WE’RE IN THIS TUGELA

I found the source of the Tugela River on the slopes of Mont-aux-Sources on a misty day. A three-hour hike from the Sentinel car park via the chain ladders brought me to the top of the Drakensberg’s Amphitheatre, where a tiny trickle springs from the Earth. Wild grass covered the narrow, gentle-sloping valley leading to the source. The air smelled of wet earth and animal dung. The heavy clouds absorbed sound and all I could hear was the tinkle of a goat bell on a ridge above me. I sat down, savouring the stillness and thrill of anticipation for the journey ahead that would take me to the Indian Ocean.

‘THE RIVER WAS A CHURNING, SWIRLING, BUBBLING TORRENT OF MUD’

Following the stream down the valley I came upon a herd of donkeys. As I approached, a vicious dog – so big I originally thought it was part of the herd – leapt to its feet. Its barking alerted another dog on the other side of the valley and I found myself caught between the two. The protector of the donkeys