So our stay at Kosi Bay Mouth ended…

Rough roads no match for the Toyota's & Jurgens Trailers

Arrival at new camp site 

Kitchen, camp & lab

The Lab

One of the 5 Jurgens off-road trailers

Our Howling Moon tents

Within 2 hours all tents, the entire kitchen, the scientific laboratory including telescopes, containers with samples and fishing tools were loaded on the Jurgens trailers and the Hiluxes and Fortuners. The team of Klipbokkop demonstrated what efficiency really means - everybody knew what to do and how to do it. Prof Erik remarked the other night that this scientific expedition is so much more effective due to the effective logistical support. The researchers can focus on their mission of sampling species and do not have to worry about food, lodgings and transport etc. They also really appreciate the effort to get them to these exotic destinations.

We left an hour before schedule and depart for our southernmost camp at Maphelane Nature Reserve on the KZN coast. We will surely miss the luxurious camp and friendly service of Ken and his staff at the Kosi Bay Mouth camping site.

Maphelane is a primitive but a beautiful camp site. Michele van der Bank, the project leader from UJ decided on this destination earlier this year and the necessary booking and arrangements were made for this Toyota Enviro Outreach. Elmarie has set up the kitchen without electricity but soon the gas burners and the camp fire were going and the batteries and generators will assist the scientist in the makeshift lab under the stars. We are really close to nature with the sound of the waves and the frogs croaking nearby.

The area is different to the habitat of Kosi Bay and the mangroves and the coastal forest resemble a rain forest. The scientist expects to find many different species of plants and insects in this area. According to Olivier ± 120 samples of plants were collected at Kosi Bay and they expect to find many more in this area. The insect people are just as exited to be here and Barnabas and the lab assistants hope to double their count of 300 species processed so far. Herman and his ocean team will be exploring the coast line for fish and other marine fresh water specimens.