Okay, here's a trivia question to stump your friends and family: where is the biggest man-made hole in the entire world? Right here in Kimberley, SA. It's the result of decades of diamond mining and the loss of countless lives in the process and a fortune that is almost incalculable. The surface of the hole is 6.2 hectares, and the distance around the perimeter 1.6 km. It's big - very big - and is pretty much the centerpiece of this otherwise unremarkable city of 175K in the Northern Province. It is 'must see' for all visitors and we're no exception.
The Visitor's Center is gleaming and modern, and the entrance fees for 'pensioners' is a mere 80 ZAR (about $5.50) on Mondays (all of us but Debbie qualify!). The visit starts with a short video in a slick theater and we learn about many of the characters that flocked to this part of Africa following a child's discovery of one very shiny rock on the banks of the Orange River about 50km from here. Turns out that diamonds occurred in abundance all along the river but were concentrated in the area around Kimberley. The Big Hole was once the site of a modest mud house that was quickly torn down once someone spotted a shiny rock in its walls!
Entrance set amidst a number of Victorian era buildings that replicate the booming town of Kimberley in the late 1800's.
This is truly impressive when viewed from above. The water is actually ground water that continually seeps up and was the reason mining operations ceased in their entirety in 1914. Not to worry, there is a 20+ story building in downtown Kimberley in which are stored enough diamonds to supply one and all for generations; the supply is carefully metered so as not to glut the market and depress their value (as happened early on when they were being dug up at a fever pitch and prices plummeted).
We were all told to say 'Big Hole' with great enthusiasm when our guide took this photo (that tall building just off my upraised hand is the diamond storage facility!).
A viewing platform over the hole.
A schematic of The Big Hole and some data on the Kimberley Mine.
Last stop on our tour was the 'vault' where the most spectacular diamonds taken from the mine are stored. Actually, they're replicas since a number of attempts have been made to steal the real ones! the biggest diamond ever - 612 carats - was mined here and is still 'in storage.'
On to the Victorian-era town that grew up around the mine. A centerpiece is the tram line which, unfortunately, was not running today.
A second centerpiece has to be the Irish tavern, a popular and constant fixture.
Not surprisingly, the tavern is right across the 'street' from the church which, surprisingly, is a German Lutheran church. Like so many of the structures then, it's made out of corrugated panels with a few, super simple stained glass windows.
One of my personal favorites was the library and billiards hall. There were a remarkable number of books (including some American frontier authors like Bret Harte!) as well as some titles that sounded like bodice-rippers.
After a morning of serious sight-seeing, lunch was in order. Here in the Victorian village is a full-on eatery boasting the 'best pig bellies' in all of SA (and a cooking school just across the courtyard). Whoaaa can't resist those - actually all of us save Paul could and opt for a more mundane fare of fish and chips. The desserts were just too, too yummy to resist, including this chocolate cheese cake. Perfect ending to a lovely day.
The Visitor's Center is gleaming and modern, and the entrance fees for 'pensioners' is a mere 80 ZAR (about $5.50) on Mondays (all of us but Debbie qualify!). The visit starts with a short video in a slick theater and we learn about many of the characters that flocked to this part of Africa following a child's discovery of one very shiny rock on the banks of the Orange River about 50km from here. Turns out that diamonds occurred in abundance all along the river but were concentrated in the area around Kimberley. The Big Hole was once the site of a modest mud house that was quickly torn down once someone spotted a shiny rock in its walls!
This is truly impressive when viewed from above. The water is actually ground water that continually seeps up and was the reason mining operations ceased in their entirety in 1914. Not to worry, there is a 20+ story building in downtown Kimberley in which are stored enough diamonds to supply one and all for generations; the supply is carefully metered so as not to glut the market and depress their value (as happened early on when they were being dug up at a fever pitch and prices plummeted).
We were all told to say 'Big Hole' with great enthusiasm when our guide took this photo (that tall building just off my upraised hand is the diamond storage facility!).
A viewing platform over the hole.
A schematic of The Big Hole and some data on the Kimberley Mine.
Last stop on our tour was the 'vault' where the most spectacular diamonds taken from the mine are stored. Actually, they're replicas since a number of attempts have been made to steal the real ones! the biggest diamond ever - 612 carats - was mined here and is still 'in storage.'
On to the Victorian-era town that grew up around the mine. A centerpiece is the tram line which, unfortunately, was not running today.
A second centerpiece has to be the Irish tavern, a popular and constant fixture.
Not surprisingly, the tavern is right across the 'street' from the church which, surprisingly, is a German Lutheran church. Like so many of the structures then, it's made out of corrugated panels with a few, super simple stained glass windows.
One of my personal favorites was the library and billiards hall. There were a remarkable number of books (including some American frontier authors like Bret Harte!) as well as some titles that sounded like bodice-rippers.
After a morning of serious sight-seeing, lunch was in order. Here in the Victorian village is a full-on eatery boasting the 'best pig bellies' in all of SA (and a cooking school just across the courtyard). Whoaaa can't resist those - actually all of us save Paul could and opt for a more mundane fare of fish and chips. The desserts were just too, too yummy to resist, including this chocolate cheese cake. Perfect ending to a lovely day.
