Midlands Meander - Touring the Countryside
If you head towards the Natal Midlands in KwaZulu Natal, you’ll find what is commonly known as the ‘Midlands Meander’. This stunning mixture of arts, crafts, recreation and culinary skills started quite some time ago when a collection of crafters decided to see if they could draw visitors off the beaten track to explore their studios and galleries. It has since grown from those few artists to a collection of more than 160 different places where you can eat, drink, sleep, shop or play. It features a mixture of arts and crafts with great restaurants and creature comforts. You can also discover the regions historical and environmental gems as you make your way along the route.
The Midlands Meander in South Africa is the first route of this nature in the country. It presents the many wonders and beauty of the province’s interior in and interesting and diverse light to visitors from other provinces or countries. This is a place where the pace of life is slower and where the little delights of family, friend and country mean more than a big paycheck at the end of the day. It’s also a place of transformation. The countryside is constantly changing to reflect the season and those that visit often find that their view of life changes a bit too. There is always something new to see – something that wasn’t quite the same as the last time you visited. In summer, the waters of the Midmar Dam shimmer so much that they look silver. The rugged crests of the beautiful Drakensberg Mountains descend into the softness of indigenous forest. Natural vegetation is interspersed with the patchwork of well-cultivated fields and animals graze comfortably in their camps. Soft summer showers send beautiful, refreshing scents wafting through the air while thunderstorms often light up the skies in a dazzling array of color.
The Midlands Meander is maintained and organized by the Midlands Meander Association. The Association comprises of a group of like-minded people who live in the area and appreciate its value and who have volunteered their time and energy to see it shared with the rest of the world. They value any constructive feedback and suggestions which help to make the Meander an even more memorable experience. The logo of the Midlands Meander Association is the Karkloof Blue Butterfly – a beautiful little creature found only in a small part of the Karkloof forest which is now recognized and protected as a Natural Heritage Site. The butterfly enjoys an amazing relationship with the sugar ant (Camponotus natalensis) which carries newly hatched caterpillars to and from their food source when it is safe to do so. If you are fortunate enough, you will be able to witness this amazing relationship for yourself whilst visiting the region. So travel the Midlands Meander on your next holiday and discover this amazing, diverse and beautiful part of the country. It’s an experience you’ll never forget.
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