Head for the green pastures

Published Dec 15, 2008

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Imagine a holiday cliche - an Enid Blyton story scene - blue skies, green hillsides, babbling streams, children playing in the sun, ponies, picnics and parties.

If you're looking for a holiday destination, cliches can be appealing, especially when you're spending hard-earned cash and even harder-earned days of leave. If it's a rural idyll you're looking for, with something for all tastes and budgets, then head for the green pastures of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.

The Midlands is a vast and indistinct region that covers anything south of that daunting rite of passage, Van Reenen's Pass. From Greytown to Wartburg, Ixopo to Giant's Castle, the countryside varies from bushveld to lush grasslands, sometimes snow-topped peaks to swathes of dense indigenous forest.

But let's zone in on the hub of the Midlands, the area around Nottingham Road, easily accessible from the N3 highway. Within an hour's travel of this village there's so much to do and see that it would take a month or more to try everything.

Landmark destinations include Rawdons Hotel, with its trout dams, newly refurbished thatched hotel and legendary on-site Nottingham Road Brewery.

"Beware of the Pig" warns a sign as you enter the village, and believe me, their Pickled Pig porter certainly packs a punch.

There's the Bierfassl restaurant, home of giant, sizzling eisbein (more pig) and Nottingham Road Brewery beer and the nearby Junction complex, with its buzzing restaurant, the best toy shop south of the border, and a fine book shop too. And don't forget the beloved - supposedly haunted - Notties Hotel that dates back to the 1800s.

Break free from the popular tourism trail and try less well known places. The Midlands Meander is a local tourism initiative that has an informative brochure plus map (see www.midlandsmeander.co.za) that lists hundreds of fun places, B&Bs, restaurants, hotels and spas, art galleries, museums and game reserves. It's an invaluable aid to getting to know the area. Do some investigating into off-the-map outlets too.

Accommodation ranges from the stark beauty of a cave in the Kamberg Nature Reserve (in reality a sandstone overhang on the side of a mountain - an awesome room with a view in anyone's book), to 5-star plushness at award-winning pamper-palaces such as Fordoun, which has scooped up masses of awards for its beautifully located spa-with-great-grub formula; Brookdale Health Hydro, another mass award-winner with a focus on health, balance and luxury; and Hartford House and Lords of the Manor, two gracious old mansions that have been refurbished .

Perhaps on day one, you should burn off some energy after the trip. Head towards Rosetta, to the Africa Adventure Centre, where you can try river-rafting down rapids, foofy-sliding over the river, paintball, horse rides through the countryside (all ages and levels of competence are welcome), obstacle courses and games.

Or simply grab a book and chill next to the river and watch as others burn themselves out.

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