Discover the Midlands
Rolling farmland, mistbelt forest and the first big views of the Drakensberg, between Pietermaritzburg and the Berg.
The areas
Four corners of the region
Howick & Midmar
The gateway to the Midlands: a town built on the lip of a waterfall, a big dam for swimming and sailing, and the roadside site where Nelson Mandela was arrested in 1962.
Karkloof & Dargle
Two green valleys either side of Howick, with indigenous mistbelt forest, waterfalls, walking and mountain-bike trails, small farms and studios.
Nottingham Road & Mooi River
The heart of the R103: country hotels, pubs, cheesemakers and farm stalls among rolling pastures and trout dams, with Rosetta and Mooi River further north.
Kamberg & the Berg
West of the farmland, the land climbs into the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg World Heritage Site: basalt cliffs, clear rivers and San rock art.
Towns & villages
Where to start
Balgowan
Balgowan is a farming valley in the KZN Midlands on the R103, in uMngeni Local Municipality.
Balgowan guideDargle and Karkloof
Dargle and Karkloof are rural farming and conservation valleys near Howick rather than towns.
Dargle and Karkloof guideHilton
Hilton lies at about 1,080 m on the escarpment above Pietermaritzburg, about 9 km from the city centre and 11 km from Howick, with the N3 bypassing it to the north.
Hilton guideHowick
Howick is the seat of uMngeni Local Municipality and sits on the N3 at about 1,050 m.
Howick guideLidgetton
Lidgetton is a small settlement on the R103 near Howick, in uMngeni Local Municipality, on the Midlands Meander route.
Lidgetton guideMooi River
Mooi River is the seat of Mpofana Local Municipality, at about 1,389 m on the N3 and the Johannesburg-Durban railway; the station now handles goods only, and there is an N3 toll plaza at the town.
Mooi River guideNottingham Road
Nottingham Road is a small village on the R103, 19 km south of Mooi River and 59 km from Pietermaritzburg; the 2011 census counted 1,277 people.
Nottingham Road guideRosetta
Rosetta is a small farming village in Mpofana Local Municipality, between Mooi River and Nottingham Road, with views towards the Drakensberg.
Rosetta guideGuides
Plan your time in the Midlands
Things to do in the KZN Midlands
Waterfalls, mistbelt forest, makers' studios, wine farms, trout dams and the first big views of the Drakensberg. A local guide to the best of the region, by kind of day.
Read the guideWhere to stay in the Midlands
Country house hotels, farm cottages with log fires, treehouses and a farmhouse in the shadow of the Drakensberg. How to choose a Midlands stay.
Read the guideA weekend in the Midlands
Two slow days on the R103: a waterfall, history, studios, a long lunch and a fire by sundown, then forest or rock art on day two.
Read the guideThings to do
What the Midlands does best
Waterfalls & water
Howick, Karkloof and the Mooi River all have falls you can reach without a long hike. Midmar adds sailing and paddling on a big, open dam.
History & heritage
From the Nelson Mandela Capture Site to San rock art thousands of years old, the Midlands holds a great deal of history within a short drive.
Birds & wildlife
Mistbelt forest and high grassland support Cape parrots, blue swallows and all three of South Africa's crane species.
Fly-fishing
Stocked dams and clear mountain streams have made trout part of Midlands life for more than a century.
Makers & food
Potters, weavers, leatherworkers, cheesemakers and brewers work along the back roads of the scenic route.
Walking & riding
Forest trails in the Karkloof, grassland walks in the Kamberg and longer hikes towards the escarpment.
Seasons
When to come
Summer December to February
Afternoon thunderstorms turn the valleys emerald and the falls run full.
Autumn March to May
Clear, settled days and cool nights, ideal for long drives and walking.
Winter June to August
Frosty mornings, fireside afternoons and, some years, snow on the Berg.
Spring September to November
New green growth, wildflowers in the grassland and birds breeding.