Weekend guides
Seven ways to slow down in the Midlands
A waterfall at dawn, a forest at noon, a fire by sundown, and nowhere you have to be.
Nothing here takes more than a day, and most of it takes an hour. The point is to leave gaps between things.
Start at Howick Falls
Walk to the viewing platform near the main street before the town wakes up. The uMngeni River drops about 95 metres into a forested gorge.
Take the R103, not the N3
The old road north winds past dams, stud farms and stone churches. Follow the signs to studios, delis and farm stalls, and stop often.
Walk in the mistbelt forest
The Karkloof holds one of the largest stretches of indigenous mistbelt forest left in KwaZulu-Natal, with yellowwoods and the endangered Cape parrot.
Cast a line
Trout have been part of Midlands life for more than a century, and many farms sell day permits for their stocked dams.
Visit Game Pass Shelter
A guided walk, booked through Kamberg reception, leads to some of the most studied San rock art in southern Africa.
Stop at the Nelson Mandela Capture Site
On the R103 near Howick, where Mandela was arrested in August 1962. The walk-in sculpture is a quiet, powerful place to pause.
End the day by a fire
Find a country inn or pub with a hearth and a view, and let the afternoon run late.
