The crazy people didn’t learn from the previous mornings lesson and decided to go for a run again at 7am before we hit the road. It was 2 degrees C when they ventured out. Once they got back and we packed up and hit the road. Our first stop was Howick to go to supermarket to get food for next 5 nights as we were heading to a Game Park which we knew didn’t have food options. We then followed the main highway (N3) to Pietermaritzberg and Durban. The traffic was horrendous with thousands of trucks and road works to add into the equation as well. Despite road signs saying no trucks in right hand lane, the one large truck would overtake another. It just went on like that for ages and was not a pleasant drive until we turned north at Durban and started heading up the coast line. Once we got past Ballito, the traffic lightened up considerably and the balance of the drive was much more pleasant.

We got to the Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park at around 1:30pm. The one national road (R618) runs right through the middle of the middle as they used to be split into two sections (Hluhuwe & iMfolozi) but now they are combined into one but obviously the national road remains. We were starting off in the southern (iMfolozi) section. We had to go to Mpila Rest Camp to check in (about 20 kms from the gate) though we had actually reserved a Bush Lodge which was about 10 kms outside of the main camp. On route from the gate we saw 2 rhino (A was in the front and drove right past them … definite downgradeable offence) and then a little later we saw a wild dog trotting up the road. It is unusual to just see 1 wild dog but it must have somehow been separated from its pack. This was on top of seeing all the usual animals like buffalo, giraffe, impala, vervet monkeys, nyala, zebra, wildebeest etc.

When we arrived at Hlathikhulu Bush Lodge we realised we had made a mistake of only booking 1 night there. It was made up of 5 separate buildings – a main lodge area (kitchen, dining room, lounge) and then 4 bedrooms (all en-suite). The whole thing overlooked the iMfolozi river. Additional upside … no cellphone signal hence no blog until now. Further upside, the lodge guide (comes with the place) told he he takes you for a bush walk in the morning as part of the price of what you pay. You also get a cook if you want to use them.

We did our own braai (as usual) and after the day of driving and the fresh air we were all ready for bed by just after 8pm. The lodge only has generator power until 10pm and we headed to our rooms to clean up and get into bed. The rooms did suffer from the fact that the wind blew right through them and so the temperature dropped fairly rapidly (it was 30 degrees C when we arrived). By this morning the room was icy cold inside which made it hard to get up from under the warm blanket.

We have been adding steadily to the bird trip list and everyone is gaining lifers almost daily at the moment. I got one yesterday evening just as we started the braai when we looked at the top of one tree near the braai area and it turned out to be an African Cuckoo Hawk.

I plan to send another blog later today with the highlights of today …

Until later … P, H, B, S, O, A (driving past two rhino relatively close to the side of the road definitely is worth of this position!)