@Ronny Kenny Yes, our observation too. Only those wooden fences for the most part which we believe are there to act as barriers against the fierce winds in the area. 🌀
Thank you for sharing the memory. I was born there in 1955 and we left in 1962. We never wore shoes. At that time the town was divided in two. "Buitekamp" and "Binnekamp". We stayed in the "Buitekamp".
@@DustBugsTravel The reason we did not wear shoes is that your soles became tough from walking on the hot sand. You could actually walk on thorns without feeling a thing.
In December 2000 we followed the Orange River from its source in Lesotho, camping all along the course of the river, up to the mouth, where it flows into the Atlantic Ocean.
I absolutely loved it, was wandering if it's a bit like Australian outbacks? I'm judging that on snippets I've seen on utube, never been there, thank you, would love to visit Alexander Bay just for the experience.
I'm happy to hear you enjoyed our visit to Alexander Bay. I guess the desolation and the desert landscape would resemble the Australian outback, but I've never been to the outback personally, so can't say for sure. 🤷🏼♂️ It was our first visit to Alexander Bay and it was indeed an experience. If you ever get the opportunity to go, do it! You'll be fascinated by what you find. 😁🚗
Your travel blogs are amazing.. I'm from Kimberley, but I just realized that I don't know the northern cape properly! It's about time I make a short cut around Noord kaap
Thank you so much, I'm glad you're enjoying our trip through the Namaqualand region! You're much closer than we are and you should really go and explore the province. We still have quite a bit of the province to cover ourselves. The landscapes are truly amazing! If you hit the road soon, travel safe! 😁🚗
Where the houses were closer there was more vegetation. It was a very scattered settlement so that seemed to accentuate the feeling of barren desolation.
We've never been to Namibia, so look forward to exploring Walvis Bay one day too. 🤩🇳🇦 I believe the area is very similar to the areas around Alexander Bay and Port Nolloth. We love barren desolation!
Hi, Hope you doing great? I would like to know how much Kilometers does your car have on the clock now, and how often do you have to service it. Just for an interesting fact.... BE SAVE ON THE ROAD.
Hello there! I'm doing just fine, thanks! 👌🏻 I'm not sure how many of our videos you've seen, but we don't own any of the cars you'll see in our videos. We rent a vehicle every time, so that's why you'll see a variety of colours too! 😁🚗
You should definitely make a point of visiting Alexander Bay, it's a unique town and a unique experience. 👌🏻 I film with my everyday cellphone, a Samsung S22 Ultra, mounted on a regular selfie-stick. That is totally sufficient for our purposes. 😁🚗
Did you know that millions of $ gear was pushed into the orange river to protect the mining conglomerate from theft. The use by date. Backactors and frontend loaders was pushed into the river because the jews did not sell them. They refused selling the heavy equipment because it was used to smuggle diamonds.
This is the worse video I ever saw. You tried to show a lot but you showed nothing. Nothing in or outside the High School, no golf course, no hospital, no sport fields, no guests houses, no restaurant, no squash court, no Orsmond hall, tarring the roads and installing street lights (these were our pride and joy). Anybody that stayed there and knows the place, will tell you and agree that Alexander Bay was one of the most beautiful towns to stay in. We made sure that the town was put on the map. We had the best of both worlds.
How kind of you to take the time to point out everything we missed in Alexander Bay, we appreciate that so much! 🙂 You may be new to our channel, so I'll point out a few things to you. We're two random travellers who document our travels to and through a place or town on the random day we arrive. Our video reflects what we saw, not what you or anyone else saw or wanted us to see. These videos are our memories of our travels, which we choose to share with those who are interested. We have no problem that we miss things in every place or town, since it's simply impossible to include everything. That is not the goal of our videos either and will never be. Instead of focusing on what we missed, we choose to focus on what we manage to see and we're just so grateful that we had the opportunity to experience Alexander Bay through fresh, unjaded eyes.
It's a place with such a unique natural beauty, we actually found it quite amazing! The folks who live there and who we spoke to, said they're very happy there. 😁🌊
I lived in Abay for 10 years, and at first it was hard. I cried when I was transferred and had to leave. I remember crossing over to Oranjemund to go do shopping at Spar, because we only had Sentra locally. It was always hard coming back to South Africa, since Oranjemund was such a beautiful little and well developed town😂 I love that you put Abay on the map though❤
You've made my day. My place of birth. It's difficult to explain just how barren the surrounds to the town are. We never wore shoes, had many cuts to the feet and to this day wonder why we never suffered snake bite. At Brand Karos a little further up the river, there is basic rondavel accommodation. Thank you again. I loved it.
I'm glad you could see birthtown again through our eyes. 🤩 It has always been a very intriguing place to us and it didn't disappoint. 😁 Because of its location, Brandkaros was my preferred choice, but they had no availability for our date. I was rather bummed about that. While in town, the locals seemed to think that our vehicle wouldn't have made it out that way anyway. We had done some pretty rough gravel roads by this stage of our trip and I wasn't going to expose the Kwiddie to more if I've been warned. 😏🚗
@@DustBugsTravel Jip daai pad is baie sleg,daar is borde opgesit wat jou waarsku dat jy 'n 4x4 nodig het daar
Wonderlik! Eks ook daar gebore! 52 jaar gelede. Sal altyd n plek in my hart he, my namakwa, geboorte grond❤
Wow!!! This is so cool!! The mouth of the Orange River. If you guys ever come back to the USA yall can stay here at my place in the Louisiana swamp lands. It is not the Taj Mahal but very comfortable and will take yall down to the mouth of the Mississippi River. I even have fishing poles for you guys.
Thank you for your kind offer. 😎 We'd love to visit the USA again in the not-too-distant future and can only imagine the sight of the Mississippi River Mouth. We will probably not believe our eyes. 😳🌊 The fishing poles can stay in the garage, Sonia says. 😁
My childhood years were across the river - Oranjemund, which was a nice town. Alex always seemed bleak to us. Every mid year school holiday would see the family off somewhere for a 10 day break. One of the most awesome journeys was from Oranjemund to Luderitz, an area not open to the public back then (Sperrgebiet) but a company bus provided transport. Now, that is a trip in a different world. Move heaven and hell, you have to do it somehow.
Weekends would see us kids (6 - 10 yrs old!) on bicycles down to the river mouth for overnight fire and fishing - through the desert and salt pans for about 7 km take 2 hours with lots of wild mini-adventures along the way usually involving gemsbok, cobras and even a hyena once. We never saw the reported leopards. Also some old German Army stuff from WW1 days caused imaginative skirmishes! A paradise for youngsters.
Thank you for sharing those special memories! 👌🏻 Namibia is most certainly on our list, but only once we've worked our way across South Africa. 🚗🇿🇦
Timeline please, maybe we tackled each other?
@@angryres6632 1953 - 1964
What a lovely trip down memory lane!
I grew up in Alexander Bay. We moved away in 1996 when I was 14. I only have great memories of this town. We walked everywhere - to the school, friends, and the shop. I remember walking to the Spar for 'draairoomys' so often! The annual 'kerk basaar' was a highlight on the calendar! The grownups also regularly had dances in the N'Orsmond 'saal'. Us kids would run around outside to keep busy. I could go on and on!
I'm glad to see so many trees and green lawns despite how barren and rundown the area is!
Thank you for making the video. :)
Thank you for your kind comment. 😊 We're so happy that we could take you back to Alexander Bay, your hometown back in the day. We agree the area is bare and barren, but for us as first-time visitors to this, up to now mysterious town, the area had a mesmerising beauty all its own. I can completely understand how you could spend a very happy childhood there.👌 We can finally say we've been to Alexander Bay and it was a treat from our arrival to our departure. We appreciate you coming along! 🤩🚗
Hi you two!
Barren and desolate, but fascinating.
The town itself seems neat enough to live in, but the people there must feel isolated, not by distance, but because of the surrounding desert. Hats off to them.
Thank you for taking me along to the very corner of our country.
Keep safe!
Absolutely fascinating, let me tell you! Mysterious almost too. We chatted to quite a few locals and surprisingly enough, all of them love it there and have even returned to the town after moving away for a period of time. They say the desert and isolation get into your blood somehow. The natural beauty is phenomenal, but I'm not sure I could live there permanently. My reason wouldn't be the desert though, mine would be the distance. I'm happy that you could also see Alexander Bay for the first time. 😁🚗
Loved this video! Made me cry.
I lived there for the first 18 years of my life (left 1997) and could not have wanted for a safer and more wonderful childhood - and this was because of the 'isolation'. 'Outsiders' may think it would be horrible to live there, but it was so safe and everyone knew everyone. There were hardly ever 'strangers' in town when the permitting system was still in place.
Yes, the town does seem very run down now, but in it's prime it was beautiful, with lots of green areas, parks, etc, in between the sandy desert parts. The landscape is a different kind of beautiful.
I wish you had used your local contact to give more context to the viewers regarding the town as it could seem quite weird if you do not know it. For example, why the town is divided into two parts, the 'Noorde' and the "Suide' and the history behind it (Binne and Buitekamp).
But overall loved this video and looking forward to watching the others you made of the whole route (N7).
I'm glad you enjoyed our video and that it brought back some good memories of your hometown, which you clearly still love dearly. We agree that the landscape is absolutely beautiful. Different, but beautiful all the same. 😍 Our videos aren't intended to provide the full history and information of a town or place we get to visit, we merely document our travels and our experiences as mostly first-time visitors to a specific area. We travel for enjoyment and find beauty in every single place or town we get to visit and Alexander Bay was no different. We had lost a good few sound clips in which we relayed a little more info which we found along the way as we chatted to locals, but we couldn't remember everything when we got to editing and would rather not provide info which we didn't obtain from a local person. We rely on our recordings to put together our videos when we return home and this time our mic had failed us. 😏 We appreciate you filling in some of the blanks. 🙂🚗 Oh, and we didn't find the town weird at all! Isolated and desert-like, absolutely. But definitely not weird.
Barren and bleak almost an understatement and yet, I'm sure, that there are many who have fond memories of their childhood days of these West Coast towns. There is something enchanting about these dry and deserted areas of our country. It's a pity that the mining and fishing companies could not have made the effort to clear up some of the dilapidated structures they left behind. Enjoyed the view of the veldt from the car.
We also found the area enchanting, that's a good word to describe the stark natural beauty here. We're glad you enjoyed the trip to Alexander Bay with us! 😁🚗
Hi guys amazing video town in the middle of nowhere size of the orange River is impressive loved the bus stops people who live here must love the solitude one guest house and one restaurant you definitely wouldn't want to be barred lol what a kind gesture for the lady to let you stay in her house gives you faith in humanity this place has added to my education of South Africa thanks for the video cheerio till the next one
It was really a kind gesture to provide us with accommodation for the evening, we so appreciated that. The Orange River is indeed extremely impressive, even when the skies are grey like they were on the day of our visit. I'm so glad you noticed the murals on the bus shelters, we thought that was so cool! 😎🚌
What a lovely tale about how you got accommodated for the night! Trust on both sides and her home looked very clean and welcoming. A very kind lady.
Funny how everyone assumes it's a lady. 😁 The person was indeed very kind and we felt right at home from the moment we arrived. It was a special experience. 👌🏻🏡
Your channel is so addictive. I love every bit of your shows. I always look forward to new content. Love from Zimbabwe ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
Greetings to you in Zimbabwe! 🤩 I'm so happy to hear that you enjoy our videos, it's great to have you tagging along! 😁🚗
The music you were playing as you drove into Alexanderbaai made me think of a herd of cows. Dont ask me why. I kept expecting to see a herd of cows on the mooooove. Its amazing the contrast between the desert and the whopping big river flowing through it. The house you stayed in is truly beautiful and its so amazing that the owner offered you the accommodation. Cant wait to see where you are heading next!
We just loved both the big river and the desert. There appears to be nothing in the desert, but sand, but there is still this mystical beauty which we couldn't overlook. We're still blown away that someone offered their house for us to stay in for the evening, otherwise we would've had a slight problem and might've just had to sleep in the car! 😁🚗 I'm sure you'll love the next destination too, you might want to get out your easel so long! 🎨
I just love your videos. Thank you for showing people the parts of the country, we do not see every day. Also, thank you for clearing up all of the misconceptions people might have of the places.
Daar gebore,opgegroei en het op die myn daar begin werk as 'n vakleerling. Het 2017 weer daarnatoe getrek en 2020 weer weg. Die plek lyk nou baie verwaarloos,maar was 'n baie groen dorp met baie bome en grasperke destyds.
Thank you for sharing those memories with us. 👌🏻 We had a very interesting visit to Alexander Bay, a town which has always fascinated us. 🙂🚗
That’s the wind that does that to the trees. The South Island in New Zealand has the same thing!🙂👍🏽
Thank you for the info! 👍🏻 We thought strong winds may be the culprit, but were really not sure.
Yep. At the Sea Point Pavillion parking at Broken Bath Beach in Cape Town, all the trees look like that.
Yes...like people are commenting...barren and desolate..and sand...and more sand...but that is what makes our country so interesting. Pity you did not bring your passports along you should have just popped over and had a look at Oranjemund...where the Oryx wander on the grass in the parks...complete different place. But thanx for bringing us all the lovely places in our country...and please just give me a hint...will you eventually cover the whole of South Africa?
We left our Passports at home on purpose. 😁 For us, it's never a matter of just 'popping over'. We're really slow-coach explorers and wouldn't have gotten to our next destinations as we planned to if we dared cross that border. We lived in the US for a number of years and when we returned, we promised ourselves that we will explore our own country first before we do so outside the borders again. We intend to cover as much of South Africa as we can do safely, if that answers your question. 🇿🇦🚗
@@DustBugsTravel Ok I am off on Sunday to my favorite spot on the westcoast...will watch again in 2 weeks time..
Have a fantastic time! 🚙⛺ Travel safe!
Hi Curtis and Sonia,
I was stationed at Alexander Bay with the Weather Service. Got there mid 1984 , on a gravel road from Port Nolloth having been transferred from Ladysmith after my training and study . The 2 and a half years I was there was a time learn to learn new skills namely learning to do Upper Air ascents with a weather balloon and instrument package called a radiosonde . It was a different way of life back then under the closed town due to the alluvial diamond diggings . From what I heard prior to my arrival the control was even stricter , as it was if we had to supply copies of IDs of people visiting us to the security . The barrenness took some getting used there , do remember going out of town .for a weekend for a break and also to try observe Halley's comet in 1986 , think it was at Brandkaros but cant entirely remember as we got there in a normal non 4X4 vehicle. We knew of a road that took you the beach but it was long walk from there to get to the mouth about 3km , did it on a few occasions back then . Did it again more recently when I was up that way to see a couple of guys I knew while living in Ermelo who did a source to sea canoe trip on the Vaal and Orange rivers. My daughter who was a journalist did a story on the trip for a local newspaper and took I her to their destination., the mouth That was my trip as mentioned in your Delareyville video.
The high school used to be the primary school, what is interesting was that the school was still painted the same colours. Back then our children were only 1 of 2 families with English speaking children in the school, our home language is English
The strong winds experienced in the area were easterly winds (berg winds) , they also caused rapid rises in temperature and the probable cause of those trees lying over . On one occasion the rise was so dramatic it was queried by Cape Town weather. office 20C in two hours . I reported back to them it was indeed correct. Such winds were accompanied by dust storms . Lots of sand blowing off the desert
Definitely not a tourist destination. I'm not complaining - watching the video was an experience for me. I've never been to that part of SA and I dooubt if we'll ever go there. Thanks for all your videos.
We don't really visit that many tourist destinations, since with those come a whole lot of people and vehicles and that's exactly what we run away from every few weeks. I'm glad we could provide you with a glimpse into the town which is Alexander Bay. 🙂🚗
Hi me from the backseat again. I can remember back in the day, De Beers flew us in from the schools in the Cape to Alexbaai during mid-year and end-year. And every time we landed, the wind were blowing strong. Maybe that is why the trees were lying down.
Hello again! That's very interesting that you got flown in to Alexander Bay from the Cape Province! I understood from other viewers too that the wind was responsible for the trees lying flat like that. It must've been some pretty strong winds because those were big trees! 😳🌳
My main memory of driving into Walvis Bay in the 80s was those same wooden fences
Interesting! I thought they were meant to act as barriers for the wind, but a viewer explained that wood is used instead of iron because wood doesn't rust. Makes sense. 👍🏻
Thank you. Well done. You must love this town to live there. But it is what is is. Keep up your good w9rk I love the travel
Thank you for trekking all the way to Alexander Bay with us! 😁🚗 It is indeed a unique place with people who understand the harsh environment.
We did that trip frorm Johannesburg to Springbok stopped at all those places what a trip down memory lane we had our first Curry snoek.We always went off road never highway.Sadly Hubby passed away but thesr videos bring back happy memories.thank you😊
Whow, Been to Oranjemund where gemsbok are grazing along the streets. But never to Alex. Stunning thanks
I'm.glad you came along! We look forward to seeing those gemsbok in Oranjemund one day. 😍🚗
Very sandy probably because the Namib Desert starting on the other side of the mouth. The real Sperrgebiet is just north of here.
Those trees were possibly claimed by the wind and desert.
Curtis, you receive so many requests to put a face to Sonia’s refreshing voice.
I have an idea. Here is the plan, why don’t you take a photo of her, make a puzzle of the photo and strategically place pieces of the puzzle in future episodes. Placing the last face revealing peace in an episode when Sonia gives you the go ahead.
Maybe not a good idea.
That's certainly a novel idea and something I will definitely consider, but only when Sonia gives me the go-ahead. She gave a wry smile when I read your comment to her, so her reaction wasn't an immediate 'no', which is encouraging. She will still not put a timeframe on it though. 🤷🏼♂️
Ons het my karavaan en suv se bande by daai garage opgepomp na ons trip vanaf Sendelingsdrift...daai pad vanaf Sendelingsdrift na A/bay was so erg sinkplaat gery dat ons plek plek 15-20km/h moes ry...ek was nog nooit so bly om weer teerpad te sien nie... dankie vir die video 🇿🇦👍
Thank you for sharing that memory! 👌🏻 There was a time or two on this trip that we were also grateful for sections of tar. The gravel roads were really rough in some areas, and I would imagine especially for us in a sedan. 🚗🇿🇦
We toured Alexander Bay wayback in Feb 2009 when you had to register at the checkpoint with passport/ID before being allowed to drive around this beautiful community & Orange River Mouth! Amazing location! Thanks for sharing your movie!
My experience with visiting was not pleasant we wanted to visit caravan park but denied. Must say we travelled by motorcycle where you came in was boom gates then we travelled to border to go into Namibia same story police was rude on SA side but in Namibia very polite and friendly.
It sounds like you visited the town when it was still a closed mining town. The booms have obviously been removed and everything, for the most part, is accessible to the general public. Perhaps when you visit again, you'll have a different experience. 🙂🚗
so you say I must invest in a s 22 ultra. nice video love it.
Glad you enjoyed. 👌 Your decision entirely. Different strokes for different folks, as they say. It works perfectly for our purposes. 👌🏻📱
Northern West coast reminds me so much of cape town, just less developed but with loads of potential.
I plan on moving up north eventually to start an Olive Grove and try for producing saffron to bring in some much needed vitality to that rugged land.
Those are certainly grand plans! I take my hat off to those folks who make a living in that harsh environment. I hope you're able to put all your thoughts into action! Keep us posted. 😎
The landscapes of this north west region also reminds me of the Judean Desert. I love it. I imagine the local climate could be perfect for growing olives and saffron. Maybe also dates? I like your project idea.
As for dates I did some quick research and saw that among others the Karsten-group grows dates in this part of the world for the local and international market. At Klein Pella along the Orange River.
@Stanley Robson We did indeed see many date palms in this area! 👌🏻🌴 You may see some more in the next episode!
@@DustBugsTravel That's awesome! Safe travels!
Much blessings to the person who accommodated you!!!
😘😘😘😘😘
Agreed! What a kind and generous gesture that was! 😊🏡
Where the Orange river meets the sea so beautiful. It was amazing that someone gave up their own house for your accommodation how marvelous, that was so beauriful and kind . Thank you so much for this episode. I really enjoyed it.
We're very happy that you managed to come to Alexander Bay with us! 😎 Our host was indeed very gracious and kind to give up their own lodgings so that we could have a comfortable place for the evening. The Orange River Mouth was absolutely gorgeous and we're so grateful that we got to experience it up close. 🤩🌊
I have always been attracted by the name.....thanks for helping. I am interested to see more towns in the NC, I only know common ones like Kimberley, Warrenton, Hartswater and Jan kemp......I want to visit further in like Upington & Springbok
Hey man, I have heard about the Boksburg Tanker Explosion and it was really terrible. 37 people died on that day and worst part about it is that it took place on Christmas Eve.
Indeed very sad what happened there. 😥
Also noted no high security walls or electric fences , couldn't see any burglar bars , very different to city life
Only crime there is the occasional IDB (Illegal Diamond Buying). I left there in 2020,and up to the time I left,I never locked my vehicle or my house if I went somewhere. My vehicle was standing in my driveway or even sometimes in the street in front of my house during the night,with the keys(and sometimes my wallet also) in it
@Ronny Kenny Yes, our observation too. Only those wooden fences for the most part which we believe are there to act as barriers against the fierce winds in the area. 🌀
All the sand .......you reach the southern tip of the Namib desert
NASA could send rockets and rovers there.
@Frederik Brits I had always just looked at Alexander Bay on the map, it was high time I got up there! 😁🚗
I can’t stop watching! Thank you guys ❤
That's a good thing! I'm so glad you're tagging along to all these fantastic places! 🚗😁
Thank you for sharing the memory. I was born there in 1955 and we left in 1962. We never wore shoes. At that time the town was divided in two. "Buitekamp" and "Binnekamp". We stayed in the "Buitekamp".
That is so interesting that you didn't wear shoes! I'm glad we could take you with us back to your birthtown, which is an intriguing place. 🤩🚗
@@DustBugsTravel The reason we did not wear shoes is that your soles became tough from walking on the hot sand. You could actually walk on thorns without feeling a thing.
In December 2000 we followed the Orange River from its source in Lesotho, camping all along the course of the river, up to the mouth, where it flows into the Atlantic Ocean.
I absolutely loved it, was wandering if it's a bit like Australian outbacks? I'm judging that on snippets I've seen on utube, never been there, thank you, would love to visit Alexander Bay just for the experience.
I'm happy to hear you enjoyed our visit to Alexander Bay. I guess the desolation and the desert landscape would resemble the Australian outback, but I've never been to the outback personally, so can't say for sure. 🤷🏼♂️ It was our first visit to Alexander Bay and it was indeed an experience. If you ever get the opportunity to go, do it! You'll be fascinated by what you find. 😁🚗
Your travel blogs are amazing.. I'm from Kimberley, but I just realized that I don't know the northern cape properly! It's about time I make a short cut around Noord kaap
Thank you so much, I'm glad you're enjoying our trip through the Namaqualand region! You're much closer than we are and you should really go and explore the province. We still have quite a bit of the province to cover ourselves. The landscapes are truly amazing! If you hit the road soon, travel safe! 😁🚗
Total dessert. Reminds me of Namibia
Where the houses were closer there was more vegetation. It was a very scattered settlement so that seemed to accentuate the feeling of barren desolation.
We've never been to Namibia, so look forward to exploring Walvis Bay one day too. 🤩🇳🇦 I believe the area is very similar to the areas around Alexander Bay and Port Nolloth. We love barren desolation!
Baie dankie!!
Anytime! 👌🏻🚗
hi i lived there all my life i live there for 10 year an then we moved to vanrhynsdorop for 4 years then we moved to kleinsee
Hi, Hope you doing great? I would like to know how much Kilometers does your car have on the clock now, and how often do you have to service it. Just for an interesting fact....
BE SAVE ON THE ROAD.
Hello there! I'm doing just fine, thanks! 👌🏻 I'm not sure how many of our videos you've seen, but we don't own any of the cars you'll see in our videos. We rent a vehicle every time, so that's why you'll see a variety of colours too! 😁🚗
Peet hier hi ons was al op en af teen die weskus maar nog nie tot by Alex nie ,miskien eendag, watter kamera toerusting gebruik julle? Asb.
You should definitely make a point of visiting Alexander Bay, it's a unique town and a unique experience. 👌🏻 I film with my everyday cellphone, a Samsung S22 Ultra, mounted on a regular selfie-stick. That is totally sufficient for our purposes. 😁🚗
Cool tour . When you doing Namibia?
Thank you, glad you enjoyed this episode. 👌🏻 We will certainly explore Namibia once we've worked our way across our own country. 🇿🇦
Can you please visit sendlingsdrift Baken also
We will most certainly return to the area to explore the Richtersveld and Sendelingsdrif will almost certainly be included. 👌🏻🚙
get a tent sleep next to Orange river mouth😬
Nope, my Mrs wouldn't have been happy with that suggestion! 😳⛺
💜💜💜💜
A nice place to build a jail for all the corrupt politicians
We thought the natural beauty in this area was stunning. Stark, but stunning all the same. 🙂
And I heard that you can swim in that river because there are no crocs
Hulle verkoop baie geel verf in Alexanderbaai.
Interesting observation. 🙂 We saw many other colours too. 😍🚗
Julle moet Namibia kom besoek. Ons het vir julle gratis verblyf in Swakopmund
You're very kind, thank you! 😊 We'll most certainly visit and explore Namibia once we've worked our way across this country of ours. 🇿🇦🇳🇦
❤1❤
There's diamonds in them thar hills...
I believe that is indeed so! 💎
When did standard 5 become grade 7?
I have no idea. 🤷🏻♂️
Did you know that millions of $ gear was pushed into the orange river to protect the mining conglomerate from theft. The use by date. Backactors and frontend loaders was pushed into the river because the jews did not sell them. They refused selling the heavy equipment because it was used to smuggle diamonds.
No, I had no idea. 🤷🏻♂️
Alex was a dustbin to the rest of south africa. but not for a kid
@@DustBugsTravel
Not a pretty town......Oranjemund look more like a organized town then Alexanderbay.
We somehow find 'pretty' in every place we visit. 😁🚗 Oranjemund and the rest of Namibia will follow once we've worked our way across South Africa. 🇿🇦
Or like footspore
Why don,t you get a bakkie like a 4x4 then you ride short cut, like itch boots
I'm totally happy missing out on the 5% of roads that we can't go on. A 4x4 isn't necessary at all to do what we do. 🚙😁
Too much footage of the road
Entirely your choice to watch! 🚙😁
This is the worse video I ever saw. You tried to show a lot but you showed nothing. Nothing in or outside the High School, no golf course, no hospital, no sport fields, no guests houses, no restaurant, no squash court, no Orsmond hall, tarring the roads and installing street lights (these were our pride and joy). Anybody that stayed there and knows the place, will tell you and agree that Alexander Bay was one of the most beautiful towns to stay in. We made sure that the town was put on the map. We had the best of both worlds.
How kind of you to take the time to point out everything we missed in Alexander Bay, we appreciate that so much! 🙂 You may be new to our channel, so I'll point out a few things to you. We're two random travellers who document our travels to and through a place or town on the random day we arrive. Our video reflects what we saw, not what you or anyone else saw or wanted us to see. These videos are our memories of our travels, which we choose to share with those who are interested. We have no problem that we miss things in every place or town, since it's simply impossible to include everything. That is not the goal of our videos either and will never be. Instead of focusing on what we missed, we choose to focus on what we manage to see and we're just so grateful that we had the opportunity to experience Alexander Bay through fresh, unjaded eyes.
Not even a Karoo vetjie can survive there!
It's a place with such a unique natural beauty, we actually found it quite amazing! The folks who live there and who we spoke to, said they're very happy there. 😁🌊