At 04h30 we were considering having to call the trip off as a violent thunderstorm crashed above us but we woke to a clear morning with all indications that there would be no rain. We picked up our guide, Nonhle Matuma, and set off to drive to her mother's house in Sigidi. While the straight line distance from our house to Sigidi is a little over 15 kilometres, it is necessary to drive quite far inland to avoid several river gorges before turning towards the coast. The trip normally takes about and hour and a half, but roadworks delayed us on this occasion. Fortunately the condition of the gravel road was good until the last few kilometres. The crossing of the Mzamba River is an interesting feature of the route and there are great views into the Mzamba River gorge later on.
Arriving at Nonhle's mothers' homestead, we paused to watch two young boys at play with clay oxen they had made themselves.
Pondo boys playing with self-made toy |
Clay oxen and kraal |
Bed of Prionum serratum |
Tributary to the Mpahlana River |
The tempting pool |
The views here are breathtaking.
View down the Mpahlana estuary |
Rural Pondoland |
Leucospermum innovans shrub |
Leucospermum innovans flower |
The area from the Mzamba river in the north to the Mtentu River in the south is the subject of a mining application: the intent is to mine the sands for heavy minerals. The local community members are resolutely opposed to the granting of a mining license by the government and have chalked up several successes in court. Currently there is a moratorium on any license application but the community continues its battle in the courts.
Leucospermum innovans is an Endangered Pondoland endemic; the majority of the populations of this plant lie under the footprint of the mining application.
On the way back we came across another endemic plant, the Near Threatened Grewia pondoensis
Grewia pondoensis |
Grey Crowned Cranes |
Grey Crowned Cranes |
The group at Nonhle's family's home |
Ochna serrulata fruits |
Syzygium pondoense |
Participants: Anne S, Dineo D, Dorothy M, Gail B-W, Graham G, Kate G, Khaya R, Nonhle M
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