The early morning start in Richards Bay saw us set a crisp pace to the traditional Bird Park for a quick breakfast before heading down the short hill to the river bed. The usual route to the Bird Park was great with a slight chill in the air after the two days rain we had earlier in the week. The rain had also settled the dust and at that point my thoughts were that by now the river must have shown an increase in water level, after all it was two days of rain. This was not to be as the roads were dry as we approached the last 2 km before the river.
The bed was even drier than the two weeks earlier. By now we were somewhat the wiser with navigating around the hidden mud patches. The trick is to only ride on areas where there is evidence of cattle tracks. The cows have a way off avoiding the mud and their tracks were easy to follow. Sure enough as we approached the areas were we previously got stuck, the sand was void if any cattle tracks, confirming our thoughts.
The ride was relatively easy going with the CanAm reminding me of its unmistakable sound and power. Some how I think its time for an upgrade.... maybe later..
Reaching the 30 km mark we spotted a small lake on the GPS and ventured out of the river bed to explore. The Mbukwini lake was impressive with various bird life gathered around it. Moving on, we re-entered the river bed and continued until we reached the boundary fence.
The boundary fence is marked with wooden poles and electrified wires spanning bank to bank. The local kids were acutely aware of the potential of the fence and not prepared to even dare touch one of the wires, not even with a stick....
By now it was well after one in the afternoon and we still had to make our way towards Hluhluwe. At this point we had covered 95km and the Kodiak needed a refuel.
From the River bed, we plotted a GPS course parallel to the reserve fence, heading for the Hluhluwe dam 40 km north of us. This route took us over the hills laying east of the reserve. We climbed about 300 meters in a short distance and paused for a break at the top. The view from up there is great. One cant help but note how dry the area is.
In the distance behind is the Hluhluwe reserve.
Moving on down towards the Nyalazi area, the road /track becomes less evident and clearly impassable by vehicles. Sections of the road have been washed away with some deep ruts on the sides. These conditions continue for about 15 km. The first 2 to 3 km are fun but after a while these become an effort to negotiate and I began to wonder if this was a good idea at all. Stewart had recently fitted a steering damper to the CanAm and now it was paying off.
The Nyalazi river is bone dry and dropping into the basin was easy.
Getting up the far side bank required the 4x4 selection. Although the bank was not so steep the gravel made traction a challenge.
Approaching the Hluhluwe dam from the south gave us a preview of the eastern section of the water. Levels were sadly, very low.
The dam stretches north west behind the hills.
The route takes you past the Hluhluwe river below. Again the views made the trip worthwhile.
A short stop at the dam wall for a refreshment before heading east towards the N2 and Eastern Shores. From here on the route is uneventful and we moved on towards Bushlands.
We spent the night at Bush Babies, enjoying a log fire and the company of Shelley, Tan, Megs who traveled up by car earlier in the day, and Pim and Thandi. Sunday morning we were up early and headed for Morrisons where we refueled and headed for Farnies Island.
Arriving at the reserve we were greeted with a notice that Charters and Farnies were closed due to the drought. We were denied entry to the area and we headed on towards Mtubatuba.
A short lunch at Bird Park with the girls and we were on our way home, arriving back in Alton at 15h00. Total distance covered 289km. In the summer this ride could become very hot so its best to plan it for a cool day.
We recommend that 4x4's should be used as although most of the route is passable with 4x2, there were a number of short sections where the 4x2's will need assistance. This together with the time limits to cover 180km to Hluhluwe before dark may become a problem. Try to get into the river bed by no later than 10h30. This should get you to the boundary fence by 12h30. Leave plenty of time to cover the section from the river bed heading northwards to the dam as the going becomes slow. We carried 12lt of spare fuel as there were no fuel points until arriving at our destination in Bushlands.
The bed was even drier than the two weeks earlier. By now we were somewhat the wiser with navigating around the hidden mud patches. The trick is to only ride on areas where there is evidence of cattle tracks. The cows have a way off avoiding the mud and their tracks were easy to follow. Sure enough as we approached the areas were we previously got stuck, the sand was void if any cattle tracks, confirming our thoughts.
The ride was relatively easy going with the CanAm reminding me of its unmistakable sound and power. Some how I think its time for an upgrade.... maybe later..Reaching the 30 km mark we spotted a small lake on the GPS and ventured out of the river bed to explore. The Mbukwini lake was impressive with various bird life gathered around it. Moving on, we re-entered the river bed and continued until we reached the boundary fence.
The boundary fence is marked with wooden poles and electrified wires spanning bank to bank. The local kids were acutely aware of the potential of the fence and not prepared to even dare touch one of the wires, not even with a stick....
By now it was well after one in the afternoon and we still had to make our way towards Hluhluwe. At this point we had covered 95km and the Kodiak needed a refuel.
From the River bed, we plotted a GPS course parallel to the reserve fence, heading for the Hluhluwe dam 40 km north of us. This route took us over the hills laying east of the reserve. We climbed about 300 meters in a short distance and paused for a break at the top. The view from up there is great. One cant help but note how dry the area is.
In the distance behind is the Hluhluwe reserve.
Moving on down towards the Nyalazi area, the road /track becomes less evident and clearly impassable by vehicles. Sections of the road have been washed away with some deep ruts on the sides. These conditions continue for about 15 km. The first 2 to 3 km are fun but after a while these become an effort to negotiate and I began to wonder if this was a good idea at all. Stewart had recently fitted a steering damper to the CanAm and now it was paying off.
The Nyalazi river is bone dry and dropping into the basin was easy.
Getting up the far side bank required the 4x4 selection. Although the bank was not so steep the gravel made traction a challenge.
Approaching the Hluhluwe dam from the south gave us a preview of the eastern section of the water. Levels were sadly, very low.
The dam stretches north west behind the hills.
The route takes you past the Hluhluwe river below. Again the views made the trip worthwhile.
A short stop at the dam wall for a refreshment before heading east towards the N2 and Eastern Shores. From here on the route is uneventful and we moved on towards Bushlands.
We spent the night at Bush Babies, enjoying a log fire and the company of Shelley, Tan, Megs who traveled up by car earlier in the day, and Pim and Thandi. Sunday morning we were up early and headed for Morrisons where we refueled and headed for Farnies Island.
Arriving at the reserve we were greeted with a notice that Charters and Farnies were closed due to the drought. We were denied entry to the area and we headed on towards Mtubatuba.
A short lunch at Bird Park with the girls and we were on our way home, arriving back in Alton at 15h00. Total distance covered 289km. In the summer this ride could become very hot so its best to plan it for a cool day.We recommend that 4x4's should be used as although most of the route is passable with 4x2, there were a number of short sections where the 4x2's will need assistance. This together with the time limits to cover 180km to Hluhluwe before dark may become a problem. Try to get into the river bed by no later than 10h30. This should get you to the boundary fence by 12h30. Leave plenty of time to cover the section from the river bed heading northwards to the dam as the going becomes slow. We carried 12lt of spare fuel as there were no fuel points until arriving at our destination in Bushlands.
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