MZANZI ISSUE 16

Discover
Secondly, work closely with Minister of Police and our sector to
address the concerns of safety. We have agreed yesterday with
the Minister of Police to bring all our teams together in the coming
two weeks. Lastly and most importantly, we need to develop and
drive an aggressive marketing campaign for both domestic and
international markets,” said Minister Kubayi-Ngubane. (Her full
speech and more details about the Sho’t Left Travel Week can
be found on the government website and at www.shotleft.co.za.)
we next came upon what is aptly called The Drakensberg
Chocolate Memories… for chocolate was in abundance
and memories were certainly made. Here you can munch
away to your heart’s delight on artisan chocolates that are
made with love and care in the foothills of the Drakensberg
mountains. Only the finest ingredients are used – pure
cocoa butter and natural bourbon vanilla, and definitely
no modified fats or palm oil are used.
Beer, chocolates and a
farm stall
Our next stop was for some beer tasting at Drakensberg Brewery, a
unique craft brewery in the heart of the Drakensberg with spectacular
mountain views. The in-house pub, called the Brewpub, is a great
place to sit back and enjoy one of their fantastic beers on tap. The
brewery and pub are also well-known for their DIY platters where
customers can create their own platters from a selection of cold
meats, cheeses, pickles and preserves.
Brewmaster Nick Roberts turned his hand to brewing after moving
to Cathkin Park from Johannesburg with his wife in 2015. He
left behind many years of experience in project management
and process engineering, both of which have served him well
at the brewery. The Drakensberg Brewery is a proud member of
Drakensberg Experience, a local tourism initiative. (Contact the
Brewery at info@drakbrew.co.za or phone 083 296 4552 or the
Brewpub at brewpub@drakbrew.co.za 060 382 6225.)
Indulge in some free chocolate tasting, enjoy a chocolate
fondue, have some hot chocolate, or take some syphon
brewed coffee with truffles and chili essence. Or drink some
chocolate water, try their light and irresistible chocolate
mousse, get a frozen chocolate drink to cool you down, buy
some of their range of chocolate bars or bulk chocolate,
and much more. The decadent chocolate fondue was
definitely my favourite. (Contact Chocolate Memories at Tel
+27 072 310 3376.)
Still basking in a kind of chocolate afterglow, I next found
myself within walking distance of the Farm Friends Farm
Stall. What a hidden gem all of its own! The stall is situated
at the Berg Air Lifestyle Centre and sells handmade and
artistic items, metal craft, gifting, homemade preserves
and jams as well as “free to roam” meat - beef and lamb. I
could easily have bought everything in store to take home
as gifts! (Contact Farm, Friends Farm Stall on Tel +27 083
365 0391.)
Great was my surprise – and the delight of my sweet tooth - when
Wine, adventure and
horse riding
Next stop on our action-filled trip was a date with some
lovely wine tasting at Cathedral Peak Wine Estate situated in
the Winterton area of the Central Drakensberg. The climate
here has unique characteristics - the air is clean, crisp
and fresh to breathe, and the sheerness of the mountain
allows heat to rise up against the warm cliffs during the
day and cooler air to feed down at night. The winter sees
snow on the tops of the peaks that feed the crystal-clear
mountain streams. The soil is deep and fertile, and the land
is gently undulating. With steady summer rainfall, nature
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