Sunday December 1^st  2013,  Durban, South Africa,  29 51.9S 31 01.5E 

Today's Blog by David (Time zone UTC +2.0)

We arrived in Durban at around midnight; we were tired and eager to berth and so we promptly went aground about 100 yards from our berth!  Once afloat, willing hands took our lines and offered us a welcome drink which turned into a party that went on until 04.00, (we understand). We checked into the Country the following day, (Customs and immigration - a process that took several hours) and then set about the  normal routine post voyage tasks: tidying up, arranging berthing, laundry, boat cleaning, routine maintenance and so on. 

Early on Wednesday we set off on Safari. We went via St Lucia (sic) to visit Reggie Perrin’s Mother in Law and her family:

From there we went to a lodge in Zulu Nyala, a small 1500 hectare Game Reserve in Natal (1 Hectare = about 2.5 acres). There we were welcomed by Wart Hog and his family and a cuddly looking cat with a collar on in case it gets lost.

It seems that the land in Natal that is not farmed, is not a town and is not Tribal Land,  is a Game Reserve. As you drive along, you pass signs and entrances to any number of reserves.  Mainly privately owned, these reserves make money by attracting visitors. This they do with the quality of accommodation and the diversity of wildlife. One thing that is anathema to wildlife is a Lion, or more accurately a Lioness (because killing is a woman’s work), and so not many reserves have lions.  

Zulu Nyala is such a reserve and so the following day we went to Hluhluwi Imfolozi Reserve this is a public reserve, 90,000 hectares, and which allegedly has lions.  And now here comes the first of today’s competitions: Pronounce “Hluhluwi”.  (If you said something like “Shushlooie” award yourself a gold star).  

We spent about 10 hours driving around Hluhluwi and in that time we probably saw 15 Rhinos – some very “up close and personal” -  i.e. within 2 metres.  There are Black Rhinos and white Rhinos; we saw only white ones (left) and …errrr…  red ones?

While we kept encountering Rhinoceros,  (seen five, seen them all ….) we were actually  in search of Lions,  Leopards and Elephants.  It was pretty much a vain effort.  However, our guide  became  very, very excited when we came across a small pack of Wild Dogs – telling us that this sighting was,  in and of itself, worth the effort.

There are apparently only 600 wild dogs left in Africa.  They are not really dogs;  they are susceptible to disease when they interact with  Canines; hence they are endangered.  I can’t say we shared his excitement but the few South Africans we have mentioned them to have been impressed….

We searched high and low, long and hard. We saw lots of animals; antelope, impala, Nyala,  Waterbuck, Wildebeest, Giraffes, (and  Giraffes and Giraffes)  and any number of birds: here are a couple of good pictures:  a Vervet Monkey with her young and an African Pigmy Kingfisher

Just as we were leaving the park on the third day, literally by the exit gate,  we came across Elephants. Well two is enough to use the plural!

Finally, our second competition; this time a Caption Competition based on the flowing photo  of someone holding a Hippopotamus’s tooth (and yes, that is a moustache)!