For interesting information on flowers, trees and plants please click on this link: http://natureswow2.blogspot.com/

For the identification of insects and other fauna and flora of South Africa: please click on the following links:
Insects and related species: Antlions - Ants - Bees - Beetles - Bugs - Butterflies, Moths and Caterpillars - Centipedes and Millipedes - Cockroaches - Crickets - Dragonflies and Damselflies - Grasshoppers and Katydids - Mantis - Stick Insects - Ticks and Mites - Wasps - Woodlice
Plants, Trees, Flowers: (Note: Unless plants fall into a specific species such as Cacti, they have been classified by their flower colour to make them easier to find) Bonsai - Cacti, Succulents, Aloes, Euplorbia - Ferns and Cycads - Flowers - Fungi, Lichen and Moss - Grass - Trees
Animals, Birds, Reptiles etc.: Animals, Birds, Fish and Crabs - Frogs - Lizards - Scorpions - Snails and Slugs - Snakes - Spiders - Tortoise, Turtles and Terrapins - Whipscorpions
Other photography: Aeroplanes - Cars and Bikes - Travel - Sunrise - Water drops/falls - Sudwala and Sterkfontein Caves etc.
Videos: YouTube

Friday, April 4, 2014

SA Diversity Tour (9-11/02/2014) Day 25-27

It was a short trip from Sodwana to St. Lucia which is amongst my favourite places to be and the first day was spent setting up camp, buying a few supplies and taking a short walk on the beach. It was still overcast so we decided to take it easy and get some work done on the computers. Please see this post for more info and pictures of St. Lucia: http://natureswow.blogspot.com/2013/05/st-lucia-south-africa-travelogue.html
 On the way there I had noticed some Nguni cattle. They are very mottled, colourful and indigenous. The horns of slaughtered animals are kept and beautifully carved for sale at roadside stalls.
One had a beautiful white patch but a deformed horn.
 Going to the bathroom, this lovely, medium-sized moth was on the wall.
Early the next morning we left to take a drive to Cape Vidal which is situated about 20km’s away.

St. Lucia is surrounded by the iSimangaliso Wetlands and was proclaimed a UNSECO World Heritage Site.
It covers an area of 240,000 hectare and comprises of sea, wetland, marine and savannahs. It is a renowned area for nesting turtles.
Along the way, there are many species of birds and wildlife to be found.....
including the largest dung beetle I have ever seen!! It must be at least 5cm in length.
The coast along there is lovely and we stopped to watch the waves and people fishing.

Arriving at Cape Vidal, I see it is much changed since I was there many years ago.
As the day was hot, we stopped for an ice cream then down to the beach to wander among the tidal pools.
This is always such a fascination for me and the coral clinging to the sides of the rocks is beautiful.
Not knowing marine creatures, there were curious roundish ones and some lovely small fish.
On the way back I stopped to examine some dung and found this beautiful dungbeetle.
One our second day there, we went to Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Game reserve. I don’t know if it was maybe the time of year, but there was almost nothing to see so by lunchtime, we were ready to leave.
Stopping at the Wimpy in Mtubatuba, we had lunch and drove back to St. Lucia. Gaelyn went to get her computer out of the back of the truck and discovered that while we were eating, someone had stolen it and her vanity bag!! To make things worse, they must have had a key as they even lock the car behind them!! I was SO very, very upset on her behalf.

 Because of this, she had now lost all the pictures she had taken on the trip sofar. My heart cried with her. How awful I felt that this should happen to anyone let alone a very good friend like her!!

3 comments:

Gaelyn said...

Well everything but the theft was delightful here.

Rhodesia said...

I just hope there was nothing too personal on the computer! A horrible thing to have happened and I am also sad about it for both of you.
A lovely series of shots none the less.
Take care Diane

Becky said...

I love your pictures! Please be careful out there! So glad you both didn't get hurt.