HERE is the saga of two elderly ladies who hoped to spend a pleasant day in South Africa’s first World Heritage Site – during Heritage month ‘nogal’.
Last week we set off from St Lucia and drove the 3km to the iSimangaliso Wetland Park’s entrance gate.
The only directions we had were from a store owner in town and a map in an advertising booklet published by Kian Barker.
This map indicated a straightforward drive north with side loops for viewing game as we slowly made our way northwards towards Cape Vidal.
After several hours of pleasant driving and fantastic game and bird viewing, we thought we had reached Cape Vidal.
There were booms across the road and another guard hut, which we assumed to be the entrance to Cape Vidal.
The guard asked for our permit document which we surrendered as we thought we needed to give him this as proof of payment before entering the Cape Vidal beach and diving area. And on we drove.
There was no signage on the park side of the booms, but that did not worry us as there were no signs at all along the roads we had been travelling on. All we had seen were little green arrows on sticks pointing to ‘loops’.
To our shock and horror, some fishermen explained to us that we had exited iSimangaliso Park, and the guards would not let us back in.
In Parks run by Ezemvelo and SanParks, at every intersection or turn there are neatly built stone markers with signs indicating the direction and destination of each road. These are sadly missing in iSimangaliso.
We tried to convince the guard that we had made a genuine mistake, but he could do nothing about it unless we paid again.
This was not an option for two pensioners, so we phoned the number on a notice board and spoke to Inge-Laura Taylor.
She too could not help us as entrances and exits are counted and audited.
I am writing this letter because I think that the iSimangaliso Authority needs to make some drastic user-friendly improvements.
Better still, this Park should be run by Ezemvelo. Then we would see an impressive entrance gate, well trained gate staff who can make visitors welcome without Big Brother’s cameras and audits – and road signs.
GAIL NUNN
Village of Happiness, Margate
