Mzanzitravel Magazine Issue 10

Within and outside its borders are a large number of smaller parks, nature reserves
and conservation areas. These include the Royal Natal National Park, the source
of the Tugela River with its 912m high Tugela Falls, the second highest waterfall
on earth, and home to tens of thousands of well-preserved San rock paintings
along the cliffs and in caves. These tiny San (Bushman) hunter-gatherers were the
original inhabitants of the area over many thousands of years, and were almost
wiped out by the later arrival of waves of Khoi, abaNtu (Bantu) and white settlers.
Within the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg National Park alone there are around 600
sites with over 35,000 individual rock art paintings, most of it better preserved
than any other region south of the Sahara. The oldest painting in the park is about
2,400 years old.
Also located here is what’s called the Drakensberg Gardens Area, easily accessible
from both the province’s two major cities, Durban and Pietermaritzburg. It can be
reached via the charming little villages of Underberg and Himeville and is an ideal
area for a quiet getaway in the natural environs of the mountain. Hiking trails are in
abundance here and the 5-day Giant’s Cup Hiking Trail covering a distance of 60
kilometres, is a firm favourite with many visitors.
At the foot of the Drakensberg
… home to unique parks and reserves
While the Drakensberg and its immediate surrounds in KwaZulu-Natal are wellknown
to people from all over the world, a number of beautiful parks and reserves
in the foothills of its spectacular embrace are just waiting to be discovered by those
less familiar with this beautiful corner of South Africa. These are the hidden gems
of the mountain range.
The Drakensberg Mountains, an Afrikaans name meaning “dragon mountains”,
is one of the largest mountain ranges in Southern Africa spanning some 1,000km
from southwest to northeast along the eastern part of the Great Escarpment, and
has the highest mountain peaks in Southern Africa, up to 3,482 metres in height.
In the local Zulu language the mountains are called “uKhahlamba”, meaning the
‘barrier of spears’. Whether that is a reference to the many sharp peaks or the fact
that no barrage of spears will penetrate the formidable rock face, these mountains
have a majestic omnipresence throughout this region.
The mountains themselves are well-known to travellers from all over the world who
come here to relax in luxury hotels in the fresh mountain air, climb the challenging
peaks and cliffs, or go on some of the most beautiful hikes in the world. But
perhaps less known are the excellent reserves and parks straddling the foothills of
the mountains. Almost all of the South African side of the mountain range has been
designated as a game reserve, national park or wilderness area.
KwaZulu-Natal, also known as the Kingdom of the Zulu, boasts two World
Heritage Sites - the iSimangaliso Wetland Park (Greater St Lucia Wetland Park)
and the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg National Park. The Ukhahlamba Drakensberg
National Park, near the border with Lesotho, was inscribed by UNESCO in 2000
as a World Heritage Site.
Grobler du Preez / iStock
The Himeville Nature Reserve and the Sani Pass are situated on the edge of the
Drakensberg Gardens Area. The tightly zig-zagging curves and hairpin bends of the
Sani Pass, one of the most magnificent mountain passes in South Africa, connects
KwaZulu-Natal to Lesotho. It also gives access to the Maloti-Drakensberg Park,
a trans-frontier parks consisting of the uKhahlamba Drakensberg National Park in
South Africa and the Sehlathebe National Park in Lesotho. At the top of the pass
is located one of the very few winter ski resorts of Africa.
The Maloti-Drakensberg Park is exceptionally beautiful, hugging the soaring
basaltic buttresses of the mountain, with cutbacks and golden sandstone
ramparts, arches, caves, cliffs, rock pools and endless views of the world below.
It is home to many endemic plants and endangered species such as the Cape
vulture (Gyps coprotheres) and the bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), as well
as the Maloti minnow (Pseudobarbus quathlambae), an endangered fish species
only found in this park on the Lesotho side.
The Drakensberg Gardens Area offers good trout fishing, bird watching and game
viewing and in the winter months the landscape transforms into a snow-covered
wonderland. There are many excellent holiday resorts, B&Bs, hotels and other
establishments throughout the area. It is also a popular hiking destination with
many trails and walks.
Among the many other parks and reserves in the Drakensberg area are Giant’s
Castle Nature Reserve, Highmoor Nature Reserve, Impendle Nature Reserve,
Kamberg Nature Reserve, Lotheni Nature Reserve, Marutswa Forest, Matatiele
Nature Reserve, Mkhomazi State Forest, Monks Cowl Nature Reserve, Mount
Currie Nature Reserve, Mzimkhulu Wilderness Area, Ntsikeni Wildlife Reserve,
Sioenkop Dam Nature Reserve, and Vergelegen Nature Reserve. All of these have
plenty to offer and are well worth a visit.
For more information call Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (KwaZulu-Natal parks
authority) on Tel +27 (0) 33 845 1999 or +27 (0) 33 845 1968/1320/1324
(permit enquiries) or email bookings@kznwildlife.com; or call SANParks
central reservations at +27 (0)12 428 9111 or mobile +27 (0)82 233 9111;
or call Tourism KwaZulu-Natal at +27 (0)31 366 7500 or
email www.zulu.org.za.
48 |ISSUE 10|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL