Welcome to my new Blog. We've just returned from another camping trip to Cape Vidal in the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park on the Kwazulu Natal North coast. Such is camping however that mother nature holds the aces as far as weather is concerned and this year was a repeat of the last two. We arrived in the rain which abated just long enough for us to pitch camp and get some coffee going. This was short-lived however and it continued to rain into the night. It has rained on us for the last two years running a fact that the camp manager was very pleased about, even suggesting that we come more often. Perhaps a little incentive from his side would be in order...

The next two days were punctuated by strong north-easterly winds that blew the rain away along with eveything else. The campsites at Cape Vidal are well protected and there has also been a recent upgrade / revamp of the ablutions with new water heat pumps and paved roads. Access is suitable for even small cars and there are ample loop road and trails to keep you busy. I did one game drive late on Saturday afternoon and saw the usual characters including, Hippo, Rhino, Kudu, Buffalo, Zebra, Warthog, Waterbuck, Bush Buck, Red Duiker and Baboons. One doesn't have to go far to see animals and in fact the come to you in the campsite if you have the patience. From the comfort of my chair I could see Red Duiker, Bush Buck, Banded Mongoose, and both Vervet and Samango Monkeys. Just be careful however not to leave food items out or accesible as these guys get in everywhere and will sample virtually everything in your larder. On being careful, we did spot signs of Leopard in the camp with loads of hair and bones and even a claw in the scat.