Eureka - Mauritius

After a few days rafted up in the Caudan Basin, Port Louis; Sea Bunny moved a few miles north to Grand Bay. The bay is shallow, mostly around 6 m, but with significantly shallower patches on the way in, requiring a high tide entrance.

Here, car hiring with Phil and Norma (Minnie B) we found that much of Mauritius is cultivated with only a few areas of  National Park, mostly in the mountainous regions.

Eureka - the dining room

There are, however some impressive plantation houses from the colonial era.
The first of these we visited was Eureka, a well restored building with much original furniture, occupied as a home until 1980 and set in well-maintained grounds.
The house now offers a restaurant, with food prepared in the original kitchens.

Eureka

St Aubin - the old plantation house, now a restaurant

Further south, and feeling hungry, we stopped at another plantation house, this one specifically converted to a restaurant which is one of the best throwbacks to colonial times complete with chandeliers and antique furniture.
Le Saint Aubin also comprises a rum distillery,museum and nursery growing anthurium flowers and vanilla

Black River Gorges National Park 

The Black River Gorges National Park at 2% of the island's surface is the largest area of natural beauty.  An easily accessible viewpoint gives an impressive vista from the clifftop.

Black River Gorges National Park 

During the morning the integral belt on Richard's walking trousers had disintegrated. Much thought had gone into how to keep them up when much to the amusement of all, Susan negotiated a temporary string fix with some stallholders from the souvenir stand. 

Shiva

At Grand Bassin there is a massive statue of the Hindu deity Shiva. this marks the way to the sacred lakeside temple with statues of a fair subset of the Hindu pantheon.

Hanuman and others