A Fun-Filled Steam Train Day Trip in KwaZulu Natal
If you’re looking for a great story-book kind of experience, then the Banana Express may be just the sort of day trip you had in mind. In a world where everything that surrounds us is high tech, fast paced and impersonal, this sweet little narrow gauge steam train seems to defy progress in a friendly and lackadaisical way. This is the sort of train you can imagine your great grand parents taking on their journeys to fame, fortune and adventure at a time where cars were a novelty and the whole world seemed to enjoy a slower rhythm. So get onboard for the most wonderful adventure imaginable.
Today the wonder of steam trains has become something of a novelty. With many steam trains being assigned to the scrap heaps and many others taking a stationary position in museums, there are very few working steam trains still in use. This makes the Banana Express steam train in KwaZulu Natal a real treat since visitors are not only able to see how it works, but they can also enjoy a ride on it. The train runs from Port Shepstone to Paddock before turning around and making its way home again. Since this 39 km trip takes approximately 9 hours, there is plenty of time to sit back, relax and let your mind slip into a dreamy world where reality and fantasy are easily blurred. The train only runs on Wednesdays and Saturdays from approximately 10 am to 7 pm and train drivers like to joke that this grand old train needs plenty of rest on the days in between!
Port Shepstone, the home of the Banana Express, is the largest town on the South coast of KwaZulu Natal in South Africa. Much of its initial growth came about due to the marble deposits that were discovered on the Mzimkulu river banks in 1857. Soon, the Port Shepstone harbor was established for marine trade and marble, sugar and lime became the town’s biggest exports. Today you will find many traces of this great legacy in various parts of the town. With this in mind, you might imagine the sort of views you can expect to enjoy as you chug along in the city’s favorite little steam train. As the train starts to build up speed and climb slowly out of the town, the salty coastal air plays gently on your hair. The sparkling blue ocean stretches out from harbor and beaches to an endless horizon until the train turns and it leaves your view. Now your focus rests on lush green sugar cane and banana plantations as you start to make your way inland. The train climbs up hills and twists between valleys until at last it finds its way to Paddock station. This enchanting scenery has not been missed because, for once, you have nowhere to rush off to. After a lazy lunch at Paddock, you board the train again. This time the shadows are different and the scenery seems to change. Before long the sun starts to set, painting the sky with a myriad different colors - the perfect end to a perfect day.
Unfortunately the Banana Express Steam Train has been shut down temporarily. Hopefully visitors will be able to enjoy this incredible experience once again in the near future.
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