SANPARKS - WHAT A SHAME!

Wanted to take photographs of the abundant birdlife at Malachite Bird hide close to Sedgefield Eastern Cape. This was Tuesday 12 October 2021. We had to drive a terrible dirt road to get there only to arrive at a farm-style wire gate with a cheap paper printed notice in a laminated plastic sheath, tied with cable ties informing that the bird hide was in process of repair. I walked around the gate and onto the wooden walkway. About 50 yards in I came across where the walkway was disintegrated with reeds taking over the walkway (growing through the planks, or what was left of them) all the way to the bird hide some 50 paces further on. Not a living soul around or indications that someone has been working to restore the site. Time wasted, so we turned around with the sound of a Fish Eagle in the distance. Next on was Swartvlei Beach where the ablution facilities' roof caved in. A cheap solution was to put a plastic barrier (red and white) tape around the building. I took photos of both sites as well as the Sanparks' notices.