African Wildlife and Environment Issue 65

DESTINATION

Within the area, the following attractions are located close-by: • Howick Falls View site (1 km away) • Karkloof Canopy Tours (17 km away) • Karkloof Falls (7 km away) • The Nelson Mandela Capture Site & Apartheid Museum (4 km away) • Midmar Dam Nature Reserve (6 m away) • The Midlands Meander and all that it has to offer • World Class trout fishing (20 km away) You can also consider using UVNR as a stopover should you be travelling further afield, such as: • Durban (1 hour away) • The Drakensberg (2 hours away) • Johannesburg (4 hours away) • Northern Kwazulu-Natal’s famous game reserves (3 hours away)

A Red-capped Robin-Chat

We host both trail running and mountain bike events on our reserve, and plan to have a full set of trails marked and cut by the end of 2017. Our valley has world-class rock climbing opportunities, and we feature in the book A Climber’s Guide to Kwazulu-Natal Rock by Roger Nattrass. There are opportunities for fly-fishing for Natal Scalies, in the uMngeni River, but you will need to enquire beforehand about the water conditions. We can arrange special picnics, a romantic afternoon tea, an outdoor Christmas party, or a guided trail led by one of our knowledgeable field rangers. Please enquire at the reception about the specific activities and catering options, and make sure you collect a comprehensive map of the reserve, a species list, a spoor list, a birding or tree list and a guide sheet for each of the 6 walking trails on offer. Our location is perfect for further exploration UNVR is located 1 km from Howick, at the starting point of the Midlands Meander. We are perfectly positioned for travelers who need a base from which to explore the surrounding Kwazulu-Natal Midlands. Weareonly1.5hours fromKing Shaka International Airport, and 25 minutes from Pietermaritzburg Domestic Airport, so making a long weekend visit is a viable option for those travelers coming from other provinces.

A Red-chested Cuckoo enjoys the sunshine

A Blesbuck reluctantly consents to a photograph

Safety: Our reserve is a safe location to visit. We do have security onsite, but generally we have not faced any incidents with our guests. We have an armed guard patrolling the accommodation units at night, and should there be a special request for using our facilities in the valley, then this can also be arranged.

Matthew Cocks uMngeni Valley Centre Manager

The glorious winter’s sun rises over the uMngeni Valley Nature Reserve

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