Mkambati and the Wild Coast; South Africa and Pondoland's Unique Heritage (signed)

SIGNED BY JOHN COSTELLO, foreword by Ian Player, second edition, 2013, hardcover, large landscape format coffee-table book, wonderful full-page photographic images,  21.6 cms x 26 cms x 2 cms, As New.

Mkambati and The Wild Coast by John Costello and Div DeVilliers is a coffee table book of the highest order. The prose is so fluid, the imagery so vivid, and the historical context so enthralling.

Featuring imagery that will leave you breathless, and history and geographical information that is contemporary to the ages and ephemeral at the same time, this is a great read. Shonalanga.

The Mkambati reserve is situated on the coast of north-eastern Pondoland, in the Eastern Cape. It lies between Port Edward (30 km to the north east) and Port St Johns (59 km to the south west).

It is a 7720-ha coastal reserve with open grasslands, dotted with indigenous forest patches and swamp forests, flanked by the magnificent forested ravines of the Msikaba and Mtentu rivers.

Grasslands cover a large portion of the reserve and support a fascinating and diverse flora.

Large numbers of grazing herbivores such as Eland and Red Hartebeest have been introduced into the grasslands.

The reserve's coastline stretches along 10km of rugged, rocky beaches, offering visitors a glimpse of unspoilt nature and wildlife. Other scenic features include forested ravines, a swamp forest and splashing waterfalls (including one of the few in the entire world that falls straight into the sea).