Back Home - a brief stay before we're off again

Our last day in St Lucia was very relaxing. Barrie and Sue went on a final search for the Sooty Tern down on the beach. The sighting could still not be confirmed and they left to go back to their home in Uvongo.

Edward, George and I played some table tennis and then decided to go and relax at the tea garden at the crocodile farm. Basil had suggested a bird watching trip to the sewage works but Ed wasn't feeling too good so we gave it a miss.

It was very windy again and we found a sunny, sheltered spot overlooking an area which housed 1 male crocodile and 7 females. No comment! Various birds were coming and going and we spotted a hammerkop and crowned hornbills. The chocolate muffins were delicious and George and I enjoyed them with a couple of coffee and chocolate milkshakes whilst Ed had to be satisified with a flat coke!

We left this morning just before 8h00 and arrived home just over 7 hours later. There are still several one way stretches on the road between Pongola and Ermelo. At one we must have waited 20 minutes for the oncoming traffic to come through. There were a lot of coal trucks on the road and we saw another long coal train which we measured at over 1.3 kms.

The temperature varied between 17 and 23 degrees centigrade on the drive back. Now we are in Centurion its sunny outdoors but pretty cold in the house. The washing machine is working overtime in preparation for our next trip which starts on Monday when we leave for Magalies Park - less than an hours drive away.

Cape Vidal

Up early on a sunny but windy day to take a leisurely drive through the Isimangaliso wetland park to Cape Vidal. Odette had said Cape Vidal was not to be missed.

Stopping to view the plentiful game and unusual birds (the lesser black winged plover was a good sighting), and taking all the optional loop roads we reached the long stretch of quiet beach at Cape Vidal in the late morning. The tide was out and the reef exposed  - we had taken the snorkel but it was far too windy to venture near the reef. I still have memories of being bashed against the jagged ancient coral on our Mozambique Beach Hike back in 2008.

The view from the top of the ancient sand dunes at Mission Rocks was stunning. Looking east was the turquoise of the Indian Ocean and we could see many whales blowing. Looking west across the area known as the Eastern Shores to Lake St Lucia we could see black rhino, buffalo, zebra and wildebeest. A large flock of Spoonbills flew over and settled on the shores of the lake.

What a View!

Maybe this one is better?

We could see an eagle hunting below us and hear the cries of the fish eagle. On the drive we had seen many busbuck, red duiker, reedbuck, waterbuck, a long crested eagle and an Afican Harrier Hawk. On the drive back past Banghazi Bush Camp we saw a couple of black rhino.

Black Rhino

Whale Watching, Fishing and Chilling

Monday - the first day of August. Our Bird Watching friends, Barrie & Sue, arrived from Uvongo and we immediately went in search of the Sooty Tern - a "lifer" for all of us. It had been listed on the rarity web site last week as being spotted in a group of other terns at the mouth of the St Lucia estuary. This actually meant stopping off for a pint at the St Lucia ski boat club and asking the locals if they'd seen a tern that didn't look like any of the other terns!

The Ski Boat Club

View from the ski boat club

We didn't find the Sooty Tern on Monday - on Tuesday Edward, George and Janice were up early to go Whale Watching...

George & Janice ready to go Whale Watching

The "double storey" whale watching boat

Power!

The tractor pushes the boat out using a steel bar

 The tractor pushed the boat into the surf, the two 300 horsepower engines revved and we surged forward jumping the breakers. One wave hit us and drenched the boat and the girls started screaming. The water quickly drained out, we were through the breakers and heading out for the open sea and hopefully some whales.

 

There were several Humpback Whales but we didn't get extremely close

Back on Dry Land.....
 

Barrie & Sue - "On the Boardwalk"

 You have been warned!

They were not kidding!

And if the crocs don't get you.....

George fishing in the estuary - watch your toes!

Mens' Business

Supper at last - Bream

Small but tasty!

Deep Sea Fishing

George and Edward battling a shark - possibly a second Hammer Head. After 15 minutes it eventually went round the stern of the boat and the line snapped.

St Lucia

 A long walk to the beach and estuary, sudden rain showers, a splendid rainbow. 12 hippo on the opposite shore, a crocodile, fish eagles. Wandered in the mangrove forest, met an ardent bird watcher and saw a red duiker.

George of the Jungle

 Spotted a crowned hornbill and monkey oranges.

Visited the crocodile farm and saw a palm nut vulture.

Crocodile Ed

Back at Sandy Place Hippos came alongside the fence as we cooked our boerewors.

Going deep sea fishing tomorrow - must be up at 5h00.

Hiking in the Capital City

In site of the skyscrapers of Tshwane we spotted ostrich, sable antelope, wildebeest, zebras, kudu, hartebees and hyrax. We saw caves in the dolomite, the shiny new Gautrain, Lyttelton Engineering works, Waterkloof golf course and elevated highway interchanges.

Whale Trail

I was lucky to get a space on a 5 day Whale Trail hike in September.
Hope to see some whales!