Kayaking on the Pongola River below the Jozini Dam

Have you ever driven across the Jozini Dam wall en route to Ponta Do Ouro or Ponta Malongane in Mozambique or perhaps to Ndumo Game Reserve or Tembe Elephant Park? It is a pretty awesome experience to actually drive on the 90m high wall with the dam on one side and a sheer drop down to the Pongola River on the other.. In fact many people stop at the lay by on the far side of the wall to get a better look at the river as it flows off into the Makhathini Flats wondering what it would be like to paddle this stretch of the river....Well wonder no longer, here is a brief description of the first 15 km of Pongola river from directly below the Jozini dam wall to the Pongola River Camp...                                                           

Safety briefing

The Pongola River Company starts their trip directly below the dam wall with a safety briefing under the shade of a beautiful Sycamore Fig tree. The briefing introduces you to the area including the basic ecology and goes on to explain basic river safety, how to use the boats and how navigate through the 15 km of river between the wall and the Camp.

With the safety talk completed the first objective is to paddle right up under the dam wall and see where the water comes hurtling out of the sluice gates creating a 30m high plume of mist and boiling water. 

Water released from the sluice gate at the bottom of the wall

After this we head downstream to tackle the weir. Depending on the water level we either decide to run the weir or portage around it and as a general rule of thumb the weir is safely runnable when the river is running at about 7 cumecs. Anything higher than this and extreme caution needs to be taken as weirs are notoriously dangerous due to the suck back or washing machine generated by the falling water which can recycle and unwary swimmer. Qualified river guides should always be in attendance when attempting to shoot dangerous rapids or a weir. Having said that if run properly and safely the weir can be a huge amount of fun and is by far the largest 'rapid' on the river.

       

From the weir downwards the river forms a pool drop system with a few large pools between numerous small but fun grade 1 rapids interspersed with narrow runs between reed beds. 

The water is crystal clear and the birding is exceptional with numerous Kingfisher and Heron species as well as African Finfoot, African Jacana and the occasional sighting of something special like the Pels Fishing Owl, Brown hooded parrot and Narina Trogon. At dusk you have a good chance of seeing a Bat Hawk where the paddle ends at the Pongola River Camp..

Pels Fishing Owl spotted on the Pongola Rive

White fronted bee eaters

For the more relaxed paddle the trip can be split up over 2 days with a night spent sleeping at the Lunch Pool campsite. For the more energetic and as the name suggests this is where we stop over for a lunch break before paddling another 4km through to the Pongola River Camp.

Above: Lunch Pool camp site.   Right: The Mozambique style bar over looking at the Pongola River Camp

The Pongola River Camp marks the end of the one day river trip and transfers are provided back to Jozini for day visitors. In conclusion this is a great full day or half day activity suitable for the whole family. The trips are run by qualified African Paddling Association (APA) and Field Guides Association of South Africa (FGASA) accredited guides so you are in good hands. The water is crystal clear, the rapids are small and safe but more fun than paddling on flat water and above all the scenery and birding is outstanding!

For those interested in multi day canoe trips this marks the completion of the first day with an option of a further 1,2 or 3 days paddle from the camp down stream. Please continue reading for more information the multi day canoe trips!

Day 2 Pongola River Camp to Sand Bank Campsite 25km

Awesome underwater pic of a tiger.

This is a super chilled day where you spend as much time floating next to your boat as actually paddling it! With loads of Sycamore Fig trees hanging over the sandy shores picking a good shady spot for lunch and an afternoon siesta is a given. If you have a fly rod and would like to try your luck for tiger fish now is your chance. After an hour or so lunch break we hop back into the kayaks and drift/paddle the remaining 10km to the over night Sand Bank Campsite which is on a small sandy island next to an excellent fishing hole. As is the case every night on the multi-day paddling trips the tents are set up for you and we do all the catering allowing you to enjoy a sundowner on your own little island overlooking the Pongola River..

Day 3 Sand Bank Campsite to Forest Campsite 20km

Forest Campsite inlet.

On day 3 the river changes again; the water becomes deeper and the river narrower so that the Sycamores form a canopy above as you paddle the 20 km to the Forest Camp. Day 3 is slightly shorter than the other days leaving you ample time to fish for Tigers with lures should you wish. The birding and scenery is outstanding on as you float through the heart of the floodplain. We set up camp where an old sandy riverbed runs into the Pongola river. The white sandy riverbed is surrounded by dense forest and about 3m above the water level and comes complete with an inlet to park the boats - perfect.

Day 4 Forest Campsite to Skimelela 30km

Stunning Pongola river

The river here is stunning and thickly vegetated with Giant Sycamore fig trees, Natal Mahogany and Fever Trees. The birding is really good with lots of African Finfoot, Green Coucal and a chance to spot the elusive Pels Fishing Owl. The fishing on this stretch of the river can be challenging with the thick vegetation in along the banks but is often rewarded with some nice size Tiger fish. The distance on day 4 can be reduced by 10 km/2hours should you need the extra traveling time to get home. Once we get to the extraction point we will return you to your vehicles in Jozini which is a 45 minute drive.

In summary the 90+km 3night/4day river trip has a bit of something to offer for everything. The fishing is great and heats up in Spring/Summer while the birding is truly exceptional all year round and the canoeing, as always on the Pongola, is a real treat.

Pongola River Company promo courtesy of Ultimate Braaimaster and Cooked ...

Exploring the Phongolo Floodplain - Part 1

This week’s mission was to explore the un-fished waters of the lower floodplain in terms of fishing, birding and canoeing potential. It was only fitting that we invited a varied group of people to participate in our exploration. And this is how a pilot (Kyle), a scientist, a professional hunter (Jabu), a veterinarian (Jenny) and a conservationist (Chris) all found themselves jammed into a Mahindra double cab driven by a Zulu man named Ishmael ridiculously early on a Saturday morning in search of an access point to the Pongola river. Kyle and myself had fished the first 10km of the lower floodplain the previous week and already impressed with what we had seen were keen to get cracking. The plan was to put in just above where we had take out on the previous trip in order to cover some good water we had not had time to fish on the previous trip.

Stunning Pongola river

After a few wrong turns and some directions from the local farmers we made our way down to the river only needing 4x4 once along the way. As always the first sight of the river gets the nature lover in you going. For fly fishermen the clear water with distinct drop off's and the knowledge that Tigerfish occur naturally here makes you assemble your rod too fast and with shaky hands. For birders the impressive riverine vegetation and giant Sycamore fig trees suggest some good sightings – we were not to be disappointed. The vegetation, the birds and the water combine to make this one of the most beautiful stretches of river you can paddle.

Awesome underwater pic of Kyle's tiger

These same qualities can make the fishing somewhat challenging. The numerous trees overhanging the river make casting a bit difficult and fishing from the side nearly impossible. However, every now and then the river opens up and presents you with a sandy bank and adjacent drop off to fish into. Spending a fair amount of time here is often rewarded with a brace of fish.These little 'hotspots' can be manic with lots of action and often cast for cast hook-ups! We managed to land 15 tigers between 3 fishermen and most of these came from areas where we could stop and fish from the side. However, once again we fished the first part of the day too slowly and had to rush over some of the best water in the late afternoon to meet the vehicle at the take out point. This is inevitable in exploratory trips as we do not know exactly where the take out will be and paddle downstream until we find Ishmael! 

Green coucal

The focus of the trip was on the fishing but fortunately for us Chris was on the ball with the birding and we spotted Pink-backed Pelican, Green-back Heron by the dozen, Sqaucco heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Purple heron, Giant Kingfishers, Cape Parrot and Green Coucal to name a few...

Perfect over night camp sight.

The river itself is stunning and thickly vegetated with Giant Sycamore fig trees, Natal Mahognony, Fever Trees. About 8km into the paddle we found a perfect camp site where an old sandy riverbed runs into the Pongola. The riverbed is surrounded by dense forest and about 3m above the water level and is made up of white sand and comes complete with an inlet to park the boats - perfect.

In summary this is a great stretch of river with a bit of something to offer everyone from fishing to birding or canoeing. The fishing is great and will heat up in Spring/Summer I am sure. The birding promises to be truly exceptional and the canoeing, as always on the Pongola, is a real treat.

Exploring the Phongolo Floodplain

Nile Crocodile caught at Nyamithi Pan 

The Phongolo Floodplain
Tucked away in the north eastern corner of KwaZulu-Natal is one of South Africa's best kept secrets - the Phongolo (Pongola) River and Floodplain. I first stumbled across this incredible system while studying Nile Crocodiles at Ndumo Game Reserve from 2009 until the present. Four years of exploration by canoe, 4x4, foot and by air both inside and outside of the reserve as well as an extensive literature review (for my studies) has led to a deep appreciation of how truly unique a system the Pongola is. Allow me to share with you a little of what I have found...

Canoeing on the Pongola River

The River
Gin clear waters flowing throughout the year, meandering around white sandbanks and under giant Sycamore Fig trees...80km's navigable by canoe and easy enough for beginners to handle. Water so clear that you can snorkel.... over 40 species of fish to see and catch. Twenty five major pans ranging from 20 - 400ha in size interspersed along the length of the river creating a diverse habitat for over 400 species of birds including the elusive Pels Fishing Owl, African Finfoot, and Black Coucal to name a few. 

The Camp
Blown away by all the Pongola has to offer we established a tented camp on the banks of the river and started offering Canoe Safaris, Birding, Flyfishing for the mighty Tigerfish and general leisure and camping trips. Proceeds form these trips help maintain the 300ha Kwa Nyamazane conservancy surrounding the camp and will very soon allow us to set up another camp and conservancy on one of the pans a days paddle downstream from the current camp.

Sunset at Madonela Pan

The Mission
Through this blog we invite you to follow our journey as we aim to put the Pongola Floodplain firmly on the map as a primary eco-tourism destination and keep you up to date on the fishing, birding, canoe trips and conservation initiatives taking place. Next weeks missions includes:

• Explore the as of yet un-fished waters of the lower floodplain
• Take a closer look at Mzinyeni Pan - historically a great birding site
• Follow up on a reported 'problem croc' that has been feeding on livestock

That's all for this week folks! Stay tuned for more pics and stories next week. Comments and questions welcome.