Spring is when one’s mind turns to the seaside, mostly Durban.
After all, it’s only about six hours away to the country’s biggest harbour and holiday hub.
Getting there from Gauteng is pretty easy on the N3, even if it is one of the busiest highways in the country.
But why not have your holiday while driving to Durbs? Make it a leisurely drive.
Take the time to take in all the wonderful sights on your way east.
As always: so much to see, so little time. So best be selective.
It’s better to come back another time and take in some different sites.
Early on in your drive, you will leave Gauteng, drive through Mpumalanga, and near the border of the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal, you’ll find the little town of Van Reenen.
Time to stop, rest and drink tea – which you can do in a lovely little garden. It is next to the smallest church in the world. Well worth a visit.
The Llandaff Oratory seats only eight people. It was built by a father in memory of a son who died in a mining accident.
Within five minutes’ drive, you’ll find a magnificent sculpture of Nelson Mandela. As this is the centenary of his birth, visiting it is the thing to do. It is the centre point of what is known as Madiba’s Capture Site and in a way is the starting point for his long walk to freedom – albeit it via Robben Island. It is here that he was arrested in 1962. Stay in Howick. There is exceptional and affordable lodging. There is also a magnificent waterfall in the Umgeni River, almost 100m high, which is a
Boer-Zulu struggles, the Anglo-Zulu War, the Zulu civil war, the Anglo-Boer War, the Bhambatha rebellion.
It is best done by reading up on the issues that caused the wars, then on the particular battles, before going to the sites themselves. For really deep immersion, it’s a good idea to hire a specialist guide.
A wonderful trip along a wonderful highway – and there wasn’t even time to visit the Drakensberg and its many attractions.
As you descend into KZN, you can turn left or right from the N3 and find a great deal to see and do on both sides. But stop just less than an hour away from Durban, at the town of Howick. It is right next to the N3.
great tourist attraction. Nearby are three more waterfalls worth seeing – Cascade, Shelter and Karkloof. It is from near the latter that John Goodman Household flew a self-made glider in 1871 – the first in history and
for longer and further than either of the other two usually named when such daring exploits are mentioned, Otto Lilienthal or the Wright brothers. Do the Midlands Meander – a really slow journey into a world of locally produced food, arts and crafts. Take in the craft beer, wine, honey, cheese, art galleries and shops. The Midlands Region of KZN has a wide range of leather goods, batiks, pottery, beadwork, candles, wind chimes and much, much more.
The landscape is impressive and so are the sporting facilities - fishing, horseback riding, tubing, hiking, and on and on.
Right there, too, are parts of the KZN Battlefields Route. These represent the largest concentration of battle sites in the country: the early Zulu battles, the
N3 TOP 5
1. Llandaff Oratory
2. Madiba’s Capture Site
3. Howick
4. Midlands Meander
5. KZN Battlefields Route
