KwaZulu-Natal and Naude's Nek Pass. 2021.
3. Northern KZN. Hluhluwe Game Reserve, iSimangaliso Wetlands Park and Kosi Mouth. June 2021.
Bonamanzi Game Reserve
We camped at Bonamanzi again but this time but this time used it as a base so that we could visit Hluhluwe Game Reserve (there are no campsites in the Reserve) and part of iSimangaliso Wetlands Park. We stayed aa the same site as we had in May and once again saw several animals around the site.
Crested Guinea-fowl.
A few members of a large group of banded mongooses.
2 female nyala and a youngster.
Hluhluwe Game Reserve.
Hluhluwe is the northern part of the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve. In the past few years we have visited Imfolozi several times so decided that this time we'd go Hluhluwe. This section has lots of hills and valleys and the bush is thick in most area which can make game viewing a challenge. It was great to see that the rivers still had water after good rains earlier in the year.
We found that the best sightings were in the more open areas within a few kilometres of the northern entrance gate and the track that follows the Manzabomvu River down to the Maphumulo Picnic Site. We didn't see any predators on our first visit but were lucky with good sightings of elephant, rhino and buffalo. On our second drive we did see a lioness cross the road and disappear into the bush and later saw her from a lookout point as she wandered through the bush, stopping occasionally for a rest - too far away to get any photos.
It's always a treat to watch elephant families interact with each other. We can sit and watch them for ages.
An elephant bull greeting a female.
'Teenage' boys always have to show who's boss!
This lone bull was enjoying playing with the water.
Elephants in the valley below us.
We had lunch at the Thiyeni Hide which overlooks a small waterhole.
This buffalo appeared soon after we arrived.
He stayed for the rest of our visit.
A couple of terrapins.
This male nyala was scraping mud onto his horns.
Burchell's Coucal
Fork-tailed Drongo on the lookout for insects.
On both days we saw several rhino and on each occassion saw youngsters.
The Maphumulo Picnic Site. is in a lovely location overlooking the Hluhluwe dam.
A skink sunning itself on a fallen tree.
This warthog at the picnic site was obviously used to visitors.
On both drives we saw groups of buffalo.
iSimangaliso Wetlands Park.
We explored the Western section of the park between Hluhluwe and St Lucia (which we'd not been able to drive through with the caravan back in May). One of the reasons we wanted to drive through this section was to have a walk along the boardwalk, however we were disappointed to find that it was just a short walk to a lookout point.
Hippos at Kwelezintombi Pan.
Looking East from the boardwalk lookout point.
We stopped for lunch at the Ubhejane Picnic Site from where we could see wildebeast and zebra.
The jetty at Charter's Creek on Lake St Lucia. Sad that the campsite is no longer open.
Kosi Bay Mouth
Rather than staying at the large campsite at Kosi Bay I decided that we's stop at Utshwayelo Kosi Mouth Camp. This area is still part of the iSimangaliso Wetlands Park and was our first visit to the area. I had assumed that the Rhino card that we'd purchased in St Lucia would allow us into the Park but was told at the campsite that we'd have to drive back to the Kosi Bay office to get a permit as they were not issued at the entrance gate to Kosi Mouth so we ended up having to pay again and then were expected to pay to park down at the Kosi Mouth carpark. In the end we got so fed up that we only spent 2 nights here. In hindsight we should have moved to Kosi Bay for a few nights before than heading back.
We were told that a bridge on the way to Kosi Mouth was being repaired so to avoid going around high tide. It about 2 km from the entrance to the lagoon and then there's a small car park.
There's a lookout point over the lagoon.
Fish traps in the lagoon.
We had to wade across the lagoon to get to the sea.
Kosi Mouth.
I had a paddle in the sea -
-and then a swim in the lagoon.
A crab in the clear lagoon water.
After our walk we had lunch overlooking the lagoon and beach.
Bahati Caravan Park & Game Farm
We spent a couple of nights here before returning to Richmond. It's just outside Hluhluwe (just across the road from Bonamanzi). We stayed at one of their private campsites with its own ablutions and covered kitchen area. You can walk around the farm.
Our campsite.
There are several black impalas at Bahati.
We had 3 m
A male nyala with a couple of females near our campsite.
We saw some giraffe on our walk - this one was lying down.
Last updated: October 2021