‘The R103 is not the only Midlands Meander,’ said Julia Invernizzi as we – a group of 8 slackpack hikers of various backgrounds and fitness levels – sat together in the shade, digging into her delicious homemade trail mix ( a favorite with walkers on the trail) The R103 is the well-trodden Midlands Meander route of crafts, cuisine and country comforts, but there’s a different kind of saunter on offer in these misty hills of the KZN Natal Midlands.
The Midlands Karkloof Falls to Falls is a luxury hike, Julia’s latest offering from her slackpacking company, Spekboom Tours. Inspired by the big impact this little succulent plant ( Spekboom or Portulacaria Afra) has on its environment, Howick-local Julia specializes in making hiking adventure a little easier in (and on) KwaZulu-Natal. Working closely with the Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife’s Biodiversity Stewardship Programme, landowners from The Dargle and Karkloof valleys partnered to establish a provincial nature reserve.
Using two cosy Midlands country accommodations bases between the start and end of the trail, the three day slackpack Trail zigzags between private land, Karkloof Nature Reserves and locally forged conservancies, granting slackpackers and hikers access to special corners of the Midlands countryside. According to information from the Dargle Valley Conservancy (one of the oldest in the region), forests (including Midlands Mist-belt forest) cover less than 0,25 per cent of Southern Africa’s surface area. From the beginning of the hike, we were ensconced in this tiny percentage. And as we walked quietly beneath the canopy, Julia shared the secrets of the Samango Monkey Trail. ‘Caracals are found in this area because of chicken farming, and servals too. The forests are also home to oribi and the tiny blue duiker,’ she said. This precious indigenous mist-belt forest is home to the shy samango monkey and harbours the endangered Cape parrot. On day two, our trail had us wading through grassland. ‘Red grass is specifically favoured by oribi. You wouldn’t think so,but these moist Mist-belt grasslands are more endangered than the forests.’ We had one last dip into the forest. Walking past tall lemonwood trees, Julia observed: ‘When a tree dies,it has only done half its job.’ She wasreferring to the ongoing cycle of nature,but that small remark deeply echoed her business philosophy: tread lightly, support local and eat better for the environment.
The Verdict
This is a great-value, long weekend away. The circular hike traverses the farmland hills the Midlands is known for, but includes scenery few get to see, and supports local businesses. I loved meeting the farmers and spying samango monkeys through the trees. Julia serves locally sourced, mostly vegetarian food. Slackpack meals were sumptuous – Thai green curry, pear-and-saffron ice-cream and, for breakfast, creamy oats with chopped dates and spiked with whisky! The overnight accommodation is in farm cottages offering wonderful hospitality, enchanting views and bucolic surroundings (think farm dogs,mooing cows, clucking chickens and homegrown veggies).