Narina Exelby
MIDLANDS MEANDER
Narina Exelby is a roaming writer who, for almost a decade, has battled to answer the (oft-asked) question: ʻSo, where do you live?ʼ Sheʼs usually based in Indonesia and lives mostly out of her kitbag – but 2021 has seen her “stuck” (quite happily) near her childhood home just outside Howick. Sheʼs revelled in the opportunity to spend quality time in the Midlands again and has taken much delight in watching the seasons change. Aloes, she proclaims, make winter bearable. Still, Narinaʼs feet are itchy and sheʼs looking forward to switching her trusted Groundcover vellies for Indo-made flipflops.
THE MISTY VALLEYS, TUCKED-AWAY FORESTS AND ROLLING FARMLANDS OF THE KZN MIDLANDS HAVE BECOME A FAVOURITE DESTINATION FOR THOSE WHO WANT PEACE AND QUIET – OR TO INVEST IN LOCAL ART, INDULGE IN GOOD MEALS AND EXPLORE EXCITING TRAILS. NARINA EXELBY TAKES A LOOK AT WHAT’S NEW(ISH) IN THE AREA
There is a morning from the early 1990s that exists as clearly in my memory now, as it did when the moment unfolded on that early autumn day. It was 1 April – my mumʼs birthday – and our yellow station wagon was pootling along the windy R103. I was 14, wearing a Madonna T-shirt, and Iʼd stuck my head out the open window. Eyes closed, I drank in the crisp air. I was exhilarated; a dreamy bundle of excitement because a) we were listening to Capital 604 and the DJ had just announced that Vanilla Ice was coming to Durban, and b) because we were “doing the Meander”.
In essence, the KZN Midlands is a network of driving routes in the heart of KwaZulu-Natal linking arts and crafts outlets with restaurants, lodges, historic landmarks and all manner of fun and inspiration. While it took days to recover from the disappointment of the April Foolsʼ joke, Iʼve never lost that feeling of anticipation – that excitement – of driving Midlands roads and knowing that just around the corner, thereʼdbe something interesting to look at, something new to discover, something that would fuel my creative soul. Thirty years on, driving the R103 still feels the same.
Barn Owl
Over the past 30-odd years, the name Groundcover has become synonymous with the Midlands. Hand-crafted leather shoes are still sold in the old iron house in Curryʼs Post, just a few metres from where theyʼre made… but what has changed is that Groundcover now has a new neighbour. The Barn Owl country café is growing a reputation for its superb coffee, gorgeous valley outlook and delicious food. Itʼs particularly popular with families, as kids love the playground here.
Open daily 9am–4pm
072 714 6870, thebarnowl.co.za
The Platform and VT Coffee Café
If youʼre driving through Lions River you wonʼt miss The Platform, which stands right alongside the R103. The old shed-like station – full of character – is now a gallery for artists from around the Midlands. Adjacent to the gallery is a platform of a different kind. The recently opened VT Coffee Café and The Local eatery are housed in containers, with a deck built above. Order a coffee or bunny chow and sit upstairs to take in the views and wave at passing trains.
Open daily 9am–4.30pm
084 999 2223, facebook.com/theplatformlionsriver
Ashton Wold
Deep in the Curryʼs Post area – high up and with views towards the farmlands of the Karkloof – four stone and thatch cottages stand quiet watch over two small dams. The cottages – restored over the past three years – have become a haven for those who want to escape the craziness of the world for a little while (phone signal here is sketchy), take their bikes out on the forest trails nearby, fish for bass in the dams, or nip out to explore all that the Midlands has to offer.
Cottages sleep from four to six people; from R750 pp pn, sharing
082 440 1882, ashtonwold.co.za