Our December holidays kicked off with a five night stay at Umlalazi Nature Reserve on the north coast of Kwazulu-Natal Province and conveniently right on the outskirts of the small holiday town of Mtunzini. It is quite a drive from Pretoria, and by the time we arrived in stifling heat and humidity we were thankful for being allowed to check in a bit earlier than the “official” 14:00 time.
Of course we can’t sit still for long and with the relative coolness of the evening setting in we decided to go for a walk through the mangrove swamp and then through the forest to the beach before returning to our cottage.
After the previous day’s long drive Marilize and Joubert were a little late to wake for my liking, so I set off on a hike while they lay in. Upon returning to the cottage they were thankfully already up and ready, so we could set about exploring Umlalazi and surrounds as a family for the remainder of the day.
Early on Sunday morning we set off inland to Eshowe and the Dlinza Forest – we’ll tell you more about Dlinza in our next post. Just after returning to Umlalazi and a quick lunch, I set off on the longest trail in the reserve – the one leading to the mouth of the Mlalazi River where it meets the Indian Ocean. In retrospect starting the trail in the heat of the day was probably not the best idea, but the further I walked the more intrigued I became by what scenes were still waiting around the next corner, and by the time I started questioning my sanity it was too late to turn around anyway. This particular trail leads through the forested dunes and along the river course to the mouth and one can then choose to return to the camp along the same way or along the beach – all in all a round trip of around 9km or so. I chose to return along the flat beach with the cool waves lapping my overheated feet… 😀
With Monday the 17th of December being a public holiday, we expected that the beach would soon be packed with throngs of sun-seekers, and with sunrise coming so early in summer, we were out the door by 04:20 to first enjoy the emergence of the sun over the horizon of the Indian Ocean and then have a bit of beach fun-and-games. By the time the day started heating up around 08:00, with a steady stream of people heading for the beach, we had our fill of seaside-fun and headed back to the cottage. In the afternoon the mangrove swamp and Mlalazi river begged further exploration.
Joubert and I got an early start to our final full day at Umlalazi to go looking for interesting birds, and we were certainly not disappointed. A rain shower in the afternoon cancelled any plans we had of spending more time in Umlalazi’s forests, but brought welcome respite from the oppressive heat and humidity. The next morning we were moving to Mpila in the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park and of course we’re going to tell you about that part of our trip soon!
This was our second visit to the Umlalazi Nature Reserve. After our first visit in 2016, we blogged about the reserve, the mangrove swamps, the beach, the forests and the Mlalazi River – follow the links if you’d like to learn more about this beautiful and underrated destination.
Amazing place! I’m envious.
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You have no idea how much I’d rather be at Umlalazi now than here in my office in Pretoria, Alanna! 😀
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You certainly managed a wealth of sightings during that visit. I remember with fondness when we used to take a small boat there and potter up and down the waterway.
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Many, many people still do that! I’m horrified at the number of children being allowed to swim and play in the river though despite the warnings about crocodiles… And they are there – one family very excitedly and animatedly told me about the one they encountered on an early morning walk through the mangroves.
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Then, through such culpable negligence, a child gets taken, and the next minute people are storming about killing everything in sight. One despairs.
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Truly wonderful array of creatures and nature moments, Dries. Wishing you and your family a fantastic 2019 filled with more adventures. Looking forward to seeing more of your incredible experiences.
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Thank you very much for the kind wishes, Jane!
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What an amazing world we live in—and you’ve shown us some of its best. Glorious post deWets!!!
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Glad we could introduce you to Umlalazi, Tina!
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Lots of wildlife! Amazing!
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Lots more to come from Dlinza Forest and Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park in our next two posts, Robert!
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Wow! What a feast for the eyes and the senses! A wonderful way to start out the new year! Happy New Year to you and yours! 😀
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Happy New Year, Linda!
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What a fabulous collection of diverse photos – the sand forests are fantastic. Definitely inspires me to visit Umlalazi, which I have not been to for some time. Thank you.
Btw, I think the fallen flower is from the powderpuff tree (Barringtonia racemosa) that you also feature in your first gallery.
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Great that I now know someone else familiar with Umlalazi, Carol – it is such an underrated and unknown reserve and really is very special place!
Thanks also for helping out with the fallen flower – it had me stumped because there wasn’t a single tree visible in that particular area that still had the blooms on the branch!
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I am wondering if perhaps the flower was able to drift on the tide to where you found it?
We are keeping Umlalazi in mind for a revisit, so thanks again for the inspiring post.
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Mooi foto’s soos altyd
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Baie dankie, Tina!
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What a great way to start the year and my day! I wasn’t expecting to see the ocean, which made it even more enjoyable. Happy 2019 and may it be a happy and healthy one for all of you.
janet
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Thanks very much for the kind compliments and warm wishes, Janet! We believe that 2019 will be a blessed year to you and your loved ones as well!
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Great shots, I love them all 🙂
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Very kind of you, Annica!
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Dankie dat jy jul wegbreek so met ons gedeel het, de Wet. Pragtige fotos. Ons kom redelik dikwels in die area omdat ons een seun in R’baai bly, maar jy het my weereens nuwe spesies laat raaksien deur jou lens.
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Ons is gaande oor die reservate van Zoeloeland, Una – as ek in Richarsdsbaai gebly het sou ons seker elke naweek in een van hulle gewees het! 😀
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Wow… what a delightful treat for the eyes. ❤ I am so so inspired to stay in a place surrounded by all these wonderful animals and birds. Thanks for sharing this 🙂 I loved reading the post and watching these amazing pictures. 🙂
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Glad to hear that, Rainsinn! Umlalazi is a very special place and if the photos help to convey that we’re very happy indeed!
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What a delightful overview of the treasures on offer there.
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Umlalazi definitely has many treasures, Anne – four full days wasn’t even enough for us to experience all the trails that you can undertake there!
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Great photos as always, Dries. 😍 That was a really long hike. I’m not surprised your feet were overheated.
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😀
Thanks Sylvia! Do you ever visit Umlalazi when you’re in Natal?
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Thanks for sharing your photos, what an adventure! I was very impressed by the yellow throated long-claw; what a bird (and what a name). Loved seeing the creatures and beautiful scenery through your photos!
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Glad we could introduce you to beautiful Umlalazi, Liz!
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Incredibly beautiful photos (as always)😊 and your knowledge about all, and what a good mix of animals and nature! The tall palms are amazing, you see how tall they are when your son stands next to them.
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Umlalazi is a very special place, John, and not many people know about its treasures!
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