Kwazulu Natal South Coast Attractions

Day trip to Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve and Fairacres Estate

Oribi Gorge

The Oribi Gorge is situated along the spectacular forest-cloaked ravine of the Mzimkulwana River. The river has etched a spectacular gorge into the mountains to create a rugged, natural landscape of breathtaking beauty. Over centuries, the sandstone cliffs of the gorge have been carved out by the river. At the base of the cliffs there are rocks over 1000 million years old while the cliffs were formed from sandstone deposited about 365 million years ago. The canyon has been named after the small antelope, Oribi. The forests are home to leopard, caracal, serval, bushbuck, blue duiker and samango monkey and the grasslands are the home of the oribi. The gorge is a bird-watchers paradise, with over 255 species of birds. There are 500 plant species e.g. orchids, proteas, aloe and many species of cycads.  Visitors can explore the reserve along six nature walks, ranging from 1km to 9km.

Fairacres Estate

Spectacular views of the Oribi Gorge can be seen from vantage points along the cliff edge e.g. the Horseshoe Bend in the Mzimkhulwana River. Other rock formations with imaginative names which can be seen are. Overhanging Rock, Sphinx, Pulpit, Leaning Tower and Baboon’s Castle. Lehr’s Waterfall is also a popular attraction.
 

Amanzimtoti Country Club - KwaZulu-Natal, Amanzimtoti

The Amanzimtoti Country Club is located on the beautiful South Coast beach of Amanzimtoti a 20-minute drive down the coast from Durban.  The last 3 holes provide an interesting and fairly tough finish, especially in the wind.

Directions:

From Durban Airport, travel south on the South Coast highway [N2], take the off-ramp left into Joyner Road. At the first traffic lights, turn right into Kingsway, cross the river, continue up the hill and take the first left into Golf Course Road, the golf course is straight ahead.

Facilities:

Lounge, Function facilities, Halfway house, Practice bunker, putting/chipping greens, Caddies, Squash courts, Bar and restaurant

Holes: 18 Parkland

Fairway Grass: Kikuyu

Greens Grass: Bent grass

Visitors: Visitors welcome everyday except Saturday afternoons. Phone first.

Course description: Semi Links

Holes: 18

Metres: 5816 metres

Length: 6514 meters

Rating: 70

Par: 72

Dress Code: Smart shorts or longs. Shirt with collar.  No beach wear, Soft/Metal spikes

Address:

Amanzimtoti Country Club
1 Golf Course Road, Prospecton 4110
Po Box 81, Umbogintwini, 4120
Fax (+27 31) 902 3652
Email: totigolfclub@icon.co.za

The Kwazulu-Natal South Coast in South Africa offers some of the finest swimming and surfing beaches. It also has fantastic year-round swimming weather.  The following are beaches in Margate and nearby:

- Banana Beach
- Bazley Beach
- Beach Terminus
- Big Tree Beach
- Clansthal
- Glenmore Beach
- Green Point
- Hibberdene
- Ifafa
- Lucien Beach
- Margate South Beach
- Margate Beach
- Marina Beach
- Trafalgar
- Oslo Beach
- Palm.

The Margate Country Club was upgraded in 1995 and has become one of the finest golf courses on the Indian Ocean Coast of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.  The Margate Golf and Country Club is now included in the Golf Digest and attracts golfers from all over South Africa and an increasing number of overseas visitors.

The Riverbend Crocodile Farm in Southbroom on the South Coast of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, was officially opened by the Administrator of KwaZulu Natal Mr C.B.Botha on the 24th November 1981.  Designed by South African architect Eben Du Plessis and constructed by the owner, Corky Kelly,  the Riverbend Crocodile Farm has grown in the last 25 years and has now hosted more than 1.5 million visitors establishing itself as one of KwaZulu Natal’s major tourist attractions. While the initial crocodiles were obtained from Spencer’s Creek Crocodile Farm in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe additional crocodiles from Namibia, South Africa and now home bred crocodiles form the nucleus of one of the most successful crocodile breeding basks in South Africa.  The first crocodiles to be born at the Riverbend Crocodile Farm where hatched in the summer of 1983. 

The Uvongo Bird Park in Margate is an amazing park offering walk-through aviaries where a diversity of vibrant bird life can be discovered. Enjoy refreshing drinks or tea in the garden while the children enjoy themselves in the play park.

Day trip along the scenic Hibiscus coast to Port Edward and the Mzamba Cretaceous Deposits:

Uvongo, Margate, Port Edward

Uvongo:

This is a seaside resort with a garden layout and a beautiful lagoon with a 23m high waterfall which plunges into it. At the Uvongo Bird Park a large variety of colourful exotic and indigenous birds can be seen. There are tidal pools for swimming, boating on the Vungu Lagoon and good angling opportunities.
 
Margate:

This is a very popular seaside resort. The beachfront has magnificent palms, grassy embankments and a range of sporting and entertainment facilities. The lagoon is at the mouth of the Nkhongweni River. Explore the river in canoes or paddle boats. Angling is popular with rock and surf anglers.   
 
Port Edward: 

This is the most southerly resort along the coast. It was named after the Prince of Wales who later became King Edward VIII. In 1552 a Portuguese ship was wrecked close to Port Edward and this is the earliest known shipwreck on the KwaZulu Natal Coast. It has protected beaches for swimmers, has the longest supertube in South Africa and also a popular angling destination.
 
Mzamba Creataceous Deposits: 

In 1855 this area was brought to the attention of the scientific world and it provided the first evidence of fossils from the Upper Cretaceous. These marine fossil beds are exposed in a 10m high cliff that forms a prominent headland about 2.5km south of the Mtamvuna River. The deposits consist of grayish-brown sandstone, and limestone rich in fossil material dating back to 80 million years. The lower layers contain numerous tree trunks that have been silicified. There are also many marine shells.

The Mzamba Village Market in Port Edward, South Africa, offers a range of locally crafted curios.

Port Edward’s Red Desert is the world’s smallest desert, bordered on the south by the Umtamvuna (Mthamvuna) River – Zulu for “the reaper of mouthfuls”.

The Umtamvuna Nature Reserve in South Africa is situated 8km north of Port Edward along the Umtamvuna River gorge. There is an excellent bird-watching trail in the subtropical forest.

This 6 hour steam train journey on a narrow-guage railway departs from Port Shepstone. It steams along the coastline, turns inland and winds through sugar and banana plantations. Another trip takes one to Paddock and guided walks are offered  in the Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve before the return journey.

The magnificent Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve is one of KwaZulu-Natal's most spectacular natural settings.  It is situated 21 km inland from the coastal town of Port Shepstone in South Africa. Ideal for a weekend getaway or day-excursion, the Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve offers many delightful walks and self-guided trails to scenic spots in the reserve.

The scenery along the gorge formed by the Umzimkulwana River is a photographer's and nature lover's paradise. There are numerous idyllic picnic spots on the banks of the river. There is a reservoir swimming pool, with a sundeck, in the camp for residents.  Besides its magnificent views, the Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve has a wealth of other attractions as well. Wildlife to be seen in the reserve includes mammal species such as bushbuck, common reedbuck and blue and grey duiker. Leopard occur in the area and with luck, you may join the select band of game viewers to have seen one of these secretive creatures. The bird list numbers 250 and with its diverse habitats bird watching in Oribi is a rewarding experience.

Take a drive to this beautiful scenic gorge on the Umzimkulwana River with its forested area where cliffs rise from the deep chasms and open out to reveal the spectacular Samango Falls. There are many animals and birds and a mountain bike trail, and a hair-raising gorge swing.  This is 21km inland from Port Shepstone.

The golf course at the Port Shepstone Country Club on the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, is a nature lover's paradise that has a large selection of Bird Life including Fish Eagle, Egyptian Geese, various species of Stork and Duck as well as dyker and many other wildlife roaming around not to mention the monkeys. The first nine holes of the Port Shepstone Golf Course are luscious coastal forest with a large variety of indigenous trees and mangroves lining the fairways and is considered by many to be the most beautiful section. The second nine holes are more a Links type golf course which is open and wind affected with a number of water hazards attracting abundant Bird Life. Playing this course is an experience not to be missed.

The Port Shepstone lighthouse is rated at 27′000 candlepower. 500 metres south of the mouth of the Mzimkhulu River the lighthouse, made of iron, was cast in Britain and shipped to South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province in the 1890’s. Initially it stood at Green Point to warn of the Aliwal Shoal, but was later brought to Port Shepstone.

The Port Shepstone Lighthouse is been declared a national monument.  It features an 8 metre circular cast iron tower and is painted with black white cheques.  The lighthouse is equipped with a radio beacon and is fully automatic. It runs off the mains supply and has two standby diesel/alternator sets.

The lighthouse is painted in black and white cheques has become a familiar landmark to people who visit the quaint little town of Port Shepstone, which is approximately a 2 hour drive South of Durban. The coastline running south from this beacon is notorious for its wrecks, in fact this stretch of coastline between Port Shepstone and Cape Hermes at Port St Johns is particularly dangerous.

Probably the most famous of these wrecks are the Sao Joao and the Grosvenor. The Sao Joao, a richly laden Portuguese Galleon was wrecked with its alleged riches have never been located. The Grosvenor sank beneath the waves off the Pondoland shore with her hoard which legend insists included jewels, gold and silver bars and some say the fabulous Peacock Throne of the Moguls believed to be worth well over 6 Million Pounds.  Razor sharp rocks, strong currents, pounding surf and inaccessibility to this wreck has put paid to recovering any treasures that might lie beneath the murky waters. 

To discover more of this town’s fascinating history, visit the Port Shepstone Museum. This charming museum details the town's history with a series of exhibits carrying a maritime theme.

Day trip to Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve and Fairacres Estate

Oribi Gorge

The Oribi Gorge is situated along the spectacular forest-cloaked ravine of the Mzimkulwana River. The river has etched a spectacular gorge into the mountains to create a rugged, natural landscape of breathtaking beauty. Over centuries, the sandstone cliffs of the gorge have been carved out by the river. At the base of the cliffs there are rocks over 1000 million years old while the cliffs were formed from sandstone deposited about 365 million years ago. The canyon has been named after the small antelope, Oribi. The forests are home to leopard, caracal, serval, bushbuck, blue duiker and samango monkey and the grasslands are the home of the oribi. The gorge is a bird-watchers paradise, with over 255 species of birds. There are 500 plant species e.g. orchids, proteas, aloe and many species of cycads.  Visitors can explore the reserve along six nature walks, ranging from 1km to 9km.

Fairacres Estate

Spectacular views of the Oribi Gorge can be seen from vantage points along the cliff edge e.g. the Horseshoe Bend in the Mzimkhulwana River. Other rock formations with imaginative names which can be seen are. Overhanging Rock, Sphinx, Pulpit, Leaning Tower and Baboon’s Castle. Lehr’s Waterfall is also a popular attraction.
 

The Scottburgh Golf Course features two Par 5 and five Par 3 holes and has amazing views of the Indian Ocean.