THE panoramic views from some of the loftier spots at Amatigulu give you an idea of what this idyllic little Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife nature reserve is all about. Situated about 100km north of Durban and adjoining the larger, better-known Umlalazi Nature Reserve, it is a narrow strip of untouched coastline, bracketed by two substantial rivers. Running parallel to this shoreline are row upon row of forested dunes. They are a reminder of how dynamic an environment is this untamed shore, of how much it has changed over the eons. Repeatedly the edge of the African continent has lifted and fallen causing the sea to rally and recede and the older dunes to move slowly inland. Even as we gaze across the emerald dunes to the deep blue sea the elements are at work, carving and reshaping this wild coastline, making minuscule changes but constantly redrawing its gracefully scalloped lines.
Trapped behind the corrugated shoreline runs the Inyoni River. Once it must have had its own estuary. Now it is forced to travel northwards along the coast between the dunes to join the Amatigulu River and to share its generous estuary as an escape route to the sea. We have spent many happy times at this wonderful little reserve but we hadn’t been there for quite a while. As a visit to Amatigulu was long overdue, we added an extra night to a long weekend in Richards Bay to stay there as well. It was good to be back there again. We booked into the simple, rustic, no-frills campsite and set up camp in one of the sheltered and secluded sites that offered a lovely sea and grassland view.
The other accommodation option at Amatigulu is the Zangozolo Tented Camp, where we have also stayed quite a few times. A beautiful little camp, its six comfortable safari tents, linked by wooden walkways are perch on platforms set among the coastal forest. Facilities are simple – a basic ablution block and a communal kitchen – but Zangozolo offers stunning views of the estuary, magnificent trees and a morning symphony of bird song. It was lucky we were camping, though. After setting up we took a drive to Zangozolo. It looked decidedly worse for wear and when we asked about it, we discovered it was closed for renovations. I do hope these are done soon.
The reserve is such a valuable little beauty spot, boasting soggy wetlands and pans, coastal grasslands that appear to be in excellent condition, wonderful patches of rare swamp forest and healthy coastal bush.
With a bird list of about 380 species it is a great birding destination and for those who look at the bigger picture, it is well stocked with game, including giraffe, zebra, bushbuck, kudu and smaller mammals. A tree hugger’s delight, it also has plenty for the flower people, particularly in spring when the grasslands are transformed into colourful wild flower gardens. It is a great place for visiting families, too, offering plenty of outdoor activities. The four self-guided and well-maintained hiking trails take walkers through patches of riverine and swamp forest and across sweeping grasslands. There are also 4X4 game viewing trails and canoes for hire on the estuary.
Permits are required before you cast your line, but fishing is reportedly good in the estuary.
Community based tour and birding guides are also available. We’ve met these charming young men who are amazingly knowledgeable about birding in the reserve and nearby birding hotspots like the Dlinza and Ongoye Forests. Our most recent visit was far too short. We didn’t have time to do any of the walking trails on the day we arrived but we drove down to the estuary in the evening and enjoyed some productive birding there. The next day dawned windy, cloudy, chilly and decidedly unpleasant for walking. Instead we took the lazy option, driving the 4X4 route and enjoying some quality game driving, particularly near the Matshangulo Pan.
Although the tented camp needed some serious work, the camping area where we were staying and the rest of the reserve in general proved to be in great shape. There were many signs that the Amatigulu Honorary Officers were working closely with the authorities to help keep this gem of a reserve polished to perfection – and they do all this hard work on a voluntary basis, of course. Hopefully Ezemvelo values its reserve as much as the honorary officers appear to do and that idyllic Zangozolo Camp will soon be back in business. It would be a tragedy if it was left to rot. Much prized by the true nature lovers who has discovered its wealth of natural wonders, Amatigulu has so much potential as an ecotourism venture. As a pristine patch of our coastal environment, protected from the development that has irredeemably transformed most of KwaZulu-Natal’s sunny shores, the true value of this little coastal reserve is beyond calculation.
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