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Emoyeni
Hiking Trail
'Spiritual
Wind' in Zulu
St Lucia,
KwaZulu Natal
The Emoyeni Trail is a five
day, four night backpack trail accompanied by an armed ranger. The
trail is approximately 52Km long and is situated in the Mfabeni
Section of the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park. The hiker has to carry
all his own equipment including a tent. The heat and humidity of the
area can make the trail quite strenuous and therefore a certain
degree of fitness is required.
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Mission Rocks
Office |
Hikers should report to
Mission Rocks office by noon at the latest to enable them to
complete the 7Km walk to the first camp before nightfall
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Day 1-
Mission Rocks to Jocks's Mess Camp 7Km 4 Hours
The trail winds
through dune forest, skirting wetlands and forest
patches, to reach the shores of Lake St Lucia. It
follows the lake edge to the first overnight camp at
Catalina Bay. The camp is called 'Jock's Mess after Jock
Mercer who was chef with 262 Squadron at Catalina Base
during WW2. The camp is close to the old mess
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Day 2- Jock's
Mess to eJubangoma Camp- 18Km- 8hrs
Awakening to the
belly-laughs of Hippo and the Fish Eagle cry, hikers
will walk in a north westerly direction through patches
of forest, crossing the swamp forest of the Nkazama
stream. This vegetation type is extremely rare in South
Africa with a total extent of only 5000ha and over half
of that occurs at St Lucia. The trail continues along
the lake, meandering though wetlands, forest and
grassland to eMambeni inlet where Crocs and a variety of
waterbirds can be seen. The trail continues north until
the second camp is reached. |
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Day 3
eJuangoma Camp to Bhangazi Camp 11Km- 4-5 hours
The trail
continues east through forest and grassland, to
enter the fringes of the Tewate Wilderness area and
past the eDunyini Stream and swamp forest. The third
overnight camp is located near the shores of Lake
Bhangazi. |
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Day
4-Bhangazi Camp to Bartels' Folley 16Km-4-5 hours
As the sun
peeps over the dunes of Cape Vidal, turning the
colours of Bhangazi to a rich gold, you will be
preparing for the fourth day of the Emoyeni Trail.
The path skirts the southern side of Lake Bhangazi,
down the eastern edge of the Mfabeni Swamp and then
up into the dune forest south of Cape Vidal. The
distant crashing of the waves on the beaches can now
be heard more clearly as you walk south through the
dune forest to Bartels' Folley Camp |
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Day 5-
Bartels' Folley to Mission Rocks- 11Km- 3 hours
The final day of
the Emoyeni Trail takes the hiker along the beach back
to Mission Rocks. Allow yourself time for a swim in the
sea and ask your ranger to show you the bat cave. There
is a section along this part of the trail that is
impassable at high tide, so consult a tide table before
setting out. |
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Conclusion
This is a beautiful trail and well worth
doing. The animal and birdlife is very special and the final stretch
along the beach just seems to complete the trail in a special way.
Bookings
Bookings
To book the Emoyeni Trail contact
the Mission Rocks office
Telephone: +27 (0) 35 590 9002
Fax +27 (0) 35 590 9090
PO Box 52, St Lucia Estuary
3936, Republic of South Africa
Footprint
Hiking Club
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