Dune -pic

The pic below did not come out all that well because I scanned it from my print database. The pic was taken in 1984 at the front of one of the highest dunes in the world at Sossusvlei, Namib Desert, Namibia( west coast of Africa ). I had to drop my wife, Judith, off about one kilometre away so that she could fit the dune and myself and the Suzuki into the frame.

The local Namib Desert Fishing Club(they actually drive acros the dunes to get to the coast to fish) took three days to winch three Toyotas up the back of this dune. Then it was a very scary slide down to the bottom as the dune is incredibly steep. They took heaps of photos and then sent them off to Toyota HQ in Japan. A reply came back saying thanks for the pic but one can do anything with trick photography these days!!!

Two days prior to reaching this dune we were caught in a sandstorm. In very poor visibilty I saw what I thought was some farm ruins and drove to look for shelter. At the back of the buildings I found a Unimog and on knocking on the door found a hunter and his helper cutting up a Gemsbok(Oryx). He was a likeable fellow and invited us in. We saw the storm out, stayed two days and drank most of his whiskey. Every couple of hours the workman had to shovel the sand, which had blown in under the door, in to a wheelbarrow and take it to the leeway side, out of the house. We slept on a bed that was covered in sand. Quite an adventure.

Cheers,

Willem Move over Big Red..this is a dune!
320 metre sand dune, Sossusvlei,Namibia
(note myself and Suzuki in foreground)