Go Down the South

The KZN South Coast has been long known as the great holiday destination with 3 major attractions: The beautiful warm beaches and great surfing conditions, the Oribi Gorge nature reserve, and the Banana Express steam train ride.

Sad news is that the Banana Express has been closed down, and no longer can holiday makers enjoy this steam train ride.

The Banana Express has been finally closed down by Spoornet on Thursday 20 April 2006 on the grounds that “a lease does not exist”. Patons have been running the Banana Express since the mid 1980 ’s.

The reasons for its closure are complex, and it seems that the Banana Express will never again run on the KZN South Coast.

Thousands of years before the holiday makers, it was the Khoi and San people who roamed the lovely land and coastline around the Mzimkulu River on the South Coast of the Kingdom of the Zulu where the bustling town of Port Shepstone now lies.

After the Khoi and San came the Nguni who formed small tribes and settled in “homestead” communities. Later came the Zulu influence.

It was not until the late 1820’s that European traders first appeared bartering beads and guns for ivory and Henry Francis Fynn, co-founder of Durban, entertained Shaka, King of the Zulu’s, near the present day Marburg in 1828.

The area south of the Mzimkulu River, named ‘No Mans Land’ was incorporated into the Colony of Natal by the Governor, Lt Col. Bisset in 1866 when the idea of establishing a township at the mouth of the river was mooted. It was to be called SHEPSTONE after the Secretary of Native Affairs, Sir Theophilus Shepstone and was eventually laid out in 1882.

English, German and Norwegian families settled in the area and grew tea, coffee and conveniently, sugar. Indentured Indian labour was introduced to work on the plantations, railways, marble and limestone quarries - still the key commercial activities in the area. Indian traders then followed. The descendants of these people form the basis of our multilingual and multicultural community which today numbers 35 000 people within the municipal boundaries and another 85 000 people in the Traditional areas.

Construction on the harbour at the mouth of the Mzimkulu, essentially to stimulate trade and commercial development was begun in the 1880’s. The sea wall and South Wharf were indeed massive when compared with Durban before Maydon Wharf and the Point with only wooden staging! The fact that the river was navigable for some 8km up to St Helen’s Rock was a great boon to the marble and limestone industries.

Port Shepstone, the second port of the colony of Natal, had its own customs house, steam tugs and dredgers and in 1905 the cast iron ‘Checkerboard’ lighthouse shipped from Britain to Natal in 1890’s was erected in its present landmark position. The Port Natal railway line reached Port Shepstone in 1901, and, crossing the river upstream in 1907, gave over 2km’s of wharfage to the harbour. The present road/rail bridge across the river mouth was erected on 1959. Today the N2 Freeway puts Durban just an hour’s drive away from Port Shepstone.

Port Shepstone houses all the provincial government departments and is the seat of the Ugu Regional Council. The infrastructure is well developed with many recreational and shopping facilities, excellent schools, clinics, Provincial and Private Hospitals. The Town Council has initiated its own Development Company and Local Business Service Centre to stimulate new developments, business and employment opportunities, especially in the tourism industry.

The council has instigated a co-ordinated anti-crime campaign and the entire municipal area is under a 24-hour surveillance.

The diverse culture of its people instils a uniqueness that makes this bustling refreshingly different.

The sea whispering up golden beaches or crashing spectacularly on the rocks is rich in marine life, heaven for fishing, snorkeling, deep-sea diving or scuba diving off the Protea Reef.

All along the 18km coastline, stretches of rolling surf offers superb opportunities for surfing, ski-boating and jet-skiing whilst sheltered bays ensure safe bathing and paddling. The famous Sardine Run takes place in the wonderfully warm winter months when the sea boils with millions of small fish running close to shore and excited crowds gather to scoop them from the sea or even the sand! Throughout the year, holders of Boat-Based Whale Watching licences on the South Coast take visitors to see Humpbacked and Southern Right Whales up as close as legally allowed while all around hundreds of dolphins leap and play. Our coast is one of the world’s top destinations for dolphin viewing.

The calm waters of the Mzimkulu River are perfect for windsurfing, water-skiing, canoeing and taking leisurely cruises on a River barge. The Port Shepstone Country Club with its popular restaurant and pub has bowling greens, tennis and squash courts and its superb 18 hole golf course running along the river bank.

From here the Mzimkulu River cuts inland and joins the Mzinkulwana River to form the 24km long Oribi Gorge with its spectacular rocky outcrops like the Overhanging Rock and the 170m Lehr’s Falls, where the brave can enjoy the thrill of the world’s highest commercial abseil at 110m or shoot the rapids, white water rafting. Hiking trails through beautiful scenery echoing with the bird calls of over 250 species and the forest sounds of buck, baboons and monkeys.

The less energetic can enjoy panoramic views from the vintage Edwardian narrow gauge Banana Express Steam Train through indigenous forests, sugar cane fields and green hills, dotted with traditional villages - home to six Zulu Chiefs - to the Paddock Station, a national monument. Nature lovers can extend their trip to include the Oribi Gorge led by SATOUR accredited guides and be transported back to Port Shepstone in air-conditioned vehicles. Another option is to self-drive into the hinterland to visit the Ostrich Farm near Izingolweni or continue on to the Ingeli Indigenous Forests for more abundant bird life; 350 species recorded in the area make it an ornithologist’s delight.

As the day ends you can sip sundowners looking across the Indian Ocean, enjoy a fine meal in one of our excellent restaurants, take in a little night life perhaps and then be lulled to sleep by the gentle echoing of the sea.

Port Shepstone is 117km south of Durban and is less than half an hour from Margate, offering locals and visitors a wide variety of services and entertainment. The greater Port Shepstone offers a variety of excellent accommodation - Hotels with conference facilities, cosy B&B’s, tranquil Caravan Resorts, comfortable Time Share Units, Self Catering Chalets, Flats and Holiday Cottages to rent.

In the 1860s marble was found on the north bank of the Mzimkulu River. Some folk settled here and attempted to open the river mouth for shipping. William Bazley succeeded and from 1880 ships could sail in onto the river. The harbos was used for transporting marble, sugar and lime to Durban. In 1882 a town was laid out. A group of 246 Norwegian immigrants settled here in that year.

After the opening of the railway in 1901 the harbor fell in disuse. Today the Umzimkulu river has silted up again, and is not in use as a port.

The Port Shepstone lighthouse is rated at 27′000 candlepower. 500 metres south of the mouth of the Mzimkhulu River the lighthouse, made of iron, was cast in Britain and shipped to Natal in the 1890’s. Initially it stood at green point to warn of the Aliwal Shoal, but was later brought to Port Shepstone.

The Port Shepstone Lighthouse is a national monument!

8 metres circular cast iron tower. Painted with black white cheques

The lighthouse is equipped with a radio beacon and fully automatic. It is run off the mains supply and has two standby diesel/alternator sets

Built in 10 March 1905

The lighthouse is situated at the mouth of the Umzimkulu River on the Natal South Coast. The town was named after a well known statesman in native affairs, Sir Theophilus Shepstone.
The Port Shepstone lighthouse was developed out of a signal station, which was used during the time that Port Shepstone was an operating Harbour. The signal Station was replaced by the present cast iron structure of the lighthouse in 1906. This structure came from higher up the coast, Scottburgh, where it had been used to mark the southern end of that famous hidden reef, the Aliwal Shoal.
Before these developments an ordinary ships masthead lantern was exhibited at the top of a ladder like structure and came into operation in 1895.

The lighthouse is painted in black and white cheques has become a familiar landmark to people who visit the quaint little town of Port Shepstone, which is approximately a 2 hour drive South of Durban. The coastline running south from this beacon is notorious for its wrecks, in fact this stretch of coastline between Port Shepstone and Cape Hermes at Port St Johns is particularly dangerous.

Probably the most famous of these wrecks are the Sao Joao and the Grosvenor. The Sao Joao, a richly laden Portuguese Galleon was wrecked with its alleged riches have never been located. The Grosvenor sank beneath the waves off the Pondoland shore with her hoard which legend insists included jewels, gold and silver bars and some say the fabulous Peacock Throne of the Moguls believed to be worth well over 6 Million Pounds.

Razor sharp rocks, strong currents, pounding surf and inaccessibility to this wreck has put paid to recovering any treasures that might lie beneath the murky waters.

Range of 26 sea miles, and 1 130 000 CD light power. The Revolving electric light flashes 1 flash every 6 seconds. The focal plane is 24 meters above sea level