Kupferquelle Resort

Tsumeb’s latest holiday resort

by Marita van Rooyen

The name Kupferquelle (meaning copper fountain) is fitting for the only family resort in one of Namibia’s first copper mining towns. When the Hai||om Bushmen first found copper here and Tsumeb was proclaimed a town in 1905, little did they know that Kupferquelle would become an important tourism landmark in the northern region.

Kupferquelle bungalow

The owners of the property – the Henning family – are renowned businesspeople in the area, among others for their company, Henning Crusher. One of their projects was to develop the former Tsumeb Caravan Park into a recreational resort that would be especially suitable for families. The resort offers 20 standard rooms, 15 family/luxury units and 27 camping sites, and boasts with the country’s only Dros Restaurant, one of a South African franchise. The restaurant is designed in such a way that the bar, children’s play area, and general restaurant are in different parts of the facility. Children can make their own pizzas and play games on the play station or have fun on the jungle gym to their hearts’ content.

Gateway to Etosha

The rooms have en-suite bathrooms, modern furnishings, tea- and coffee-making facilities, a ceiling fan, air-conditioning, television with DStv, a safe, and a stoep with garden furniture. They are run on an energy-saving system and the beds are comfortably large. Overall the resort is beautifully finished off, with the air-conditioning hidden away and the fences painted green, to fit in with the natural environment. Family/luxury rooms have a braai area and an extra sitting and living room, and are equipped for self-caterers.

The resort hosts one of only three Olympic-size swimming pools in Namibia – the only one in the northern region. Says Kierie Bruwer, manager of the property, “There has been a demand for more accommodation facilities in the area. People come from all over, using Tsumeb as a rest stop before they venture further to Etosha, Omusati or the Caprivi. But this is not the only reason we developed the Kupferquelle Resort. We have been dreaming about a holiday resort for a long time; one that appeals to the whole family, and one where people and scholars from the surroundings can have their swimming competitions, or play underwater hockey.”

Kupferquelle has ablution blocks for swimmers and campers, a coin-operated laundry and two conference facilities, the smaller of which can accommodate between 20 to 30 people, and the larger up to 150 delegates. There is also an Internet café and convenience store, where you can buy anything from freshly baked bread, meat for the braai, beer and wine, to dairy products and magazines.

Apart from viewing (in the Tsumeb Museum) the more than 200 minerals and gemstones found in the area, there is much more to see and do. Tsumeb is a mere 107 kilometres from the eastern gate of the Etosha National Park. Lake Otjikoto, Lake Guinas and Dragon’s Breath are all within close proximity, while the Hoba Meteorite, Ghaub Caves and Baobab Tree are further attractions to keep visitors busy.

An interesting excursion is offered by local resident, Chris Ayres, who takes guests on a historical tour around the town in a revamped version of the old copper-transporting train. The Tsumeb Museum with its ethnological, colonial and mine history all under one roof is an interesting stop. The old copper mine, where Chris worked many years ago, also has a fascinating story to tell. The San were the first people to find copper in the area. They traded it with the Oshiwambo people, who in turn took it up to Angola, to trade further.

Kupferquelle and surroundings are waiting to be explored!

This article appeared in the April/May ‘10 edition of Travel News Namibia.