Diving heaven at KZN's Rocktail Camp: 'Nowhere else will you have a beach to yourself'

Rocktail Camp offers an immersion into nature that urges you to breathe deeper, walk further, stay longer and experience more, writes Dianne Hawker

There's something about having your breakfast stolen by a monkey that will place things into perspective.

The stare-down was, of course, brief as one of the monkeys who lives in the trees surrounding the Rocktail Camp sized up his chances of success against a trio of city slickers who'd had the audacity to leave a slice of bread unattended at the end of the table while sipping tea.

And then it happened - before any of us could position our cellphones to capture the moment - he'd swung below the awning of the deck and snatched the bread. In seconds he was ensconced in a tree, enjoying a well-timed breakfast.

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That's how close we were to nature in our days spent at Rocktail Camp, a 20-minute walk from the beach, set in the forest of the Isimangaliso Wetland Park.

The northern KwaZulu-Natal lodge is a departure from the things that have come to define modern life. As you enter the Isimangaliso Park, the first thing that strikes you is the sheer tranquility. Cellphone signal dips as you get closer to the sound of waves crashing on Rocktail beach. There's something about the air - it's fresher, cleaner and appears to carry a sense of calm.

The road into the camp is bumpy but you don't mind because the trees lining the gravel path appear to whisper softly, encouraging you to stay longer, breathe deeper, walk further and experience more. You can hear the ocean some kilometres away - waves breaking on the shores of a pristine beach.

From the minute we enter the camp, it is clear that Rocktail takes conservation seriously. The rooms are tents built on raised wooden platforms which blend into the surroundings. Guests are given refillable water bottles which they can use throughout their stay and take home with them.

There is no wifi and no television in the rooms - a deliberate decision aimed at ensuring guests unplug from their digital attachments. The result is an initially unnerving stillness, which eventually led to the most peaceful sleep I've had in years.

"What's unique about Rocktail is the peace and tranquility. As South Africans, we often go abroad to experience reefs, this kind of peace and beautiful beaches, not knowing that we have this little gem right here. There's nowhere else that you will have a beach all to yourself," says lodge manager Natalie Gouws.

Gouws manages the lodge along with her husband, retired police officer and all-round adventure guy Willem Gouws. They have managed Rocktail for two-and-a-half years, having worked in Zimbabwe, Botswana and Zambia.

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The couple say turtle-hatching season is one of the main drawcards for both local and international travellers. Turtle season officially begins on October 15 and goes on until the following March.

The lodge is licensed to take guests along the beach to search for turtles, and can take only one vehicle-load of 10 people a day. While turtle sightings are not guaranteed, part of the thrill lies in the search.

The beach stretches for kilometres and is devoid of signs of human interference. When we go for an early morning snorkeling adventure, it's strange to see our small group's heap of towels and bags on the empty expanse.

The water is warm for 7am and the rock pool clear but salty. Initially, breathing through the tube is a battle of co-ordination and habit - you have to breathe through your mouth but my brain reverts to nose breathing.

Our guide, Gugu Mathenjwa, has been doing the early morning snorkel trip with guests for over a decade and still loves to paddle out each morning.

He patiently takes those of us who are too nervous to traverse the deeper waters by the hand, kicking slowly and pointing out small schools of fish. It's the best way to start a morning completely at one with nature.

In that moment, the compulsion to capture the moment with a smartphone camera crops up, but only briefly. The flashing light and click-click of a camera phone seem almost intrusive in this place, which is firmly nature's domain.

sub_head_start ROCKTAIL CAMP'S FAMOUS MEDICINE MAN sub_head_end

If you find yourself in an awkward situation, sans toothbrush or toilet paper along the KZN North Coast, fret not, there's a plant for that.

Gibson Mkhize is part tour guide, part shaman and knows the secrets of the forest surrounding Rocktail Camp. He grew up amid the sand dunes of the Isimangaliso Wetland Park and moved to Gauteng not knowing that life would lead him full circle, back to the hills and valleys of his childhood.

"My dream for many years was to go to Joburg and do something good for my community. But I failed dismally - I lost my job and I came back home. I never thought I could get this kind of job," Mkhize says of his newfound success. He is well over retirement age, but having the time of his life passing on decades of knowledge to travellers who know nothing of bush remedies.

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Mkhize's "failure" is one of Rocktail's biggest assets and the KwaMpukane community also reap the benefits - his tour groups often support community projects and send stationery supplies to the school.

His tour takes you through his village but he makes sure to tell visitors not to take pictures of houses - that may upset the villagers. The local bottle store offers quart beers and questions about where "Bab'Mkhize's" latest guests come from. The school is the pride and joy of the KwaMpukane elders because they built it through donations and salaries.

Rocktail's community feel extends beyond the camp into the neighbouring villages as many staff members started out as interns from the surrounding villages who eventually took on full-time employment.

It's easy to understand why Mkhize's tours are such a success - a game drive with Gibson is like taking a journey with the grandfather you never knew you had. Patiently, he explains the medicinal properties of various plants and shrubs that line the paths leading to various parts of the park.

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"This is the wild medlar. It can be used as a toothbrush," Mkhize explains to the group of city slickers marvelling as his knowledge of plants. He shows us some "bush toilet paper" - the leaves are softer than the best two-ply any store has to offer, but no one in the group is brave enough to do a test.

Mkhize's glossary of plants takes us to the waterberry tree.

"Its bark is used for the treatment of kidney failure. It is mashed and then boiled into a drink," he says. Next is the sickle bush, which has antibiotic properties and is used to treat cradle cap in infants, Mkhize says. With a smile on his face, Mkhize stops by a sausage tree and asks the group what the plant is used for before revealing that "it can be used to enhance performance". Herbal remedy producers have bottled serums and creams made from the plant's fruit, which are used for treating skin irritations. It has also been used to treat rheumatism.

This isn't the only performance-enhancing plant in Isimangaliso, Mkhize tells us. We later stop alongside an African mangosteen - the Garcinia livingstonei. Explorer David Livingstone made one of the first records of this plant, whose leaves are used in traditional Zulu burial rituals as well as to give an extra kick in the bedroom. The tour is enlightening, showing the strong connection between the land and the residents of the villages surrounding Rocktail Camp.

While much of the younger generation has little interest in the uses of indigenous plants, Mkhize and a number of village elders maintain the knowledge of healing plants and pass it on to the small groups of travellers visiting the camp.

sub_head_start PLAN YOUR TRIP sub_head_end

COST: Rates at Wilderness Safaris Rocktail Camp start at R1,890 per person per night sharing, including all meals and two daily scheduled activities. Drinks excluded. (Prices are valid until June 14 2017, excluding peak dates and are valid for African residents only.)

CONTACT: For bookings, e-mail safari@wilderness.co.za or ask about joining their membership programme, which offers unique rates. See wilderness-residents.co.za for more information.

• Hawker was a guest of Wilderness Safaris.