Sodwana, soddies, sods – these are all names that get thrown around by those that have been there and you build up an image in your head no matter how dangerous a thing it is to do. For months now my friends and I have literally been counting down the days until we embarked on our much planned and saved for diving holiday in the famous Sodwana Bay. I have sat and listened patiently as old holidays were reminisced and as favourite antics were retold and favourite dive haunts relived. I have been excited and nervous that the built up anticipation would fall flat on its face as it so often does yet in the same breath couldn’t wait to get there and see for my self. Would it be as beautiful? Would it be some of the best diving ever? HELL YES!!!!
Of course everyone knows that all good holidays start with a road trip, and in Shared Viz fashion this was no different. Thank goodness for the company driving down as our little Getz did really well until the long sandy driveway jumped up and bit her, although having seen Suzi stuck in the sand a few days later made her ego feel a whole lot better. (Yes even our cars have names).
The diving couldn’t be more perfect, and the famous two mile reef presented herself daily in a different light, never failing to produce spectacular sites for those diving her. From the larger species to the tiniest she showed us a different side and kept us pouring over her and sent us scuttling back to the camp to spend hours looking over reference books to try and name that one particular fish or nudi or piece of coral that had captured our imagination that day. For the more adventurous five mile and nine mile reefs allowed a new experience and mama nature saved special treats for those lucky enough to be on the right boat at the right time with pods of dolphins as special guests.
New Years in Sodwana was bitter sweet! We greeted 2009 to a horrific site, the same fiasco that had occurred the previous year had happened again. Some 40 000 people were let into the National Park on New Years day but the destruction and mess that they left behind was a sight that I still can’t get over. Our pristine national heritage site was a rubbish dump! Under big signs stating “No littering, no alcohol …..” were piles and piles of booze bottles, nappies, hair braids, condoms and general litter. I am the first to confess that although my friends had warned me nothing prepared me for the site that greeted me. We started to collect rubbish and were joined by fishermen and other beach goers and in a matter of a few hours had already made a huge difference. Those bags however stood there for days and were still there when we left, no one had bothered!
My love affair with Sodwana started as I was assured it would and accompanied by good friends made for a real treat. Thank you to everyone for a wonderful introduction, for good company and loads of laughter! As for Soddies (yup I can call it that now as I have the t shirt – quite literally) I believe you could dive there for years and not uncover all the magic that is has to offer, somehow we need to find a way of protecting this area from callous arrangements such as the annual New Year’s bash to ensure that in a few years time we will still have a soddies to fall in love with time and time again!
Fundraising Info 1: Simply Scuba Trust, Nedbank Branch 135705 Account 1357094620 If you could please put relief and your name as a ref.
Fundraising Info 2: The Whaler financially in this impossible time their account number is ABSA Bank, account number 9153657080 branch code 632005, ANY donations will be welcome, please use "relief" as reference for payments.
Fundraising Info 3: Dolphin encounters - Dolphin EnCOuntours, Nedbank, Sandton, acc number 1970645857 branch code 197005. Every little bit will help.
Dundraising info 4: Acc name T. Steyn, absa savings acc, 9171585843, kwanganase. You will receive a thank you from individuals so u know the money was received. Thanks guys for your support
Drop off points: Prest-ige Dive - Northrand Road - Boksburg Sandton Scuba - Riverside Shopping Center - Bryanston Drive Calypso - Ushaka - Durban Ponta Beach Bar - Louis - Ponta
Rose Bilbrough -Just received this messages from Debs - Oh what special folk, well hard to say now as we have huge storage problem,but 100 bricks and a bag of cement per person - Duvets, pillows, sheets, knifes & forks spoons, plates. Pot or pan. For now iam sure that will help a lot.thankyou so much for helping us get our staffs lives back on track
Lets Help Rebuild Ponta Do Oura Campsite Petro Shaw - What I would really apreciate is kids books and dvd esp 4 teags to try keep it semi normal. Copied r perfect. She is barney and mickey mouse mad at mo.
Lets Help Rebuild Ponta Do Oura Campsite Got an sms from Elaine in Ponta Wayne and Petro's girls are a slender 15 and 12 and then the little one is 3 for sizes of clothes. They have also lost all their educational stuff, Computers, Printers school books etc in order for them to continue their studies!
"Lets Help Rebuild Ponta Do Oura Campsite" - join this page on Face book please! There is info on how to get involved wither with donations or finacially.
