Cape Vidal – with lots of Rhinos.

For the last couple of days we’ve been in the North Eastern part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. We’ve been camping in the Cape Vidal wildlife park that has all the Big Five except lions. 

There’s a fence round the camping area but we’re told to be careful, especially at night. The biggest problem is with the monkeys who have become habituated by us humans and now steal food from the table and raid rubbish bins.

The whole of southern Africa is in the midst of a huge drought, perhaps the worst for more than 30 years. In the town of St Lucia the taps are already dry. All this at the beginning of their summer. We have brown coloured water here for washing and flushing, but using bottled water for everything else.

In the winter here you can see whales and in the summer turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. Too late for whales and too early for turtles in November.

On the first day here we were really lucky and saw Rhino from a distance and Buffalo, Zebra, Wildebeest, Crocodile, Hippo, Warthog and various Antelope. The Elephants are still winning the hid and seek game! The small Suni Antelope and Samango Monkey are special to this area. Today we have seen 9 (yes 9!) Rhino in 3 separate groups, all very close to the truck!

We were woken up early on Saturday morning to the mother of all thunder storms, so loud and continuous, it lasted for an hour. About an inch of rain over night but a drop in the ocean as to what’s required. Today it’s been dull and drizzly, where has the African sun gone!

Next up for us are 3 days at the Kosi Bay game reserve, right up on the border with Mozambique. About a 4 hour drive from here in Cape Vidal. Kosi bay is the first of the mosquito and malarial areas that we’re visiting so taking the pills now until New Years Day!