Tent Travels: Wildlife encounters on a honey-coloured shore

FROM the white, wild, wind-blown West Coast beaches to Zululand’s sun-soaked honey-coloured shore, South Africa boasts more than 2 500km of wonderfully varied coastline – and, amazingly, much of it remains fairly pristine.

With all the variety on offer it would be hard to choose a favourite beach but I think if I had to choose it would have to be the one at Cape Vidal.

This iSimangaliso Wetland Park resort boasts such a fabulously wild stretch of golden coastline, a coastline so untouched by man that it is easy to forget just how popular and well-patronised Cape Vidal actually is. During the holiday season its camping area, cabins, fishermen’s cottages and lodges are often all occupied and you need to book early for the busier periods.

The large, attractive and exceptionally sheltered camping area is tucked well away in the dune forest and is invisible from the shoreline. Apart from the launch site and some exotic trees at the edge of the camping area, there is little evidence of any human disruption when you are walking on the golden beach.

The gently curving shoreline is sandwiched between the azure Indian Oceans and some of the tallest vegetated dunes in the world. It is a sandy shoreline although some rugged rock formations break the symmetry here and there. In both directions, this untamed coastal wilderness seems to go on forever and ever.

We spent three days camping at Cape Vidal, much of the time walking the golden sands or going for game drives along the adjoining Eastern Shores game viewing network. The beaches are simply made for walking although that is not all this gorgeous shoreline has to offer. Although there are no lifeguards or shark nets, Cape Vidal has a fairly safe swimming area and it is a magnet for the angling fraternity.

Spending time in our sheltered attractive campsite, getting to know the abundant resident wildlife, was also rewarding. From our camp chairs the birding was pretty spectacular and we always kept our binocs and bird books handy.

The monkeys, I must admit, really were a problem (sadly, a man-made one) and we had to keep all food extremely well secured at all times. Even preparing or eating a meal could be problematic but there are very few places in South Africa where you can enjoy such close encounters with the rare, usually shy and elusive samango monkeys.

They really are gorgeous. And, like their vervet cousins, they are exceptionally clever. At Vidal both species could and did get into the supposedly monkey-proof dustbins with consummate ease. In fact, as a friend of ours remarked, the clanging of a closing dustbin lid served as a dinner gong for these little rascals.

Unfortunately, it was causing a major litter problem and it was sad to see the lovely camping area looking a little tatty because of this. More secure dustbins in the camp would certainly help to prevent the littering and I think could ease the monkey problem. Having said that, though, I wonder how long it would take the brainy little creatures to work out how to open any new anti-monkey contraptions.

Plenty of dainty bushbuck and red duiker made themselves at home in the camping area and at night a family of large-spotted genets would often visit our campsite. Perhaps the most entertaining all the four-footed residents, though, were the members of a large troop of banded mongoose. I could watch them for hours. They were always so entertaining.

So far, the Ezemvelo and iSimangaliso camping areas we’d visited on our out-of-season KZN road trip had been decidedly empty, with never more than half, often less than a third of the campsites occupied. Even the popular Cape Vidal camping area had been fairly empty for the first two day we were there but by our last day there, a Wednesday, it was filling up rapidly ahead of a special long weekend of fishing contests and fun for fathers and sons.

There was much bustle and activity all afternoon and we thought we might have a noisy night. However, by 9pm the camp was peaceful and silent. Vehicles were pouring in as we packed up the next morning and according to the camp officials, the camp was fully booked for the next three nights.

Spoiled by the blissful near-solitude we’d enjoyed up to then, it would have been a tad too busy for our liking had we been staying on, but Cape Vidal was really buzzing when we left and the atmosphere was festive. It was good to see so many people patronising this wild coastal paradise and so many youngsters being introduced to its wonders. As we left we wished the dads and lads a great long weekend – and tight lines.

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