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Final Day in Mozambique and the end to the Expedition!
Expedition Day 4 – The Last Day
The last day of the expedition started with the usual groans of apprehension. What followed was to be a great day of walking down to the border between Mozambique and South Africa.
The morning started with everyone getting up and preparing their kit bags for the day ahead. Tents were to be cleared out of all kit although some people forgot their clothes which they had left to dry on the washing line (trees around their tent) What followed was a quick final breakfast down at the dive center then bags on and off walking for 8am.
Walking the road past the market followed by some very quick haggling with the locals for the last items from them, then off again down the road and on to the school we were at all those day’s before. Followed from the local village by the usual entourage of kids all of which were coping with the heat better than the rest of us.
As time went past a giant game of leap frog started to occur between the 3 different groups all trying to reach the border first helped to while away the hours as did loads of energy sweets and the constant chatter of random topics of conversation ranging from what we had done, what was left in store for use to some very random topics which are too strange for words. This would only occur when we were not observing the sky’s for the odd bird of prey (kites and a Fish Eagles mainly but there was a snake eagle)
It was as the final kilometers drew into view the final realization that we were leaving Mozambique began to kick in memories came flooding back of what we had done in Mozambique. At the border we were greater with the wide embrace of Tony and Anton (Ha it was more of being thrown through the border bags into the van and the shout of scavengers over here). As well as congratulations from Lacey (who was, I think, taking 100 pictures a second) and Charlotte. On the other side of the border we where greeted by Meva and then driven back to Anton’s where we were treated to Meva’s famous Lasagne.
From the whale watching to climbing signal hill and the tremendous fun we had with the locals in the schools and orphanage none of us would forget what we have achieved.
Stuart
Category: Activities, Albizia camp, Amangwane Kosi Bay, Bushwire, DofE2012, Duke of Edinburgh Award, Environmental Awareness Course, Gold 2012, Wetland Park Group /
Tags: adventure, build self confidence, Duke of Edinburgh Award, educational holidays, Environmental awareness course, expedition, family holidays, gold award, hiking, make friends, memories, Mozambique, once in a lifetime, sand, self sufficiency, student, student expedition, youth expedition
Day 8 – Spearfishing! (and a Sandy Beach)
Kosi Bay – Historic Fish Traps and Beach
After breakfast at our Kosi Bay accommodation we all walked down to the historic fish traps where we were introduced to Elmon a local fisherman. Elmon took us into the water and gave us a tour of the traps and showed us how they worked. Unfortunately the tide was too high in the morning to catch fish so we went to the beach for an hour or so.
At the beach we split into three groups – sunbathers, paddlers and ball gamers.
When we returned to the fish traps in the afternoon, Elmon took a few of us back out to the fish traps and Beth, Glyn, Alicia, Lottie, Becky and Adam went into the fish traps to try and spear fish. Three fish were caught, one each by Glyn, Lottie (stabbing it multiple times and getting covered in fish guts/blood) and Adam. The fish were carried to shore and given to Elmon to take home to his family.
Glyn
…..
Glyn told to spear fish.
Glyn spear fish.
Glyn happy.
…..
Category: Accommodation near game reserve, Activities, Amangwane Kosi Bay, Bushwire, DofE2012, Duke of Edinburgh Award, Environmental Awareness Course, Gold 2012, Wetland Park Group /
Tags: accommodation near Mozambique, adventure, african culture, african holiday, animal holiday, culture, DofE2012, educational holidays, family holiday, fishing, holiday, Kosi Bay, learming holiday, once in a lifetime, safari, south africa, spearfishing, student trips, tradition
Tourism KZN – Press Trip
It was with heavy hearts last week that we said goodbye to 8 of our guests who came to Umkhumbi Lodge to film the latest promotional video for Tourism KZN.
From Kayaking with crocs, spa treatments, and even jumping off of a football stadium roof – there was plenty to film!
Our film stars were:
Peter from South African Airways (SAA).
Peter doing his croc-dundee impression before kayaking in St Lucia
Samantha from Travel2.
Snuggling Fluffy at Umkhumbi Lodge
Yaksha from Thomas Cook.
First time snorkeller Yaksha was amazed by the all fish at Kosi Bay!
Lindsey from TUI (Thompsons).
Weeeeeee! Lindsey and Peter both went for a big swing in Durban!
Bruce from Travel Counsellors.
Queue the baywatch music as Bruce rocks up at the beach!
Claire from TTG (Travel Trade Gazette).
Claire takes a stroll in the shade of the palms at Kosi Bay
our Cameraman Blair “The Kiwi”
Marvelling at the muscles in the African elephants trunk
And of course Storm from Tourism KZN who was responsible for unleashing this motley crew on KwaZulu Natal.
Jumping for joy! (no she didn't fall off)
Category: Activities, Amangwane Kosi Bay, KwaZulu Natal, KZN, Wetland Park Group /
Tags: activity holiday, adrenaline, africa, african holiday, african safari, Beach, Durban, holiday, kayaking, KwaZulu Natal, kzn, press trip, SAA, snorke, south african safari, tourism kzn
Day 4 – Kosi Bay Snorkelling
Snorkelling is the plan today! Armed with our goggles, snorkels and flippers we clambered into the Land Cruiser ready for Tommy to drive us down to Kosi Bay mouth estuary. It is possible to walk down, but after a long day snorkelling driving back up the hill is much nicer! when we got down to the water the tide was extremely high, obviously we had over-estimated quite how much time we would need to stop so Jason could take pictures of Cisticolas (only joking Jason, I know they were cormorants really…! 
)
The best part about getting down to the estuary when it is still high tide is that as the water recedes across the estuary mouth, islands of sand appear littered with the small sea-life that water birdsclass as delicacies. This brings water-birds flocking (pardon the pun) for an easy snack. The sand dunes were teeming with birds such as tern as we walked around the edges of the estuary mouth in search of crabs, snakes, birds, lizards and anything thing else that moved!
As quickly as the tide rises, it drops, so we didnt have to wait for long before we could wade across the estuary mouth to the reef.
At first glance the area of water containing the reef raises a few sceptical looks and raised eyebrows from all who have yet to experience it.
The best way to view the reef is to walk to the top and float down across the reef with the current, it is lazy snorkelling, no effort needed, the best kind of snorkelling!
Jason and Adam saw (to name a few – there are so many!);
- Terns
- Cormorants
- Black Mangrove seed pod
- Shoals and shoals of un-identified baby fish
- Pink Clawed fiddler crabs
- Ring Cowrie
- Ramshorn shell
- Coneshell
- Honeycomb moray eel
- Occelated snake eel
- Bandtail cardinal
- Ninestripe cardinal
- Striped grunter
- one spot snapper
- Bream
- Mussel cracker (juvenile)
- Big eye stumpnose (juvenile)
- small scale purse mouth
- old woman (juvenile)
- emperor angelfish (juvenile)
- double sash butterfly fish (juvenile)
- Boomerang trigger fish
- Spotted toby
Check out the pictures on our Kosi Bay site!
And most importantly the lesser-spotted reef dwelling snorkel fish (losticus Jasonus).
After hours and hours of floating around in the estuary (it is surprisingly tiring, but well worth it) it was time to retreat back to Amangwane Kosi Bay for a braai (BBQ to us pommies) and bush TV (fire).
Steak and boerewors (sausage), pap n’ sous (local maize meal and sauce – tasty), potato salad (Africa style), coleslaw, fresh bread and salad. Needless to say we all went to bed on exceptionally full stomachs as it was too good to leave any!
Category: Activities, Amangwane Kosi Bay, Birding, Extreme Nature Tour, Jason and Adam, New friends, Wetland Park Group /
Tags: birding holiday in south africa, birding safari, estuary, Extreme nature tour, fish, heritage site, hluhluwe accommodation, Kosi Bay, kosi bay accommodation, KwaZulu Natal, reef, rustic holiday, snorkelling, south african birds, twitcher holidays, UNESCO
Day 3 – Kosi Bay
Amangwane at Kosi Bay is one of my favourite places, so imagine my joy when we were to go to Kosi Bay for three nights looking for more birds to tick off of Jason and Adams substantial birdlist!
Part of the beauty of Kosi Bay is that it is not too far from <a href=”www.umkhumbilodge.co.za”>Hluhluwe</a> where Umkhumbi Lodge is based. This means that you do not have to set out at stupid o’clock in the morning to reach your destination. Taking advantage of this the two boys went for a mornings drive around False Bay where despite the unusual wind (thought to be because of cyclone Funso) they still managed to get some sighting;
- dabchick
- white breasted cormorant
- greater flamingo
- african white backed-vulture
- woolynecked stork
- little egret
- hadeda ibis
- white headed vulture
- black winged stilt
water dikkop
swift (greater crested) tern
brown-hooded kingfisher
Then it was time to drive to kosi bay, this provided even more sightings to tick off the list. On the way we spotted;
- pied kingfisher
- yellow billed kite
- palm nut vulture
- brimstone canary
And of course countless Cisticola, sunbirds, swallows (all of which were flying too quickly across the road and into thethick bush for us to ID whilst in a car (this is despite Jasons well practiced braking skills…).
We arrived at Kosi Bay early enough to deposit our gear in our en-suite reed chalets and have a drink or two before heading to the viewpoint to see what other creatures we could find (of both the winged and wingless varieties.)
The boys relax and chat at the viewpoint
Here you go Jason, the moths you wanted a picture of
The viewpoint is spectacular, with beautiful sunsets and even more magnificent sunrises. And we arrive there – after an interpretive walk with Tommy informing us about the different plants and trees and identifying the countless tracks in the sand that we point out to him – to the beginnings of an African sunset. If you have not yet seen one, it is impossible to describe the colours as the sun rays play on the clouds, even long after the sun has hidden behind the mountains and hills.
Tommy identifies the tracks in the sand.
The boys try and identify the birds sitting on the fishtraps
Category: Amangwane Kosi Bay, Birding, Extreme Nature Tour, Jason and Adam, New friends, Wetland Park Group /
Tags: birding holiday in south africa, birding safari, Extreme nature tour, heritage site, hluhluwe accommodation, Kosi Bay, kosi bay accommodation, KwaZulu Natal, rustic holiday, south african birds, twitcher holidays, UNESCO
