History has always left secrets in its path for us to discover; a way for mankind to prove its existence. Memories that have been lost to the ages, small signs that tell stories of what was.
We recently teamed up with Epic Adventures on their journey to explore some of Namibia’s ghost towns along the West Coast. It felt like we were walking into a personal place in time that had left its shadow behind. It was a thrilling experience altogether; the journey, the discovery, and the story it told.
Here is our list of our favourite top 10 abandoned locations in Africa:
Ship Graveyard in Beira, mozambique
10. Ship Graveyard: Beira, Mozambique
The coastline of Mozambique is a very popular route frequented by sailboats and cruise ships. It has got the perfect combination of blue oceans, exotic marine life, warm waters and islands decorating the horizon. However, in the northern part of the country lies the town of Beira. This coastal stretch boasts a massive graveyard for old ships that have run their course, dating all the way back to the colonial era.
Image: Babak Fakhamzadeh
The abandoned Groote Schuur Zoo in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
9. Abandonded Zoo: Cape Town, South Africa
Bearing the same haunting tell-tale signs of an old prison camp; rusted bars, brick-face walls and signs of cult gatherings. This zoo leaves you with an eerie chill down your spine as you stroll past the various enclosures and cages that once held animals varying from lions to crocodiles and even emus. The lion’s den is probably the most significant site with an abundance of vegetation, a sign of nature fighting back. There are different stories that come out of this zoo, one being a cover-up of an alleged discovery of a body found at the bottom of the lion enclosure. Another story follows, two tahrs, a breed of Himalayan mountain goats, which escaped the enclosure and began to populate rapidly. They are rare but can be found on Table Mountain. There is a protocol to control their population as they damage the ecosystem.
Image: Dax Ward
aeroplane graveyard, Johannesburg South Africa
8. Aeroplane Graveyard: Johannesburg, South Africa
One of the largest aeroplane graveyards in the world, located just outside of the Lanseria Airport in Johannesburg, on its own secluded runway. Exoskeletons of the metal-giants litter the area, either in scrapped parts, or fully intact and standing proud. Cables hang wildly in the interior and most of the furniture is ripped out – it really shows the behind-the-scenes work of these mechanical birds and it lends a different perspective on the fact that we really trust our lives in the hands of thin wire strands and radio signals. It is a bizarre thought.
Image: 2summers
Vredehoek Quarry, Cape Town
7. Vredehoek Quarry: Cape Town, South Africa
This is locally considered one of Table Mountain’s ‘best-kept secrets’. This area was once an old tin mine dating back to the 1900s and can be accessed through a tunnel going under Devil’s Peak. Inside there are obvious signs of weathering and rust, and there is a small dam at the end of the tunnel with a beautiful view of the ‘bowl’ below (an area of Cape Town surrounded by mountains giving it a natural amphitheatre-shape). The mine was closed around the First World War as the yield of tin in the ore was not enough, and it was cheaper to mine alluvial in Durbanville. It is still open to the public for excursions, and it is a great area for rock-climbing and mountain biking.
Image: Flickr
Oil Rig on the Skeleton Coast, Namibia
6. Oil Rig: Skeleton Coast, Namibia
Although this stretch of land is not actually abandoned, it is home to a number of abandoned locations. The San Bushmen often refer to it as “the land that God made in anger.” We actually got to visit this area quite recently to shoot in the three abandoned ‘ghost’ towns of Kolmanskop, Elizabeth Bay and Pomona. However, it does not end here. There are other sites to be discovered along this harsh stretch of land. Near the town of Toscanini, there is an abandoned oil drilling rig cast-off to the harsh desert leaving a post-apocalyptic feel to it. Another site worth mentioning is the abandoned trawler, Eduard Bohlen, which carried supplies from Swakopmund to Table Bay when it hit land in 1909.
Image: Patrick Girhaud
Grande hotel, Mozambique
5. Grande Hotel: Beira, Mozambique
This hotel was once considered the most luxurious hotel in Africa, complete with an olympic-sized pool and a view opening on to the Indian Ocean. It operated for eight years, but closed shortly after due to the lack of guests. During the civil war in Mozambique, it became a base of operations, and now it is home to over one-thousand squatters who try to make a living in this derelict building whilst fighting against growing vegetation. Some families have been living here for over three-generations. This is definitely one for the books!
Image: Vlad Sokhin
Park Station, Johannesburg South Africa
4. 1930’s Park Station: Johannesburg, South Africa
This abandoned train station is a prime location for a variety of filming purposes. It is located next to one of the busiest railways in the country – and is completely hidden. Originally named Park Halt, it was a very prominent mode of transport (even competing with road transport) before the introduction of air travel. Some of the materials were imported from Holland. Fitted with animal sculptures and fishponds, lovely columns and thousands of tiles decorated by hand. This station went through reconstruction many times, adding more tracks, lowering platforms, and adding retails stores. There is a beauty in forgotten and forgone luxury. The emptiness is comforting.
Image: Derek Smith
Macassar Abandoned Water Park, Cape Town
3. Macassar Abandoned Waterpark: Cape Town, South Africa
Abandoned and truly forgotten to a point where most Cape Town residents don’t even know about it, the Macassar Water Park is neatly tucked behind sand and vegetation, overlooking the ocean on False Bay. Water slides disappear into the sand. The infrastructure has been worn out by saltwater and sun. Once this was a waterpark that attracted hundreds from the immediate area, including the Cape Flats. The park has almost but been claimed entirely by the shifting dunes, both on the inside and out. It really is mind blowing how sand can start to pile up deep inside these buildings..graffiti and stains now decorate the walls. The park closed after suffering financial strain – however, it has become a popular location for photographers.
Image: Mallix/Flickr
abandoned engineering-crane barge in Cape Town
2. Bos400 Shipwreck: Cape Town, South Africa
Another project we worked on, we teamed up with Discovery for a series showcasing abandoned engineering, Mysteries of The Abandoned Bos400. We really loved this shoot; it was a beauty of a location in Sandy Bay. It is a long walk to get there; steep hills, dodgy mountain crossings and slippery rocks. But once we arrived, there she stood among rocks and crashing waves; an old abandoned French crane barge that got careened in a storm back in 1994. It was in the process of being towed when the rope snapped loose and found its way into some rocky waters. It has been left there to this day.
Image: FilmFixers Africa
Kempton Park Haunted Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa
1. ‘Haunted’ Kempton Hospital: Johannesburg, South Africa
This is another location we had the pleasure of filming in for a show called “No Time To Lose,” a Warner Brothers production. It was a challenge-based show, and this was one of the locations. It has everything you need for a classic horror thriller. Abandoned medical equipment, lights that no longer work, blood stains on the floors, rusty operating tables. There are even x-ray scanners in perfect condition as well as CAT scanners. It is almost impossible to imagine that this was one a safe environment for the sick were once nursed back to health, or even operated on. It was closed in 1996 after the ministry of health claimed it would not be accepting any newcomers due to staff shortage. There has been an attempt of reopening the hospital by 2015, however, that did not come to pass.
Image: ENCA
