My next stop was Tembe Elephant Reserve in the far north of Zululand, on the Mozambican border. To the left of Tembe is Ndumo Game Reserve, and to the right is Kosi Bay, which is the northern-most part of South Africa’s east coastline.
Tembe is very different to anything I have experienced so far on my Year in the Wild journey. The soil is ancient ocean sand, left by a retreating sea more than 130 000 years ago. In this thick
Read more »
The crocodile breeding centre near the entrance to iSimangaliso at the town of St Lucia is definitely worth a visit, as you'll get to see some huge crocs, up close! On view are Nile crocodiles, as well as two other African species - the longsnouted and dwarf crocodile, while there are also American alligators.
I was taken round the centre by Mark Robertson, the Ezemvelo ranger responsible for the centre. Mark explained that crocs which are hurt or injured, or are considered a threat to the
Read more »
I wish I had scheduled more time in the large, beautiful, diverse iSimangaliso Wetland Park. As in all places I’ve visited, the more I discover, the more I want to stay and explore.
Few people are more closely associated with iSimangaliso than Andrew Zaloumis. I met up with him and his son Emmanuel one afternoon, as well as ecologist Bronwyn James and marketing manager Lindy Duffield. We walked from Catalina Bay on the Lake, across the low-lying shores, up along the high coastal dunes, and
Read more »
From uMkhuze Game Reserve, I drove south to the town of St Lucia at the southern end of iSimangaliso Wetland Park. I met up with marketing manager Lindy Duffield who took me along the road through the western shores of Lake St Lucia. This lake is the largest estuarine system in South Africa, and provides an important habitat for many species, including one of the largest populations of Nile crocodile in Africa, and the largest South African populations of hippos, white pelicans and pinkbacked
Read more »
From Thonga Beach Lodge near Mabibi on the coast of iSimangaliso, I drove past Lake Sibaya, the largest fresh water lake in South Africa. It’s also one of iSimangaliso’ four Ramsar sites, an international accreditation given to ecologically-special lakes, rivers and water systems.
I travelled down the western shore of the lake, and spotted a croc or two as well as some hippo in the distance, but I wish I had
Read more »
From Rocktail Bay in iSimangaliso Wetland Park, I continued moving south along the so-called Coastal Forest section, to Thonga Beach Lodge, which is near Mabibi beach. The road is a sandy track that meanders over the coastal dunes, all of which are forested or covered in grass. (You’ll need a 4x4 here).
More than 240 kilometres of coastline is protected by
Read more »
