Farm for sale in Namibia – Fish River Wonderland

The Fish River Wonderland

A tourist destination in its own right.

We are privileged to offer this fine property on joint sole mandate on behalf of the owners.

The farmstead

GENERAL

The farm, as well as the surrounding properties has been a focus of settlement since colonial times because the farm has plenty of water per strong boreholes at the main farmstead, natural fountain on the middle plain and open water in the Fish River. The property is registered into two Pty (Ltd) In total the three properties occupy about 26,666 hectares.
The Lodge on the upper plateau where the lodge is situated, as well as 2 other farms each property has its own old farmstead.

FARMSTEAD
The original farmstead is very strategically located. It lies at the entrance to the property and offers very good vistas in all directions. It has excellent supporting infrastructure:
Staff residences:
The original farmhouse is a spacious three-bedroom dwelling used for manager couples. Four generously built bachelors flats for middle management, there is worker’s housing for up to 30 workers
The “Herrenhaus” occupying about 400m²
Service Buildings:
One open steel shed sufficient to park 4-6 vehicles, one closed lock up steel shed used as workshop, with other features like a separate lock-up tool room with storage racks and service pit for vehicles a closed shed used as a laundry, lock-up linen room and undercover platform used to dry laundry, as well as a thatched reception building.

Electricity
Large generator room housing the 80 kVA and 125 kVA generators. The larger one is non-operational and apparently does not warrant the expense of repairs. When the electrical system was installed almost twenty years ago, diesel was a cheap commodity, and one could run a generator on 24/7/365 and hardly feel the cost. Now power supply is a different ball game, and a fundamental rethink is called for. The cost of the primary diesel generation of power as originally conceived is now uneconomical. However, a back-up diesel still has its place. New power saving solar driven technology has taken its place. There is solar power for computers and telephones at the lodge. Must be tested for functionality

Diverse
There is a helicopter pad with lean-to shelter and a registered 1100m airstrip for fly-in safaris.
A beautiful camping site with three stands lies at the foot of a dune; it has a neat ablution block and a separate service building housing kitchen and honesty bar. At the farmstead, a farm reservoir has been converted into a swimming pool with a pump. The pool area is centrally located and could be fenced off for use by management, staff and clients from the camping site leaving the lodge pool for exclusive use of lodge guests.
For his own use the owner has built a huge villa of nearly 400m² nearby overlooking the Volstruipan and the horizon marked by the distant Hunsberge.

The Lodge
Is located on the south-eastern corner of the huge Volstruipan fed by the Kanas River. From the pan the Kanas River flows straight into a canyon known as the Vogelstrausskluft. (Ostrich Gorge) The valley is stunningly beautiful with steep edges and sandy bottom with langbeen boesman grass and hundreds of camelthorn trees. It is like stepping into another world entirely. The upper end of the Lodge was chosen by the present owners in 2001 for the development of the lodge. No expense has been spared. The lodge was purpose built with 24 rooms, very generously designed, and tastefully furnished with custom-built furniture and fittings:
The equipment is still state of the art with a walk-in cool room. The lodge is architecturally designed and fitted out by a professional interior decorator.

There are 20 double rooms and 4 family rooms. Originally each room was equipped with its own air-conditioning, however these A/C units need to be refurbished or replaced by new units using the latest technology.

History
The lodge was in operation from 2001 to 2014, the Lodge was an instant success story as an all-round destination for nature lovers. The original manager who had been involved with the development passed away, and the owners decided to put the lodge on maintenance. Ongoing maintenance of the main farmstead and lodge is being performed on a regular basis.

Activities
While the lodge was in operation a variety of popular activities were offered:
Game drives in the 9,000-hectare game reserve and onto the escarpment, day walks in the varied landscape of the Kalahari dunes and gorges. Sand-skiing has proved popular in the dune sections
Sundowners can be taken at several very beautiful sundowner spots, one within walking distance of the lodge overlooking beautiful dunes. Bush braais in the bush lapa is also very popular.
Birding
Canyon Hiking
Four-day walks in the Fish River Upper Canyon have been consistently popular. The property borders on the western bank of the Fish River over a distance of over 50km. The Lodge has its own “Vingerklip” in the Fish River. The permanent water in the Fish River bed has always proved inviting for “skinny dips”, as well as catch-and-release fishing. Water-fowl bird watching e.g., Pelicans, hamerkop, Egyptian Geese, African Fish Eagle and herons. The Donkergange Gorge is so narrow that only the midday sun reaches the bottom.
Other possible activities could be introduced like:

Mountain biking
Abseiling from rock faces
Geological excursions.
Cross country Sand skiing in the Kanab Valley and the eastern escarpment.
Eco-tourism can be found at its very best.

WATER SUPPLY
The heart of any farm is where the water is. This is found in very ample quantities in the sandstone of the area. It is shallow, good quality and plentiful.  At the lodge there is ample water for all needs and on the eastern border with the Fish River there is open water all year round.
Seven Boreholes on different parts of the property supply all needs. Four boreholes are located at the farmstead. The strongest ones at the main farmstead have a combined yield of 40m³/h. At the other farmstead there is an open well and seepage fountain at the foot of the Honeymoon Pass. There is open water year-round in river pools of the Fish River.

TOPOGRAPHICAL FEATURES

The property is spread over three levels from west to east:
Undulating High Plains of the main Lode:
The outstanding topographical features are the undulating plains and the deeply eroded gorge of the Kanas River known as “Vogelstrausskluft” in the north west; In places the sandstone is overlain with Kalahari type sandveld and studded with Camelthorn trees, langbeen boesman grass and Ghah grass. It is a beautiful landscape. Fodder bush such as the swartstorm, gabba bush and lemoendoring is in ample supply. The grass component consist mainly of langbeen- and kortbeen boesman grass on the Kalahari type sand veld as well as on the hardeveld on the plateau.
Plains game consists primarily of springbuck, kudu, oryx and Hartmann’s zebra, ostrich, and smaller game of steenbuck and klipspringer.
The 9000-hectare section of the high plains has been turned into a game park with a high 2,4m game proof fence.

The Escarpment:
This takes up a small area, but it is a very defining feature as it runs the entire length of the property from north to south. On the maps it is shown as the Koubis Berg. It drops sharply for 150-200 meters over its entire length. At two points a direct road into the valley has been constructed. At the northern farmstead the Honeymoon Pass has been constructed, and it can be rehabilitated. Honeymoon Pass can be found on Google Maps. Further to the south is the German Pass, which had been constructed by the German Schutztruppe to transport horse-drawn field artillery across the mountain barrier. The edge of the escarpment offers absolutely spectacular views to both the east and the west. The escarpment is home to the rock hyrax, klipspringer, and huge raptors like the Verraux eagle.

Lower plateau and Fish River Valley:
This is a narrow band of plateau which is deeply eroded and bordered by the Fish River itself. This plateau is between three and six kilometers wide and occupies the properties of the other two farms. Here kudu and Hartmann zebra are found in ample numbers.
The prolific bird life deserves special mention, concentrated mainly along the course of the Upper Fish River Canyon which acts as life line. Water fowl like Egyptian geese are found as well as other water loving birds like the African Fish Eagle.
The beauty spots worth visiting are ample.: A few examples are the Donkerhoek and Doornfontein Canyons, the rock finger, several spectacular viewpoints, and the picnic spot of the confluence of the Löwen River and Doornfontein Rivers into the Fish River

FUTURE POTENTIAL
This lies mainly in the sustainable use of the varied landscape and serene surroundings by eco-tourism. This would make this an excellent getaway and equestrian’s and hikers paradise.
The lodge has had an excellent and realistic write up:

“Vogelstrausskluft Lodge is a lovely lodge with great views and is a good base for exploring the upper reaches of Fish River Canyon. It is considerably further from the canyon than other lodges in the area, and therefore much less convenient for canyon visits, but don’t let this put you off, as the comfortable rooms, welcoming hospitality, and excellent food more than make up for it.”

A further satellite lodge built on the escarpment to the south would be an excellent idea to pursue. Koubis Nord’s farmstead is a romantic beauty spot and would lend itself very well for a breakaway for tourists.

LOCATION:         South on the tarred road of Keetmanshoop – Lüderitz.

SIZE:           appr. 24,000 hectares

ASKING PRICE:

N$22,000,000-00 (very negotiable)
Including commission
Including all furniture and tools on site
Excluding all costs associated with transfer of shares into the name of the new owner.
Ownership is vested in two Pty Ltd.’s.

Disclaimer
The fact that the reader is in possession of this report means that the property has been introduced by us, and that we would be the effective cause of any sale. Clients who
wish to view are requested to contact us ahead of time so that the viewing arrangements can be made.

𝙅𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙩 𝘽𝙖𝙡𝙩
081 127  2322
@joubertbaltrealestate
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