Words: Anne Schauffer | Images: Three Tree Hill, Christy Hosking, Jophoto Winterton, Ouma se Opstal & Supplied
The little towns of Winterton and Bergville, in the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains, are in the heart of cattle and dairy farming country, forestry too, but they’re also gateways to a wealth of tourism sites and active sports.
Bergville and Winterton sit on the scenic R74 and are easily accessed from that freeway, and hence from Durban and Joburg. It takes roughly 2,5 hours to get there from Durban – not much more from Joburg – which, considering it’s the gateway to the innumerable hotels, resorts and action sports offered by the northern and central ‘Berg ranges, makes the areas highly desirable weekend getaway spots.
Originally known as Springfield, Winterton sits on the banks of the Tugela River and earned that name because of the weir built over the Little Tugela River which runs through the town. It was later renamed after the then secretary for agriculture, HD Winter.
A few kilometres along the R74, Bergville (originally named Bergville Mountain Village in 1897) is now the commercial centre for dairy and cattle ranching. Known as the gateway to the northern Drakensberg, the town lies just 40km away from the towering Amphitheatre of the Royal Natal National Park.
These little towns have wonderful topography, sensational scenery and, with their temperature extremes, make for great winter escapes.
Property
These are largely farming towns, so vast areas are populated with rambling farmhouses and livestock making the R74 along which they sprawl beautifully lush and scenic. Increasingly, tourism and hospitality have blossomed, and visitors to the area can find a wide range of accommodation, from a working farm and B&Bs, to a country lodge and campsites. These towns are perfect springboards for exploring the ‘Berg and visiting a number of historically significant battlefields.
Schooling
Both Bergville and Winterton have numerous pre-primary and primary schools, such as Bergville Pre-Primary and Primary schools, as well as Bergville Christian Academy. Winterton has the well-known Winterton Primary School, and there are numerous other public and private schools in the large, outlying rural areas, such as Celimfundo Primary School and the Royal Drakensberg Primary School.
The well-known Drakensberg Boys Choir School established in 1967 is based just outside Winterton and accommodates vocally talented boys from junior school through to Grade 9. For many farmers, the esteemed private high schools in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, such as Michaelhouse, Hilton College, St Anne’s Diocesan College for Girls, among others, offer weekly or full boarding options.
Explore
The towns straddling the N3 – Winterton, Frere, Colenso, Ladysmith and Bergville – are all home to Anglo Boer War battlefield sites. If you don’t want to explore on your own, you can join a number of private tour companies and excellent guides who’ll take you to the locations and share some interesting stories. Just northeast of Bergville is the 6,000ha Spionkop Dam Nature Reserve and the Battle of Spion Kop self-guided trail. The dam is designed for day visitors and campers/caravanners and has a good selection of wildlife and picnic, boating and fishing spots.
Winterton is considered an entry point to the Champagne Valley as well as the Cathedral area of the central Drakensberg. West of both towns is the Drakensberg mountain range and Champagne Valley, where you’ll find a host of well-known hotels and timeshare resorts like Champagne Sports Resort, Drakensberg Sun, Cathedral Peak Hotel and Champagne Castle Hotel. You can enjoy a variety of sports here, from mountain and quad biking, to golf and fly fishing.
This section of the Drakensberg has wonderful trails to hike, peaks to climb and mountains to scale, such as Monks Cowl and Champagne Castle.
Enjoy hiking trails like Mike’s Pass, Cathedral Peak Hike, the Rainbow Gorge Trail and short walks to Mushroom Rock and Doreen Falls. Monks Cowl Wilderness Reserve, about 40km southwest of the town, is a popular starting point for hikes.
For those who want to take things a little slower, Winterton is also home to the Drakensberg’s only wine estate, Cathedral Peak Wine Estate. The estate offers group wine tasting as well as informal tastings. It also has great lunch offerings such as Drakensberg smoked trout salad, homemade bobotie and cheese, and cold meat platters. Due to its stunning surroundings, it’s also a popular wedding venue.
In Winterton and Bergville, you can enjoy breathtaking vistas and most of the ‘Berg is an easy drive away. You can also choose accommodation which gives you stunning views of the Amphitheatre.
Resident Kyle Van Plett says, “We moved to the area a decade ago to raise our kids away from the city, where we could all, as a family, really live the South African outdoor lifestyle. That’s just what we’re doing, and we love it.”
“We own a timeshare in the area and escape here from Joburg once a year. The ‘Berg lifestyle is the opposite of the fraught lives we lead at home; we wouldn’t miss these seven days for the world!”
Anne Hail, annual holiday-maker
Do:
- Visit Falcon Ridge Bird of Prey Centre to learn more about falconry.
- Explore the Anglo-Boer War battlefields of Vaalkrans and Spion Kop.
- Learn more about the history of the area at the Winterton Museum.
- See the area from a new perspective with a hot-air balloon ride.
- Enjoy a thrilling adventure with the Scootours at Champagne Valley Adventure Centre.
- Mountain biking enthusiasts have their pick of trails like the Grindrod Bank Berg & Bush which goes to Winterton.
- Enjoy great wines at the Drakensberg’s only wine estate, Cathedral Peak Wine Estate.
- Four Rivers Rafting and Adventures
- Berg Ventures
Sleep:
- Three Tree Hill Lodge, Bergville
- Ezulwini Berg Resort, Bergville
- Amphitheatre Backpackers Lodge, Bergville
- Montusi Mountain Lodge, Bergville
- Inkungu Lodge, Cathkin Park
- Spionkop Lodge, Winterton
- Cathedral Peak Hotel, Winterton
- The Wild Geese, Winterton
- Lilac Lodge, Winterton
- Bridge Lodge, Winterton
- The Nest Hotel, Winterton
- Tugela River Lodge, Winterton
- Ouma se Opstal, Winterton
Shop:
- Kwazulu Weavers
- Thokozisa Lifestyle Centre
- Chocolate Memories for Drakensberg artisan chocolate
- Ardmore Guest Farm for African Loom, Steve Bull art, the Ardmore Museum and the Tea Garden
