KZN Literary Tourism is pleased to announce the launch of our Rider Haggard tour, based on our Rider Haggard Literary Trail and run by Battlefields expert Warwick Baker. Contact us to make bookings.
Day 1
Depart Durban driving through the Berea, the area where Rider Haggard placed the fictional house of his hero Allan Quatermain. We then travel on to Pietermaritzburg – the capital of Natal – to view the Natal parliament buildings and the Lt. Governor’s residence at the time of Rider Haggard. We continue via Estcourt where we stop at Fort Durnford before reaching Ladysmith. We travel on to Newcastle and book in at Hilldrop House, the original Rooipoint farm where Haggard lived in 1881. Overnight at Hilldrop House (D, B&B). Distance travelled approx 400km.
Day 2
After breakfast we visit Fort Amiel Museum, which has a Rider Haggard display that includes an axe once belonging to Mhlopekazi, Haggard’s Umslopogaas (Fort Amiel was built during the first Anglo-Boer war of 1880-1881).
We continue to Dundee and visit the Talana Museum to view the Zulu and Boer war exhibits. We overnight at Lennox cottage (D, B&B). Distance travelled approx 150km.
Day 3
Today we visit the Zulu war battlefields and revisit the battle of Isandlanwana (1879) and Mangeni Gorge where Lord Chelmsford was situated during this battle. Afterwards, we visit the battle site of Rorkes Drift. This was made famous by the film Zulu, featuring Michael Caine and Stanley Baker. We return to Lennox cottage, where we overnight (D, B&B). Distance travelled approx 150km.
Day 4
We depart for Ghost Mountain Inn, via Vryheid and Pongola. We overnight at the Ghost Mountain Inn (D, B&B). Tshaneni (Ghost Mountain) featured in Haggard’s book Nada the Lily. Distance travelled approx 300km.
Day 5
Depart Ghost Mountain Inn and today we have a choice:
a) Shakaland – a commercial enterprise illustrating how the Zulus lived in precolonial times. This concludes with Zulu dancing and lunch.
OR
b) Hluhluwe Game Reserve – it is possible to see the Big Five here (lunch included).
OR,
c) St. Lucia – a lake 65km long and at its widest 17km with an average depth of 1 metre. St Lucia contains 1500 hippo and 2000 crocs (lunch included).
