MARCH 2009 NORTH COAST FLY-AWAY

[Hazzard]

2009 Gaggle Fly-away to Zululand:

Duration Friday 20 March 2009 to 23 March 2009
Destinations:

First stop: Friday night, Ezulwini Lodge, based in Zululand.
Second stop: Saturday morning; on to Sodwana Bay. Stay at Coral Divers, François Burger’s hanger or Shayamoya Lodge. The day to be spent exploring the “Turtle Coastline” from St Lucia to Sodwana, with an excursion to Kosi Bay and Lake Sibiya.

NOTE: The area is a "wild Life Sanctuary" so please chaps, flying protocols MUST be observed

Arrival Alternatives
- Join this fly-away from Barberton, (Brian Young at Pyramid,). Over the hills to Matsapa International Airport in Swaziland for a refuel and then depart for Sodwana. No international clearances are necessary, and the Swazi flying club will assist getting fuel to the runway.
- Join this fly-away at Emoyeni, Ballito or at Empangeni and fly above the waves for most of the way to Sodwana.
- You could fly all the way from Grahamstown, Johannesburg etc or you could trailer all the way.

Background
March is a better prospect for good flying weather than the preceding months however in February, March and April the turtle breeding season, in certain years may taper off. Thus getting to see turtle breeding on a pre-planned short trip is, like the sardine run, a matter of luck and annual persistence. The alternative is to be on standby, but this does not suit most.

The official position is as follows:

Every year turtles return, sometimes travelling thousands of kilometres, to the warm watered beaches in this region to lay their eggs near the spot they had hatched. Once they’ve arrived on the beach, the nesting is a slow process and most turtles lay between 500 and 1000 eggs at a time, dug into large holes and finally covered by 30cms of sand. The eggs hatch two months later and the tiny hatchlings dig their way out of the nests and scurry to the ocean. The warm water attracts different breeds of turtles: Loggerheads, huge Leatherbacks, Green Turtles and tropical Hawksbills.
Turtles lay their eggs at different times and if you’re lucky you will be able to see both nesting and hatching in the one night. The season starts in October and finishes in April. Most of the money generated by tourism in this area goes back into the Maputaland Sea Turtle Project (you can even adopt your own turtle, who you can hold before you release into the ocean.).

Programme

Each day we plan local flights to suit weather conditions. As stated, St Lucia, Kosi Bay, Sibiya, and a host of other destinations will keep you busy for most of Saturday and Sunday.

Camp at Sodwana airfield at François Burger’s hanger or back packer communal dorm beds are available at about R 80.00 per night. Alternatively stay at Coral Divers, or one of the other many lodges. The comfort package is at Wayne Larkan’s Shayamoya lodge 200 meters from the runway at about R 450.00 per night, meals excluded. Transport is by local taxi, or by any pilot that has travelled by car.

CONTACTS:
Coordination will be done by Brian Young at Pyramid, (co-ordinating those from JHB via Barberton), Donald Hicks from the Cato Ridge area and Mike French for the leg from Empangeni.
Questions to:

Donald Hicks at: Donald.hicks@za.nampak.com 083 626 3180
Alan Mackenzie at: alanmack@iafrica.com 082 373 4947
Mike French frenchm@iwirelessafrica.com 083 630 5073
François Burger 072 211 6662
Bernidene Ezulwini@wetlands.co.za 035 562 2100 / 035 562 7002
Brian Young pyramid@xsinet.co.za 082 337 8206 / 013 712 6209
Wayne LarkanShayamoya Lodge wayne@sodwana-bay.co.za 083 725 5853

NOTE::: You will be required to make your own hotel / accommodation bookings.

Regards,

Donald & Alan

[Sleeper]

Anyone planning to join the trip via Pyramid? Me and a buddy plans to go from Pretoria via Baberton, but if no one is doing the trip from Baberton, we might take a more direct route.

If you plan to go via Baberton, please send me a message.

Cheers,

Org