KICKING BACK IN KZN

“As I make my way through my first continent, I am finding that things are far easier to do and much harder to contemplate” Ted Simon

Upon entering Kwazulu Natal I took a cruise through Port Edward. The quiet little coastal town in the southern reaches of KZN was a place I called home until my teenage years began and it was like stepping back in time as nothing much has changed. After my short walk through memory lane past my old school, house and beach, I headed along the N2 northwards to Umzumbe near Port Shepstone. Along with the vastly improved roads in KZN came frequent petrol stations, shops and a huge choice for accommodation. I chose to stay in a backpackers set in the forest above Umzumbe beach which was fantastic, it had little board walks leading through the jungle setting to tree houses dotted here and there. Staying in Umzumbe for a couple days gave me a chance to catch up on some film capturing and recharge my batteries. It is a favourite spot for surfers and I ended up sharing a dorm with a group of semi-professional surfers cruising the coast in search of waves.

From Umzumbe I took a short doddle down to Durban, riding mainly on the old main road (R102) and just enjoying the scenery and avoiding the crazed taxi drivers as they bid for the fastest times from town to town. Being in Durban meant admin time and I headed straight for the banks and forex outlets to sort out my money for the countries to come. Visiting the shopping centres felt a little foreign after the past two weeks in the sticks but allowed me to get some much needed supplies. I had a good time staying with a friend, Andrew, in his lap of luxury in Umhlanga, soaking up my last bit of proper civilisation for the next 6 months. Soft linen, TV, restaurants, shops and electricity would all become a thing of the past with every northbound mile.

I left Durban early in the morning on a longer than average stretch up to Hluhluwe, another place I have called home in the past, but far more recently. The trip took me past my old office which reminded me of the months of hard work and saving before my adventure could begin and left me with no regrets about my current life path. The greatest thing about travelling is experiencing new things everyday, its like being a small child and having your eyes opened to the world for the first time. From Mtubatuba I took the national road through the Hluhluwe Mfolozi game reserve. Travelling on a motorcycle limits you as far as entering game reserves goes so I have to take advantage when roads pass straight through the parks. Unfortunately I didn’t see much in the way of big game but it still feels so much better to cruise past a grazing zebra or heard of wildebeest on a bike as opposed to seeing things through the TV shaped boxed confines of a car window, you really feels as though you are in the picture, not peering at nature from afar.

Being in Hluhluwe for a few days gave me the chance to catch up with old friends and experience more of the great outdoors lifestyle. I stayed on a little game farm outside town called Ehlathini (in the bush). I loved being back in Zululand, riding through the Zulu villages experiencing what has to be one of the most beautiful and undiscovered parts of our wonderful country. My ride from Hluhluwe to Sodwana took me past Muze Pans. I sat and watched the sun set over the pan with a pod of rather vocal Hippos wollowing a mere 15 meters away wondering how life could get any better.

After a comfortable night at Sodwana Bay lodge I headed 30km north to Mseleni Hospital where I would produce my first charity production for the Mseleni Children’s Home and Lulisandla Kumntwana (reach out to the child) Charity organisation that cares for orphaned children within their own communities, helping them with food and running workshops to help them cope with their heartbreaking life stories. I joined one of the charity coordinators for a day as he visited the child headed households in the area, giving them food parcels and trying to help the teenage kids with the burden of looking after their younger siblings. It is a harsh reality of the devastating effects of HIV in these rural parts of the country and left me feeling so helpless. I spent a couple days editing my footage and managed to put together a short film for the charity that will hopefully help them in appealing to private donors. During my time at Mseleni I was staying with Rob and Polly, friends of mine who have been living and working at the hospital for the last couple years and are now about to leave to cycle back home to England. They were in the throes of organising with the familiar site of expedition gear everywhere and chatting to them about their forthcoming adventure put the challenge of my journey into perspective. I left Mseleni, Kwazulu Natal and South Africa feeling that almost anything was accomplishable with the help of an engine between my wheels and vowed never to complain about the discomfort of a motorcycle but rather spare a thought for a tenacious couple on peddle bikes!

Swaziland beckons...