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Field Collectinganone keen on a namibian minneral collecting trip? from south africa?

29th Sep 2014 09:07 UTCHerman Du Plessis

Hi there,

I am planning a mineral collecting trip to Namibia in december leaving on the 19th morning and be back on the 28th, would be leaving in the morning from johannesburg, would visit clein spitzkoppe erongo and goboboseb\brandberg, for self collecting and to buy from the local small scale miners! We would be doing mainly bush camping, so costs involved would be fuel, split between how many people go, we can be about 4 in the car, I would be driving my bakkie 4X4 triton.

So feel free to ask questions and if you would like to join me drop me a personal message or write here!

Thanks.

Herman

1st Oct 2014 20:03 UTCHerman Du Plessis

No one interested?

1st Oct 2014 22:18 UTCKen Doxsee

I'm TOTALLY interested in going, but can't pull it off on this time frame, Herman. --Ken

6th Oct 2014 17:05 UTCHerman Du Plessis

anyone else keen?

27th Oct 2014 19:31 UTCTom Grossman-Wall

I would love to go as well but I'm immunocompromised due to Lupus and have no spleen as well so I can't travel to countries that have diseases/viruses I have 0 immunity to. I couldn't afford all the vaccinations anyhow and the chance of some health issue ruining the trip would be pretty high. So lucky for you Im out! haha I hope you can get someone to go with you because that sounds like a life changing trip. For someone like me who's never been out of Canada/USA that would be the trip of a lifetime. Good luck finding someone to join you on that amazing trip!

8th Dec 2014 15:20 UTCHerman Du Plessis

wow people sure do not want to collect anymore? zero interest? except for tom?

8th Dec 2014 16:06 UTCAlex Earl 🌟 Expert

I am sure it is not because people don't want to go collecting, I think we would all love the chance, but for people like me living in the U.S., and pretty much anywhere far from Africa, it would be very costly.

8th Dec 2014 16:44 UTCKnut Eldjarn 🌟 Manager

Herman,

Great offer that I would surely have considered if not for the dates. There is something called Christmas where we live and there are certain expectations and responsibilities related to children, grandchildren etc. They might become disappointed if we had to call off Christmas this year because Santa was in Namibia collecting minerals......:-(

Knut

8th Dec 2014 17:05 UTCHerman Du Plessis

Alex

I am talking local people, it is obvious you wont travel from the us to join on such a trip....

8th Dec 2014 17:07 UTCHerman Du Plessis

Hi Knut

haha I am aware of christmas but do not celebrate it the whole modernized way, I can still celebrate it in namibia on my own, no need for a feast and a million useless presents and someone in red....

Herman

8th Dec 2014 22:31 UTCMalcolm Southwood 🌟 Expert

You've also chosen a brutal time of year in terms of temperature Herman. I enjoyed three weeks in Namibia in May this year when the weather was ideal for camping and collecting, but December - whew! No thanks!:-)

mal

9th Dec 2014 05:20 UTCHerman Du Plessis

Hi Malcolm

I know it is going to be hot but which mineral collector is scared of a little heat? heehee....

I have been in Namibia in April may for 3 weeks and the weather was nice I must say, but when I get a chance to collect i do take it, no worries.

Herman

15th Jul 2015 22:13 UTCRoland Spanka

Hello Herman,

I was thinking about a trip to Malawi to the Zomba Plateau. Since you live in South Africa you may have informations or maybe you have been there already??

Roland

16th Jul 2015 12:03 UTCJako Schonken

Hi Roland

About 5 years ago when I went hitch hiking across Africa, one of the stops I made was to the Zomba Plateau in Malawi to purchase minerals from the artisan miners.

I tried to negotiate a deal with them so I can go to their claims and dig for a fee, but to no avail. They are highly secretive about the mineral locations, which is understandable I suppose.

I did have first pickings of the new minerals that came out and bought some beautiful rarities.

If you decide to go, do take supplies with you to swop for minerals. The miners are usually very poor and can barely afford things like shoes, toothpaste, soap etc. They love branded clothes and you can swop a flat of minerals for a pair of shoes.

I stayed there for about 3 days- every day more miners would pitch up at my tent with flats of minerals to sell.

Feel free to PM me if you need more info on where to stay and what places to visit in the area.

I highly recommend Malawi to anyone wanting to experience Africa- the people are friendly and the country is breathtaking!

Regards,

16th Jul 2015 13:00 UTCOlav Revheim Manager

Hi Roland,

I investigated thes Mt Zomba-Malosa and the Chinduzi-Chikala mountain range in the preparation for this article: http://www.mindat.org/mesg-66-138948.html

( Due to a known error you will probably need to enter refresh a dozen or so times before it opens.) .

If you scroll down to the Malawi section, you will find a list of references. Several of the authors have visited the localities. It seems that it is a strenuous hike from the nearest village and that the localities can only be reached by climbing down near vertical cliff faces. Some of the diggings may be visible on google maps.

Olav

16th Jul 2015 21:44 UTCRoland Spanka

Hello Olav,

I managed to open the article. It´s very interesting. I have seen before and I always admire the big specimen with arfvedsonite crystalls in the hands of Mario. He told me that this was the biggest specimen they ever found.

Since you are from Norway. Years ago I saw in "Lapis" or the other magazine "Mineralienwelt" a calcite specimen from southern Norway. From a quarry(?) Do you know there does it might come from? The Hardangavidda is a nature reserve, impossible to look for anatase?

Your article mentions the Mont Saint-Hilaire. All I heart is that a new company has taken over and it´s strikly forbitten to enter the quarry to collect Minerals. Do you know more about this?

Roland

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