EARLY HISTORY

Ancestors of the Hottentots (Khoi) and bushmen (San) inhabited the area about 20,000 years ago. By 500AD Bantu people began arriving and 200 years later about 20 Nguni-speaking tribes, predominantly the Zulus and Xhosa, were settled.

Natal received its name from Vasco da Gama, who entered the bay on Christmas Day in 1497. In 1684 ivory seeking trade ships began calling, but survivors from two Dutch shipwrecks were the first to settle, albeit briefly. The years between 1800 and 1830 saw the rise of Shaka and the forging of the Zulu nation, after a fanatical killing spree (the Mfecane).

British traders established a small settlement in 1824. In 1835 the settlement in Natal bay was named D'Urban after the Governor of the Cape and two years later voortrekkers founded Pietermaritzberg and the Republic of Natalia. In 1836 Piet Retief and his party were murdered by Dingaan but were later avenged in a Boer victory at Blood River. Durban was evacuated after Zulu raids in 1838 but was retaken, first by the Boers, then by the British, in 1840.

In 1844 Natal was proclaimed a British colony and 20 years later indentured Indian labour was introduced to work the cane fields. In 1879 British troops invaded Zululand and brought an end to the greatest black nation in southern Africa.

In 1880, after annexation, the Transvaal boers declared war. British forces from Durban clashed with them at Laing's Nek and Schuinshoogte, before being resoundingly crushed at Majuba Hill (north of Newcastle) in 1881. The boers regained their independence, but in 1899 they again invaded Natal. They were repelled at Talana (near Dundee) and Elandslaagte, but besieged Ladysmith for 118 days. This was only relieved after a series of battles at Tugela Heights. A second invasion saw commando raids and British reprisals before peace was negotiated.

Later, free Indian merchants began trading and Mohandas Gandhi arrived in 1893. In 1895 the newly dredged port of Durban was linked by rail to the Witwatersrand and the era of European expansion began. In 1906 black unrest in Natal led to the short-lived Bambatha Rebellion.

THE ANGLO ZULU BATTLEFIELDS

In 1879 the 17,000 strong British army invaded Zululand. After taking Sihayo's kraal, which had been defended by cannons firing home-made stone balls, camp was made at Isandlwana.

Here the British suffered their most humiliating defeat ever, when some 25,000 Zulus overran the 1,300 troops and levies left to defend the camp. The running slaughter continued to Fugitive's Drift on the Buffalo River, where the Queen's colours were taken. Four thousand Zulus then pressed their attack on Rorke's Drift, about nine miles (15km) from Isandlwana. This mission station, used as a logistical and hospital base, was guarded by 140 British troops including sick and wounded. After 12 hours of hand-to-hand combat the Zulus retired, leaving 600 impi and 17 British dead or dying.

The British withdrew from Zululand to regroup and rethink, and then reinvaded. After successful battles and skirmishes at Inyezane, Intombe, Hlobane, Kambula and Gingindlovu (during which the Prince Imperial Louis Napoleon, a "spectator", was killed) the Zulu capital Ulindi was attacked. Here the famous British square formation of some 4,000 regulars repelled the equally famous "horns of the ox" strategy of the 20,000 Zulu army, overran it and sacked the royal kraal. The campaign cost 1,300 British and 7,000 Zulu lives and destroyed the Zulu empire (See Ed. 5 pages 44-48).

HLUHLUWE-UMFOLOZI GAME RESERVE

Proclaimed in 1897, this is one of Africa's oldest game parks. It is world renowned for "Operation Rhino", the rescue of the species from extinction and the subsequent translocation of over 4,000 of these animals to other parks. Today it carries about 1,000 white and 400 black rhino-the largest population in Africa. The park has a wide range of habitats that support over 80 mammal (including the Big Five), 60 reptile and 400 bird species amongst whom are the rare Bateleur eagle and the Narina Trogon. Game congregates at waterholes and river pools. Part of the park is reserved for guided and self-guided walks and for very popular hiking trails. It is best visited in winter (March - November) when it is cool and dry. Accommodation is available in tourist camps and, for groups, in self-catering bush camps.

GIANT'S CASTLE GAME RESERVE

This is an ideal holiday resort for nature lovers. The reserve is characterised by unspoilt terrain containing huge forests with over 800 species of flowering plants. These are set against the soaring backdrop of the Drakensberg, where peaks jag up to 3,280 metres. There are many outstanding physical features and a rich collection of over 50 (bushman) rock art sites, of which Main and Battle Caves are famous. A network of hiking, mountain biking and horse riding trails criss-cross the reserve. Excellent (trout) fishing is to be had in the Bushman and Injasuti rivers and their cascade-filled tributaries. Game viewing is rewarding, with about 60 different mammal species including 700 eland and 11 other types of buck, 30 different reptiles and 200 bird species. Of particular interest is the endangered Lammergeier or Bearded vulture.

THE GOLDEN SANDS

A long string of white sandy beaches, bathed by the warm (17oC - 25oC) Agulhas current and a sub-tropical climate, make Natal a "sun 'n' surf" paradise. Most popular are Durban's North and South beaches and the Bay of Plenty, where the renowned Gunston surfing competition takes place in a carnival atmosphere every July. There are separate stretches for surfing, boarding and swimming, whilst pedal boating, water skiing, canoeing, beach volleyball and other sea and beach activities are catered for. Shark nets and lifeguards ensure safety. Durban's sea front is heavily developed with numerous attractions such as Water World, amusement parks, the Dolphinarium, ice rinks and a variety of markets. Also popular are rickshaw rides along Marine Parade, where a vibrant nightlife pulses through the endless string of restaurants and bars. The south coastal resorts such as Scottburgh and Margate are often crowded, but to the north there are long empty expanses of sea front backed only by thick tropical dune forests.

ST LUCIA

This is the largest estuarine lake system in Africa, one of the world's most remarkable and fragile conservation areas and one of southern Africa's most popular tourist resorts.

The greater St Lucia Wetland Park in northern Zululand is centred on a 25,000-year-old lagoon system linked by a narrow channel to the sea. The shallow (1-3m) lakes provide beds for aquatic plants which sustain a large variety of fish and shellfish. Papyrus reeds, marshlands and mangrove swamps bound the shores. Inland are grasslands and thorn veldt, whilst dune forests face the sea. The area teems with 400 species of sea, freshwater and other birds, including large populations of pelicans and flamingos. The waters are home to hippo, crocodiles (including long snouted and dwarf varieties in an international breeding programme) and Loggerhead and Leatherback turtles.

A variety of accommodation is available and there are good amenities for walking, bathing, surfing, boating, scuba diving, snorkelling and deep-sea angling

Published in Travel Africa Edition Nine: Autumn 1999Text is subject to Worldwide Copyright (c)