17 January 2021
It’s a cloudy start to the day at Cape Vidal and the route for our morning drive takes us along the Grassland Loop and then to the viewpoint at Catalina Bay on the shores of Lake St. Lucia. Recent rains have swelled the lake to proportions I don’t think we’ve seen on any of our numerous previous visits to the area.
We’re slowly making our way to the picnic site at Mission Rocks for breakfast.
On arrival at Mission Rocks we delay our breakfast of coffee-and-rusks just a little to first walk down to the rocky beach and look out over the ocean. But its windy and drizzly so we don’t stay at the seaside too long before going to hide in the forest, where the picnic tables are also frequented by some colourful birds with the same aching for something to eat that we had.
Driving further south the sun finally puts in appearance and the bush becomes alive as birds and animals come out of hiding.
We turn for camp at Amazibu Pan, where the hippos are kept from their sleep by a raucous assortment of birdlife.
Heading back to Cape Vidal there’s three short loop roads that offer an alternative to the busier tarred main road, and each of them offers a glimpse into a different ecosystem. The first of these is the Vlei Loop that passes several open pans where animals congregate to drink.
The Forest Loop passes the kuMfazana Hide, where we discover a butterfly paradise – more about that tomorrow!
A turnoff from the Dune Loop leads to the Kwasheleni Tower – a new facility opened after our previous visit to iSimangaliso that we were very curious to see – but a sour old buffalo bull tried his best to keep us from reaching it.
Our patience paid off when the buffalo eventually relented and we could reach the viewing tower without further hindrance (unless you see the climbing up the dune and then the tower as an obstacle). The views afforded over Lake St. Lucia and the iSimangaliso Wetland Park from up the top of the tower was amazing.
Arriving back at Cape Vidal around the same time the clouds did, we nevertheless didn’t want to pass on the opportunity to explore the rock pools at low tide.
Having lunch on the deck of our log cabin we were visited by a variety of the local wildlife.
We didn’t take a very long afternoon drive, just a two-hour excursion along the Grassland and Dune Loops and back to camp.
Map of the eastern shores section of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park (from https://isimangaliso.com/)
A perfect blend of nature and adventure spots for travelers who like to visit wildlife parks. It was an exciting journey to travel in iSimangaliso, great and lovely pictures to make anyone fall to visit the place
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Have you been to iSimangaliso, Monica? If you haven’t you really should add it to your list. Welcome here.
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Great variety of animals! Quite interesting blend. Thank you, D. 🙂
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iSimangaliso really is one of our most diverse wildlife destinations, H.J, and anyone visiting our country really needs to visit.
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The wide variety of wildlife in your galleries never ceases to amaze me. That buffalo is saying, “Come on, I dare you!”
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Thank you, John. It was a tense few minutes waiting to see who would give in first – us or the buffalo!
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This has been a delightful drive-through with you and your family.
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Always nice to have you along, Anne, and thanks for the padkos!
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What a delightful gallery but the winner for me is that buffalo bull with his expressive face. 🙂 It was wonderful to see the water as well.
janet
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We’ll never pass that spot again without thinking of that buffalo-guard at his post!
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Nooit gedink die mierleeu verander ins ‘n tipe van naaldekokertjie nie.
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Verstommend om te dink, is dit nie, Ineke?
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Netso, altyd gedink hul leef maar so in hul sand gaatjie.
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