Down at the mouth

The province of KwaZulu Natal has been suffering from drought conditions for a number of years now. Things are always worse during the winter months when rainfall is very scarce.

Under normal circumstances the massive, mountain-like Maphelane sand dune seen in this shot would be inaccessible from St Lucia because the Umfolizi River would be flowing out into the Indian Ocean. However, a combination of the river's reduced flow and some severe storms in the ocean led to a huge sandbank building up, closing the river mouth and in effect forming a huge temporary lake.