The Mziki Wilderness Trails

Mziki is a Zulu name for the Common Reedbuck and is also the name given to three hiking trails, or bush walks in St Lucia, South Africa. The Mziki Trails, could have been named the Ingwenya Trails or the Nyathi Trails as the Common Reedbuck is just one of the many animals, including hippo, buffalo, elephant, crocodile, kudu, waterbuck, red and grey duiker, vervet and samango monkeys, baboons, banded mongoose, bushbuck, bush pig and leopard that occur in this particular area of the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park or as it is now called, the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

The three looped day walks all begin and end at the Mount Tabor hut not far from Mission Rocks on South Africa’s northern KwaZulu-Natal cost in the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park and are ideal for those looking to combine a bush walk (walking safari) with coastal hiking, where you will get to see some incredible views of the Indian Ocean as well as the fantastic dune forests, rock pools, open grasslands of the eastern shore and the possibility of seeing the wealth of wildlife in this unique part of South Africa.

Once you arrive in St Lucia you must report to the trail office at Mission Rocks, about 15 km north of the town of St Lucia. From here you will leave your car at the car park at Mission Rocks and take a 2km walk up to your base for the next few days at the Mount Tabor hut. This hut was actually built by the Royal Air Force as an observation post during the second world war and provided radar support for the Catalina flying boats who supplied air cover for allied shipping in the area. The hut can be described as basic but comfortable, with beds and mattresses are supplied for up to 8 people. Crockery and cutlery is also supplied and there is a two plate gas cooker, but fridge or freezer. Ablutions take the form of a bucket shower and a long drop toilet with a view! Firewood is provided. There is a ladder that you can climb up onto the roof of the hut and makes an excellent vantage point and it must be said that generally the views from Mount Tabor are fantastic and is the perfect place to take wonderful sunrise and sunset photos.

Trail One
At about 10km long, the first trail takes you in a southerly direction, known as the South Coast loop. The outbound section meanders through open hill sides, freshwater pans, hippo paths and indigenous dune forest and pine plantation, where we saw red duikers and a female bushbuck and a huge variety of birds. Trees of interest includes the ornamental coral tree in the open veld, the long-lived milkwood tree of the dune forests and the rare forest fig. Most of the return leg is along rocky coastline where tidal pools abound with interesting marine life.

Trail Two
This is another trail that is about 10km long, it is known as the Lake Trail or Mfazana Pan loop and it takes you in a westerly direction through indigenous forest, past the Mfazana freshwater pan. During the rainy season this pan is the home of many species of waterfowl, hippos and crocodiles. We saw waterbuck near the waters edge, crocs, a pod of hippos in the distance and plenty of waterbirds, including the impressive saddle-bill stork, yellowbilled storks and spoon-bills. It is important to be wary of hippos in this area as they often leave the water to graze in the forests even during the day. From the pan the trail crosses the St Lucia/Cape Vidal road, goes over open grassland until it reaches the shore of Lake St Lucia. At this point the trail swings north along the lake shore for about 1,5km, then leads inland and back to Mount Tabor.

Trail Three
The North Coast loop is almost 20km long and is even more remote than the other two bush walks. From Mount Tabor ridge, the trail heads northwards along the then drops down into Bokkie Valley where you can often see the Mziki (reed buck) that these trails are named after. Apparently there are about 4 thousand reed buck on the eastern shores of St Lucia. We saw bushbuck, red duiker, kudu, waterbuck, warthog, monkeys but not a single reedbuck. From here the trail leads through forested dunes and then returns to Mount Tabor along approximately 8km of uninhabited coastline. As beach-walking during high tide is often difficult, you are advised to plan this hike so that it coincides with the low tide.

Things to remember:
You are in a wildlife area, and as such it is important to be cautious, especiall when near the pans or lake as crocodiles and hippos are plentiful. The hippos will often lie up in the indigenous forest during the day. You can go on Mziki hikes with a guide, which I would highly suggest if you are new to the bush as not only will they be able to ensure your safety, but will pass on a wealth of information about the bush, it’s animals as well as some local culture and traditions.

Further Reading:

• Mziki Hiking Trails – Including Contact Information
• Greater St Lucia Wetland Park
  
• Take a look at more Zulu and other African names for Animals