A few days and a number of campsites later we reached Kozi Bay and decided to stop at the Kozi bay Coastal Forest Reserve before continuing north.

After deflating our tyres somewhat and engaging 4x4 we tackled the soft and sandy path to the reserve. Ordinarily this track wouldn’t have been particularly difficult for any other 4x4 enthusiast, however given that we’re heavier then most 18 wheeler articulated trucks and that the previous night’s downpour had turned the ‘road’ into a mass of muddy trenches, potholed ascents and tricky side slopes, it was rather fun.

Cath handled the Beast superbly and a few kilometres later we arrived at our destination.

The campsites themselves were easily the biggest that we’ve visited so far, with both sun and shaded areas, plug points, water and built in braai facilities. The first day was really spent setting up and getting our bearings. We discovered afterwards that the sea was miles away and unfortunately there wasn’t much to do where we had set up without the use of a vehicle (once our camp is unpacked, it is impossible to move the vehicle without packing up again, which was really not an option).

Thus we spent our time on admin – cleaning the clothes (note to self: do not leave the washing for more than 2 days ever again), reorganising the boxes in the Beast and generally trying to figure out our next moves.

They did have the most beautiful jetty onto the lake where we were able to sit and watch the Fish Eagles and Palmnut Vultures overhead.

We also had our first run in with a snake – en route to the Jetty we stopped in at a small gazebo type shelter that has a number of diagrams of the reserve and the birds and fishes found in the area. Without looking too carefully before heading in Cath very nearly stepped onto a bright green snake. Needless to say with a loud shriek and a heart stopping moment we turned tail a leaped out the entrance. The snake followed but only to slither towards the cover of the forest. Once we had recovered sufficiently we took a tentative look inside, this time to be rewarded with spotting another snake, this one quite contently wrapped around one of the beams and not going anywhere. Being about 3 times the length of its previous cousin we backed out and left – saying a small word of thanks and vowing to always check first before entering another building.

Whilst still in the camp we met another couple who had visited Mozambique a few years earlier and warned against the back hand nature of the officials whose paths they has the misfortune to cross. It was not a pretty picture, but one that we have heard before and something that unfortunately we can do nothing about. The one story I remember him telling us was how coming over a hill they were stopped at a roadblock. After taking a look around the car and checking all their documentation they we informed that their car was making too much noise when it drove and as such they would need to pay a fine. Needless to say they were less than impressed by this attempt at bribery but arguing only made it worse and increased the fine – moral of the story; no matter the condition of the vehicle or the state of you documentation, there will always be a way that they can solicit a bribe and there is nothing you can say or do to stop it.

And so it is with the preparation and test runs complete that we now gear up for our first border crossing – here’s holding thumbs.