Ponta Milibangalala

So we arrived at the campsite after a long trip and very little in the form of mapping. The Maputuland elephant reserve is like a large green monster of wilderness with a mouth to enter and then various tracks and side tracks within, with little monitering...and no one in site.

The beach is beautiful, isolated and has a strip of forest on its edge which I love(This reminds me of my school day holidays in Port Shepstone- following the trail through the forest and then over the dune onto the beach). Emily told me the high phosphorus content in the water makes the water shine more than elsewhere. I imagined that the waves would seem as if they were on fire - slight disappointment there- not really, just perhaps me expecting too much!

The rest is typical beach campsite stuff. Sarah and Louis spending hours on the beach making castles, pyramids and emptying the beach of shells and cuttlefish (used as speedboats). Christina and Susan making fresh coffee and having short swim breaks. I made a toilet for our use and I think we all visited the site except Louis who fought nature until arrival back at Manguzi. Ceri discussing marine life and not missing any interesting birds around. Ralph played safe around the campsite. We made a potjie and we all contributed to the bread in the pan under the ground.

The drive back was amazing because we followed Allie's map with reference points like 'whale bones, homestead, mielies and elephant whallowes'. This map went around lake Piti and it was here that we saw many hippos, crocs and water birds. Susan drove the low clearance 4 x4 and almost drove into Piti...! Sarah clicked away as there was more than enough photo opportunity and we discussed 'are we heading in the right direction' and 'is the map correct' many times.

We finished the trip back to the border byagreeing to tow the South African bloke from Stanger who was shot in the R wrist by Mozambicans(? reversed xenophobia/ other causes) to the border - arriving 3 minutes before closing time at the border. Ceri wanted to spend her 40th on South African soil.. and we did!

I need to add Ceri's birthday before Louis', so I have 24 hours.