Exploring the Mtunzini Estuary and Mlalazi Reserve

[00:00:00]Welcome back to the sardine news.

[00:00:02]>> back sardine news.

[00:00:04]Right, the sardines are around but they are very shy. I think it's the warm water, I'm not exactly sure but what's not shy are the shad. The shad are actually going mad. You've got to time it right and that's not everywhere but if you get to the right beach at the right time, early morning, late evening, you might catch Actually, sorry, they've been catching them in the daytime too these recently. It's been very good.

[00:00:24]Now, we took a trip.

[00:00:27]Here we go, off to Umtinzini.

[00:00:30]We are doing our AISEO Geo tour and we have found ourselves in the most delightful place. Umtinzini is absolutely wondrous. It reminds me of Benguerra Island actually.

[00:00:41]>> [snorts] >> We're staying at a beautiful lodge called Ngoye and Nguni Cottage and it is really well appointed and comfortable and homely and friendly and all that stuff that you want from a lodge when you're far away.

[00:00:55]Hey, chicken livers and eggs for breakfast. Yo, it's delicious. Shot Lucas. Okay, so as we got here, we went exploring straight away down to the Umlalazi Nature Reserve.

[00:01:06]Where it is still beautifully preserved and magical. There's a olinix talk.

[00:01:13]There's loads of bird life here as you'll see. There's a raffia palm.

[00:01:16]That's the main reason we came to Umtinzini we think.

[00:01:20]Lots of palm trees, lots of mangroves.

[00:01:23]It really is a staggeringly well preserved history system.

[00:01:28]Little tributary coming in there.

[00:01:31]Very pretty. Lots of burners around.

[00:01:33]People checking out the birds.

[00:01:35]Perfect place to check out the swamp birds of KZN. There they are.

[00:01:41]Picture of gill.

[00:01:42]Picture gills. Pickersgill reed frog.

[00:01:45]Pickersgill frog, I'm not sure. Reed frog.

[00:01:49]And obviously there are monkeys. Like a lot of monkeys and they really were enjoying Bruce.

[00:01:58]Hello.

[00:02:00]Bruce, you got some admirers.

[00:02:02]Each street, lagoon line.

[00:02:05]Is it in conservation beach?

[00:02:10]>> Uh you could be right. I'm not sure.

[00:02:12]>> be wrong, but you could be right.

[00:02:16]Is it a blue duiker?

[00:02:20]Not very blue.

[00:02:22]Okay, turns out they are Kefalophus natalensis, and they are not red forest duiker or Natal duiker. Very pretty. On all these campsites, there are lots of them.

[00:02:34]Lots and lots of them.

[00:02:37]>> St. Lucia Coastal Park, Umlalazi Nature Reserve Trail. Bruce, that's us.

[00:02:44]I had to go to beat you.

[00:02:46]I learned to surf.

[00:02:49]I learned to surf and I was like 19 or 20.

[00:02:53]During the BP Mtubatuba Kuta Classic.

[00:02:57]And guess who won?

[00:02:59]>> [laughter] >> And that's how I met Mr. Graham Channels. He was the sponsor of the competition.

[00:03:04]And he shook my hand, gave me my prize.

[00:03:07]And we became very good friends after that.

[00:03:10]Going to see him next.

[00:03:12]>> Okay, we are going to check the surf out quick. I'm not too sure if you can call this a surf break at all.

[00:03:20]I'm not sure if it's a good swimming beach either, but I mean on a nice day for sure, but it just looks like that shore break is a bit daunting.

[00:03:30]>> Sandy Shores.

[00:03:34]It's a hectic learn to surf, boy.

[00:03:37]Look at that shore break.

[00:03:40]>> Hey, no, man.

[00:03:43]Surf Richards Bay. 96, those days, no leg ropes.

[00:03:48]It was like 1968, 69 even. Yeah.

[00:03:53]And let's just say that we're nothing. We would just be by myself.

[00:03:59]And then now what's the name from Jeffrey's Bay I'm missing down the stink hole.

[00:04:05]Oh no.

[00:04:06]That is channel called stink hole. He said he is the finest surfer in Jeffrey's Bay. Yeah.

[00:04:12]And he said he thought he was the way first surfer in Jeffrey's Bay.

[00:04:19]>> Coastal redwood.

[00:04:22]It's got like a red tint to it.

[00:04:27]Just if you hug that tree I'm going to have to disown you.

[00:04:31]Beach Street to Lagoon Lane.

[00:04:38]Yeah, it wasn't too long before we came across some zebra.

[00:04:41]And these ones happen to be plains zebra. You can see the stripes on the back part of them goes like horizontal a bit.

[00:04:48]It's not exactly accurate cuz I'm sure every zebra's got different stripes but these guys have got old stripes that's for sure. This next one's really faded.

[00:04:58]Look at this guy.

[00:05:00]Suspected quagga.

[00:05:02]No, not.

[00:05:06]Look.

[00:05:08]Crocodiles.

[00:05:10]So it could be a hippo. Yeah.

[00:05:13]>> Never know.

[00:05:19]>> Hello old friend.

[00:05:24]Fishing going mad in front here.

[00:05:29]There's some anglers over there.

[00:05:32]And I think that's the trail we're going on tomorrow. Might be.

[00:05:37]Oi, tickle the fish.

[00:05:40]Chase chase chase.

[00:05:43]Broadleaf fig tree.

[00:05:45]More mangroves.

[00:05:47]Different Different mangroves.

[00:05:52]There's even a barge cruiser. How's that?

[00:05:55]I just check out the river.

[00:06:00]Ah, damn. So, that way land.