At the end of January 2026, Wendy and I embarked on our first trip for the year. This was a cruise beginning in Mauritius and ending in Cape Town South Africa, followed by a few days in Dubai.
We flew to Mauritius and after a night in town at the almost invisible (certainly to our driver), yet very comfortable Citadelle Mall Apartments, we joined the ship.
When we were younger, we would never have considered a cruise, except to get somewhere (like Singapore or London). But recently, I claim to have become a cruise cognoscente. This is our eighth holiday cruise and a ninth is already booked.
Azamara Journey is a smaller cruise ship than others we have sailed on, not counting those river cruises on The Nile or the Volga.
She is a conventional style ship, with shafts and propellers, making her relatively slow and less stable than, say, the Queen Elizabeth, the various Celebrity, Holland America and other ships we've sailed on. These have generally employed electric Azipods, for propulsion, combined with bow-thrusters, for manoeuvrability. They can be up to six knots faster.
Azamara Journey Specifications:
- Length: 181 m
- Draught: 5.8 metres
- Capacity: 694 passengers
- Crew: 407
- Propulsion: two propeller shafts and two fixed pitch propellers driven by four Wärtsilä 12V32LNE diesel-electric engines, each of which produces 4,860kW at 720rpm.
- Speed: 18 knots (21 maximum)
- Maiden voyage: 2000 (2021 after Covid lay-up)
Because of her relatively small size she is able to tie-up, nearer to towns and cities, not relegated to some cargo terminal miles out.
The main downside of a smaller ship is the evening entertainment, provided by a smaller group of, nevertheless very talented, performers. Not the big-cast big-productions and the huge theatre on some larger ships. They make up for this with visiting troupes' of performers on-deck in-port and an 'AzAmazing Evening' on-shore.
Everything else is upside, she is fitted-out like a luxury hotel. There is little or no waiting for anything. The food is excellent in the Dining Room, in two specialty restaurants, and elsewhere (cafe, burger bar etc). Almost everything, including standard wines and cocktails, is included. There's Piano Bar and Library but no Casino.
Also, there's no need to continuously identify yourself, your ship-card is just the key to your cabin and your ID going ashore. In the event you are accessing a premium drink or restaurant just tell them the cabin number.
According to Cruise Critic: "Azamara is considered a premium boutique cruise line, sitting between luxury brands like Silversea or Seabourn and premium lines such as Celebrity Cruises. Its smaller ships offer an upscale yet relaxed atmosphere, with destination-focused itineraries and longer port stays."
Although she is not as fast, quiet or luxurious as the Queen Elizabeth, nor having the spectacular theatre, nor range of live entertainment, of the Celebrity Apex (Edge class), I rank her among the most comfortable ships we have sailed on.
To see more pictures from the ship click on the image above
The island of Mauritius is the largest island in the Republic of Mauritius. Nevertheless, it is quite small 65 km (40 mi) long and 45 km (30 mi) wide, with a population of just over one million. Geographically, the island is considered to be part of Africa but it has a relatively advanced economy and a democratic government so, it ranks first in Africa in several socio-economic indicators, including education and literacy.
For example, the GDP per capita is over double that of South Africa (IMF 2025). Mauritius was formally British territory and is a member of the Commonwealth. There is even a statue of Queen Victoria down near the harbour. Like Australia and New Zealand, Sri Lanka, India, and many more, they drive on the left (the right side) making the streets familiar to us.
The island was formed relatively recently by volcanic activity some 8 million years ago. Its volcanoes are no longer active because the hotspot moved west, during the next three million years, and now rests under nearby Réunion Island, our next port of call.
As these recently formed islands have never been connected to any other landmass, much of the flora and fauna has evolved in isolation, creating many new species from bids that originally flew in and seeds carried by birds, wind and the ocean, many from Madagascar or Sri Lanka.
In Mauritius, the most famous among these is the, now extinct, Dodo, a large flightless pigeon. It's extinction captured the Victorian imagination as a skeleton was displayed in the London Natural History Museum and it is one of the animals featured in "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland". Its demise it is thought to have been due to hungry sailors and the even hungrier rats, that they carried with them. A similar fate was met by the local tortoise population. Too slow, too tasty. Perhaps not - see later.
"But who is to give the prizes?" quite a chorus of voices asked.
"Why, she, of course," said the Dodo, pointing to Alice with one finger....
"But she must have a prize herself, you know," said the Mouse.
"Of course," the Dodo replied very gravely. "What else have you got in your pocket?" it went on, turning to Alice.
"Only a thimble," said Alice sadly.
Like Réunion, Mauritius was colonised by the French, who followed a failed Dutch attempt at colonisation in the 16th century. Prior to the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 the islands provided useful re-provisioning for ships travelling to and from India, providing fresh fruit and vegetables, useful in the prevention of scurvy. So, during the Napoleonic Wars, at the Battle of Grand Port, 20–27 August 1810, the British seized the island. Under the subsequent Treaty of Paris, France was obliged to cede Mauritius and its dependencies to the United Kingdom.
The new British colony of Mauritius now included Rodrigues, Agaléga, St. Brandon, the Chagos Archipelago, and, until 1906, the Seychelles. Mauritius soon became the British Empire's main sugar-producing colony and remained a primarily sugar-dominated plantation-based colony until independence, in 1968.
We both have friends who came from Mauritius and imagined this would be an uncontroversial first stop, where we would join our cruise of the Indian Ocean. But when I turned on BBC News on the 20th of January 2026, I discovered that Mauritius was front page news.
In his latest diplomatic dance around Britain's support for Greenland's present sovereignty, President Trump had accused Britain of military weakness, in allowing sovereignty of the island of Diego Garcia to pass to Mauritius.
What?
In 1968 Mauritius became an independent republic. Yet, just three years earlier, Mauritius had formed part of a new entity: 'the British Indian Ocean Territory' which merged Mauritius with Chagas Islands a remote Indian Ocean archipelago located about 2,000 kilometres to the north-east of Mauritius. It's difficult to see them on a map. Yet among the larger Chagas Islands is the island of Diego Garcia.
In the 1960s and 70s, the UK forcibly relocated the population of Diego Garcia, around 2,000 inhabitants, to establish a joint military base with the US.
Mauritius asserted, on historical grounds, that the Chagas Islands had previously been part of their territory and this became the basis of a sovereignty dispute before the International Court of Justice.
Last year, the Court ruled in Mauritius' favour and both Britain and the United States appeared to accept the ruling with the UK agreeing to pay Mauritius an annual rental, for 99 years, for the use of the island.
Suddenly, President Trump was calling Britain weak, saying it's a bad deal.
This was huge news in the UK - soon eclipsed by Trump's even more outrageous remarks about allied troops not pulling their weight in Afghanistan. That one went over 'like a lead balloon' in the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, and Italy (the US allies that lost, in some cases, hundreds of combatants). Trump rapidly back-pedalled - TACO?
To see more of the island, we engaged a driver to take us to the most popular tourist places, including the waterfall shown below and several others you can see by clicking on that image.
At lake Ganga Talao, our driver engaged me in a religious discussion. He doesn't need statues or pictures to feel closer to God: All this (flim-flam) is just a way for simple minds to approach the mystical (ineffable) that is God, he opined. I agreed that this was a philosophical position held by many and that I had once held, when I was a teenager attempting to explain away the Trinity. Obvious nonsense, given the age and scope of the universe and mankind's relative insignificance.
I told him that the Anglican Bishop of Newcastle (NSW) once said something similar to me at Christmas. I didn't pursue it beyond that, as he might have gone on even longer, and Wendy was hopping from foot-to-foot, wanting to get back in the car and get going.
For you, my readers, my issue with this position is that it is just an intellectual way of justifying and preserving the icons of religion and ideas that have no support in reality. It's a position I soon abandoned as irrational when studying philosophy, reading Hume and Bertrand Russell, among others (click on those links, if interested).
Across the road from a similar statue of Lord Shiva known as Mangal Mahadev and
adjacent to Ganga Talao, a sacred lake and the most important Hindu pilgrimage site on the island,
symbolically connected to the Ganges River in India,
It's a major attraction for devotees and tourists. The lion is undergoing maintenance.
I wondered how religious are Mauritians? I looked it up. Very, according to the last census: Hinduism (48%); Christianity (32%); Islam (18%); Other (1.00%). No religion less than 1%.
Notwithstanding the island's relatively high economic standing, some parts of the capital, Port Louis, are quite shabby. Yet, we were able to find a very pleasant restaurant, down by the harbour, where there are a number of attractive colonial buildings.
For several centuries Mauritius' principal economic activity and income was sugar growing. This has now been surpassed by tourism and the service industry, including IT and call-centres, supported by the country's excellent universal education and health systems.
As elsewhere in the world, the growing and harvesting of sugar, almost universally, employed slave labour. When slavery was abolished in the British Empire, in 1834, the slaves were replaced by indentured labour. Many of these people came from the Indian subcontinent, together with others from China and Africa, and they now make the majority of the Mauritian population.
Indentured labour was also used in the cane fields in Queensland in Australia. This was widely condemned by the other States and was a barrier to the proposed federation. So, immediately following Federation in Australia, this pseudo-slavery was ended when most of the indentured labourers (called 'Kanakas') were forcibly deported (under the Pacific Island Labourers Act 1901) This was among the first Acts of the new Australian Parliament and became a basis for the White Australia Policy (click on the Act link to find out more).
In Mauritius, the sugar labourers remained and prospered.
Since 1946, Réunion has been governed as a department of France and, thus, has a similar status to its counterparts in Metropolitan France. Consequently, it is one of the outermost regions of the European Union. It's like a little tropical Paris, complete with traditionally uniformed gendarmes. Owing to its strategic location, France also maintains a military presence on the island.
Réunionese, obviously, use Euros and drive on the wrong side of the road. I'm not fluent in French but I learnt it at school and this sounded a bit odd. That's because many don't use received French (à l'Académie Française). French is the official language, used for administrative purposes and in education. Yet, Réunion Creole, that derives from French, is widely spoken by those born on the island.
Although the first French claims date from 1638, the island was officially claimed by Jacques Pronis for France in 1642, when he deported a dozen French mutineers to the island from Madagascar. In 1665, the French East India Company sent the first settlers to develop a plantation economy, founded on the cultivation of coffee and sugar. From 1715 the French also began the cultivation of Mauritius.
As this was several centuries before the invention of farm machinery, or other means of harnessing of fossil fuels in place of human labour, the colonists bought slaves from African war-lords and Arab traders.
Wikipedia tells us that: "From the 17th to the 19th centuries, the French employed enslaved Africans, Chinese, and Indians as workers. Between 1769 and 1793 alone, some 80,000 slaves were imported to Réunion and Mauritius. Most of the non-Europeans on the islands were enslaved.
Today, the descendants of these slaves account for ethnic diversity in the population."
Yet, trafficking in people was not finished after tractors were invented. Over about two decades in the late 20th century (1963–1982), 1,630 children from Réunion were relocated to rural areas of metropolitan France, particularly to Creuse, ostensibly for education and work opportunities. That programme was led by influential Gaullist politician Michel Debré, who was an MP for Réunion at the time. Many of these children were abused or disadvantaged by the families with whom they were placed. Known as the Children of Creuse, they and their fate came to light in 2002 when one of them, Jean-Jacques Martial, filed suit against the French state for kidnapping and deportation of a minor. Although highlighting the issue, the case was dismissed by French courts and finally by the European Court of Human Rights in 2011.
The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 reduced the importance of the island as a stopover on the East Indies trade route and caused a shift in commercial traffic away from the island. Europe increasingly turned to sugar beet to meet its sugar needs. Despite the development policy of the local authorities and the recourse to compromise, the economic crisis became evident from the 1870s onwards. However, this economic depression did not prevent the modernization of the island, with the development of the road network, the creation of the railroad, and the construction of the artificial harbour of the Pointe des Galets. These major construction projects offered a welcome alternative for agricultural workers."
From the ship a shuttle service carried us, in the pouring rain, along the first section of 8.7 km of a new Route du Littoral, built on a viaduct, was opened in 2023 between Saint-Denis and Grande-Chaloupe. It improves traffic safety against swells and frequent rockfalls on the old coastal road. A final 2.5-km segment extending the road to La Possession is set to begin construction in 2026, with commissioning expected in 2030.
The bus dropped us in town where after a brief look at the beach (seen one - seen them all), we made our way, on foot, up the steep main street, Rue de Paris, past the cathedral, past the Hôtel de Paris and past a War Memorial. I was pleased to see that this bore the correct dates (1914-18). In places, like the US and ex-soviet countries, we have seen different dates to ours.
The Rue de Paris is lined with a number of large planters' mansions. Some are restored, some repurposed and some are in a state of terminal decay. One of these, la Villa de la Région, has become an art gallery. We dropped in to have a look and I was taken aback. There was a work by an early 20th century Australian artist: Rupert Bunny among the French daubers.
By now it was fine and hot outside. So, a pleasant browse around the gallery provided a cool break, before we continued up the hill to the Jardin de l'État (gardens ) and the Museum of Natural History. This too, turned out to be very interesting. In addition to the stuffed unusual wildlife, there was an exhibition about the French scientific expedition to observe the Transit of Venus.
In 1874 the French scientific expedition to observe the Transit of Venus from the Kerguelen Islands, celebrated in this exhibition was finally successful. The earlier one, nearer here, in 1769 was more problematic.
As all Australians are aware, this transit was of such great scientific interest that Captain James Cook was engaged to transport a scientific team, headed by Sir Joseph Banks, to observe the transit from Tahiti. He was then to continue west to find and map New Zealand and the east coast of Australia. A direct outcome was the first European settlement in Sydney 18 years later. And the European name of the trees that grace Awaba St, down to the beach - the 'banksias'. In Australia it is popularly said that had the first fleet not arrived with exactly the timing dictated by the Transit of Venus we would all be speaking French (and driving on the wrong side), follow the link to discover why.
The French astronomer, Guillame Joseph Hyacinthe Jean-Baptiste Le Gentil de la Galaisière, or Guillame Legentil for short, was not so lucky. Clouds blocked his observations. He made several visits to both Réunion and Mauritius in addition to Pondicherry in India (see our earlier trip). He tried several times during subsequent transits but weather and illness intervened. He's been dubbed "The most unlucky astronomer ever".
The exhibition was entirely in French but the diagrams and other elements were largely self-explanatory (pun?) and clearly demonstrated the principals involved and their importance in our understanding of our solar system and, by extension, it's place in the Universe.
The also had a nice Dodo cast and skeleton of a with an explanation.
Dodo cast and skeleton
THE DODO
A true myth and symbol of extinct animal species, the Dodo or Mauritius Dronte Raphus cucullatus disappeared, barely a century after the arrival of humans on the island. Thanks to numerous remains discovered in the Mare aux Songes, the constitution of the Dodo is known with precision. Large in size, weighing about fifteen kilograms, the Dodo had atrophied wings. Incapable of flight, it was easy prey to catch. Despite oily and bad-tasting flesh, it was intensively hunted by sailors stopping over on the spice route.
Like the Dodo, the Rodriguez Solitaire Pezophaps solitaria belongs to a specialized family, the Raphidae. They likely derived from a common dove-like ancestor that colonized the Mascarene Islands before losing the ability to fly.
Dodo (sp. Raphus c)
Cast in 1901.
As my readers already know, one of the benefits I gain from travel is the observation of the vast diversity of human beliefs, be they Marxism in ex-soviet countries or the vast panoply of religious beliefs, superstitions, and myths.
I was impressed by the Museum and its scientific approach, so as I passed the Cathedral again, still not a soul in sight, I wondered how much of the population are irreligious sceptics in the French tradition. In France half the population identify as Christian: Catholicism (47.0%); Protestantism (2.00%); Orthodoxy (1.00%), followed by Islam (4.00%); Buddhism (2.00%); and Judaism (1.00%). The remainder, over 33%, report having no religion. This is similar to other educated populations, even in extremely religious countries, like the United States, for example in California and the city of Boston, 33% are non-believers. Possibly why Trump hates them, even though they are more religious than Northern Europe and Australia, where around 40% report having no religion. Imagine!
According to the Institut National De La Statistique Et Des Etudes Economiques, the majority of Réunionese are Roman Catholic Christians (62.0%), followed by Hinduism (8.65%) and Islam (5.05%). Leaving 19% of Réunionese who have no need of religion.
One might have imagined that Mauritians doubted in similar numbers? Yet, as we saw there, like our driver, less than 1% report having no religion.
I was moved to write a limerick:
How religious is the isle of Mauritius
The statistics appear quite suspicious
Compared with elsewhere
It's extraordinaire
Why are Mauritians so superstitious?
Returning to down the hill we explored more of the town but were disappointed to discover that the Spanish tradition of Siesta is practiced here and almost everything was shut. The Ship beaconed me, with its all-day snacks and cocktails.
To see more pictures of Réunion click on the image above
Like Mauritius and Reunion, Madagascar has been biologically isolated for millions of years so that much of the fauna and flora are endemic, having evolved independently. All very interesting. Darwin vindicated.
Also, like Mauritius and Reunion, Madagascar, was once, latterly, colonised by the French. But the results here have more in keeping with Haiti than at the other two. It felt to me as if we had arrived in Papua New Guinea. On investigation, this turned out to be an insult to PNG, that has four times the GDP per capita. What on earth has gone wrong here?
According to Wikipedia: "Since Madagascar's independence from France in 1960, the island's political transitions have been marked by numerous popular protests, several disputed elections, an impeachment, two military coups, and an assassination. The country's recurrent political crises have often been prolonged, with detrimental effects on the local economy, international relations, and Malagasy living standards. For example, the eight-month standoff between incumbent Ratsiraka and challenger Ravalomanana following the 2001 presidential elections cost Madagascar millions of dollars in lost tourism and trade revenue as well as damage to infrastructure, such as bombed bridges and buildings damaged by arson. A series of protests led by Andry Rajoelina against Ravalomanana in early 2009 became violent, with more than 170 people killed.
Modern politics in Madagascar are also coloured by the history of the Merina subjugation of coastal communities under their rule in the 19th century. The consequent tension between the highland and coastal populations has periodically flared up into isolated events of violence."
Mention of Haiti caused me to investigate further. Haiti shares the Island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic that has five times the GDP per capita of those with a different culture across the border. Again, it can be explained by political upheaval but what drives that? Put simply: culture. The beliefs about one's ancestry, place in the world and the world in general, that children are taught 'at their mothers' knee'.
Many of these harmful beliefs have no verifiable, factual, support. They cripple their adherents by dwelling on historical grievances, lack of agency and inability to distinguish truth from nonsense. Both Haiti and Madagascar have remnants of folk religions now blended with Christianity into a toxic mix of beliefs in spirits, the un-dead, the influence of ancestors and a highly improbable 'life after death'. Politicians exploit these beliefs, in addition to tribal loyalties and traditions, to gain followers and to accumulate power and wealth. Everyone else suffers.
The ship moored at Port d'Ehoala about 10 km from Taolagnaro, Fort Dauphin. The port is quite new, opened on July 8, 2009 to facilitate the export of ilmenite from the nearby Mandena mine. There is a wind farm that provides electricity to the mine and to the mine housing estate that features modern bungalow style housing in contrast to the grass and corrugated iron shacks of the locals. Notwithstanding the employment offered by the mine, unemployment rates are high and many people seem to live off the land or appear to wander about aimlessly.
The arrival of cruise ships brings out the local traders. The main tourist attraction is the Sainte Luce Reserve is a nature reserve in south-east Madagascar and part of one of the last remaining intact coastal rainforests in the country. We had booked an excursion from the ship. There was a line of busses of all shapes and sizes. We hopped on a coach near the back of the queue. Seemed comfortable, until our driver tried to start it. Backfires, black smoke, inadequate battery. No worries! The staff rallied for a push-start - bang - and then the engine started. Just don't stall until we get there and then park facing down a hill.
On board our bus, our guide pointed out features like a cluster of memorial stones, these are like grave stones, except the remains of the dead are elsewhere. He was also keen to point out the local quarry, which employed people building the new harbour. He is looking forward to a career as a guide, based on his mastery of English.
We reached the reserve without further incident to be greeted by locals selling all manner of souvenirs.
According to their website, "the reserve is home to a fascinating variety of plant and animal species and includes enclaves of rare ebony forest and features five species of lemur, including the collared brown lemur (Eulemur collaris) which was first sighted at the reserve and can only be found here." Our guide excitedly pointed one out, lurking in a clump of greenery. I took a photo of the spot but I'm still a little unsure of the sighting.
There are also at least 50 species of reptile, 50 bird species and 200 tree species, the majority of which are endemic. Among the reptiles are the tortoises. We'd been warned not to touch the wildlife and to be careful what else we touched, yet, some among our party found the tortoises irresistible.
Reportedly, here is also a huge diversity of land snails, 98% of which are, endemic to Madagascar. No doubt some of them are tasty too.
The reserve is also one of only four locations in Madagascar to be home to the endangered palm tree Dypsis saintelucei, of which only 300 mature individuals remain. The palm has been felled for materials to construct lobster traps to supply the nearby hotels, and lies in the habitat where ilmenite ore mining is taking place (naughty Rio Tinto).
As these things go, it is very well run and the lemurs were tame and very cooperative, running about in the trees and on the ground among the people. There was also a family hut for us to examine, complete with a small family, for mutual smiling and nodding sessions, given the language barrier. Back at the ranch, there were light refreshments and alternating dance groups from different local tribes demonstrating cultural differences in dress and dance routines (entirely authentic of course).
By this time, I was ready to return to the ship but Wendy wanted to see the authentic town market. She had an adventure - too long to detail here.
Richards Bay (Afrikaans: Richardsbaai) is a city in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is situated on a 30-square-kilometre lagoon of the Mhlatuze River, which makes it one of the country's largest harbours.
In 1976, the new deep-water harbour was opened with a railway and an oil/gas pipeline linking the port to Johannesburg. Richards Bay also has the deepest natural harbour on the African continent.
This is an industrial hub in the province of KwaZulu-Natal - like Port Kembla in New South Wales.
When constructed, the Port of Richards Bay was the largest coal export facility in Africa. Coal shipments in 2017 reached 76 million tons. Yet, in 2025 annual throughput was significantly lower at 57.66 million metric tons. This decline was mainly due to state-owned freight rail and port operator Transnet's diminished capacity due to a shortage of locomotives and spares, as well as cable theft and vandalism of its infrastructure, forcing some minerals exporters to resort to trucking to port. As far as I could see, by the severe congestion around the port, rail services have virtually stopped and coal is now being trucked in.
If you are Australian income earner, you are very likely to be invested in both the Rio Tinto Group and South32, through your compulsory superannuation fund. South32 is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX), the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, and in and London (LSE), Rio Tinto on the ASX and LSE.
The South32, Hillside Aluminium Smelter, in Richards Bay, produces primary aluminium for the domestic and export markets. A portion of liquid metal is supplied to Hulamin and other local companies that manufacture products for the domestic and export markets. The smelter uses alumina predominantly imported from Worsley Alumina in Australia. Hillside's capacity makes it the largest producer of primary aluminium in the southern hemisphere. A fertiliser plant operated by Foskor has been erected at the harbour. Iron ore, rutile (titanium oxide) and zircon are mined from the dunes close to the lagoon by Richards Bay Minerals, part of the Rio Tinto Group. Local exports include coal, aluminium, titanium and other heavy minerals, granite, ferrochrome, paper pulp, wood-chips and phosphoric acid.
Although the town is a hub of economic activity, like most of South Africa, the Richards Bay area is plagued by unemployment and poverty. Unemployment has been estimated at forty per cent and an undefined number of people live below the poverty line.
According to Wikipedia (statistics out of date): "white people account for 39.98 per cent of the population, followed by black Africans at 37.05 per cent, Asians or Indians at 19.16 per cent and coloureds at 3.8 per cent. 74.19 per cent of the population is under the age of 34 years, with 2.73 per cent over the age of 65. For every 100 females, there are 93 males. The population density has been estimated to be 526–1,192 person per km2. There are 12,433 households in Richards Bay, with 66.4 per cent of such households being house or brick structures. According to household income, the wealthiest suburb is Meerensee, with an average household income of more than R153,601 per annum. The unemployment rate in Richards Bay alone is 19 per cent, compared with 55 per cent in surrounding rural areas.
[1 Australian Dollar (AUD) = approximately 11 South African Rand (ZAR)]
The various racial makeups of the seven different suburbs are still along the Apartheid-era segregation lines, with Meerensee a mostly white area, while suburbs such as Brackenham and Aquadene are predominantly Indian/Asian and Ngwelezane home to the black community. However, in recent years there has been a movement towards more integration, with predominantly black people moving into other, traditionally higher-income areas, due to the growing black middle-class in the area."
In the uMhlathuze municipality, as a whole, literacy and numeracy rates are low. 16.7% of the population have received no schooling at all, 22% have completed school only. Only 8.45 per cent have a tertiary education. Partly as a result, the area experiences high levels of crime with a number of high-profile murders, including that of a ward councillor in 2024. Much of the crime is due to desperate people, with no other prospects, attempting to survive.
Leaving the city, on a bus to go 113 km north of the port to the Hluhluwe–Imfolozi Park. we passed a large construction yard scattered with wind-turbine components and then, perhaps hundreds of kilometres of eucalypt plantation, destined for wood chips. Alongside the road ran a railway - rusty and disused. Our guide confirmed that it no longer operates. To her dismay, both passengers and freight, now go by road, causing congestion and consuming fossil fuel.
Apart from the mining forestry and manufacturing industries, tourism is a major part of the economy, with Richards Bay seen as a gateway to Zululand, an area popular with foreign tourists because of its large game parks and the diverse wildlife on offer.
The 960 km2 Hluhluwe–Imfolozi Park is one of the largest reserves in Africa. The park is the only state-run park in KwaZulu-Natal where each of the big five game animals are said to occur, including one of the largest populations of southern white rhinoceros in the world.
Although the park is said to be home to Africa's big five game: African bush elephant, south-central black rhinoceros and southern white rhinoceros, African buffalo, lion, and African leopard, we were only able to confirm lots of rhinoceros and buffalo and, at a huge distance, possibly, an elephant.
Yet, there was other wildlife a-plenty including: a crocodile, zebra, eland, kudu, impala, warthog, bushpig, baboon, monkeys, tortoises, terrapins, lizards, and lots of different birds. The Hluhluwe River floodplain is said to be one of the few areas in South Africa where yellow-throated longclaw, rosy-throated longclaw and Cape longclaw co-occur. Birdlife includes black-crowned night heron, Wahlberg's eagle, Shelley's francolin, black-bellied bustard, Temminck's courser, Klaas's cuckoo, little bee-eater and crested barbet.
We returned in the dark, thankful that the ship was waiting for us.
Durban dates from 1824, when the settlement was established on the northern shores of the bay near today's Farewell Square. It was named for Sir Benjamin D'Urban, the governor of the Cape Colony at the time. It's a well-appointed city in the British colonial tradition, familiar to Australians (Melbourne or Sydney), or to Indians (Bombay or Calcutta) or to Burmese (Rangoon). It has some very nice old buildings and well laid out public spaces. It's the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Durban featured the first operating steam railway in South Africa when the Natal Railway Company started operating a line between the Point and the city of Durban in 1860.
In the 20th century the city developed an impressive network highways and concrete overpasses and an electrified rail network of commuter and long-distance trains to and from Johannesburg via Pietermaritzburg and Newcastle, and a weekly service to and from Cape Town via Kimberley and Bloemfontein. Metrorail operated a commuter rail service in Durban and the surrounding area. The Metrorail network ran from Durban Station outwards as far as KwaDukuza on the North Coast, Kelso on the South Coast, and Cato Ridge inland.
The population grew by an annual average of 2.34% between 1996 and 2001. The city's demographics indicate that 68% of the population is of working age, and 38% of the people in Durban are under the age of 19 years.
In the years following the end of apartheid, there was a population boom as black Africans were allowed to move into the city. This led to shanty towns forming around the city, which were often demolished. Between 2001 and 2011, the population growth slowed down to 1.08% per year and shanty towns have become less common as the government builds low-income housing.
Like other cities in South Africa, people identify according to racial group. In official statistics racial groups are divided into Black Africans; Indians or Asians; Whites; and Coloureds. Within each, people identify according to language history and tribal affiliation.
Durban is ethnically diverse, with a cultural richness of mixed beliefs and traditions. Zulus form the largest single ethnic group. It also has many people of British and Indian descent. The city has areas (suburbs) in which each of these groups predominate, often defined by electrified security fences.
Early in the 21st century the population of the city of Durban and central suburbs such as Durban North, Durban South and the Berea grew. The proportion of black Africans increased while the proportion of people in all the other racial groups decreased. Indians or Asians and Coloureds decreased significantly while the proportion of whites almost halved.
Compared to other South African cities, Durban has a high murder rate. Between April 2018 and March 2019, the Ethekwini Metropolitan Municipality recorded 1,871 murders, gradually increasing from 1,349 seven years earlier.
Heist or theft is a common crime in the city. Most houses are protected by high walls and wealthier residents are often able to afford greater protection such as electric fencing, private security, or gated communities.
Crime rates vary widely across the city and most inner suburbs have much lower murder rates than in outlying areas. of Ethekwini. the suburbs of: Durban North, Mayville, Westville and Malvern are relatively safe; while some of the most dangerous areas were Kwamashu and Umlazi. Other crime comparisons are less valuable due to significant under-reporting especially in outlying areas.
Durban is one of the main drug trafficking routes for drugs exiting and entering sub-Saharan Africa. The drug trade has increased significantly over the past two decades.
It was not recommended that we walk to town. Excursions from the ship were by bus away from the city or by a shuttle to a shopping mall at Westville, a low crime suburb, albeit with houses surrounded by electric fencing.
The bus passed through the city centre enabling us to admire its buildings, both old and modern but as we passed the main railway station, I was shocked. The rails were rusty and the overhead wiring in ruins plants had taken root between some of the tracks.
An approach road was now covered in tents and lean-to dwellings. Further out a maintenance team was working on the highway but signage supports were dangling and guard railing had come away from its mountings and no one had repaired it.
On returning to the ship, several other passengers were vociferously distressed at the dilapidations we had just witnessed.
White Night
It's a tradition on Azamara cruises that rather than have a formal evening like, Cunard, for one evening per cruise segment, everyone is expected to dress entirely in white. If you don't have the clothes the bath robe will suffice. Even though we are in South Africa where 'white' has a special meaning it's nothing to do with ethnicity. We knew about this in advance but were unhappy with our choices from home - the bath robe was a distinct possibility. Fortunately, we'd been to the afore mentioned shopping mall. Some inexpensive shorts for me and this very nice jumpsuit for Wendy. I spent the night admiring her. As I always do, I hasten to add.
Local tribespersons provided an energetic floorshow and there was endless food and drinks (as usual). A good night was had by all.
Gqeberha, formerly known as Port Elizabeth and colloquially referred to as PE, is the most populous city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.
The city is a major seaport, with the most significant car loading facilities in the southern hemisphere, with expanded port facilities at Coega.
Port Elizabeth was renamed Gqeberha in 2021, after the Xhosa and Southern Khoe name for the Baakens River that flows through the city. It is the cultural, economic, and financial hub of the Eastern Cape.
The city's warm oceanic climate ranks it among the top cities in the world for pleasant year-round weather. The city is known for many blue-flag beaches along the city's urban coastline; its popularity as an international and local holiday destination.
From the ship a shuttle bus ran half-hourly to Baywest Mall, the largest shopping centre in the Eastern Cape, located on the western outskirts of the city. It was a pleasant drive alongside sandy beaches fronted by attractive up-market hotels and apartments.
As in Durban, this Mall is in a better suburb, populated by wealthier people, appropriately protecting their property and personal security with electric fences.
This time Wendy and I determined to see more than a generic shopping centre or another beach. Taxi cabs are not safe for tourists to use in South Africa. One might not go to the place requested and the price might depend on your skin colour. But Uber is fine.
We decided to take an Uber to Prince Alfred's Guard Museum, as according to our phones, the other museums in the city were closed. The driver dropped us and sped off.
As advertised on the website, the building, is a National Monument, having been extensively restored. The Victorian Drill Hall, in which the museum is housed, is said to be one of the finest surviving examples of its type. The Prince Alfred’s Guard was founded in 1856 as the Port Elizabeth Volunteer Rifle Corps. Its name changed by Royal assent after it provided a Royal Guard for Prince Alfred, second son of Queen Victoria, on his visit to the City in 1860. The present building was opened in 1880 and has been the regimental (now renamed the Chief Maqoma Regiment) headquarters ever since. We were able to look inside the foyer and see their battle honours and so on but we were advised by the soldiers on duty that the museum guide was not there to escort us, so we could not look around inside. We should have made an appointment. The soldiers, both black, then became concerned for our wellbeing saying that this is not a safe area for people like us. One of them, very kindly, insisted on accompanying us down the hill. "You should be safe from here." There were a lot more people around.
I was confronted with my own racism. It's hard not to be when you find yourself in a minority in a place where race is so fundamental to everyone's lives. As the South African comedian Trevor Noah says, when asked why he doesn't go back to South Africa to escape racism: "Hell no, that's where you go to stock-up on racism".
We were now in the square in front of the City Hall, also a museum, also not functioning. Across the road and down the street is the equally historic Post Office, complete with a statue of Queen Victoria.
As Wikipedia tells us:
"As a British colonial town, it had a strongly British character, and the central area retains that to this day. The colonial City Hall is a national monument, as well as the Opera House, the oldest theatre in Africa. The main public library is an excellent example of Victorian Gothic architecture. The city could be considered to be the country's leading centre of Art Deco style architecture due to its European heritage. Many buildings display the intricate stonework, wrought iron and stained glass of that era which are prominently visible in the Central Historical areas of the city. Combinations of Art Nouveau and Colonial styles are seen in residences along Cape Road. The area also boasts a collection of Cape Dutch style architecture as well as the Victorian and Edwardian styles, resulting from the arrival of the 1820 British settlers. Although influenced by Dutch architecture, the Cape Dutch style is unique to South Africa and examples can be seen all over the Eastern and Western Cape.
A Campanile was erected to commemorate the landing of the 1820 Settlers and is situated at the entrance to the railway station and docks in Strand Street, the spot where it is said the settlers landed in Port Elizabeth. The architects were Jones & McWilliams with construction starting in 1920 and it was completed in 1922."
It might be interesting? I looked it up:
"The 50m high Campanile Memorial has a climb of 204 steps that takes one to the Observation Room, offering a magnificent view of the harbor and surroundings, more than 52m above the city. A lift has been installed with a harbour viewing window so if you are not up for the climb you do not have to miss out. The Campanile contains one of the largest carillon of bells in the country in addition to its chiming clock. When it's song time, the tower tops ring out with a carillon of the original 23 bells, conjuring nostalgic cries of history. A special computerised, purpose built electro-mechanical bell ringing system has been installed that will ensure that each bell is pitch perfect and can play any melody which it gets programmed to play. Some of the bells have received new inscriptions in Afrikaans and isiXhosa and rededicated to celebrate amongst others the deceased crew of the SS Mendi. A new installation of "ghost" clocks visible to viewers light up when the bells ring so that one is able to identify which bell is sounding. A new interactive organ also allows one to play the bells to any melody and that also lights up the corresponding ghost bell. The addition of various art galleries also add an additional interest and space to tell the democratic stories and showcase the arts and culture of Nelson Mandela Bay. Also keep an eye out for the silver plaque on the 67th step that represents the start of Route 67 and Nelson Mandela's 67 years of service of democracy in South Africa. Route 67 starts at the Campanile and there has since been new art additions added around the tower to include the history leading up to the settlers arrival and up to South Africa's democratic dawn. Motto: In meliora spera - Hope for better things."
It was closed for repairs. In meliora spera indeed.
Now we were in town we decided to go for a walk along the main street. As we expected there were a lot of black people. What we didn't expect was that with the exception of a Chinese girl recruiting support for Falun Gong, we were the only white people in the city, even in the shops and banks, that for some reason, each had long queues, both inside and at the ATMs. It was fine. We felt quite safe.
Now how to get back? It was not safe to walk to the ship. So, we got another Uber, all the way back to the shopping mall.
That night we dressed for an "AzAmazing Evening" to be held in the historic Feather Market Centre, another colonial remnant, directly opposite the Uber pick-up place that we'd left earlier.
These evenings substitute for the big spectaculars featured onboard larger cruise ships and they put a lot into them.
This was another display of gymnastics, similar to the one on White Night, featuring mock battles and different African peoples, differentiated by dance routines and attire. It was colourful, energetic and highly skilled. For me, the Feather Market Centre itself was a star of the evening. Does the organ still work?
In Italy, and even in Australia, they go to the Opera. Examples can be seen on the Azamara website, along with this quote: "Our favorite AzAmazing Evening was our first! It began with an after hours tour of The Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Hobart, Tasmania, followed by beverages and canapés. We then had a concert with Australia's #1 tenor, Mark Vincent. This was without question one of the best concerts we have ever attended. Three standing ovations!" Of course, the beverages and canapés were fine. Yet, given the choice, I might have preferred Innocent Masuku, South Africa's world acclaimed tenor, perhaps singing 'Nessun Dorma' and/or other arias from Puccini. I'm not a great fan of athletic dancing, no matter how energetic.
Mossei Bay was the only port at which the ship anchored off-shore and we used the ships boats to 'tender in'.
This is a nice little port town with several old sandstone buildings, reminiscent of colonial Sydney. Different races seem to live in harmony. Most people speak English or, presumably, Afrikaans.
There are helpful locals about town welcoming and assisting tourists from the ship. A highlight is the maritime museum that has a full-scale replica of the Caravel used by Bartolomeu Dias to discover the sea route around the southern tip of Africa in 1488. This replica sailed from Lisbon on November 8, 1987, arriving at Mossel Bay on February 3, 1988, close to Australia's bicentenary (January 26, 1988) marking the 500th anniversary of the original voyage.
There were a lot of other interesting exhibits, as I have already said, all bi-lingual - English and Afrikaans
In this tidy town, almost everything still works.
Yet, as elsewhere, the railway station is in ruins.
Here we are in Cape Town. Excursioners to Table Mountain will be disappointed. Fortunately, we've been here when it was clear. We had great views back then.
As it's a working port, from the ship there's a short security shuttle to the terminal, from which it's an easy walk to the up-market V&A Waterfront, that features the usual high-end outlets: bags, scarfs, watches, and shoes, in addition to a couple of more modestly priced food and retail stores. This was the first place to extract a significant amount of cash from our fellow travellers.
I soon grew bored and as we have been here before and have been up Table Mountain, been to Stellenbosch, seen the penguins and the botanic gardens, suggested an Uber across town to the previously unseen historic fort (Castle).
The Castle of Good Hope is not a castle, it's a fort. Built by the Dutch East India Company between 1666 and 1679, the Castle is the oldest existing building in South Africa. The purpose of the Dutch settlement in the Cape was to act as a replenishment station for ships passing the treacherous coast around the Cape on long voyages between the Netherlands and the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). Like many well-conceived forts it was never attacked. It became British after they defeated the Dutch elsewhere.
Afternoon Update: It was sunny elsewhere but still cloudy up there on the mountain.
Cranes
As a new graduate I worked for BHP (then a steel company) in Sydney. One of my projects was to log all the high-rise construction cranes to see if that corelated with current demand for structural steel and reinforcing 'd-bar'. It wasn't a very useful indicator for BHP - at least, so I was told. But newly constructed cranes turned out to be an excellent indicator of economic growth. Ever since then, when visiting an unfamiliar city, I have counted the cranes and looked to see if they are actually working. Abandoned or non-working cranes are a good indicator of economic recession.
The Chinese cities we have seen have hundreds of working cranes and, as we would discover, so does Dubai. My total count for all three larger South African cities was 1, in Cape Town. Not a great sign.
Our cruise ended this morning. Missing the ship already.
Off to Dubai in a couple of hours.
There are a lot more images of Cape Town in my article about our, more extensive, 2023 visit. Follow this link: Cape Town