Namibia, Thailand, Botswana, South and Central America ... Underberg

All sounds very grand doesn't it. Now that the world cup is behind us it is
time to make plans for where to go and what to do, well we can't sit around
with our feet up all the time!

The plan, a few months ago, was to visit Namibia for 2 or 3 months, then
back to SA as we have some friends visiting from the UK for 4 weeks. Then
the usual problem time of summer here over December and January was to be
filled perhaps with a trip to Thailand and the far east. Back on African
shores we would then head to Botswana for a month or two before a possible
trip to South and Central America late in 2011 for many a month. Good plan
eh? Well it was for a while at least.

Things kind of changed a bit recently. On our recent trip to the Drakensberg
and the coast we happened to pass through the town of Underberg, not our
first visit. The area around is just like England, rolling pastures,
beautiful trees, tall mountains on the skyline. OK, so the mountain bit is
kind of different, but the whole area feels like 'little England'. We love
it. Underberg itself is not exactly picture postcard stuff but more than
pleasant enough. So as you do on passing thru such places you get drawn to
the local estate agents, just to see what is around and how much things go
for.

There were a couple of places that looked interesting, but we had to move on
to get down to the coast. Anyway, we could come back this way on route to
Joburg. So off we drove. About 20km down the road we decided to about turn
and take a better look as we were in the area, the coast could wait a bit.
The kind unsuspecting estate agent, Faye, showed us a few places in the
town. All very different, but the one place that got our attention was some
'staff quarters' on a fair sized plot of land. The property is just over
2000m2, the third part of a subdivision of a large property, and has a good
fairly private garden. The 'staff quarters' are small, 9.5m x 6m, but plenty
of scope for converting to a small home. All very interesting. However we
had to get going, but took some details to ponder over while down by the
sea.

Ten days later we were back in Underberg. We had done plenty of pondering,
drawing up floor plans of how we could make a home out of the 'staff
quarters'. It was time for another look, in the rain this time. Yes, very
interesting indeed. We stayed the night in Himeville just up the road in a
B&B, too cold and wet to camp. In the morning, yep another look at the
property, and finally our farewells and back up to Joburg. I even sacrificed
seeing the opening game of the World Cup as we only made it back in the
evening!!

Time to consider options, ponder some more, get answers to some questions,
decide what our plans were. This June it is 5 years on the road for us, yep
5 years of no work. I know we have had some down time recently but even then
we are living out of suitcases between family. So a new plan formed. How
about some real time off the big travels. Have a project, and SA is a good
place for a project like this, couldn't afford to do it in the UK!! There is
plenty to see and do in the Drakensberg, walking, mountain biking, Lesotho
on the doorstep, and it makes a good base for more local one or two week
excursions.

So, yep, we took the plunge, we made an offer. After a counter offer by the
owners, we had agreed to buy. Offers are legally binding here. That was all
a few weeks back. Now we are hopefully only two weeks or so from the
transfer going through. All exciting, and a bit daunting. An architect is
involved now to help with the design and plans. A builder will hopefully
soon be lined up to get start on the works. Fun, fun, fun. Spend, spend,
spend!

So what does the place look like? Have a look here
http://picasaweb.google.com/wooliesonline/poloway to see.

Watch this space for what happens next!

A step back in time ...

I think I must be losing my mind, I am sure I had posted a blog entry for the time down at the coast. Well it obviously never happened, the blog that is not the coast.

So lets keep this brief and to the point. Went to coast then came back to Joburg.

The longer version for anyone interested goes a bit like this.

After some piece and tranquillity in the Drakensberg it was back to civilisation with a thump. Well if you can call the coast civilisation!! A bit sleepy in places, but bustling, and noisy in others. Our first port of call would be Ballito to meet up with Mike Sally and James for a night before heading off to the week long stay at the La Lucia Sands in Umhlanga, the holiday destination.

What can I say about La Lucia Sands, nice location, handy for the beach and the bustling town centre of Umhlanga, err that’s it. It was pleasant enough, but a bit dark and old inside. All was well until the management decided to do maintenance on the water pipes, idiots. We ended up with no water most of our 3rd day there, so no baths showers or toilets to use, then boiling hot water out of the cold taps at one point! Still no water the next day, no idea of when there might be, not funny. Even Fawlty Towers would have been an improvement!! Thankfully RCI, the timeshare management company, were very helpful, unlike the management at La Lucia Sands, and relocated us to what turned out to be a real boon.

Our new home for the remainder of our stay was just 15 minutes up the coast at Umdloti, a much quieter spot, and a bright and airy apartment at the Perna Perna resort. We had stunning views of the sea and all the ships bobbing around, plenty or room to swing several large cats, but only one parking spot. Kind of a problem as at that point we had 3 cars to park! Thankfully being a quiet time we managed to get a spot to fit Mufasa, and Sally’s Mum who was visiting for the weekend had to park on the road for a couple of nights.

Umhlanga had its plus points but Umdloti was just heaven. The ships out at sea waiting for entry to Durban were lit up like Christmas trees at night, and the surfing dolphins we could see from the balcony were just stunning. Oh and the weather although not hot was pleasantly warm, clear skies, and sunshine.

The other bit of luck with being relocated was we ended up with 3 extra nights if we needed them. After Mike and Co departed back for Joburg on the Tuesday morning Sue and I stretched out for a couple more nights. Sadly the weather turned and we had some rain, but the ships and dolphins kept us company!

Finally dragging ourselves away from the peace at the coast it was time to head back north towards Joburg, with a slight detour though, via Underberg again. Why? Well, for those who do not already know that will be in the next blog entry.

The Berg, Bushman's Nek, and Highover

Well you can't ask more from the weather than we have had during our time in the Berg. Blue skies, sunshine, cold at night but snug in the tent.

After 6 fab days at Royal Natal NP relaxing and walking it was time for a change and on down to the southern Berg and a timeshare apartment at Bushman's Nek (S29 50.945 E29 14.037), not far from the town of Underberg, for a mid week break. What a drive it was. Mostly on dirt roads, and totally stunning scenery. We say it to ourselves all the time that the native Africans have some of the best views that money can buy where they live out in the sticks. Why they would want to find a 'better life' in the big city is beyond me!

The resort at Bushman's Nek couldn't be described as one of the most exciting places we have stayed, but it was more than ok. We were only in a small studio apartment but with all mod cons and satellite tv for an out of season special that cost barely more than we would pay camping, who could complain!

What did we do for 4 nights there? Sleep, eat, read, watch the odd movie on tv, eat and sleep. There were great views of the Berg from the grounds around the pool area but with some construction going on we just put feet up back at the room.

Our stay was not without its problems though. We tried another braai with the rubbish wood we had left from the hopeless braai at Royal Natal, hopeless again! We also had some dvds to watch on the laptop, not easy when my aging computer wants to crash every now and then! Worse still the power pack decided to die too. Thankfully we can still run it on 12v in the truck if needed for now. Going to have to buy a new one sooner or later, sigh.

From Bushman's Nek it was into the unknown at Highover Wildlife Sanctuary (S29 54.907 E30 05.700) east of Underberg towards Richmond. The last part of the drive was a steep decent down to the Mkomazi river that Highover sits on. Sadly with all the burning that was going on the view wasn't half of what it could have been. What a 3 nights we had. The only ones in the campsite with stunning views of the steep rocky hills around us. Still clear blue skies and warm sunshine, cold evenings and nights, but with plenty of free firewood available we had great fires to keep us warm. The land that the owners have is vast. The campsite is big enough on its own, but there are also twenty odd beautiful bungalows too. All set beside the free running river. Apart from the the odd glitch with the donkey boilers heating the showers we would recommend it without even thinking.

All good things have to come to an and and with a week or so down at the coast as the next stop with family we vowed to return one day.

Quick, head for the hills!

Now where else would one go with winter looming and the need to keep warm? Obviously up into the mountains!

After the heat of Kruger getting back to Joburg was refreshingly cool, or cold as some might say. A couple of weeks gave us time to catch up on a few things not to mention the washing and a nice hot bath! Eventually the distant mountains beckoned and it was time to set off again.

The closest point to reach would be the Royal Natal park and a return visit to Mahai campsite. Oh and not forgetting a visit to the truck stop at Harrismith to fill the tanks with cheap diesel, R8.08 as opposed to R8.24 the cheapest we could find back in Joburg.

How things change in just a couple of months since our last visit. We were greeted with a clear sky and beautiful views of the mountains and the Amphitheatre. Arriving near reception closing time we had a silly conversation with the guy on the gate to the park. It was only just 16h00 with 30 minutes till reception would shut. We asked what time reception closed and he said 16h30. Ah plenty of time we said. He seemed completely unsure of the time even when he checked our clock and told us to go straight to the campsite and pay in the morning as the office would be shut. Leaving him behind in his own little world we found reception open and were all paid up with 15 minutes to spare. Perhaps the park should buy the gate man a new clock or at least show him how to use one.

As hoped the campsite was almost empty, well until the weekend probably. The first night was cool and the temp dropped to 11c, no problem. The second night it dropped to 6c at a steady rate as soon as the sun was gone. We were fed, washed up, and in bed by about 18h30! Up in the tent we are fine. Well I am, Sue would wear all the clothes she has if she could and still be cold! The 3rd night was also cold but so far no icy wind to cope with, but I am sure that will come.

Last night we had a braai, well sort of. The wood we made the fire with looked good, well until we made charcoal out of it. It was a bugger to get going but gave no usefull coals. Sue ended up cooking the chicken kebabs in the frying pan and I eventually got the wors cooked next to heat of the flames from some newly lit wood. Oh what fun, ironically the thing that got the fire going best was all the fat dripping from the wors. They should soak the wood in it or make fire lighter out of the stuff!

The hiking here is good with many a destination to choose from. We have been good, yesterday and today been out for a 8 or 9km hike up in the lower hills. I think that tomorrow will be a day of rest, no point in over doing it. The sky has been blue and clear since our arrival, but a few clouds are around this afternoon. Would be nice if it stayed fair, cold nights are fine provided we get warned thru in the day. Keeps the solar and fridge happy too!

Today we paid for 3 more nights as we like it here. As to whether we will still be saying that come Monday after the place goes mad over the weekend, fingers crossed!

Some pics from the Kruger

A few pics from the park ...

http://picasaweb.google.com/wooliesonline/Kruger2010

Life after the Kruger

Our plan, well we did not really have one. So we decided to stop a night at Forever Resorts Swadini on the north eastern side of the Blyde River Canyon. It was ok, huge, not too busy, and nice ablutions, well I should think so for the price!

Today we did the tourist things and checked out the Blyde Canyon, and the other views in the area like Wonder View and God's Window. Now explain. Wonder View free. God's Window a small charge of R5 per vehicle. They are about 200m apart and look over the same view! Needless to say which one we chose!

Now it is back to Joburg. On the N12 as I write this. It has been a long day so far, 450km behind us 120km odd to go. Bloody windy, but sunny. Poor Mufasa has had a hard day with all the steep climbs he has done today. Seems like we have been going uphill all day!

Back in the big city a week or so to get an oil change and do some washing and shopping. Then probably down to the Drakensberg for a couple of weeks if it is not too cold!

Kruger - Tsendze, the end of the road

What a pleasure it always is to get back to Tsendze and the warm welcome of the staff there. However we knew that it meant our last 3 nights in the park.

It started well though. Halfway from Shingwedzi we had a sighting of 4 Lions. Mum and her 3 little ones. Well hidden about 10m from the road. She was sitting out the warm part of the day, the cubs were messing around. That would be our last Lion spot.

Camp was quiet on arriving Friday lunchtime and got busy Saturday night. Sunday it was quieter again. As the end was nigh we made an effort to get out of camp. Long game drives in the morning and a short drive in the evenings to watch the sun go down over the Tsendze river with a cool beer and some nuts.

Our favorite drive which we did Saturday and Sunday mornings was east of camp to the grassy plains at the Tihongoyeni waterhole on the S143 loop. The grass was very long this year and the masses of Zebra loved it. They were quite happy sharing their spot with the Wildebeest and Tsessebe. Oh and us. A perfect place for morning coffee and rusks, and the odd hundred photos!

There were plenty of young Zebra around, and the adults were playing their own games! It is great just to sit there and watch and listen. Best relaxation therapy available. We even had a sighting of 3 Side Striped Jackals, the rarer cousin of the Black Backed. Many an Elephant around too. Lone bulls and large herds. One herd had some very small ones to look out for. Their older sisters were very protective and we gave them plenty of space and only watched for a couple of minutes.

Before we knew it Monday morning had arrived and it was time for our 24 night visit to the park to come to an end. The drive out to the Phalaborwa gate was nice, quiet, but had its moments. We came across an old couple in their broken down pickup and had to notify the staff at the gate to rescue them. We also came across a throng of Vultures hacking away at an Impala carcass. What a sight, what a smell!

Then it was all over. Thru the gate and back to civilisation, or the zoo outside the park!

Kruger - Shingwedzi, the 2nd half

Its quite amazing to think that the much anticipated or dreaded long weekend is behind us. Just the looming month of May and pensioner concession time. Not a camping spot will be found anywhere for a month!

I think we must have seen our allowed animal quota in the first few days in the park. Even the birds seemed to have gone into hiding. The drive back to Shingwedzi was nice but uneventful. The camp was fairly quiet, but the warm weather had returned. Up in the mid thirties during the day and cooler come evening time, well if 28c at 18h00 can be described as cooler!

Plenty of lion activity in the area if all the evening and morning roaring was an indication. However none that we saw, except a lone male on leaving Shingwedzi on the drive to Tsendze. Also no sight or sound of the Giant Eagle Owls, shame.

We did however get our dose of excitement. Sitting mid afternoon relaxing, the birds started to chirp just next to us. Sue was suddenly up, 'snake!'. It appeared around the base of the tree where we were sat and proceed to hide under the pile of wood I had got out for the evening braai. It wasn't huge, perhaps 45cm long, but we later identified it as a young Mozambican Spitting Cobra! It may have been half its adult size but its spitting venom would still pack a mighty punch. They can spit up to 2.5m! I persuaded it to move on and made sure it was well away from us before I stopped following it.

The next day Sue came rushing back from the ablutions, she had seen the snake again. A bit different this time as it was in the process of swallowing a small bat! It would be like me trying to swallow a badger in one go! Well it eventually did, one big lump in it's belly. We left it to find somewhere quiet to sleep it off.

The pool at camp was a just the place to be late morning or early afternoon. Cold, but refreshing! We had to make use of it as no such luxury would be awaiting us back at Tsendze, just the option of a cold shower if needed.

As mentioned we had a brief glimpe of a male Lion on leaving the camp, but well past halfway to Tsendze we had a better sighting!

Kruger - Punda Maria and the long weekend

We knew full well what we were heading into. A long weekend up at Punda. A
full campsite for 3 or 4 nights. How bad could it be?

The drive up to Punda (S22.69323 E31.01762) was only 70km or so, so not far.
The game viewing along the way, nice, some birds, but nothing to shout
about. Well apart from the Leopard! It was only a brief crossing of paths
but exciting none the less. We had stopped as we do most of the time to
check out a bird in a tree. This one happened to be an Open Billed Stork
perched high up on top of an acacia. Having observed him, I turned the
ignition to get Mufasa growling again, looked up, and before we had moved a
few feet stopped as there was a cat in the road ahead wandering towards us.
Binoculars up, 'LEOPARD'! Beautiful animal. Sadly it was only in view for 10
seconds or so before it slinked off into the grass next to a small river. We
drove up not in much hope of spotting it again, and we didn't. They are hard
enough to see off the road when the grass is dead and low, but in these lush
times, no chance!

As we had set off from Shingwedzi first thing we arrived at Punda not long
after 09h00 and were delighted to find that the campsite was almost empty so
we had plenty of places to choose from. It was a no brainer really. Our
favourite spot is in the first corner by the fence under some trees, but
this was taken. So next to it in the open would do us just fine, the spot we
had camped on when we arrived from Mozambique with a rush that last day of
our trip up thru Africa in 2008.

Friday night was not too hectic but Saturday, Sunday, and Monday were full
full full. The only thing that was a real surprise was the weather. It had
been pretty warm still during the days up until we arrived at Punda. Friday
was cooler and cloudy. Saturday was cold, it drizzled all day, only got up
to 16C or sommit like that. Sue had 2 fleeces and long sleeved t-shirt on
during the day, and I had on thick socks and hiking boots to keep my feet
warm and dry. Sunday was better and we had a great long drive up to the
Pafuri picnic spot (S22.42312 E31.24746) and then along to Crook's Corner
(S22.42565 E31.30700) at the confluence of the mighty Limpopo river with the
Luvuvhu River. We saw a large herd of Elephant munching their way thru the
trees, several good bird spots, and plenty of lovely Nyala, not to mention a
couple of dozing Lions. Monday was a day of rest again, cold, bit of
drizzle, and some afternoon sun. Perfect feet up and read a book day, yep
another one.

The family group next to us in 'our' corner spot were very nice, all 14 of
them, from Ouma and Oupa down to their grandchildren. One of the families
lived at Punda for a while when the husband worked there as a ranger and
trail guide. They were living at Punda during the great floods of 2000, with
a few stories to tell now. Thanks to them we had a new animal spot one
evening, a Large Spotted Genet, nipping in and out of the grass just outside
the fence, too cute. Overall the weekend was very pleasant indeed. We knew
it would be busy, and it was. We knew that at times it would be noisy, and
it was. But everyone was friendly, although I think we might have probably
been the only non native Afrikaans speakers there! I sometime feel like I am
in a foreign country!

After Punda, only another 6 nights left in the park. Can't be greedy now,
but once you are here and settled in it is just a way of life.
Internal Virus Database is out of date.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.5.437 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2786 - Release Date: 04/02/10
18:32:00

Kruger - Shingwedzi the first installment

Now we knew that our first visit would be the lull before the storm of the oncoming long holiday weekend, but we were proved somewhat wrong!

Of the larger camps in the park I would say that Shingwedzi (S23 06.580 E31 25.928) is probably our favorite. The campsite is large and fairly open but there are plenty of trees and the pool although dated is large and welcoming. We found a nice spot in amongst some Mopani trees which would offer shade and hopefully some protection from any heavy dew. As it turned out that first night, dew was the least of our worries!

Sue woke me not long after midnight as it seemed that a thunderstorm was approaching and we needed to close the end flap of the tent to keep the rain off. Well that we did and thank God we had. Soon after, the mother of all storms hit! We had to close every flap down, and listen to the gates of hell open outside. It hurled it down. The gusts of wind were scary. But we had faith in the tent, well we hoped we did! For nearly an hour the storm lashed away, and it rained another hour after that until the night was still again. All the while we had to keep pushing the tent up over the ladder to drain the swimming pool that kept creating itself there. At one point in the worst of it I had to hang down on the ladder to rescue our towels that we had hung out to dry. By torch light we could only see water all around us, but at least we were above it, not those in ground tents!

For some reason come morning we felt a bit sleepy! With the ground being quite sandy most of the rain had drained off. We found out later that over 90mm had dropped on the area in that hour or two. A few trees in the rest camp did not survive the wrath of the storm but thankfully none around us.

The remainer of our stay was very quiet in comparison. Lions were to be heard each evening but not seen by day. The cute Pearl Spotted Owls also paid a visit but no Giant Eagle Owls were heard or seen. All we did know was that our looming stay up at Punda Maria from Friday to Tuesday would be another experience altogether!

Kruger - Tsendze

It is always good to get back to somewhere that you like being at. Tsendze is that place, or at least we hoped it would be!

After checking in at Mopani rest camp and been allocated a pitch it was just a short drive to Tsendze to see if the place still had the same magic. I think it is the only campsite that they allocate pitches for, people reserve their favorite spots. You can select an alternative once you are in camp but only if the office approve having phoned them to check. As it turned out pitch 28 suited us just fine. Some shade for Mufasa and plenty of options of sun to move the solar panel around in. We only had 2 nights booked but another stop there was booked for the following week on our way back down from Punda Maria. Our most favorite thing in Tsendze are the outdoor showers either for a cold midday cool off or an evening hot warmer.

The highlight of the stay was a very cute little owl that had not seen before, the Pearl Spotted Owl. We had heard them in the morning and during the day but not managed to locate them, but thankfully they came to rest briefly in the big tree on our pitch, very cute. I also managed to track down an African Scops Owl just before going to bed on the second evening, even smaller than the Pearl Spotted.

The second night was a bumpy one thanks to the thunderstorm that brushed past us, but most of its anger was vented elsewhere. The camp looked like it had had its fill of rain a few weeks before we had arrived and certainly didn't need topping up.

It was a shame to only have a short stay but knowing that we would soon be back we didn't mind. You never know we might even drag ourselves out of camp for a drive next time!

The next stop was Shingwedzi, and with a bit of luck, no make that a lot of luck, the chance to hear and see the Giant Eagle Owls that frequent the area!

Kruger - Balule and Letaba

The drive over to Balule from Maroela was nice but quiet on the wildlife
front. We saw the usual numbers of Impala and some White Rhino but not much
else until we reached the Nsemani Dam near Satara rest camp. We spent a
while there watching three young Bull Elephants having a great time in the
water. They kept completely submerging themselves and then would emerge in a
flood of water to chastise each other. Every now and then one of them would
make like leaving the water but would turn and tussle with either of the
other two at the last moment before ploughing back in to go under again.
They enjoyed it, so did we! There was plenty of other activity too. Hippo,
Crocs, Storks and Herons to name but a few. We stopped off at Satara
(S24.39304 E31.77825) to have coffee and breakfast after making use of the
shop to top up on a few essentials, tonic water for the sundown Gin and
Tonics!!

Leaving Satara we headed north to Balule (S24.05328 E31.73388) on the S90
gravel road. Once again a very nice drive but not much to be seen anywhere.
We had checked in for Balule at Satara so we did not need to venture over to
Olifants rest camp first. Balule is another small camp split into two
sections. Camping on one side and basic huts on the other. It was baking hot
when we arrived at around midday. The choice spots are the ones along the
fence near the river with a bit more shade. We didn't think we could fit on
the only 2 free ones so we parked up elsewhere. After a brief stop in the
roasting sun we decided that we needed to get some more shade somehow. There
is no power at Balule, period. So we needed to get some sun on the solar
panel again. We managed to arrange ourselves in one of the free places with
some shade but also plenty of sun where it was required. Cold beer and feet
up time!

Our three nights there were great. You can not see the river from camp but
you can hear it, and its resident Hippos. We managed a good sight of them
during the nights as they came munching along the fence. One advantage of
being high up on Mufasa, we could see over the small bushes between us and
them. As for game drives. We ventured out to Olifants rest camp one morning,
not out of camp until after 08h30 as the tent was soaking with dew. The
skies were as clear as clear can be during the nights. Olifants has had a
lot of work done to it and they haven't finished yet. However as usual what
has been built is starting to look twenty years old already, not good
standards of construction. The high point of the rest camp is the view it
commands over the Olifants river below, fantastic! We were back in Balule
before midday, too bloody hot to be out and about!

We met two very nice chaps in camp during our stay. Peter from Namibia in
his 28 year old Jurgens motorhome that he had only had for a couple of
months and Trevor in his Land Rover Defender 130. Peter was only there our
first night, but Trevor was only leaving the day after us. We had two great
afternoons and evenings chatting, quaffing the odd cold beer, and dinners.
Trevor was tall and interesting chap, with many a story to be told to keep
us entertained! Sometimes it is not just the wildlife that makes for an
enjoyable stay, the interesting people you meet along the way are highlights
too. Leaving Trevor in camp to enjoy his last day in peace it was off to
Letaba rest camp (S23.85553 E31.57902) for us for just one night. Some of
you may guess why knowing Sue, yep washing machine time!!

We like Letaba but it is probably not our favourite of the bigger camps.
However it does have facilities that the little satellite camps just don't.
We were barely in camp 5 minutes and the washing was out of Mufasa and
getting itself clean. Thankfully the weather which was cloudy and cooler
perked up a bit and by the end of the afternoon all was dry, and Sue was a
happy bunny again.

Our next stop in the park would be at our favourite camp, Tsendze, the
satellite camp to Mopani rest camp. We just hoped that it was as good as we
had remembered!
Internal Virus Database is out of date.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.5.437 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2786 - Release Date: 04/02/10
18:32:00

Kruger - Malelane to Maroela

It is always good to get back to the bush. Mountains are brilliant, the sea
is fun, the bush is ... well the bush, a living breathing unpredictable
vastness.

After a long hot and scenic drive from Dullstroom we eventually arrived at
the gates of the Kruger Nation Park, Malelane gate to be specific. We had
stopped off in Nelspruit (S25.47519 E30.96956) for supplies on our way and
saw the revamped football stadium for the ever nearer World Cup. Looks like
Nelspruit would be a great base for the early stages of the competition,
plenty in town and plenty of camping around and about.

Our first camp would be at Malelane Camp (S25.47633 E31.51265) just a few
kilometres from the gate, and a new camp for us. All we knew was that it was
small. It turned out to be a pretty camp, and pretty busy in both the
camping and the few huts, well it was the last weekend of the school Easter
holidays. However the camp was quiet, well inside the camp at least. Being
so close to the edge of the park and also the town of Malelane it was not
the most peaceful of places at times. The area outside the park is prime
sugar cane land with all the noise that goes with farming, and the town was
quite noisy at times with music drifting its way over on the wind every now
and then. All in all though the camp was a good stop but being busy we had
only a few spots to chose from. The first was nice and we had almost settled
in when we noticed a couple of dangling branches overhead swaying in the
breeze. Not good for tents, solar panels, or Mufasa! The second was a muddy
swamp. The last spot was in full sun and pretty hot that first afternoon,
but seeing as our power lead would not reach the nearest plug point the sun
was gratefully received by the solar panel. We had 2 pleasant nights there,
not even venturing out for a game drive as we had a long drive north thru
the park to the second camp. Our rest day was as usual taken up with
chilling, reading, and feet up.

Come the morning it was back into bush drive mode. Up with the larks to try
and get out of the gate as soon as possible after the 06h00 opening time. I
think we managed it by 06h15, not a bad effort considering we have to pack
everything away before we leave. We started off with the loop west and north
via Berg-en-Dal rest camp (S25.42696 E31.44987). As it turned out a slow but
fruitful drive. Elephant, Giraffe, White Rhino, and some endangered and
crazy looking Ground Hornbill. Oh and 3 Lions, 2 Male and 1 female. One male
an onlooker and the other two a mating pair. As usual the poor things were a
bit hampered with tourists being the busy southern part of the park and also
a Sunday. We eventually made it up to Skukuza rest camp (S24.98991
E31.59269) for a late breakfast at just gone 11h00 some 85km later. Knowing
we had quite a way to still go we had a quick bite and a cup of coffee
before heading off again. As always Skukuza was bursting at the seams, not
our favourite camp at all.

The rest of the drive was slow going at times, and not much to be seen. We
chatted to a passing Canadian couple who seemed disappointed not to have
seen much. Well that all changed. First off we came across another
endangered bird, the Saddle Billed Stork. What a pretty bird, goofy looking
but stunning. Must remember to send some pics to the EWT, just one of the
species of bird and animal they are tracking. THEN, not long after, Lion and
their kill, a very rank Giraffe corpse, not too fresh and very smelly. About
3 male and 7 female Lion we counted all very fat and sleepy. Two were still
picking at the rank remains, probably as they were to full to move away. As
with all Lion sightings it was zoo time, quite a few vehicles. We only
stayed for a few minutes when we managed to get thru. Some people just park
for ages blocking the way, stopping the traffic jam from moving and worst of
all hassling the poor cats. Sigh. THEN, just up the road, a sight that we
only saw as far as we know. A cat in the road ahead. We stopped a way back.
Binoculars up, WOW, a female Leopard and a tiny tiny cub!! She must have
been crossing the road and stopped for a pause and a breath. As soon as we
stopped, about 30m away, she picked the little chap up oh so carefully and
made her way off into the bush. No pics, but it lives upstairs in the memory
bank.

We eventually made it to Orpen rest camp (S24.47441 E31.39081) to book in at
just after 17h00, a long hack, but what a great day. Our final encounter on
the way was a large herd of Elephant, some cute youngsters. With booking in
formalities done we drove the short distance to Maroela camp (S24.45630
E31.39827). Again a small camp and only camping, no huts. We have a lovely
spot right at the fence, the electric cable just reaches the box to plug in.
A bit of shade for Mufasa. Tonight is our 3rd and last night here. Again we
have not ventured out as it is so nice just sitting watching birds and the
odd buck. As we are in the park for over 3 weeks we do not feel the need to
drive every day, relaxing and just listening to the sounds of the wild is as
good as a game drive sometimes. As with most camps there is a electric fence
and a security patrol at nights. Well, Spotted Hyena security patrol outside
the fence. People have a stupid tendency to chuck scraps over for them to
eat, which eventually leads to the poor animals being shot as the become a
danger. You would think the 'DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS' signs on the fences
with the picture of a Hyena, and the threat of fines and jail would stop the
idiots but we have seen it in the past.

Last night was a clear starry night, absolutely beautiful. All day today we
have had over 15 little Dwarf Mongooses running around our feet chirping to
each other as they go. One almost took a fancy to my toes until I wiggled
them and it hopped away in fright. They were very intrigued with Mufasa.
Hopping up on the axles and even getting higher up and plodding around on
the rear fuel tank. I think they got the invite from one of the Squirrels
that has been with us since we got here, he had to be chased out of the rear
of the truck!! Tomorrow we have another 06h00 date with the road and a
shorter trip up to Balule camp just the satellite camp to Olifants rest
camp. This area is supposed to be good for Cheetah, Leopard and Lion,
fingers crossed!!!
Internal Virus Database is out of date.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.5.437 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2786 - Release Date: 04/02/10
18:32:00

Millstream, the untold story

There was one event that for some reason I forgot to include in the last blog, must be aluminium poisoning getting to my grey matter!

We were sitting having dinner on our last evening and suddenly from who knows were, but most likely from down the chimney, a bat was flying around the room. Now as you can imagine Sue shrieked and almost had a heart attack! She quickly retreated up to the bedroom and shut the door. I had hurriedly opened the front door but could did not notice if the little chap had left or not. I had a good hunt around with a torch but could not see it. Sue came back down and we continued to eat, she was not a relaxed happy bunny!

Just a few mins later it was flying again! It was so small I had not noticed it nestled in the brickwork around the fireplace. This time Sue stayed put crouched on her chair, hands over head, eyes shut, while I opened all the doors and chased the bat around trying to coax it out it which it eventually did after a few minutes of arm waving. Doors quickly closed.

Dinner was eventually completed and Sue was off to bed in the blink of an eye! Oh and I did check out the rooms upstairs first just in case ;)

Easter has gone, open road here we come!

With the brief rest up back in Joburg over and the long Easter weekend enjoyed safe and sound without venturing out it was time to hit the road again on the Monday. We should be going one way and all the people who had Easter away would be coming the other!

We were heading out to Dullstroom and a timeshare at the Millstream Farm, a trout fishing estate. The plan was to take over the cottage that Bob and Ruth were using over the weekend. The drive was ok most of the way, loads of people coming the other way. Just after passing Middleburg (S25 46.083 E29 27.144) on the N4 the heavens opened and the forecasted 'tons of rain' hit. Needless to say this caused no end of accidents in the returning traffic, our side was fine. Well apart from one idiot who had a tail bash in the slow traffic and decided to cross our path to park up on our side of the road. Thankfully we were going slowly as the rain was so hard and had time to avoid him. If it had been one of the other idiots that think just because they have their hazard lights on they can still do 100km plus with zero visibility then the accident tally would have increased.

As the conditions were so bad we sent a sms to Bob to warn him and delay their drive home. Thats when the fun started. We got a call saying that they were only due to leave on Tuesday! Wires crossed somewhere. Anyway we were way too far on to turn back and with the traffic, we had to go on. The thought of having to camp one night in the heavy rain was not a good one. Thankfully by the time we left the N4 at Belfast we had left the worst of the weather behind us.

Continuing on to Dullstroom (S25 25.073 E30 06.295) we found a good campsite at the dam in the nature reserve (S25 24.291 E30 06.392). It was quiet and basic but just fine for one night. We took a wander around the town and on our way back decided to have dinner in the Dullstroom Inn, and very nice it was too.

With the arrival of a new day it was off to Millstream to hopefully take over the cottage. Bob and Ruth were packed and ready, and set off just after we arrived. We had a great 3 nights there. The weather was mostly sunny with cool air. We did a bit of walking. We did a bit of reading. We had log fires in the evenings, with a nice glass or two of red wine. A most pleasant stay, could have done with a 4th night, cough :).

Anyway, our next adventure was just around the corner though, 3 or 4 weeks in Kruger!

Royal Natal NP

Our final destination in the Drakensberg was the Royal Natal NP and another
site we have never camped at. Many people that we have met on the road have
said that the Mahai campsite is beautiful, stunning view of the
Amphitheatre. Well, were they right?

It was a slightly longer drive than the last hop to Monks Cowl and we chose
to stop off at Bergville (S28.73142 E29.34611) as we were passing thru to
see what shops we could get some supplies at. A Spar was about all we could
find of any use. A very busy town and not pretty. We got what we needed and
also found an ATM for cash and then swiftly moved on. Not that I would ever
dismiss a place to anyone planning to visit, but Bergville is no place to
linger long in the memories!

On to the Royal Natal NP (S28.68850 E28.94580). A very hazy day with cloud
cover on the mid to high Berg, so sadly we had no view of the amazing
Amphitheatre on our way in. We quickly checked out the smaller Rugged Glen
campsite which was nice, only 15 or so pitches, but all in the trees so no
sun for the solar panel. Then on to Mahai via the reception to check-in. We
had already decided to stay 5 nights if we could and the lady said yes, no
probs. All we had to hope was that we could find a sunny pitch to set up on
as Mahai is also very tree filled. There were a few people there already, on
the electric pitches, but up on the non-electric we were on our own again.
Well at that point anyway!! We found a very nice spot with sun from first
thing to mid afternoon which suited us fine, plenty of shade around if
needed. We have never stayed put for 5 nights before with no electric and
needing solar power but with the last two stops we knew that with a little
bit of sun we would be fine.

Stunning views from our pitch of Dooley, Dooley Knoll, and Dooley Flats,
towering up to our west. The first afternoon we just chilled out, and the
next morning, Wednesday, we took a walk up past the Cascades to Lookout
Rock, a very steep climb on a concrete path but well worth it by the time we
dragged ourselves up. Having a concrete path may sound good, and in some
ways yes as there is no dirt and mud to slip on, but most of the way it was
just a steep path and no steps. After a good rest and some snacks we took a
short detour across to find the Tiger Falls. Now we are not sure if we did
or not, but there were a troop of baboons further on the path and who are we
to spoil their fun!! So back down the concrete path it was, and again harder
than if it had just been a normal path with rocky steps. The Cascades pools
looked quite inviting as we passed them again, but we didn't have any
swimwear on us and too many people around for skinny dipping!!

Sadly that was our one and only walk at Mahai. I had just about kicked off a
hacking cough that had plagued me for 3 weeks, Sue was just starting on it,
oh and I had managed to pull muscles in my back too, so feet up for the rest
of the stay except from a short walk to get a view of the Amphitheatre when
the early morning sun was free to shine on them with no cloud cover. The
campsite quickly filled up with the coming weekend. First a German couple
with two very whiny young kids, thankfully only stayed a couple of nights.
Then a school trip from a French school in Joburg!! Quite amusing watching
them try to organise camp in the dark on the Friday evening. They eventually
disappeared off on a long walk Saturday so peace resumed for a while.
Finally Sunday arrived and it was time for us to leave. Again a place to
return to sometime, but NOT in school holidays. Our only problem with the
place was the local residents, small cockroaches! Thankfully not in the tent
or truck but they hid every where in the folds of the tent outside and we
spent most evenings hunting them down and applying a gentle touch of size
10s to them!

The drive back to Joburg was easy and very pretty. Cosmos flowers everywhere
to be seen up thru the Free State, and bright clear sunny skies, well until
we got back to the city anyway. Back in town it was time to hide out until
after Easter and avoid the really mad busy time. For those in the UK, you
think Easter is mad on the roads there, you haven't seen anything!!

After Easter, well, off again for 8 weeks or so until we settle back in to
city life again for the duration of the World Cup. COME ON ENGLAND!!!!
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.5.437 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2786 - Release Date: 04/02/10
18:32:00

The Drakensberg - Monks Cowl

And so on it was from Injisuthi to Monks Cowl (S29 02.882 E29 24.338). We had packed most things the night before so we could get away early knowing that the new camp would be busy already and with more people inbound for the long weekend.

The rocky dirt track, potholed tar, exit didn't seem as bad 2nd time around and we were soon back on the main road. The short trip to Monks Cowl was easy apart from the last slow climb with Mufasa chugging in 2nd gear. On arrival the day visitors car park was already quite busy and after paying we drove round to the campsite. The electric pitches were as expected more overwhelmed than the non-electric. There were a few spots to chose from but again we needed to appease the solar panel to keep the fridge happy. After deciding on our spot Sue waited while I reversed Mufasa back. As I was not sure where exactly he would sit I stopped on the track, engine running, handbrake engaged, and went to consult the boss. Well the next thing we knew, Mufasa had decided not to wait for us and very slowly started to roll down the slight slope! The two ladies with their tent in Mufasa's path just froze watching the large bulk of metal begining to lumber towards them. Thankfully I had left the driver's door open and was able to jump in and stamp a foot on the break pedal ! Phew, that could have been very embarrassing! Thankfully it all worked out ok. Poor Mufasa is quite a lump and I obviously didn't stomp on the break pedal hard enough before using the handbrake. With crisis avoided we settled in and chose not to do a hike that afternoon, especilly as we were sitting in the cab out of the rain. Needless to say as soon as we got the chance we put up our room below the tent. It rained a fair amount during the afternoon and early evening. The poor girls that arrived later on the pitch next to us didn't have a fun time with only their small tent and little car to shelter in.

By morning the sun was back and we headed out early to the Nandi Falls, a 2 hour hike. Very nice it was too and with the sun out quite hot despite the early hour. In the trees at the falls with the draft caused by the crashing water it was a mighty bit colder. The day visitors area was buzzing when we got back, packed full of day hikers, but the campsite was yet to fill out completely. We had one hell of a thunderstorm that afternoon but had our room to shelter in thankfully, although some of the lightning seemed pretty close on a couple of occasions!

We had decided to stay another night making it 3 and leave on the Tuesday. So on Monday we chose one of the longer hikes to do up to Blind Man's Corner via the Sphynx and Breakfast Stream, a round trip of about 12km and 6 hours. The climb to the Sphynx, a large rock, was not too bad nor was the next up to the plateau and Breakfast stream at just over 2000m, a total climb of 600m. Sadly on our way up the mists had rolled in and although there was no visibility problems for hiking we had no view! Anyway we proceeded on to our Destination at Blind Man's Corner about 3km along the very pretty plateau and a slow ascent of another 100m in height. The view would have been spectacular if it had been clear, we will have to return sometime. The 'Corner' is where the long treks into the high Berg begin. After a short break we turned back and descended via a different route, Keartland's Pass, a much harder route as it turned out! Suitably exhausted when we got back to base it was feet up for the rest of the day. Most of the campsite was empty on our return and by nightfall we had it to ourselves. Bliss!

Comparing Monks Cowl to Injisuthi, it did not have the great 360 degree views, and the mountains could only really be seen in their glory from the electric pitches which occupied the higher ground in the site. It was very pleasant though and out of season a good spot for some great hikes. The big plus though, boiling water on tap, keeps the gas bills down.

Our next stop would be a longer hop north and to the Royal Natal NP, and the looming school holidays! We had decided that it would be a 5 night stay, if it was not too busy, well assuming that we could get our foot in the door of course!

The Drakensberg - Injisuthi

Time for some fresh mountain air and some much needed exercise, the Drakensberg was just the place!

The plan was to take in several of the KZN Wildlife camps moving north along the Drakensberg range. The first post of call Injisuthi (S29 07.172 E29 26.554). The majority of the drive was easy until we turned off on the final 30km road that ended up at the Injisuthi Reserve. It started with good tarmac which became badly potholed, and then evolved into a rocky dirt track. Reaching the entrance gate we returned to tar for the last 7km. Just short of camp a small crew were repairing the tar and much to the annoyance of the head man we had driven on part of the new bit, oops. Well it was the wider part of a narrow road with cones down the middle and no indication of which side to drive on. Oh and we chose the side that didn't look new, says a lot for their quality of work.

Anyway, the camp was stunning. Two fairly large campsites and the main camp of 15 cottages. The campsite was empty. After lunch we checked in and paid for 3 nights with the option of extending. With not many trees in the campsite a sunny pitch was the option which suited us fine, well suited the solar panel to be more exact. No power on offer, not that we needed it.

What a stunning location. 360 degrees of big lumps of rock to look at, and no other soul in sight. As we had 3 nights ahead of us and also the ever threatening rain clouds around us we put up the room that zips below the tent. Shrewd move, had a major thunderstorm not too much later. At night it was mighty dark. It had cleared over but no moon. I came out of the toilet block to return to Mufasa quite late on with him no more than 60 feet away and without a torch I could not see him.

Our first morning was bright and sunny so we broke out the hiking gear and chose one of the shorter walks, yellowwood forest - old kraal - dipping tank, that took just a couple of hours. Seeing as we had not hiked for nearly a year we didn't want to over do it! The walk was delightfull and we spent the rest of the day reading and looking at the hills around. The camp still ours alone, well with the exception of a few inquisitive wild mice and a family of guineafowl!

The 2nd morning greeted us with damp and mist, quite a low cloud base so no options for a 2nd walk. Well not for us at least. There are several caves up in the mountains that can be slept in and we knew from the walk register that a group were up there somewhere in the wet gloom! The campsite was however still our private property so we kicked back and relaxed. Things eventually cleared up later on and we had a short stroll out of camp to stretch our legs, nothing too taxing. Sadly though we had company back in camp with the arrival of two other parties, never mind. We had 2 quiet nights which were unexpected and a holiday weekend was looming.

Thankfully the sun returned by the 3rd morning and the hike to Van Heyningen's Pass and view point called us. It didn't start too well with the bridge across the river next to camp broken but we managed to scramble across, stone hopping! The route took us out and up to the bottom of the pass thru long wet grass and then up in the forest on a wet slippery rocky path to the top. Boy it was hard going in places but it was worth it! The view was breathtaking both along the high berg ridge including Monks Cowl and Giant's Castle, and down in the valley to Mufasa about 400m below us. After a short rest we were back down and in camp. On our way we passed a small group heading up and past where we had been to an overnight in Wonder Cave. Rather them than us, their packs were huge!

As our 3 nights were up we stopped of at the office to try and book in for a few more. It was Friday and the start of a long weekend with a holiday on the Monday. We could only get one night as Saturday and Sunday were fully booked! With the help of Molly at the reception we managed to book into the next stop we were planning, Monks Cowl Camp, not too far away north up the range. The place certainly did fill out that afternoon and evening. A big hiking club was descending on the place for the weekend. We were kind of glad to be going as it was our own private place for a while and sharing it with reams of others didn't seem right. But we will return one day not only to enjoy the rest of the hikes possible but hopefully to enjoy peace and quiet in our private camp!

Saturday came and we were packed and off pretty early not sure what lay ahead of us at Monks Cowl, but getting to a busy camp is fine, or at least that is what we told ourselves. And if nothing else we had the busy 2 nights of the weekend sorted.

One thing we did know was that it would have to be pretty special to beat Injisuthi!

A little bit of Safari and a little bit of Scotland

After managing to migrate back all of Mufasa's contents we left the tranquility of Sobhengu and ventured back on to the dirt road that was now clear of the endless hoards of school kids. After not too long a drive we reached the Mkhuze Game Reserve all be it via a pretty badly pot holed last stretch of tarmac. The entrance gate to the reserve all looked pretty new and we had a warm greeting from the two guys manning the gate. With our entrance fees paid we headed into the reserve and made our way to the main reception at the Mantuma Camp where we paid for 2 nights camping. Before heading of to find the campsite some 10km away we paid a visit to the swimming pool to dip our feet. It was a wee bit green with algae! So feet dipping was as far as it got. Thankfully though and to our surprise when we got out to the Mshopi campsite (S27 38.381 E32 09.507) there was a pool there too. This one was a bit cloudy, just the local water, but was most gratefully recieved in the scorching mid day temps. As for the campsite, just us, the birds and the monkeys, although another young couple pulled in later on. Boy it was warm, mid thirties still but a bit of a breeze to keep drying the sweat! We decided that a game drive could wait till the cool of the early morning.

As we generally get to sleep around 20h00 when camping as it is dark, getting up at 06h00 when it is already light is not too bad a deal. Well most times. As usual I exited the tent backwards and stepped onto the ladder 3 rungs down and then went to grab the top rung with my left hand. What the @!** was that as I jerk my hand back and proceed to fall the remaining 4 feet to the ground. I look up and there is a Grey Tree Frog sitting there staring at me! I flick him off the ladder and he springs off under the truck. I go and wash my slimey hand, could have been worse I guess! Things then proceed as normal and we are on our way by 06h25.

The bush in the park is quite thick for most of the drive south to the Insumo Pan, but the Impala are everywhere as are Bushbuck. As for the birds we see a few but not as many as we had expected. We get to the pan and the picnic area on the shore for some coffee and rusks. Wow, what a great spot. The pan looks pretty full and there are loads of Pelicans but not too much else. Hippo can be heard but not seen till we moved to another view point, and no crocs anywhere to be seen. Leaving the pan we decided to go south west to the Inxwala wilderness zone, good move. White Rhino, Zebra, Impala, and loads of Giraffe many of which are quite young. The area is much more open and thus it seems the animals prefer it. No Elephants though. We stopped for another coffee in amongst the largest group of Giraffe. The young ones are most bemused by us and stop and stare for a while before scampering off. Too sweet. Back at camp, the usual, eat, swim, read, sweat! Well all except one slight change to the routine. A game of chase the Grey Tree Frog around Mufasa's engine compartment! I opened up to check a few things and yep there it was under the fuel filter looking up at me, a bit dozy with the heat in there. At one point he ended up in the fan sitting on one of the blades but eventually I coerced him down onto the suspension somewhere. As to whether he is still around, haven't seen him for a few days.

We only stayed 2 nights, and had intended to move on north west to Ithala NR but the weather had turned wet and colder and the campsite was R110pppn, and all you get is a cold shower and a long drop. So instead we headed off to Dundee! Well it was either there, Newcastle, or Glen Coe! Dundee is a fair size and we needed shops. We located a campsite in the middle of town, Kwa Rie (S28 10.361 E30 13.345), which turned out a very good find indeed. A bit odd but smart, clean, and some black and white bunnies! They have some large ponds with bass to fish, oh and some Peacocks.

After stopping for 2 nights to get provisioned it was time to head for the mountains!

Sobhengu, into the unknown, and out of the tent

Sorry, I don't see what the problem is! Yes we are living life on the open
road. Yes life in the tent is fantastic. But sometimes to go to some places
you have no choice. You have to slum it in a lodge here and there. What else
can you do!

Sobhengu is a place that we had heard of, and seen pictures of, and quite
fancied a visit to. There has been a problem though. The lodge is situated
on Lake St Lucia but not in an easy to access place. To get to it according
to the details you had to park up and catch a ferry across the lake. All
fine and well for most people except us awkward ones with their whole house
on wheels! So we have never bothered. Recently though due to the ever
diminishing water levels in the lake it is no longer possible to run the
ferry so all visitors have to drive there. A road, why wasn't this mentioned
before? Anyway, to cut a long story short you can take the not so short
drive to get to the place via the town of Hluhluwe (S28.01711 E32.27088) on
the R22 and then after 26km or so take a right turn and head off on a dirt
track for the next 24km. Unfortunately we happened to be on the dirt road at
school out time and had seemingly endless numbers of young children to
contend with for most of the journey so progress was slow. Some were pleased
to see us and wave and smile, others more bemused and angry for not getting
anything out of us. Eventually we arrived at the gates to the lodge. The
main accommodation is the Nibela Lodge, the luxury hotel. We were staying in
the self catering sister lodge Sobhengu (S27.98733 E32.42920). After
negotiating the long bumpy narrow track to get to the reception parking
there was a short walk past the Nibela rooms along a raised boardwalk to get
to the reception itself. All very nice. Having checked in it was back to
Mufasa and then off into what seemed the middle of nowhere to get around to
the Sobhengu units. As it happens we drove quite a way but on foot back to
reception it was just a few minutes on another raised boardwalk. Well the
units are very nice indeed, wood built and thatched. Thankfully with a
parking spot right at the unit we have been able to gradually migrate most
of Mufasa's contents into the unit. Our single bedroom unit with a double
bed but also there are two singles tucked away up in the loft room. Lovely
high ceilings with open thatch. From the deck there is a lovely view out to
the lake, partly obscured by the edge of the forest. Our new home for a
week, sigh.

Life in the unit is tough. Early rise after the sun has come up. Tea out on
the deck. Perhaps a stroll along to the swimming pool up at Nibela late
morning. Lunch back on the deck with perhaps a cold beer to wash it down.
Lazy afternoon. Then dinner, perhaps a movie on TV and bed. Most of the time
spent just reading and attempting to identify the birds in the trees.
Attempting definitely being the word as most of the time they are heard and
not seen.

For the more lively visitors there are a few walks to do around the forest,
and some other local activities like quad biking. To be honest we didn't
fancy too much activity as it was damn warm up in the mid thirties all week
with high humidity, and unless you were on the edge of the forest in the
nice breeze on most days a walk would have been very a warm business indeed.
Up on our deck it was not too bad when the breeze flowed over us. We did
however have a nice walk out on the lake. As the water level is quite low
the high water line does not reach to the edge of the forest where we were
anymore. The 'beach' was pretty firm and littered with all sorts including
the high and dry old ferry. All along the new high water line was a fish
graveyard. Mostly just fish heads but there were a few almost complete
skeletons. What sort of fish I could not say, but probably about 20-25cm in
length. There were other spots where some beetles seemed to have a
graveyard, and also another area for locusts. All very strange.

As for wildlife in the unit. One morning whilst sitting comfy on the sofa I
must have had a gecko high up in the thatch above me as it did a poo every
now and then. Mosquitoes a plenty. Step out on the path in the forest
without any repellent on and you would be visited. Monkeys around a lot of
the time, most curious of me when I was braaing. Oh and not forgetting the
stink bug that fell down the back of my shirt one day and into my shorts.
Yep, they named them spot on!! Took several scrubs to get the stink of my
hands. We did offer a service to the local geckos though. The unit had
picture windows along one side and at the front and when the table lamp was
on in the evening one of the windows got covered with mosquitoes. The gecko
just sat and had his fill. Within the bounds of the lodges there are also
several different types of buck. Four of the Zebra came to check on us when
we were down on the 'beach', and I caught the odd glimpse of a duiker or two
in amongst the forest.

All in all a very pleasant week was had in our little world at Sobhengu, a
shame to have to move on, but a place that will stay on the 'must return to
someday' list. We recommend the place highly. And now, yep, back to life on
the road. Time for a safari park or two I think.
Internal Virus Database is out of date.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.5.435 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2702 - Release Date: 02/21/10
19:34:00

On up the North Coast to Zinkwazi and Umlalazi

Time to get back to the camping lifestyle, well it is what this travelling
around is all about isn't it? However, before leaving Durban behind we had
to take a drive past the new football stadium that has been built for the
World Cup. Wow, pretty impressive! It certainly dominates the skyline and
lets hope that all the money spent proves to be worthwhile even if some
think it may not. Many people are you could say not exactly whooping it up
over the coming World Cup and the money that has been 'invested' in it. They
feel, and probably quite rightly, that millions if not billions has been
spent on the new football infrastructure where the money could have provided
homes, sanitation, electricity, and all the other essentials that the masses
were promised when the ANC came to power. Threats of disruption hang over
the football and I guess time will tell whether it is a success for South
Africa as a whole.

Sticking to the M4 to avoid both the hustle and bustle of the busy N2, not
to mention the odd toll gate, we ambled our way north up the coast past
Stanger and ending up at Zinkwazi Village. Our stop for a few nights was the
glamorously titled Zinkwazi Lagoon Lodge (S29.27782 E31.43910) near the
mouth of the Zinkwazi river. Like most of these type of resorts it was a mix
of chalet accommodation and camping. Also like most of these type of resorts
the chalet accommodation seems to get the investment and the camping just
ticks along slowly decaying. The place was almost deserted and only us and
another pitch occupied out of the whole huge campsite. Well that is apart
from all the other residents as we found out. It is I guess you would say a
forest location, trees throughout the whole site, not much sun to gleam
thru, or you could say it was just dull and damp. We got our chairs out, I
had all but touched my bum to the seat and whoosh, a cloud of Mosquitoes
around my ankles. Perfect conditions for them to live and breed. Without a
second thought out came the Tabard repellent and was slapped on exposed
skin. Ah, it seems they like this and were still happy to nestle down for a
quick sip of blood. OK, time for the strong DEET repellent. Yep they don't
like that. Oh and for good measure we lit a mosquito coil to waft around us.

One place where we were mosquito free was down on the beach just a short
stroll away. Not surprising really as it was a tad breezy! On the beach we
witnessed what I can only liken to a Spanish Matador with his red cape and a
snorting sweating beast of a bull waiting to gore him. In this case the
brave Matador is played by a tall strong African. The cape is a red flag
held above his head to indicate to the beast where to strike. And the
snorting beast a small but powerful twin hulled fishing boat out to sea. The
intention being to beach the boat and drag it up the sand. Now the poor chap
with the flag really should take up bull fighting, I think it would increase
his odds of making it to old age. He stands, flag aloft, whilst the beast
circles out to sea looking for its opportunity to launch the attack. With
the right waves in place it is full throttle, bouncing towards the beach and
the brave flag holder. Now you can imagine that these boats don't come in
plumb straight especially on a choppy breaking sea, and he has just a split
second to move out of the path of the boat as it thuds into the sand. Rather
him than me!

Back at the site there was a swimming pool which although old seemed clean
and was most certainly refreshing, and we were most grateful for the covered
shelter offered by the 'games' area when the rain decided to introduce
itself. We spent two nights at Zinkwazi, and two was plenty. It was not the
cheapest place we have stayed and although the campsite was OK and quiet we
were happy to be moving on, well if nothing else to escape from the mosquito
pit! We did a quick lap of the 'village' to see what there was to see and
then made our way back to the main road.

We returned to ambling along the R102 alternative route to the N2 and
eventually arrived at our new home further up the coast at Mtunzini and the
Umlalazi Nature Reserve (S28.95815 E31.76800) a KZN Wildlife reserve.
Cheaper than our previous location this seemed like a good place to spend
another couple of nights. We set down in one of the two huge campsites, and
chose an open sunny pitch with a few scattered trees for shade. Being open
it seemed almost mosquito free, but instead quite ant infested instead, well
you can't have your cake and eat it. Thankfully though the ants although
hell bent on exploring both us and Mufasa they did not bite unlike the nasty
beast we encountered at Kilwa Masoko in Tanzania!! The reserve is home to a
few larger animals too that scamper around. The small Grey Duiker (red in
colour) and a few beautiful Zebra.

Once again there was easy access to the fantastic long sandy beach that
stretches as far as you can see in both directions. A great place to take a
stroll and paddle. Again being mid week the site and the beach were neigh on
deserted, can't complain about that. The reserve is not huge but is fairly
big. It contains forest, mangrove swamps and also access to the Mlalazi
river. Apart from the odd comings and goings of people heading into the
reserve to access the beach it was nice and quiet. The only issue with the
place was the ablutions. As to be expected they were old but seemed to be in
working order, well until I hit the showers that is. The 1st barely managed
a trickle of hot and cold water. The 2nd blasted out hot water but there was
no cold to join it. The 3rd had both working hot and hold but didn't drain.
Thankfully the 4th managed water and drainage. One out of four not bad! The
crazy thing is the cleaners seem to spend ages cleaning the showers and
disinfecting them, shame none of them can manage a bit of basic plumbing!
Overall I would say that Umlalazi turned out to be a good stop, and perhaps
one place we would revisit, except of course for the deficiencies in the
shower department!

As for time to get back to a camping lifestyle, we had had four nights on
the road so we needed a wee break and some feet up time! So off it was to
our next point of call, the luxury of Sobhengu Lodge on Lake St Lucia.
Internal Virus Database is out of date.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.5.435 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2702 - Release Date: 02/21/10
19:34:00

Another year arrives, another journey begins

At last, it was time to pack up all our bits and pieces (boy there seemed to
be a lot of stuff) and point Mufasa in the direction of the long hard road
to somewhere. Not that we envisaged an epic trip, but some new places to
explore and hopefully some memorable experiences to enjoy.

Our initial point of call was Amanzimtoti and the Prince Residence. The long
hard road was to Durban, long yes, hard not really. We escaped the lights of
Joburg at the ugly hour of 05h00 Tuesday (23rd) morning to miss the mad rush
of all those crazy people desperate to get to work, fools. As usual we
ambled along at Mufasa's cruising speed, a bit faster than slow, and set
about making the usual tough decisions about the trip on the long N3 south,
where to get fuel and more importantly where to get breakfast! Now for those
not in the know in far away distant lands, the breakfast thing can be a
tricky one. Different fuel suppliers partner different restaurants. We
wanted Wimpy, cant beat a good fry up to keep you from nodding off, and that
means an Engen fuel stop. Now for most people who dash along at great speed,
obviously obeying the speed limits (!?), this is not an issue as distant
objectives are quickly reached. For the Mufasas of this world who plod along
it is a different story. Distant objective, hunger pangs, the contest.
Thankfully not long before 09h00 we made it as far as Harrismith (S28.27263
E29.13145) and the Engen just before it. One has to say an inspired choice,
usual good food and coffee, and excellent service. With our bellies filled
the next objective was Mufasa's. We checked the diesel price at the Engen,
nearly had a heart attack. With plenty of juice still in his belly we
decided to find an alternative, which as it happened was not too far down
the road at Tugela. A good old truck stop (S28.45316 E29.56616). We rolled
in, amongst all the huge HGVs and were delighted at the price these folks
pay, over 50c a litre cheaper. So we made use of most of the available cash
in our pockets and took the cheap fuel on board in both of Mufasa's bellies.
Back on the road it was not long before we descended down to the coast and
the heat got turned up a bit. By the time we arrived at Roy and Adele's
(S30.03898 E30.88320) we were sweating buckets, very hot and very humid.
Unfortunately as Mufasa is too big to fit in the parking at the house we had
to unpack all we needed from the truck for the duration of the stay, even
sweatier by the time we had done that. Mufasa has his own private secure
parking at an undisclosed location, well undisclosed for those who don't
know where it is!

Well, our reason for visiting Amanzimtoti, well apart from seeing the
family, was Adele's birthday. Which one, not for me to tell! Simone, Adele's
daughter who lives in the UK made a surprise appearance. Nearly gave Adele a
heart attack when she saw her. I don't know, you should be careful shocking
people at that age, cough. Anyway. We had a smashing dinner that evening at
one of the local eateries courtesy of Mr Prince snr. Well it would have been
if his credit card had not been refused, cunning plan! Thankfully Mr Prince
jnr was on hand to bail out his old man. I guess its one way of getting the
rent paid!

Our time at Toti also thankfully coincided with the holiday visit to South
Africa of Philly and Jo, the parents of the three girls that Sue looked
after in UK when she went travelling back in 1989. They happened to be
staying in Umhlanga at the Oyster Box, only about 40 minutes away. So we
popped along and were treated to coffee and lunch with them before they made
their long way back to the UK later that evening. It had been a while since
we had last seen them, back before we sold up and hit the road over 5 years
ago. With the magic of the internet and wonderful Facebook Sue had managed
to get in touch with them again towards the end of last year. Isn't
technology great, when it works of course.

After a couple of rain spotted days the sun returned on Sunday (28th), for a
bit at least. So Sue was delighted to get on top of our washing, especially
with a machine at hand!! Once it was all washed and put away she had a grin
from ear to ear.

Sadly it came time to say our goodbyes on the Monday (1st), fetch Mufasa,
and load up for the next leg on the trip. Back to the camping life again,
well for a short while at least!
Internal Virus Database is out of date.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.5.435 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2702 - Release Date: 02/21/10
19:34:00