Mpilonhle’s sixty staff celebrated the end of the year and the festive season with a boat ride on Lake St. Lucia in the World Heritage iSimangaliso Wetland Park (http://www.isimangaliso.com/site/default.asp and http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/914), followed by a braai at La Colline, the Mpilonhle Guest House, on Friday, 12 December 2008.
The boat ride was a first for many staff, despite having lived and grown up in the area. As can be seen from the pictures, staff enjoyed seeing the pods of hippos, crocodiles swimming across the lake, fish eagles on the top of trees, and kingfishers darting across water’s edge.
The boat was to be reserved only for Mpilonhle staff, but somehow four three tourists also were onboard. They were treated to (or had to endure) the enthusiasm – including singing – as staff rejoiced in there celebration of what they have accomplished this past year, and their eagerness for a well-earned respite over the holiday period.
Not even a steady downpour during the boat ride could dampen spirits. The raid was so heavy at times that some reluctant staff had to be given a shove to run from the parking area down to the dock in torrential rain, but once on board they had the security of being covered by the downstairs cabin. Only the hardiest and the bravest went on the top deck and braved the elements for the better view. Though by the end of the two-hour excursion the rains were slowing down and the hardy few were joined by the hesitant many.
The boat ride was made possible at no charge to Mpilonhle as part of the collaboration between Mpilonhle and the iSimangaliso Wetlands Park Authority to provide services to communities in the area.
After the boat ride everyone came back to La Colline, where the weather was with us, the skies clear, and we had the braai under relatively clear skies. There was meat enough for everyone (vegetarians had a variety of salads to choose from), lots of non-alcoholic drinks for all (and a few beers fro those who were in an especially celebratory mood) and great music from our in-house DJ – Sifiso Zulu.
Staff departed for their holiday adventures (or mis-adventures) about 17h00, to come back to work on 5 January renewed and refreshed (or exhausted from holiday over-indulgence as the case may be).