Adrian Rorvik
Durban - Lowering afternoon clouds obscuring the peaks, a power outage as darkness fell.
These may not seem a welcome introduction to a weekend away in the Northern Drakensberg at the Thendele Hutted Camp in the Royal Natal National Park. It was quite the opposite.
Camp staff quickly distributed extra candles. Fireplaces blazed inside and most visitors came out to braai in the still evening, with the clouds parting to reveal bright stars unaffected by light pollution, then a rising full moon.
No televisions, no electronic gadgets (cellphones torches came in handy though). A great start to a weekend in nature if you ask me, with power restored in time for beddie-byes.
And, in the morning, the Amphitheatre – a rock wall approximately 5km in length and 500m high – was revealed in cloudless glory. The birds encouraged an early hike and guinea fowl solicited breakfast scraps.
If you’ve not hiked in winter, gaiters are recommended as the glittering grass is drenched with dew. We didn’t manage the hike that should be on every visitor’s bucket list to Thukela Falls – my excuse being that I’ve done it a couple of times. Instead we “did” Policeman’s Helmet and visited the nearby Mahai campsite for some shorter hikes – many along wide, concreted paths which make the going a whole lot easier than it was when I last visited decades ago.
If you fancy a (relatively) short, sharp challenge, there is The Crack and Mudslide. Cascades and Faerie Glen are pleasant strolls; Tiger Falls, a bit of a blower and a good way to get your second wind before tackling Gudu Falls; or heading off to Surprise Ridge and Cannibal Cave, close to The Cavern resort.
Between Mahai and Thendele, close to the main curio/supply shop (for some eats and treats you may have forgotten, grog and firewood) is a dam with picnic tables nearby, wonderful views and elusive trout.
Thendele Camp also has a curio shop with necessities. The camp is split into an upper and lower section, has 14 two-bed huts with a bathroom, dining/lounge areas and kitchen and 12 four-bed chalets with two bedrooms, a bathroom, dining/lounge areas and a kitchen.
There are also two six-bed stone cottages with three bedrooms, one bathroom (separate toilet), a large lounge and dining room and a kitchen, as well as Thendele Lodge, a six-bed luxury lodge with a private driveway, three bedrooms, each with a bathroom, a spacious lounge dining room and a kitchen.
Each unit has DStv and resident cooks can prepare meals with food supplied by the guests in the two six-bed cottages and the lodge.
Mahai Campsite caters for 400 campers and caravanners and the Rugged Glen Campsite a little further away accommodates 45 visitors.
The appointments are typical Parks Board-rustic and a little dated, but spotlessly clean and the cottages are serviced daily.
You could spend the whole day looking at the mountains and see the different faces and aspects as the sun moves – and several visitors did just that, capturing memories in drawings and paintings.
Other ’Berg spots may be more luxurious, but the luxury none of them can buy is the proximity to the mountains – that stunning outlook on to the Amphitheatre, the quiet and solitude at night.
Call KZN Wildlife Reservations on 033 8451000 or visit www.kznwildlife.com
For adventure and the home
Come and meet the Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife team and take advantage of their specials at the KZN Travel and Adventure Show. The show takes place alongside the ECR House and Garden Show at the Durban Exhibition Centre, from July 8-10.
Organisers are offering a two- tickets-for-one special – if you buy a ticket for one of the shows, you get free access to the other show.
The KZN Travel and Adventure Show provides the perfect platform to shop for accommodation and adventure activities and the Ezemvelo stand will be showcasing its vast range.
All their destinations, ranging from the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park, to the iSimangaliso Wetland Park as well as beach and bush getaways, offer so much more than a place to retreat and relax.
There are world-class, adventure-filled options, from horse riding, hiking and quad biking to bungee jumping.
Sunday Tribune