Brandon and Marcelle Danks
Pinetown, KZN
IG: @lets_get_lost_za @wandering_soul_za
• Weenen Game Reserve
kznwildlife.com
• Cumberland Nature Reserve
cumberlandreserve.co.za • Eston 4x4 Valley Adventures
info@eston4x4.co.za
• Tala Game Reserve tala.co.za
We love visiting Weenen Game Reserve in the KZN Midlands. It was established around 1975 and is roughly 50 km2 in size. The reserve has day visitor facilities (entry fee R50 per adult; R25 per child) and a campsite that can accommodate caravans, trailers or tents. The 4x4 trail is very mild – the highlight for us was crossing the slatted steel bridge.
Although it’s small, we rate the seldomly visited Cumberland Nature Reserve – it’s right up there with KZN’S big guns. It’s just east of Pietermaritzburg and has great views of the umngeni River. No day visitors are allowed, so you must sleep over. It’s a hiking reserve, with no driving other than to and from your chalet or campsite. This means that it’s peaceful and tranquil. The campsites are magnificent; uzavolo is our favourite – it has a donkey boiler for hot water and no electricity.
We enjoy off-roading and camping, which is what attracted us to Eston 4x4 Valley Adventures, a newly established farm in the Eston/gwahumbe area about an hour’s drive south-west of Durban. They have a few animals which are exceptionally shy, but the very observant might spot kudu, hippo, bushbuck, warthog and a variety of birds. The 4x4 trails are well maintained and range from grade 1 to grade 5, suitable for everything from stock standard vehicles to modified rigs.
Another place with good 4x4 trails is Tala Game Reserve near Camperdown, about 45 minutes from Durban. They have plentiful game and rich birdlife. One of our favourite things to do in the heat of the day is to picnic next to Hippo Pools.