WE have had to drive up to Durban a number of times recently and I think a comment on the road is needed.
The road from Port Edward to Durban has to be one of the best maintained and in parts one of the most scenic in the country.
For much of the distance there are the occasional views of the sea to the east and some really good patches of indigenous bush inland.
Of course there are also cane fields and banana plantations aplenty and as you get closer to Durban industrial development, but you have to take the not-so-beautiful with the better parts.
There are some really interesting bridges, if you are ‘in’ to bridges, and the middelmannetjie much of the way is a screen of strelitzias, very appropriate, and then those wonderful Zulu river names.
On the subject of cane fields, there are also a lot of cane trucks on the road, but we feel comfortable with the cane scraps that litter the roadside, they are very typical of the South Coast and you know you are nearly home when they first appear.
Talking about trucks, the closer you get to Durban the busier is the road.
Having lived down here for 12 years now, we are very un-used to traffic and getting snarled up in the spaghetti junctions around the city is definitely a reminder of just how lucky we are down here – we always used to say that three cars parked outside the village café was a traffic jam.
And those spaghetti junctions really are a marvel of road engineering, you just have to keep your eyes peeled or you’ll end up far from your desired destination – we know, we’ve done it.
With all this in mind, it’s even more puzzling to understand why there is a need to take the N2 through the Wild Coast and to upgrade the R61. It’s a point to ponder, but do enjoy your next drive to Durban, it really is almost a pleasure.
Staying on the seashore, a most useful little pamphlet landed on my desk the other day, Your Guide to Common Critters of the KwaZulu-Natal Rocky Shores.
It’s put out by Tidal Tao, a local outfit down here, and sponsored by SAPPI, the tree people.
It covers 36 fish species (with excellent photographs), and 36 nudibranches, flatworms and other invertebrates, many of them most attractive critters indeed.
It’s full of handy hints about enjoying our rocky shores and some serious words of wisdom on the conservation of the world’s oceans. Look out for it on www.tidaltao.com.
And finally, an elephant in Thailand has just been fitted with another prosthetic leg and is reported to be doing well.
The elephant stood on a mine in northern Thailand when she was seven months old and since then she has been in a special reserve, where veterinarians and medical specialists developed the artificial legs.
Despite the fact that she is now 10 years old and weights over two tons, she is reported to be doing just fine.*
The report does not say why there are landmines in northern Thailand, which borders Burma and Laos.
*Care2Causes.com
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram
For news straight to your phone, add us on BBM 58F3D7A7 or WhatsApp 082 421 6033
