A rather sad day today as its ourn final night at isandlwana Lodge and we are facing the long trip home ,but we have the stuff of legends today ,Melville & Coghill , Fugitives Drift and of course Rorkes Drift . I will let the pics do the talking ,but would like to point out how small Rorkes Drift is in terms of the area where the fighting took place and how low and close the cliffs are that the Zulus sniped from . Our trip took in the first combat in the AZW the action at Shiayos Homestead , then the Drift on the baffalo at Rorkes Drift then we moved to fugitives drift and Melville and Coghills Graves then to Jim's Place as the Zulus called Rorkes Drift a very moving day .
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| The locals are really friendly and fun something i dont think Chelmsford Said |
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| The site of Shiayos homestead |
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| The rocky area where the fighting took place |
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| Our route over the Drift |
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| a lot lower than it was in 1879 but still fierce |
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| the area where Chard built his ponts (not a bridge ) |
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| Ian jumps onto avanatge point the Shiyane in the background |
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| Fugitives Drift |
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| The beach where the scene in Zulu Dawn was filmed |
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| The memorial to Melville and Coghill is not far from where they actually died |
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| The area where private Wassall earned his VC |
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| here and below are the cairns where Melville and Coghill died |
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| the memeorial |
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| Their Grave |
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| The museum on the site of the hospital ,pretty much the same other than the roof |
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| The mealiebag defences are now laid out and marked by rocks |
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| A church is now on the site of the stores ,again stones mark out the defensive wall built from biscuit boxes |
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| The infamous ledge in front of the defences |
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| The monument to the Zulu dead |
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| The Leopard representing the King Cetshwayo on his fallen warriors shields |
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| The defenders grave yard |
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| Jim Rorkes grave ,he was afariad of having his bones removed ,hence the huge grave stone |
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| The rear of the "store" |
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| The final redoubt ,again a lot smaller than I thought |
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| A marker at the mass grave of the Zulus |
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| The Museum |
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| Er who put then helmets on ? |
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| original artifacts from the site |
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| The remains of the original walls in the hospital |
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| 11 VC winners |
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| The ledge again |
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| The area where the Zulu Snipers were |
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| again closer and smaller than I thought |
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| another mass grave of the Brave Zulu |
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| looking form what was the orchard /bush area where the Zulus found cover |
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