Myburgh's Ravine with Russell and Brandon

A lovely short hike half way up Myburgh's Ravine. Brandon and I had a wonderful, deep philosophical conversation on the way. On the way home, I had my first ice cream in ages - a delicious sugar free ice-cream at Kirsten's Kickass Ice cream.

Memorable moments: A bright misconception

On our flight back from Zululand to Cape Town, a thick cloud of fearful anticipation hung over the trip. We had heard reports of a massive storm hitting the Cape, and we were braced for a wild, bumpy landing that would be a world away from the 34-degree sunshine we had left behind in Durban.

About thirty minutes before our scheduled arrival, I looked out the cabin window and saw nothing but brilliant, golden light. Relieved and confused, I turned to Antony and my sister, Jo.

"Wow, it's still sunny!" I exclaimed. "I would have thought it would be getting dark and stormy by now."

Antony looked at me with a mix of amusement and pity. "Yes, Graeme," he said gently, "that's probably because we are still above the clouds."

Sure enough, as the pilot began our descent and we dipped below that white, fluffy floor, the world transformed. The bright gold vanished, replaced by an ominous, dark grey. We landed safely in the end, but I left the plane with a newfound appreciation for the fact that just because you can see the sun doesn't mean the storm isn't waiting for you just a few thousand feet below.

St Lucia town

St Lucia was one of the most delightful little towns of the trip. It has a relaxed holiday atmosphere, with leafy streets, wandering wildlife, plenty of birdlife, and an easy coastal charm that immediately makes you slow down. There are lots of good restaurants and cafés, and after long days of game drives and birding it was wonderful to stroll around in the warm evening air, enjoy good food, and soak up the laid-back vibe. The town feels perfectly positioned between bush, estuary and ocean, giving it a unique character that is both wild and welcoming.

 

Local markets

Tourism is clearly a major part of life in St Lucia, and there were lots of small local markets and roadside stalls selling fruit, curios, crafts and souvenirs. It added to the lively holiday atmosphere of the town and gave visitors plenty of chances to browse local products and pick up reminders of the area’s wildlife and culture. The downside was that some stallholders could be quite persistent in trying to convince you to buy things, although it was all generally good-natured.

Jo buys a "monkey orange" sculpture

Jo bought two monkey orange sculptures carved from the fruit we had seen all over Mkuze Game Reserve. They felt like a perfect memento of the trip — simple, distinctive, and strongly connected to the reserve and the bushveld landscapes we had just experienced.

Hippos coming into the town at night!

One of the most remarkable things about St Lucia is that hippos regularly wander into town at night. Warning signs are everywhere, reminding people not to walk around after dark, and it is surreal seeing these huge animals casually moving along the main street and grazing on the grass in local parks. Apparently they have been following these routes for thousands of years, long before the town existed — the town was effectively built in the middle of ancient hippo territory. Seeing hippos walking through town was one of the most unique and memorable experiences of the whole trip.

A town obsessed with hippos

Unsurprisingly, St Lucia is completely obsessed with hippos. Their image is everywhere — in business names, logos, murals, sculptures, signs and souvenirs all over town. The hippo is clearly the unofficial mascot of St Lucia and gives the town a fun, distinctive character that constantly reminds you how closely connected it is to the surrounding wetlands and wildlife.

I loved these murals of other animals we saw in Zululand

St Lucia birds

Birding was one of the great pleasures of our time in St Lucia and iSimangaliso Wetland Park. Between our estuary boat trips and drives through the park, we saw an excellent variety of waterbirds and bush birds in beautiful surroundings. Highlights included three different species of kingfisher, a magnificent goliath heron, African fish eagles, darters, ducks, Burchell’s coucals and Caspian terns. The most exciting sighting of all though was undoubtedly the African finfoot — a famously elusive bird that we were incredibly fortunate to see so well.

African fish eagle - first sighting

There is something about the African fish eagle that completely epitomises Africa for me. Their haunting, unmistakable call drifting across rivers, lakes and estuaries instantly evokes the wildness and spirit of the continent. No matter how many times I see or hear them, I never grow tired of it. For me, they are one of the true soundtrack birds of Africa.

African fish eagle - 2nd sighting

We saw this beautiful African fish eagle on our final morning before heading back. It felt like a wonderfully fitting farewell from the wilds of Zululand and the perfect way to end our time in St Lucia.

Goliath heron

We had an excellent close-up view of a Goliath heron from the boat on the estuary. As the world’s largest heron, it was immediately striking because of its sheer size, massive bill and rich chestnut colouring. It stood quietly at the water’s edge watching for prey, giving us plenty of time to appreciate the detail and scale of this impressive bird.

Pied kingfisher

The Pied kingfisher is a wonderfully nostalgic bird for me, and I never tire of watching the way it hovers so precisely above the water before plunging down after fish.

Giant kingfisher

The giant kingfisher was another wonderful sighting. Huge, striking and unmistakable, it is the largest kingfisher in Africa and one of the biggest in the world — only the famous Kookaburra is larger.

Malachite kingfisher

We were thrilled when Jo spotted a tiny Malachite kingfisher perched quietly near the water’s edge. They really are like little jewels, with their dazzling electric blue and orange colouring glowing in the sunlight. Despite their small size, they are impossible to forget once you see them properly, and I absolutely love them. It was a fantastic spot by Jo and one of my favourite bird sightings of our time in St Lucia.

Darter and cormorants

We saw an African darter, or snake bird, perched beside the estuary with its long neck, sharp bill and distinctive shape making it instantly recognisable.

We frequently saw Reed cormorant perched around the estuary, often spreading their wings out to dry in the sun after diving for fish.

Reed Cormorant 

African finfoot

This sighting of an African finfoot in the St Lucia estuary was undoubtedly the greatest birding highlight of our entire trip. It was only my second proper sighting of this famously elusive and highly secretive bird. Earlier in the trip, I had briefly glimpsed one in Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Park — just a few seconds in poor light as it darted for cover along a river we were driving past. We returned the next morning hoping for another look, but there was no sign of it. Then, later that very same day after arriving in St Lucia, we encountered this bird on the estuary boat trip. What an extraordinary synchronicity.

The sighting itself was incredible. We had amazingly close views and even watched the finfoot climb out of the water, something that is apparently very rarely seen. Its striking red legs were absolutely gorgeous. I was in complete ecstasy. Moments like this are exactly why birding can bring such immense joy.

African jacana

One of the most fascinating birds we saw was the African jacana, often nicknamed the “Jesus bird” because it appears to walk on water. Its unbelievably long toes spread its weight across floating lily pads and aquatic vegetation, letting it stroll across the surface of wetlands with ease. It always looks slightly magical and improbable, as though it should sink at any moment but never does.

Ducks

Red-billed Teal

White-backed Duck

Lesser Whistling Duck

White-fronted plover 

I captured this little White-fronted plover scurrying across the beach at Cape Vidal. Like so many small shorebirds, it moved with incredible speed and energy as it darted over the sand near the water’s edge.

Burchell's coucal

The Burchell's coucal is another deeply nostalgic bird for me, one that instantly evokes memories of the African bushveld. I was absolutely delighted to get so many good photographs of this beautiful and rather secretive bird during our Zululand adventure.

Cattle Egret

Caspian tern

I loved photographing this Caspian tern in flight from the boat. Terns always seem incredibly aerial and graceful, effortlessly gliding, hovering and twisting above the water with such elegance and precision.

Water dikkop

A water thick-knee, or water dikkop as it is commonly known in South Africa, with its wonderfully cryptic plumage, large yellow eyes and distinctive, slightly comical appearance.