Leaving Sodwana Bay on the Worst Road in SA!

Wednesday 18 August

Our last day in Sodwana Bay was spent relaxing by the pool as all diving had been cancelled due to the extreme sea conditions. It would have been nice if the diving had been cancelled before our first dive and not during it, but there you go. We can't have everything.

Getting out to 7 Mile Reef past the waves was again another hairy experience. I learned from Rob, the very camp dive manager who nicknamed me 'trouble' for some reason, that this stretch of ocean is called the Grave Yard. No prizes for guessing why! Anyway, we arrived at the dive site and after a hurried entry and descent we found ourselves being tossed about on the bottom like peas in a washing machine. We were diving as a large group. Yaku, who was babysitting us, and another group of about 6 Dive Master students with another instructor. As soon as we were on the reef we knew that this might not be such a nice dive and within minutes everyone, bar Dan and I, were whisked away with the current. Dan and I had found a nice little reef to shelter behind and were enjoying looking at the few fish that could handle the pace when everyone dissapeared. We waited for a few minutes for a gap in the surge, the went back up to the surface where the RIB picked us up. Not before I delivered this mornings breakfast to the fish first. I can't believe I have been sea sick twice on this trip!

Eventually other heads popped up in various places and we battled with the waves and current to land everyone safely before heading back to shore. I think the dive masters were feeling a little embarrassed as before hand they were giving it large, and it was Dan and I who handled the situation better than all of them. Rob later informed me that this was only the second time diving had been cancelled in over a year. Still, no worries, no harm done and the afternoon spent within the safety of the swimming pool was highly enjoyable.

We departed Sodwana Bay early eveing on the worst road yet. Only about 70km long, but having to drive at around 25km for the entire length, it took about 3 hours till we reached the main road. We got to the border of SA/Swaziland at about 9:00 which meant we were too late to cross and had to wait till the morning. Both boys were already in their bunks and fast asleep, so I parked up with ll the lorry drivers and it wasn't long before I joined them in the land of nod too. First, i found a little bar, where I enjoyed a beer with the truckies and watched the first half of the Burnley Man Utd game. It was 1-0 to Burnley when I left. Did it stay that way?