Mkambati Nature Reserve

We left Port Edward at around lunch time and expected the trip to Mkambati to take about 3 hours. It ended up taking 5 hours! The route took us from Port Edward past Flagstaff, Holy Cross and then on to the Mkambati Nature Reserve, our first Eastern Cape IBA. It started raining and the last section of road was 37 Km of mud. We averaged about 15 Km per hour…

We got to Mkambati just before 6, office closing time, to be told that there is no camping facility and the road to the rustic accommodation is not do-able with Ufudu and the trailer. We had to get back to the entrance and by now it was bucketing down, besides being already dark. There is only one way out and that is back on the dirt road, the way we came. We parked outside the gate and that was where we were going to spend the night…

We checked in to the GweGwe rondavel accommodation the next morning but had to leave Ufudu parked at the reception due to the road upgrade that was in process. Once on the road we fully understood why they advised us not to take the ‘train’ but as always did us proud!

After settling in we went to see the Horseshoe Falls on the Mkambati River. It was truly spectacular and well worth a visit. The whole area seems so unspoilt and wild.

There were flocks of Amur Falcons that initially seemed to be mobbing a troop of Baboons. Then we realised that they were actually hawking locusts that were flushed by the passage of the baboons.

The rondavels were in the most remote and idyllic spot, overlooking the ocean, next to a secluded beach and small river mouth. The sound of the breaking waves were almost deafening and watching them was totally mesmerising, but it was really cold standing in the howling wind. Luckily we could sit inside and watch through the window!

We intended to do a forest walk the next day but it was raining again so we opted take Suzi to the Point overlooking the Msikaba River mouth.

A rather amusing sign we came across, and it is on the right-hand side of the road:

The reserve is home to large herds of Zebra, Eland, Red Hartebeest and many more. There are extensive wetlands and in general the veld and wild-life are great. The facilities are rather run-down and in dire need of maintenance, but the road upgrade in progress creates hope that things may be improving. The map indicates a vulture restaurant but our neighbours went to try and find it without success so we gave that one a miss.

Just after we left the reserve we spotted 2 Secretary birds. They were moving so fast it was impossible to stop Ufudu, get the camera and take a pic. Roger quickly got onto the roof and got a shot just as they flew off. It was sadly too fuzzy to publish. Secretary birds are one of the trigger species for the Mkambati IBA.

We now headed for Port St Johns and got to the Cremorne Holiday Resort on the banks of the Umzimvubu River just before 18h00.

It started raining again so we decided to have a meal in their restaurant. It rained the whole of the next day so we did not venture out much. It did not matter because we were in the area in 2009 and at that time explored all the notable places. However, a visit to Port St Johns is not complete without visiting the airstrip, (situated on a flat hilltop high above the river and town) so when the sun showed itself briefly we went up there for a few pics.

Today (13^th) we move on to Coffee Bay where we will meet up with friends Pauline and Andrew.