Paddling Update: Day 51–58

Day 51 – Kob Inn to Mbashee, 37km

Heading out the river mouth was fun and quick with the tide spitting me out. “I’ve been drivin’ all night, my hands wet on the wheel” was the first song of the day, Radar Love by Golden Earring, and it stuck in my head all day. The final part of the day was crossing the Mbashee river mouth, the water turned muddy brown by the previous night’s thunderstorm, exactly the kind of water where the big fish can’t see what’s going past.

Day 52 – Mbashee to Hole in the Wall, 30km

The sea today was in a very strange mood, two layers of current, one against me and one with me. At some points the current against me was so strong I could only manage 6km/h according to my GPS. Eventually I came up to the famous Hole in the Wall. Unfortunately the sea was too rough to paddle through the hole itself, but I did some videoing before paddling on to the main beach.

Day 53 – Hole in the Wall to Mpande, 42km

A short while after leaving I came across what very few people know of, a second, smaller Hole in the Wall. I put my ski in the bushes and headed up the hill to find The Kraal Backpackers, an eco-friendly place with no electricity that I liked very much, a simple system of rainwater and growing their own veggies.

Day 54 – Mpande to Mboyti, 48km

I was lucky to find the counter current, which stayed with me all day, and the push from the tail wind made for a good day. Just before halfway was Cape Hermes and Port St Johns, my favourite brown water being pushed up the coast with me, though crossing the mouth itself it was very muddy. I paddled like I was tiptoeing, trying not to make a noise or too much splashing.

The sailing directions for this stretch had a cheerful footnote: sharks are numerous both inside and outside the river, and should a boat be swamped in the breakers it could be extremely dangerous for the crew. Warren beat me to the beach for once, having had good roads for a change, and a few members of the Mboyti lodge cut short their AGM to come down and meet me. Lekker to meet people at the end of the day.

Day 55 – Mbotyi to Mtentu, 42km

Mbotyi River Lodge was a cracker of a spot, one of those must-visit places, and security unlocked the beach gate for us at 4am. Around 8km in I passed the first of three waterfalls that flow straight into the ocean, and a little further on, Cathedral Rocks, bold chunks of cliff eroded into arches. The highlight of the day was my own private rainbow, mother nature\u2019s way of wishing me luck. Landfall at Mtentu River was nerve-racking with the surf dumping across the entrance, but I found my wave and slipped into the river without a hitch, only to find a note on the lodge bar reading “Dear guest, we are unfortunately closed till the 5th of Feb…” The owner Bridgette sorted us out anyway.

Day 56 – Mtentu to Glenmore, 35km

Feeling lethargic from the moment I woke, and not long after clearing the river mouth I started throwing up. I decided to push on rather than turn back, though it never really got better, lead arms, stomach cramps, eyes strangely sensitive to the light. The one silver lining was a strong current in my favour for the first time in ages, enough to average just under 10km/h despite everything. Warren had spent the day fighting 200km of muddy Wild Coast tracks to my 45km on the water.

Day 57 – Glenmore to Port Shepstone, 38km

The day before had been my birthday, spent recovering, so the celebrations were saved for that night instead. My satellite tracker battery was flat, having gone a week without charging, and for most of the day I could not find a scrap of favourable current, closer to 2km/h against me. A local paddler, Mike Halliday, came out to join me for a while, always good company on a long day. I nearly got collected by a nasty set 30km in and had to sprint back out to sea, just enough to clear it.

Day 58 – Port Shepstone to Umzumbe, 15km

A short one, just to nibble away at the 67km still ahead to Winklespruit. My first real tangle with a shore break, still plenty to learn there, and paddling with booties full of coarse sea sand for the rest of the day. The wind swung to the south-west by the finish, a good sign for tomorrow.