WILD ZAMBEZI NEWSLETTER   June 2009

Welcome to WILD ZAMBEZI'S inaugural e-newsletter!

WILD ZAMBEZI promotes travel opportunities to the wild areas of the Zambezi River and Lake Kariba, including the Mana Pools  World Heritage Site and the Matusadona National Park.  We provide web-based, up-to-date information on operators, activities, accommodation choices, tours and services in the Kariba and Zambezi valley areas, and a reliable, independent travel advisory service. 
Visit us at www.wildzambezi.com   
E-mail us: info@wildzambezi.com

WILD ZAMBEZI invites you to discover a world of nature where the pace is slow, the sun is warm, the sky is huge and the people are friendly.

ZIMBABWE TOURISM LOOKING UP!
Zimbabwe is now more easily and safely accessible to visitors.  Travel restrictions previously imposed by many countries have now been lifted, a new US$ and Rand-based economy has eased money supply and reduced inflation, and fuel and food supplies are now readily available.  "We lifted the restrictions because there was a return of basic medical, food and fuel services," said US State Department spokesman Robert Wood in April.

A POSITIVE BUZZ AT INDABA

WILD ZAMBEZI represented Kariba and the Zambezi on the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority stand at the Indaba travel fair in Durban in May.  Response was positive and enthusiastic, with many South Africans and overseas representatives making inquiries and exploring possibilities of returning to the area.  The media were particularly interested in discovering WILD ZAMBEZI'S website as a portal for much-needed travel advice and information.  We hope this enthusiasm will translate into increased visitor numbers. Indaba also provided WILD ZAMBEZI with the opportunity to lobby the relevant authorities once again for improved air access into Kariba .

WILD ZAMBEZI RECOGNISED FOR INNOVATION!
At a ceremony in Harare at the end of May, The Zimbabwe Council for Tourism awarded WILD ZAMBEZI the cup for "Most Innovative Contribution to Tourism" in 2009!  This is indeed an honour given that the WILD ZAMBEZI's campaign to promote tourism to the Kariba and Zambezi areas was only launched a month earlier.  Thank you for your encouragement! 

NEWS FROM KARIBA

SAILING REGATTA A WEEK OF FUN AND SUN 

The annual week-long Sailing Regatta held on Lake Kariba at the end of May attracted 30 boats and 70 entrants this year, including two teams from South Africa.  This week of sailing and safari fun, a Kariba tradition dating back 24 years, takes advantage of the season's warm dry weather and good winds.  Starting from harbours in Kariba town, boats spend a week on the lake, sailing during the day and berthing in a different creek of the matusadona National Park each evening.  Magnificent scenery, fishing, elephants, hippos, birdlife, sometimes even lions&. all from the cockpit of your boat - sailors love it!

LAKE LEVELS AT RECORD HIGHS!

Heavy rains in the Zambezi River's catchment upstream of Lake Kariba have caused the lake's waters to rise to their highest levels for many years.  June figures published by The Zambezi River Authority show that the lake is 85% full.  Engineers say that the dam wall floodgates will not be opened, as lake levels are now stabilizing and will fall from mid-June as the annual rainy season floods subside.One tragedy of the high lake is that the old white ship's hull which has, for many years, graced the entrance to Marineland Harbour, was damaged in a recent storm (see pic).

WILDLIFE AND A HIGH LAKE
In its 50 years of existence, Lake Kariba has succeeded in creating its own special ecological cycles, dependent on water levels.  When lake levels are high, as now, fish populations thrive, and the fishing is FANTASTIC!  But grazing animals in the Matusadona National Park and other wildlife areas can have a problem finding food.  Hippo, buffalo, zebra and many species of antelope, which rely on the lakeshore grasses for food, suddenly find their favourite grazing grounds flooded up to the tree-line.  High lake levels in the past have resulted in the natural deaths of many animals due to starvation.  The natural consequence of this is that predators like lions have a field day - for a short while - until the numbers of their grazing prey are so reduced that they are forced to consider less easy options like hippo and even crocodiles!  The wildlife experience on Lake Kariba from a boat or on the shore is inevitably varied and always fascinating.

KARIBA FERRY
Wild Zambezi has had many queries about the overnight ferry service that used to operate the length of the lake between Kariba and Mlibizi, carrying passengers and a few cars.  Sadly, we are informed that until such time as tourism demand makes it economically viable, the ferry will not be undertaking scheduled runs.  It does, however, still operate on a charter basis in the Kariba area.

REGISTER NOW FOR THE KARIBA HALF MARATHON
Marathon runners and enthusiasts please take note that official registration is now open for the Kariba Half Marathon which takes place on Sunday 9th August.  For  more information and a registration form visit  www.karibahalfmarathon.co.zw     This 21 km half marathon,  in the magnificent and challenging hilly surrounds of Kariba, aims to attract runners from far and wide.  Last year, it welcomed 9-times Comrades Marathon winner Bruce Fordyce, and hopes to gain a reputation as Zimbabwe's very own "Two Oceans"!  A less rigorous 10km Fun Run/Walk takes place at the same time. Registration close 31 July. - so don't delay.

NEWS FROM THE ZAMBEZI VALLEY
MANA POOLS
News from Mana Pools indicates that after this year's excellent rains, the vegetation and grass cover is still thick and lush.  Visitors on a recent safari report hosts of colourful butterflies, a bird species count of 120 and a thriving lion population on the floodplain (up to 17 individuals in the so-called "Nyamepi" pride!)  There is nothing more awesome than the silent passing of a whole pride of lions moving like shadows past your camp or lodge in the dusk on the riverbank at Mana. 

Well... Hmmm... Maybe there is.. how about an enormous elephant bull staring deep into your eyes at a distance of a metre or so? Check one visitor's story at this link: http://www.wildzambezi.com/safari-news-detail.cfm?News=1

THE ZAMBEZI IN WINTER
The southern hemisphere's winter months (May - August) are the best time of year to visit the Zambezi River.  Days are warm and sunny, nights are cool, only occasionally cold.  There are few mosquitoes.  The bush thins out making for excellent game viewing and, as inland water supplies dry up,  wild animals seek out the river.

Canoeing is a fabulous way to experience the Zambezi's magic.  Drift silently downstream at a pace that allows you time to notice even the smallest of nature's details - the brilliant jewelled blur of a tiny Malachite Kingfisher zooming past to its perch on a nearby stick; a monitor lizard searching the riverbank with its smell-sensitive tongue; a fish eagle descending on his catch, claws outstretched&.  and feel that adrenelin rush as you manoeuvre carefully past hippos and crocodiles, and big elephant bulls drinking on the shore.  Take a guided walk in the beautiful park-like woodlands the Zambezi's floodplain, where the "Winter thorn" Acacias are in full leaf, their unusual apple-ring-shaped  pods a special elephant delicacy.  You may be lucky to come across the lions you heard calling last evening, or a pack of wild dog returning to their den.  The Zambezi is a very special wilderness.

PLANNING FOR ZAMBEZI TOURISM AND CONSERVATION
Meetings have been taking place this year between tourism representatives and conservationists to discuss a Management Plan for the Mana Pools National Park - World Heritage Site and one of Zimbabwe's wilderness treasures. With investors and visitors taking an interest in this wonderful, wild, Zambezi River park again, it is important that careful and controlled planning is in place to safeguard the wildlife and wilderness resources on which tourism depends. But planning on one side of the river is meaningless without co-operation from authorities and operators on the other side.  So tourism operators from both the Zimbabwean and Zambian sides of the Zambezi River have agreed to meet mid-year to share views and iron out problems. Wild Zambezi looks forward to some positive progress and solutions which have the future of this magnificent area at heart.

VISITORS : PLEASE RESPECT THE WILD!

Visitors to Mana Pools and other Zambezi wild areas are encouraged to behave responsibly for the sake of the future of the wildlife and wilderness values on which tourism depends.  Respect the Wild, is a simple Code of Conduct for visitors in wild areas, developed by conservation group, The Zambezi Society, and available at National Park offices as a free colour pamphlet for all visitors entering these areas.  See it online at  www.wildzambezi.com/travel-advice-detail.cfm?News=11   Specific guidelines are also being developed to influence people's behaviour in certain areas which have particularly fragile and sensitive environments.

FISHY TALES!

The Zambezi Tigerfish is not only a magnificently beautiful fish, it is also a fighting fish par excellence.  Tiger season on the river is best when the weather starts to warm up... September onwards.  So, while we spend the winter months focusing on the river's terrestrial, rather than aquatic wildlife, we look forward to some fishing tales for the next issues of this newsletter.   We know that there are some big-mouthed Zambezi fishermen out there with tales to tell about the size of their... fish.  Please send us your (true) stories so that we can assess their merit and publish them or post them on our website  Otherwise we will be forced to make up some whoppers of our own!

Send in your stories to info@wildzambezi.com

THERE'S SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE ON THE BANKS OF THE ZAMBEZI!