The South Coast - Paradise of the Zulu Kingdom

A detailed overview of the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal: The Great Ride

Before embarking on this 'tour of discovery', pause for a moment to reflect on two larger-than-life characters - one Zulu, one British - who made the same, dune-hugging journey more than 150 years ago under vastly different circumstances. By the mid-19th century our province was in a state of flux. The mighty King Shaka's co-assassin and heir - his half-brother Dingane - had himself been assassinated after a catastrophic chain of events. Dingane had ordered the massacre of Boer settlers arriving in the area on their Great Trek from British dominion in the Cape Colony...then allowed these Voortrekkers to regroup and exact humiliating revenge at the equally-pivotal Battle of Blood River. Dingane's successor, King Mpande, sought British mediation in the resulting territorial crisis and a 250-strong force under Waterloo - veteran Captain Thomas Charlton Smith marched north from the Cape Colony to Port Natal - Durban. Negotiations with Boer leaders failed, as did Smith's attempts to use force...and the British stockade found itself outnumbered and encircled.

zoom Ndongeni, Dick King's assistant who travelled a large part of the distance of 600 miles between Durban and Grahamstown to alert the British of a Boer siege,was given a piece of land near St Faiths for his efforts. Many of his descendents live on the South Coast. This memorial to Dick King is found in Durban.

Unfamiliar with both his surroundings and the Boer fighters' guerrilla tactics, Captain Smith enlisted the aid of Dick King, an English trader and transport rider with 14 years' experience in the Zulu Kingdom. Reinforcements were desperately needed and word of the dire situation had to reach the Cape Colony as fast as possible. And so it was that in 1842 Dick King and his 16-year-old tracker, Ndongeni, headed south along the shoreline - on horseback - with no leisure to immerse themselves in the coast's natural splendour...but to change the course of history. And just as this intrepid pair journeyed without today's effortless luxury of gleaming highway or train-tracks, neither could they enjoy bridge-top views of the myriad lagoons and estuaries that punctuate the South Coast odyssey - which starts when crossing the Mkomazi River, half an hour from Durban.

Named the 'Place of Whales' by King Shaka after marvelling at these giant creatures basking in the river mouth, the broad Mkomazi River was not only a tough swim for Dick King and Ndongeni, but soon proved highly problematic for the first generations of South Coast sugar and transport pioneers. A crude punt regularly lost as much cargo as it successfully ferried across...and ideas of a 'river- port' there were eventually abandoned after a series of mishaps. The town of Umkomaas, with its spectacular sea views, developed on a hill crowning the river's southern bank and became a premier holiday destination as the 20th century unfolded. Today, thanks to a shipping hazard and evidence of the havoc it wreaked, the town's colonial-style architecture is 'base camp' for adventurers of a thoroughly modern ilk - scuba divers from around the world.

Five kilometres offshore lies the internationally-renowned Aliwal Shoal - a fossilised sand dune of sponges, soft and hard coral - first spotted in 1849, but not adequately highlighted until after it sank the steamer Nebo in 1884. This wreck was joined almost a century later by that of the Produce, and together they add a significantly interesting dimension to this kilometre-long underwater wonderland. Aliwal Shoal attracts not only a wide variety of warm - and cold- water fish, but also many Ragged-Tooth sharks an awe- inspiring and surprisingly safe adventure! There has not been a single recorded shark attack on a scuba diver here, and the number of dive companies, plus underwater- themed accommodation, restaurants and taverns bear witness to Aliwal Shoal's popularity.

Further proof of this global interest lies with the highly- innovative underwater webcam, which during the peak of 'Ragged- Tooth Season' - late June through early September - transmits breathtaking scenes to the world-wide-web - Aliwal Cam Spectators closer to the action are catered for with sea- borne excursions to view the whales and dolphins that cruise and frolic past the shoal.

zoom Bottle-nose dolphins - a common sight along the South Coast.

Umkomaas is not unexpectedly a bountiful line-fishing locale, too, and away from the briny its challenging, heavily wooded and bunkered 5479m golf course was designed specifically to test those who boast a low handicap. Just south of the town is a sheltered surfing and bathing beach at Widenham, followed by the former German-American mission of Clansthal...with its rail station, well-situated caravan park and up-market holiday cottages right on the beach. At the southern tip of this beach is Green Point...our coast's original (but obviously no longer) 'Secret Spot' for surfers who travel the world in search of uncrowded point breaks where the waves peel off in unison for hundreds of metres at a time. As with all such 'unofficial' surfing destinations along out coastline, there are no shark nets or lifeguards...and belong only in the realm of experienced wave-riders. The Green Point lighthouse is a national monument and much sought-after attraction for those interested in a different aspect of the ocean.

Scottburgh, where Mphambanyoni River and Indian Ocean meet, is the next port o' call - literally so in the 1860s, when would-be shipping magnates moved their harbour-building attempts there from the failures at Mkomazi River mouth. Named after colonial Governor John Scott, it was the first township to be laid out south of Durban, but not the first successful port - that dream was scuppered within a few years.

zoom Visit the renowned crocodile farm just outside Scottburgh

Ships were sinking or running aground with alarming regularity, and ironically, much of the resulting flotsam and jetsam was cargo intended for an enterprise destined to put coastal shipping out of business altogether - the coastal railway. Modern Scottburgh is a thriving, beautifully situated resort town, with an expansive bathing beach manned year-round by lifeguards and fully shark-netted. The waves here are a great drawcard for surfing, body - and sail-boarding enthusiasts. Angling and snorkelling spots abound, as do opportunities for land- based sports...with the 5323m undulating, oceanside golf course topping many lists.

Head inland from the town and you're in traditional Zulu territory, and with it, the chance to witness first hand all the song and dance of a living culture. Climb the imposing Execution Rock - a short distance beyond the village of Dududu - for vast, spectacular views and a spot of daydreaming about days gone by. Stories abound of the colonial eccentrics who renounced their 'duties' to immerse themselves in the 'alternative' Zulu lifestyle here. It's still possible to see your future laid out in a throw of the bones, or return home with authentic handicrafts and a highly - descriptive, custom-divined Zulu name - all guaranteed to suitably impress your friends!

zoom South Coast Sangoma.

A little south of Scottburgh - and inland from the picturesque, safe beach at Park Rynie - is Sugar Country...centered around the predominantly Indian-influenced town of Umzinto. These are the cane-fields whose yield precipitated the flurry of transport initiatives around the turn of the century...and whose legacy of indentured plantation labour and immigrant traders from the Indian sub- continent informs much of today's South Coast society.

An early magistracy, Umzinto also witnessed the first horse races south of Durban, and many a pioneering fortune changed hands at these meetings!

Half an hour beyond Umzinto lies the 2 189 hectare Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve, a combination of open grassland and coastal forest... home to a wide range of wild animals plus more than 300 confirmed bird species. KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife maintains the reserve and its accommodation facilities.

Yet further inland, the small town of Highflats is a convenient base for exploring cultural sites relating to the truly ancient San people. Caves, rock paintings, religious shrines and ceremonial sites bear witness to this fascinating culture's deep understanding of the relationship between Man and Nature. The San's mystical communion with the eland has imprinted much of the region with artistic homage to this regal antelope. Evidence of Voortrekker wagon routes into the Zulu Kingdom from the Drakensberg mountains is found along the old St Faiths road heading seawards from Highflats.

Continues ....

zoom The Strelitzia - a common South Coast jewel.

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