With the car packed with tents, biltong and beer, my father and I headed up the KZN coast with a mission: to find its best, lesser-known beaches for Getaway’s February 2016 issue.
So first, a bit of background to our route: it turns out that anything north of Richards Bay is basically inside the iSimangaliso Wetland Park; a huge chunk of northern KZN’s coastline, boasting some of its best beaches. In an effort to make it a story about northern KZN and not just iSimangaliso, we restricted ourselves to the lesser visited beaches within iSimangaliso and – begrudgingly – left out spots like Mabibi, St Lucia and Cape Vidal.
Our road trip started from Kosi Mouth, following the coastal D1850 sand road south past Black Rock, Rocktail Bay, Lala Nek and Island Rock. From there we headed inland back towards the N2, then cut back to the coast to reach Mapelane and a scattering of beaches north of Richards Bay. From there we continued down the coast, past Amatigulu Nature Reserve, Mtunzini and lastly Christmas Bay in Ballito. What we found was deserted bay after deserted bay, glittering water, vibrant fish life, a myriad of fun 4×4 paths and very affordable accommodation prices.
And now, I know some of you are wondering about safety at these remote beaches. We didn’t have any issues along the way, but stories did reach our ears. Cars have been broken into as people enjoy the shores, and I really encourage you to go in a group. Hire a guard from where you are staying to look after your vehicle, and then with an easy heart, immerse yourself in the solitude and clear waters that await, for as long as you desire.
You can read more about these captivating beaches – with GPS points included – in the February 2016 issue of Getaway magazine.
Read the full article in the February 2016 issue of Getaway magazine.
Our February issue is all about wild family bonding experiences. Discover why Kaokoland is great for a grown-up family holiday.
This article, Photoblog: finding KZN’s secret beaches, was originally posted on the Getaway Blog by Teagan Cunniffe.