Juan De Nova
Juan de Nova, about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) long and 1.6 kilometres (0.99 mi) at its widest, is a nature reserve surrounded by reefs which enclose an area (not a true lagoon like in an atoll) of roughly 40 square kilometres (15 sq mi). Forests, mainly of Casuarinaceae, cover about half the island. Sea turtles nest on the beaches around the island.
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Bassas Da India,exploring under water channel
Bassas Da India is a submerged volcanic atoll which rises up from 3 000m to break the surface on low tide in the middle of the Mozambique Channel. The atoll was first recorded by Portuguese explorers in the early sixteenth century and was named Baixo da Judia (Shoal of Judia), after the name of a Portuguese ship that ran aground there. The name later became Bassas Da India due to transcription errors by cartographers. This is a well known graveyard to nearly 100 shipwrecks where many came to their peril in what was thought to be deep ocean in the middle of nowhere. On high tide all but a few small boulder-like jagged rocks can be seen as well as the only two visible wrecks of the many ships that met their destiny here. Without these references at high tide many more ships could possibly have met their peril.
Leaving Africa
After four months spending around South Africa and Namibia ,now is highest time to move from this beautiful place.Tonight we are leaving Port of Durban heading north towards United Arab Emirates passing places like Madagascar,Seychelles and Maldives.It will take up to four weeks to get there .I would like to say thanks to all my readers for stoping by and looking at my blog .see you back in four weeks.Jacek
Pangaea is taking 40.000 liters of diesel at fishermen wharf in Durban
and ready to sail
The Oysters Box Hotel,Umhlanga north of Durban S.A. Excellent food
The legendary 5 star Oyster Box Hotel is beautifully positioned on the ocean’s edge in the beach resort of Umhlanga north of Durban in South Africa’s tropical KwaZulu-Natal province. The Oyster Box Hotel is located only a 5 minutes walk from the Umhlanga Village Centre and can easily be reached from the Durban city centre, the International Airports and the numerous stylish shopping centres.
Nearby sightseeing places and tourist attractions include the Gateway Theatre of Shopping, Ushaka Marine World, the Sun Coast casino, the historical Natal Midlands and the majestic Drakensberg Mountains, as well as excellent big 5 game reserves, game lodges and KwaZulu-Natals’ famous historical battlefields.
After extensive renovations in 2008 and 2009 the Oyster Box Hotel Umhlanga has kept its classical charm and elegance. From the moment the Oyster Box opened its doors back in 1947 the hotel rapidly became one of Africa’s most popular and distinguished hotels. The combination of colonial charm, impeccable service, lush tropical gardens and breathtaking oceanfront setting gained it a reputation that was legendary.
Durban City Hall
The City Hall was built in the early 1900s due to the rapid growth of Durban. City centre changes resulted in the original town hall taking on a new mantle as the Durban post office.
The city fathers commissioned a new town hall in 1903, choosing what they termed a ‘bold and progressive’ design submitted by architect Stanley Hudson.
Hudson set about creating a replica of the Belfast City Hall in Northern Ireland, which served as his inspiration.
His legacy is a stone-coloured structure adorned with sculptures portraying the arts, commerce, music, literature and industry, while the main pediment sculptures are representative of unity, patriotism and Great Britain.
In addition to the mayor’s parlour and municipal chambers, the building houses a public library, auditorium, and the Durban Art Gallery and Natural Science Museum behind its gracious façade, which makes it a 6-in-1 attraction.
The art gallery showcases an array of South African and international artworks, while the museum displays a selection of fossils, animals, birds, reptiles and insects.
In keeping with its imposing exterior, the building’s interior décor features wooden flooring, stained-glass windows, wrought-iron balustrades, marble pillars and classic arches.
