Nhlabane to Mapelane

Forecast had shifted overnight to headwinds. Craig joined again and we set off at a good pace over glassy water, though a classic black cloud line threatened on the horizon. The coast here is covered in Casuarina trees reworked by the Richards Bay Minerals dune-mining operation – impressively rebuilt and replanted, to the untrained eye.

The NE wind picked up and slowed us down; Craig ran low on energy around the 20km mark and turned back for Nhlabane, asking me to call his office once I had signal. The wreck of the Jolly Rubino came into view as a landmark, though the wind and a difficult current dropped my speed to 6-7km/hr, requiring full attention to avoid rogue waves. Found the gap at the reef at Mapelane from a scouting trip on an earlier off day and landed cleanly.

Staying in a tented camp courtesy of Brent Gonzales – lovely spot, but mind the monkeys and mosquitoes, and the neighbours have already seen two leopards this year.