Up, up and away!

With my expected departure to Kuwait date looming upon me, Expat Fox & I decided to indulge in some quality time together. As the time for leaving gets nearer, I find myself so busy that some days we barely exchanged more than a few sentences to each other. So some fun and laughter was needed. But what could we do that could be fun, adventurous and also, romantic?

I needed to use up some pesky Ucount Rewards (people who bank with Standard Bank know what I’m talking about) and I hadn’t a clue what to do with them. I really didn’t want to buy more things because I am trying to desperately downsize my life, so I couldn’t spend it on a TV from Makro… but then I found this awesome deal in their online store for a 20-minute microlight flight along the KZN north coast.

I was lured by the possibility of seeing aquatic wildlife and purchased two deals- one for me and one for Fox. By the way, there are many exhilarating experiences on offer in their online store so if you have points to spend, check it out. For those of you who have no idea what a microlight aircraft is:

On a chilly and grey Saturday morning, Fox and I headed north up the coast for around 50 minutes where we met the friendly guys from Come Fly Pilot Centre just before the Mvoti Toll.

There was no waiting period… as soon as arrived we were whisked off into our aircrafts, strapped in, given goggles and headphones and our phones and cameras were fastened securely on us. There was no time to be nervous!

In the blink of an eye, the pilots started up the engines and Fox & I (in 2 different microlight aircrafts) were airborne! The views were spectacular as we rose into the sky- an expanse of uniform green lay below us with brown patches from the intense summer sun and lack of rain. I marvelled at the lush, green rolling hills of the sugarcane plantations were beneath our feet as we flew toward the beach.

All of a sudden, the coastline curved as if drawn by an artist’s hand, the golden sands making a thick band between the waves and the vegetation beyond.

After a few minutes, only a few kilometres away from where we took off, was the ocean, alive with constant motion and millions of sea-dwellers. Beyond a foamy strip of white I could smell and hear it from above. The waves were neither the gentle kind that roll up the beach like a overflowing bath tub, nor the crashing kind that turn murky with golden swirling crystals. They moved with force but died within a few meters.

From above, the water was a gorgeous turquoise hue and I was fortunate enough to see turtles swimming together and tuna darting through the water.

Fragments of clouds were scattered above the ocean, as if painted by an artistic hand – delicate inflections of the brush spreading white and grey over blue.

I thought I would’ve been nervous but I was surprised at how at ease I felt. I never felt in danger of falling or even moving at any moment… I was utterly secure and comfortable enough to take photos and videos… Yip that’s me & my pilot in the pic below!

The landing was smooth and I was actually sad to be back on solid ground. What a beautiful experience to end off my time in South Africa for 2016. I highly recommend this to anybody looking for a unique experience in KZN. It is the perfect birthday or anniversary gift too!

P.S. Dress super warmly (long pants, long sleeves, closed shoes) as it gets cold in the air; tie up long hair and avoid hats/hoodies.