Thulani leaves home

Thulani is about to embark on his great adventure!  He is just about ready to leave his home-town of Shelly Beach, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa, where he has lived happily with Grant, Gill, Roxy and Paula Richardson, as well as 3 dogs and 2 cats.

Shelly Beach is one of a string of small coastal towns on the South Coast of Kwa-Zulu Natal, collectively making up the “Hibiscus Coast”.  There are lots of lovely beaches in this area, so many tourists come here on holiday, especially in December.  Most of the tourists are South African, but we have some overseas visitors too.  The South coast of KZN has many sugar cane and banana farms, as well as macadamia nut plantations.

Visitors to the Hibiscus Coast love to swim in the warm Indian Ocean and laze on the beaches, especially in the Summer months, from early November to late March.  But that doesn’t mean the Winter months are boring; we get to see lots of whales in the Winter, as they pass our shores on their migratory journey between the Antarctic and their breeding grounds near to Mozambique.  We also have the annual Sardine Run in Winter, when millions of these small silver fish pass our shores, followed by thousands of dolphins, game fish and sea-gulls.  In Summer the mid-day temperature is usually in the upper 20s to mid-30s (celcius) and in Winter about 20 to 23 degrees Celcius.

The languages most spoken in this area of South Africa are English and Zulu, although you will also hear some Afrikaans and Xhosa.  South Africa has 11 official languages!  Kwa-Zulu Natal is also known as The Kingdom of the Zulu and has a monarch, King Goodwill Zwelithini. 

Thulani has been raised in a typical South African home, where he has enjoyed many a “braai” (barbeque) and lazy days around the pool .....

Like his family, Thulani enjoys watching rugby on TV.  He is a proud supporter of the Sharks and the Springboks.

Gill, Jax, Paula and Roxy getting into the rugby spirit

Last week Thulani went to school with Paula:

Kelsey, Paula, Thulani, Yudhika and Kelly. (Thanks for taking the photo Mitchell!)

Today he got up close and personal with some wildlife at Lake Eland:

But now Thulani is ready for some new experiences, so he is hopping into a big padded envelope and embarking on the journey of a life-time, where he gets to meet many of you and experience all kinds of wonderful adventures. 

Hamba Kahle Thulani! (Go well Thulani!)

P.S In case you were wondering, Thulani’s name means Quietness, you’ll find he’s a very silent little fella!