Pondoland C.R.E.W. Blog: 14 April 2022

Kwa Zulu Natal had a cut-off low pressure that developed into subtropical depression ISSA with winds reaching 95 km/hour and some areas receiving 300 millimeters of rain in 24 hours. Over 400 people died.

The winds swirled round and round relentlessly driving rains into one's houses. We had had three days of torrential rain which caused mass destruction to homes and infrastructure. There were landslides, collapsed walls, homes were destroyed, trees fell over, roads collapsed and raging rivers took away beaches. After several days of persistent rain which could leave one a little anxious, one was happy to see the weather app showing that our Thursday’s botanising day was predicted to be sunny.

To not have a day holding mops, wringing old towels and emptying buckets was a day that one looked forward to and when we received a notification the night before from Tracy sending out an S.O.S. message we gathered our gumboots and packed a lunch and we were off before you could say “Go.”

We pulled on our gumboots and squidgy walked upon the squishy, spongy earth that felt cushioned and gave one a soft little bounce up when treading watery forward. Ravines, gullies and cliff edges we avoided as we would have found ourselves like children sliding down a natural slide and finding oneself right at the bottom of the Umtumvuna river.

One could almost hear the petals opening of the flowers as the lack of sun for day upon day had left them in hibernation and they opened up their beautiful faces that had been refreshed and washed. The Brunsvigia grandiflora were magnificent. They stood there in their pink magenta as round and as big as flower galaxies. Tentatively, we crossed the gushing stream, the nut/banana farmer’s illegal dam had burst and through the fence he littered the Umtumvuna Reserve with his bags and water feather lettuce. Anne and Tracy got stuck in ripping out Wild Ginger that was growing, Dorothy helped fill the sacks we found wedged between rocks full of invasives and Gail tried to collect all the water invasives. Anne was chucking the ginger out and Tracy ended up spattered in mud and almost required a new ID whilst Gail looked like a splattered Dalmatian dog.

Every week everything has it’s time to shine and this week the hills rolled in the delicate Pimpinella caffra. We watched the river that flows into Ingrid Falls and we’ve never seen it flow so fast and full. The smell of sulphur came from the water as it flowed from the farmer’s land. We spent a lovely while admiring the six different butterflies that skipped from flower to flower sipping the nectar from the Syzygium cordatum tree. There was every insect that came to this flower, be it from moths, bees, wasps, ants and beetles. This tree provided the very thing that all these animals required to survive. It was spectacular to just stand there and watch this tree so alive, it was a bit like the magic that happens in fairy tales.

With full hearts we meandered back savoring every moment watching the dark clouds roll in threatening to rain.