Durban Botanic Gardens

Yesterday it rained all day, and today the forecast was for more of the same, and yet it was a clear morning that allowed us to have an early run along the beach promenade. After breakfast when it was still dry we decided to go visit the Durban Botanic Gardens, as I have not been there for about 30 years! This is a scene in the gardens, and yesterday's rain has caused large puddles everywhere which has provided good reflections.

It is Africa's oldest surviving botanical gardens, and was established, amongst other things, to supply plants to Kew Gardens that were new to science. It was established in 1851and contains an extensive collection of cycads. In one of the extras you can see a Wood's Cycad, which was discovered in a forest in Zululand is 1895. All specimens were male plants and new to science. They are endemic to South Africa and are now extinct in the wild.

In another extra you can see a Hadada Ibis, so called due to it's very distinctive and loud cry of haa-haa-de-dah. Every morning since we have been here I have been woken at dawn by these birds calling to each other, I have forgotten how annoying they can be! I think they are the closest living bird to a pterodactyl as they look almost prehistoric!

After the gardens my sister and her partner fetched us and took us to the most fantastic restaurant for lunch - it was called Mozambik and it was indeed a little corner of Mozambique. We ate succulent prawns in lemon butter and grilled calamari in peri peri sauce, it was absolutely delicious!

We leave to come home tomorrow night and it has been so good to see the family and especially spend time with my sister who has taken so much strain over the past few months when my mother was so ill.