St Lucia, South Africa

We followed Connie and Rupert's directions from New Hanover to the coast and St Lucia. We passed through many cane farms and were able to identify which had been frosted and which were not after visiting New Hanover. Previously we would have just seen cane stalks!

There was also a lot of forestry and the land looks pretty fertile and in full production. As usual we have to keep a watch out for cows, goats and sheep grazing on the sides of the road
and people walking from place to place. Many of the local villages have no running water so they carry huge plastic containers in wheelbarrows or on their heads to the communal taps that are set just off the road side and varying distances between the settlements. Sometimes they have to fight with the local stock for a place to fill up, do some laundry, wash themselves or take a drink. It seems it is also a great place to catch up with the local gossip. Getting water seems to be the woman's job but there are often young boys at the tap too but they use the wheelbarrow while the girls put the 20 kilo plastic drums on their heads and walk home singing!

St Lucia is the town in the National Park known as iSimangaliso Wetlands Park. Even though this is a busy tourist area we were able to get a cheap motel without having made a reservation. It was right in the main street and with two bedrooms and a fully equipped kitchen we were happy not to have to resort to a backpackers. Some backpackers have poor quality kitchen equipment and not enough for all who want to use them.

The days were warm at 25 degrees and the sky blue. We could not use our Wild Card at this park but the entry fee was not too expensive and we have now more than covered the year long card bought in Cape Town. We drove the 33 kms to Cape Vidal and meandered all the side roads
looking for animals. Saw hippos, rhinos, zebras, buffalo, wildebeest, kudu, crocodiles, dung beetles, warthogs and even a squirrel.

The dung beetle needs dung to lay its eggs in.

Bumped into a couple from Australia who are traveling Africa in a converted Land Cruiser. They had both retired and Bob had fitted out the 4 wheel truck with a lift up roof bed and they were headed up to Egypt, across the Middle East to Europe. We spent some time chatting by the ocean and then met again while out walking in town. Who knows we may bump into them again along the road as we head towards Kenya.

We walked through the town one day to the ski boat club and were able to see dozens of hippos in the lagoon and crocs in the river.



There were lots of birds in the town and at the park so we enjoyed trying to identify as many as we could. It was quite quiet at the park and sometimes we were the only ones looking at the water holes or dams and didn't have queues of people all trying to do the same thing.

I found a fruit on the ground that looked like a round avocado and about the same colour. I asked a couple of local guys what it was and was told it was a 'monkey apple'. Inside it was like a melon and the hard shell is dried and then used to hold candles that are sold in the craft shops. When I asked if I could eat the monkey apple the boys assured me that I wouldn't turn into a monkey after!