One day, in
the mid - eighties, a Windhoek businessman was offered
a piece of land in the desert… To cut a very long
story short, he then bought the said farm (and eight
others, amongst them Wolwedans), took down all their
fences and decreed that the land shall be given back
to the wilderness. This man had a vision and his name
is Albi Brückner.
His vision was simple. He wanted to create a nature
reserve, to conserve the beautiful land and to protect
the animals that inhabited it. Albi looked for like-minded
individuals to help him finance this project, but sadly,
in those early days when conservation wasn’t the
buzzword it is today, none were forthcoming (a situation
that thankfully changed later). Albi believed so passionately
in his vision that he ended up financing it himself
entirely (with the help of one likeminded bank!). After
many years of blood, sweat and tears, NamibRand Nature
Reserve was finally created.
They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,
and in the Brückner family, that is certainly true.
Stephan, Albi’s youngest son, on returning from
studying in Berlin where he completed his Masters in
Business Communications, was asked by his father if
he’d like to help set up the Reserve. Stephan’s
who at that time had his eyes set on an international
jet-set career, happily agreed to help his dad out for
one year… the rest, as they say, is history.
Stephan realized his dream was to create a safari camp
in the dunes of Wolwedans, his particular favorite of
the farms, that would not only contribute to and support
the conservation ethics of the NamibRand Nature Reserve,
but also to provide much needed employment opportunities
in the local area.
So in 1994, building of the Dune Camp began. Stephan
masterminded the whole construction down to the design
of the structures and interiors, very importantly adhering
to and maintaining the principle of ethical simplicity;
a blue print which set the benchmark for all camps that
followed.
The Dune Camp proved to be so popular, that in less
than a year it had expanded to twelve beds. Over the
years it has consistently been upgraded, but its original
charm remains.
Demand was growing as well as the economic pressure
to maintain the reserve, so in 1999 the Dunes Lodge
was built, providing another 20 beds. In 2002 Private
Camp, a remote ‘villa’ sleeping only four
guests, opened its doors.
Sadly tragedy struck in 2003 when the entire main complex
of the Lodge burnt down in dreadful accident. Thankfully
no guests or employees were hurt.
No time was wasted in rebuilding the Lodge. As with
all the Wolwedans sites, construction of the new Lodge
took a soft approach to the surrounding nature. Without
the use of concrete (except for the pool), the Lodge
was built using the pole structure (dug 1.5 meters into
the ground) and elevated decks that have become synonymous
with Wolwedans. All the wood was brought in from South
Africa, and along with all the other materials was driven
up to the site using Land Rovers. It took only five
months for the new Lodge to emerge from the ashes.
(An interesting point to mention is that all of the
chalets and tents at Wolwedans are designed in such
a way that they can be dismantled easily, and within
six months the nature it resided on will restore itself
and there will be no trace that the camp ever existed.)
Around the same time, on a piece of land situated to
the deep south of NamibRand and some 45 km’s away
from Wolwedans, a new, very different camp has been
created, which today is known as Boulders Safari Camp.
Opened only in August 2007, Boulders offers a very different
environment contrasting beautifully with the dune environment.
Closely tucked away in to the magnificent granite rocks
of that area and designed to make the most of the stunning
vista, Boulders undoubtedly provides the most exclusive
camp of the Wolwedans Collection.
Many loyal and committed employees have contributed
to what Wolwedans is today. Stephan Brückner is
still the Managing Director and is as ‘hands-on’
in the management of Wolwedans as he was 14 years ago.
Philosophy
Wolwedans is more than just a collection of camps –
it’s ethos lies in setting an example in responsible
tourism, the empowerment of its employees and its commitment
to the conservation of NamibRand Nature Reserve (park
fees alone, collected on behalf of the nature reserve
exceeded NAD 1 million in 2007).
For the time being, there are no plans for any new camps
at Wolwedans. It was decided that while the opportunity
for development was huge, we would cap tourism development,
and have committed to allowing 1000 hectares of nature
for every bed at Wolwedans. To maintain growth, the
time has come to scout for opportunities outside of
the Reserve.
One of these projects that got off the ground in 2006
is the Namibian
Institute of Culinary Education (nice) situated
in Windhoek. Offering a first class restaurant and stylish
bar, the Institute is a ‘living classroom’
training aspiring chefs to polish their skills and further
their careers in the hospitality industry. It has been
a very welcome addition to the Windhoek social scene!
Our vision and commitment to Wolwedans, and the development
of Namibia and its people still drives us forward today.
Wolwedans was not only designed for profit, but mainly
to make an important contribution to the local economy,
to provide opportunities for those who would otherwise
have had none, and to help conserve one of the most
beautiful landscapes in the world. |