Dirt Roads again

The River Lodge at Stanford was 3.7km out of town along gravel road and after a couple of journeys our pristine new Ford was more than a little dusty and streaked after a heavy dew. However this was just a taster since whichever route you choose to get to De Hoop involves at least 60km of similar roads and clouds of dust in this season.

However, the journey is well worth the coating of dust which seemed to reach everywhere - the lake was as we remembered it although the water was a little greener than usual due to a bloom of algae.

However the accommodation and restaurant was just as comfortable as before and we had an excellent dinner in the Fig Tree restaurant. We managed a couple of early morning bird walks, a trip to the sand dunes at Koppie Alleen and a cycle around one of the trails.

In addition to the Eland - each with their attendant Cattle Egret

Mountain Zebra

Bontebok

and a pair of Ostrich with three juveniles,

we also recorded a couple of new bird species - although there did not seem to be either the numbers of individual birds or the variety of species which we recorded on previous visits.

However it remains a magical place and one that we will definitely revisit - although perhaps in the Whale season next time.

Where was I?

From Hermanus we had a drive of no more than 20 minutes to get us to Stanford and a couple of nights in a self- catering suite at the Stanford River Lodge. We faced onto the river and as we sat on the deck for breakfast we could watch Giant and Pied Kingfishers looking for their next meal - amazing to see them hover kestrel-like before diving for their prey.

Stanford was a great location with a few wineries and a brewery and a number of places to eat along with river walks and a bird hide overlooking the lake.

We also managed a trip down to De Kelders and a wonderful beach in the Nature Reserve where we saw Black Oystercatchers and a large pod of Bottlenose Dolphin feeding off the beach and surfing through the waves. I think we also disturbed a couple who were taking advantage of the secluded location to work on their all-over tans but from far away to avoid any embarrassment!

It was a bit windy for the first day or so, but on our last morning we managed an hour or so in a canoe on the river before we were packing up for our drive to the Nature Reserve at De Hoop.

What the Feck is that???

I realise that there may be some gaps in my narrative and I promise that I will bring it all up to date soon but this evening's events are worthy of a stop press report!

We are on the Whale Coast on our way back to Cape Town but our first choice accommodation in Pringle Bay was less than satisfactory - I think Linda used the word SHIT more than once.
Probably not helped by the efforts of a large male Baboon who managed to open the doors and wander into the living room and eat a bunch of grapes while we were busy in the next room packing our bags.

Thankfully he left speedily when confronted and deprived us of nothing less than a bag of designer crisps although it took a bit longer - and a glass or two of expensive wine - before Linda's heart rate was down to normal levels.

So with appropriate apologies and payments we left after a day and moved to a very comfortable self- catering apartment in Kleinmond.

After a long day and a bit of packing and unpacking we were finally settled into our new place and ventured outside with a glass of Delheim Pinotage Rose before heading out for dinner, only to be greeted by our new neighbours who were outside the next-door apartment barbecuing their chicken dinner,

Peter and Margaret seemed a pleasant couple - English, retirees, golfers(???) - on their second annual 10 week holiday in SA. As Peter told us about their lives and holidays, he waxed lyrical about being able to buy 5 Litre handbags of SA wine at 90 Rand ( about £0.75 per litre) I realised that he had something - but not much - in  common with Jimmy C.

At this point Margaret noticed that my glass was empty and offered us both a glass of their white wine. It seemed churlish to decline and she proudly presented us with fresh glasses of 'our favourite South African wine. '

I am not sure any of us were prepared for Linda's reaction as she took a mouthful of 'our favourite South African wine' and sprayed it across the deck shouting ' what the feck is that shit!!!'

I don't think we will be invited back.

Where have I been???

I have been reminded a few times that it is 8 days since my last post and can offer neither excuse nor apology - I'm on holiday!

In mitigation, I could claim that there was only limited internet access while we were at De Hoop but that was only the last 4 days so I've probably just been lazy.

Since my last post, we had another good wine tasting experience on Sunday at Diemersfontein in Wellington

on our way to a great lunch with Sue and Ally and Cameron in Paarl. Unfortunately, the food was not as good as the company but we did have a good time  and impressed that they were still in such good form after a weekend of partying.

After 4 days in Stellenbosch, we were quite happy to be moving on. Getting on the road after a little essential shopping, we headed for Gordon’s Bay and then continued down the coast road towards Pringle’s Bay. Great road to drive with some amazing views but worth stopping at the viewing points as the road had a lot of fast traffic – we came upon a crash with the police and rescue services in attendance. Didn’t look good for the motorcyclist who was laying on the roadside.

Pringle’s Bay looked interesting but just as we arrived the clouds came over and it started to rain so we continued to Betty’s Bay and stopped at the Botanical Gardens for lunch. The rain had stopped by the time we finished so spent an hour of so wandering around the gardens – great to see such a variety of sunbirds.

Back on the road we decided to stop in Hermanus for the night and found a room at a B&B called Pat's Place. 

To be continued...

Mary Doll is alive and well!!!

On our way from the De Hoop Nature Reserve to Montagu, we decided to stop in Swellendam for a coffee.
The place we remembered from our last visit had closed down so we were recommended to the coffee shop at a Garden Centre across the road.
We were greeted by the owner as we walked in and all I could think of was Mary Doll and Ella with the big hair, all dressed up for a night on the town .
Thankfully her husband - who served the coffee - bore no resemblance to Rab C and was wearing a shirt rather than a string vest.

A different sort of tasting.

Having taken the precaution of booking a table for lunch in the garden restaurant at Delheim we arrived half an hour early to allow time to taste  a few of their wines before hand. They were exceptionally busy but thankfully the coachload of German tourists was just pulling out of the car park as we arrived.

Despite the numbers, they still gave us an informed and interesting tasting experience - with one of their wine experts taking time to advise us on our choices and how to get the best from the tasting. A complete contrast to the commercial attitude of the wineries on Friday. As a result we spent nearly an hour at the tasting and left with a case of wine to sustain us on the rest of our trip.

We were bit late for our lunch table but they were very understanding and we were able to take our pick of the tables looking over the garden. Lunch was everything we expected - just rounded off the afternoon perfectly - this is, without doubt, one of my favourite wineries in the world. If you are visiting this area then make a point of coming here for a tasting and for lunch.

On our way to Delheim we had stopped by Babylonstoren which is closer to Paarl. With their winery, gardens, farm shops and restaurants this was an operation on a different scale - but at the upper end of the market. Slightly surprised  to be charged a small entrance fee but with the numbers queuing to get in I guess they can get away with it.

Most people were heading for the gardens, shop and restaurants when we got there so their ultra-modern tasting room was busy but not crowded. Enjoyed the tasting but not as much as we had enjoyed their Chenin Blanc in a restaurant with Sue - probably the company and the food that made the difference.

Final surprise of the morning was bumping into Alderman Sir Mike Bear and his family - hadn't seen him since we left London in 2009, just before he became Lord Mayor. Good to have a few minutes to catch up but then we went our separate ways to focus on the wines

Drinking Responsibly

At one of our stops on the tasting route yesterday we met a winemaker with a sense of humour.

He buys in  bottled cheap white wine from other producers, puts his own label on it, calls it 'Responsibly' and then sells it at ZAR 25 (about £1.50) a bottle targeting the student market.

He explained that the students could then respond to parental questions by confirming that they were drinking 'Responsibly'.

Having tasted it I think it was probably worth every penny as a cleaning product for stubborn stains!

Wine and people

Andre  - our guide for the wine tasting yesterday was both knowledgeable and personable and we visited 3 wineries and a restaurant for lunch along the way, each in a great location and with their own particular attractions .

Our companions included an Indian couple from Durban who 'didnt really drink wine' and skipped most of the tastings; three German students on a 6 month gap trip and a young Englishman with his new Californian wife who had just packed up their life in in London and were enjoying a 3 month holiday before relocating to San Diego.

Unfortunately the wine tastings were pretty disappointing - the cheaper wines were just that while some of the more expensive ones would have benefited from a something other than a glass of water to accompany them. In addition, none of the staff presenting the wines showed any enthusiasm or passion for what they were doing - very much going through the motions.

We picked up a couple of bottles to keep us company on our trip but looking forward to some independent visits today to see if we can do better.

 

Westward Ho!

After a leisurely breakfast at the Concierge, we drove back to King Shaka airport to find that the hire company were as impressed by the state of the car as I was - you know that feeling when you get through the security check at Heathrow or Gatwick  without any searches!
Uneventful Mango flight to the Mother City on the day that President Zuma is due to give his State of the Nation Address - thankfully we were heading for Stellenbosch.
This time our hire car is a brand new Ford - only delivery mileage and all the bells and whistles - Linda is particularly happy that it shows the outside temperature.
Our first attempt at Airbnb appears to have worked out well. We have a very comfortable garden apartment within easy walking distance of the town centre. WE are in town for 4 days so it's good to have a comfortable, spacious place to call home.
Excellent dinner at Oppie Dorp with a very good Pinotage from Diemersfontein. Linda had the game special -  a a fillet of Kudu and of Ostrich - while I settled for their special slow cooked Lamb. The waitress came over a couple of times to check if we were happy with the meal -  apparently she was concerned because she hadn't seen us take a picture of our plates.
We are booked for two activities on the morrow - Yoga class at 9.00 for an hour followed by a 3/4 day wine tasting tour at 11.30 - should keep us both happy for the whole day.
 
 

Hire Cars

I remember when you could pretty much take a hire car - and a company car too - anywhere with little or no consequence. However, nowadays you almost sign your life away every time you pick up a vehicle.

When we arrived in Durban we collected our Toyota Corolla - noting that it had been around the block a bit from the variety of marks and scratches recorded on the checkout sheet - and headed for Salt Rock. Within a couple of miles Linda noticed that her handbag was wet and that the mat in the well on the passenger side was saturated.

Left it to dry overnight but discovered it was unchanged in the morning and happy enough when the hire company offered to send out a replacement car that afternoon. This was an almost brand new Toyota but one size down from the Corolla.  Figured it would probably be OK since they had nothing else to offer even though it was a little bit basic.

We found that it was a bit under-powered but had got used to it after driving nearly 1200km in the last couple of weeks. However after the amount of dirt track driving that we managed in the Game parks I was a little concerned about the red dust that not only covered the whole car - streaked by the occasional rain shower - but had also seeped into every crevice and coated almost every surface.

Thankfully when we arrived at the Concierge yesterday one of the staff volunteered to clean the car for me for a very small fee  and a slightly larger tip, and did an excellent job - the car looks better than when we picked up. Lets hope the hire company feel the same!

A slightly different City walk

We had stopped by the Tourist Office and booked a walking tour for this morning, so organised a taxi to drop us off downtown to meet our guide Sabelo Mazibuko.

With an occasional nod to the buildings of the colonial era, Sabelo lead us on a tour of the city centre of the African and Indian people who live and work there. We saw the markets and the street traders, the mosque - the largest in Southern Africa -

and the Catholic Cathedral and the Dennis Hurley Centre which provides meals and medical services for the homeless and poor of the area. In addition we saw Zulu herbalists and the market for all their wares alongside fruit and veg and clothes and tools.

Not sure why we stopped in the fabric shop to have a photo taken with the assistants among the wedding dress display but everyone was keen to be in the picture and laughing about it - including the owner

 

We also stopped at an Indian Spice shop where we had a great conversation with the proprietor and I ended up with a variety of spices to carry away. They were impressed that I preferred to buy the individual spices rather than their own curry mix which was apparently what they usually sell to the visitors.

It may not be what the Tourist Office sold us but it was an interesting perspective not least because Sabelo seemed to know everyone and had a word or a joke with them all - we hardly noticed that the temperature had climbed to 32 C by the time we finished. He told us that having been voted the best city guide in 2013 he had won a laptop and that he'd written a guide book to the city which he was in the process of self-publishing - might make for interesting reading!

He dropped us off at the Oriental - a modern Indian restaurant in The Workshop Shopping Centre - where we had an excellent meal and then managed to find a taxi to head home for a well earned siesta reflecting on the fact that we had hardly seen a single white face in over four hours.

A long drive

Leaving Hilltop after an early breakfast on Tuesday, we decided to drive through the Imfolozi section of the park and exit in the South West corner on our way to Durban. 

It took 3 ½ hours to get to the exit gate with about half of the journey on dirt roads and we saw all of the usual grazing animals – seemed to be a lot of Giraffe this morning. Still didn’t see a Black Rhino but added a further 14 more White Rhino to our total.

Guess we will have to try one of the wilderness walking tours next time!

It was another 3 hours to Durban so we were very glad to find our boutique hotel – The Concierge – without any problem and the first glass of Windhoek Draught hardly touched the sides on the way down.

We are only a short walk from Florida Road where there is a good selection of bars and restaurants – all very trendy – but the food and wine at dinner in a steak house called The Butcher's Block was excellent. 

Budget Accommodation

I’ve seen some dodgy swimming pools in my time but this one was a bit greener than most and the locals didn’t look too friendly

That’s why we packed the waterproofs!

When I looked outside at 4.25am on Monday morning, as I made my wakeup coffee, I realised that it was raining and  that visibility was down to about 20 feet. Linda decided that she didn’t need to experience another soggy game drive – we’ve had a couple in the past – and went back to bed.

Having already started on the coffee I reasoned that I wouldn’t sleep anyway, that the mist was probably only on the hill top and that it was only water after all. Apparently some others had followed Linda’s example since there only three of us by the time our guide was ready to leave. I offered the Dutch couple the front row seats, and settled into the middle seat in the middle row which I hoped would  be the driest.

As expected the mist cleared as we descended to the valley and the rain became intermittent light showers. However it seemed that most of the animals had decided to have a lie in as well, although we did find a good selection of birds – notably the Trumpeter Hornbill and the African Fish Eagle.

Eventually we found a single male Elephant and then a group of Rhino and then the Buffalo herd and a variety of antelope before finishing up with a male and Female Rhino with a young calf. 

Unfortunately the rain came on again as we headed home and Hilltop was still bathed in mist but all in all another good drive and it wasn’t as wet as it could have been.

By the time we’d had breakfast it was still misty but the rain had passed over so we headed off to the Centenary Park to learn about their animal conservation and capture programmes. It took a bit longer than expected with all stops along the way – including a herd of Buffalo who completely blocked the road for about 15 minutes – with one, complete with Red Oxpecker on nose, who appeared to be in the driving seat of the Landrover ahead.

We also saw more White Rhinos - including this big guy who came closer than any so far, another lone male Elephant, a troop of Baboons with a very young baby, Bush Pigs, Bushbuck, and Giraffe and Zebra. 

By the time we had completed our afternoon tour, the Rhino count for the day had reached 15 but still no Black Rhino – will have to try harder on Tuesday on our way through the park en route for Durban.

A scabby wain if ever I saw one

Weaver birds

We have encountered 5 or 6 varieties of Weaver birds on this trip and watched many of the males building nests ready for inspection by their prospective partners, we chanced upon this chap - a Southern Masked Weaver - who had just enticed his new friend to inspect the newly completed premises.

It appeared to be acceptable since she did not tear it apart – although she may have required a few alterations.

They're just pigs really

We saw quite a lot of Warthog families when we were on our game drives and had a mother with 4 little ones who stopped outside the Bird Hide one day and allowed them to suckle while we were sitting watching. 

However Linda’s favourites were clearly the two little orphans which the rangers were caring for at the Lodge. She even interrupted her swim to help with the feeding:

They were happy to be stroked but didn’t roll over when you rubbed their bellies.

An iconic National Park

Leaving St Lucia behind, we headed inland again to the Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park for a couple of nights at the Hilltop Camp – a very comfortable two bed chalet within easy walking distance of the bar and restaurant.

On the way here we encountered lots of cattle and goats on the road and realised it was Sunday because of the numbers of people dressed up and on their way to Church. Once we entered the park we saw White Rhino, Elephants, Buffalo and Nyala within a very short distance of the gate and enjoyed the hour or so drive up to Hilltop. Different terrain from the coastal plain and also from the reserve we visited last week.

 We are booked in for the morning game drive on Monday with registration at 4.50 am – it just keeps getting earlier – but decided to drive one of the loop routes ourselves this afternoon to see what we can encounter.

While we didn’t see herds of the plains animals which we have seen elsewhere, we did find another three separate Rhino Groups, including a mother with a young calf and an adolescent enjoying themselves in a mudhole.

This brought our rhino tally for the day to 10 and is certainly one of the main reasons for coming here to Hluhluwe. This park is credited with having saved the White Rhino from extinction with their breeding programme started in the 1950’s when there were only 20 individuals alive in the park as a result of big game hunting. Since then they have exported 3500 Rhino to other locations in Africa and further afield and have healthy populations throughout the country.

Its beneath you !!!

Any thoughts?

Some experiences are exactly what you expect, but others can be surprising

Being on the edge of an amazing Wetland system, we had hoped to organise a kayaking trip but that proved impossible - apparently the crocs and hippos had proved too disruptive - so it seemed appropriate to take the recommended boat trip on the lake to get a different perspective of the wildlife and the diversity of habitats.
We have previous in this area of experience - I can think of boat trips on the Malacca river, on the Chao Praya in Thailand, on the Okavanga Delta in Botswana, and on the Zambezi at Livingstone among many others and they all have been underwhelming.

Today's trip was no exception - we did see a number of groups of hippos and we saw three or four bird species - out of 526 - but was it a memorable experience - not really unless you count our sighting of an African Fish Eagle which was the highlight of the morning.

In contrast, our visit to the KZN Nature Crocodile Centre, which initially seemed like a bit of a tourist trap, turned into one of the high points of our time here.

This is a genuine conservation success story, breeding large numbers of  Nile and other Crocodiles and providing healthy adult animals to repopulate other areas. While the weekly feeding routine was a little bit cheesy, the ranger who explained the programme and their success over the last 50 or so years was a great advocate for their work. Don't remember too many visits like this which I enjoyed so much.

Trouble in Thailand

Have just learned that one of the most important days in the Buddhist calendar - Makha Bucha - falls on this Saturday and as a result they have announced that Monday will be a official holiday. This means that there will be no alcohol sold on either day throughout the country.

Knowing that my good friend Jimmy C is currently in Bangkok, I will be scanning the news headlines for reports of the arrest of a tall, distinguished Farang for being sober and disorderly.

If you are reading this Jimmy, then I hope you have already laid in a case or three of wine and a few beers to tide you over the weekend.
  

More wildlife

Since we are now in the habit of starting early, we were on the road by 7.00 am this morning on the way to Cape Vidal - a 35km drive through the Park. Great road system, well marked and even the gravel sections were level and easy to drive in our Toyota saloon.

At our first stop - as Linda focused on the Water Lilies on the small lake

and I bemoaned the absence of any wading birds - we suddenly noticed that we had been joined by a group of 4 White Rhino - assume a mother with two male calves and an adult male who was waiting for his chance.

I know I commented on the policy of removing horns to discourage poachers but they really do look so much better as God intended.

We also saw a number of Kudu but think this guy probably had the most impressive set of horns even if he was trying to hide in a tree.

There was a lovely sandy beach at Cape Vidal but by the time we got there it was a bit too hot, so we managed a walk on the sand and then headed back home.

It's Hot, Damn Hot

As Roosevelt E Roosevelt said in Good Morning Vietnam..... It was 41C here yesterday afternoon. Thankfully it has settled back to an almost bearable 31C today.

We are in Saint Lucia on the edge of the Isimangaliso Wetland Park which is a World Heritage site and home to a reported 526 bird species.

We haven't seen all of them, but with the help of our guide, Themba, we have found a good number- we wouldn't have even seen those if he had not pointed them out.  He was a great guide and happy to recommend him to anyone heading this way.

After the early morning routine at the game lodge, we had no problem with a 5.30 am start for our first birding walk yesterday. It meant that we were finished by 9.30 and back in the shade before the temperature hit its peak - but it was definitely HOT!

We had a lazy afternoon in the air conditioned comfort of our chalet, only venturing out as evening approached for a quick cooling dip in the pool. Unfortunately we chanced upon a lonely but talkative Canadian who had clearly been banished from his room by his wife. He professed knowledge of all things but assumed that since I was a simple Irishman I hardly knew where Canada was on the map. Seemed somewhat taken aback when I suggested that I would rather be in Ireland than living in Ontario with Donald Trump as US President.

I reckon he and Jimmy C would have come to blows within minutes.

Camera Shy?

The yellow-billed Stork appeared to be quite happy to pose for the camera - when we came upon three of them at a small dam, they immediately flew to the top of a tree to show us how well they could balance.

Reminded me of the three vultures in the original Jungle Book movie - 'What're we going to do today??

There were some birds as well

While we have ticked off quite a few bird species on previous trips, there are always more to find when you are visiting different habitats. During our game drives at the Zululand reserve we added at least 22 other species to our list along with a good number that we had seen elsewhere. While not always the easiest to photograph, Linda managed to capture a European Roller and an African Hoopoe perched in separate trees

and a Yellow-billed Stork which was trying to pose in an artistic fashion in a dam.

More animals

The Game drives continued relentlessly and we continued to add to our tally – including a pair of adult Lions who appeared to be sleeping off the effects of a very large meal

and a group of three lionesses who were trying unsuccessfully to get the boys attention.

The only one of the big 5 that we didn’t see in our three days was the Leopard but we made up for it on our last evening by spending an hour or so in the company of a herd of 21 elephants which included three young babies with the youngest less than a month old.

Fellow travellers

Being split into two trucks for the game drives – and with separate tables at every meal  - there was little chance for any interaction between the two groups – 15-20 mins over coffee at 5.00 am when conversation rarely flows, and them similar periods over a drink before lunch and dinner.

So we really only chatted with those who were in the same truck and as usual it was a mixed bag: a couple of recently retired middle ranking civil servants with some odd little foibles;  another retired chap from Kent of generous proportions who had lost his wife a few years ago and was now hooked up with a slightly younger but somewhat larger lady who was a travel agent and had booked the entire trip so, in his words, all he had to do was show up and bring his credit card; and an older South African couple who owned the largest free range chicken farm in KwaZula-Natal and were staying on the reserve as personal guests of the owners.

Thankfully the Kentish Man– or should that be Man of Kent? – and his partner had a good sense of humour and enjoyed a glass or two.

Of course the mix changed most days as people moved on and new folk arrived. We were down to 4 at one point and then we were joined by two Irish couples – one were long term SA residents while the other was a sister and brother in law who ran a pub in Kildare – so any thoughts of joining Bernie G and having a day or two off the drink went by the wayside. Anyway it is now after the 1st of Feb and I assume that Bernie has already enjoyed a glass or two of something memorable.

Game Lodge

We were staying at the Rhino River Lodge on the Zululand Rhino Reserve next to Hluhluwe. There were only 12 in total when we arrived – 8 Brits, 2 South Africans and 2 Dutch – so quite relaxed.

Usual routine: up at 5.00 am for coffee and muffins; morning game drive; back at 8.30 for breakfast; lunch at 13.30; afternoon game drive at 16.30; drinks and dinner at 20.00. Hard work but…..probably need a couple of hours in the gym to work off the excess calories!

Great start with some good sightings – all the usual suspects: Giraffe, Zebra, Impala, Kudu, Nyala, Blue Wildebeest, warthogs, ostrich, and a large group of very relaxed Water Buffalo

The next morning we were really lucky and came upon 3 groups of White Rhino – two calves with their mother,

a family group of 5 and a lonely old lady who had survived being shot in the head during a poaching attempt a couple of years ago and was blind in one eye as a result. You will see that they decided to dehorn all the Rhinos in the reserve to discourage poachers. It definitely takes something away from their appearance but if it saves their lives then perhaps it is worthwhile.

In addition we spent a good bit of time in company with ‘Fat Albert’ a male elephant in his prime who was much more interested in his food than us. 

We caught up with him again at dusk as he stripped the bark of a Fever Tree just to get at the cambium layer for the minerals and nutrients - by the time he had finished there wasn't much chance that the tree would ever recover.