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Umngazi Mouth, South Africa
31° 39' S 29° 27' E
Jul 17, 2008 10:17
Distance 349km

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Arrival at Umngazi, Port St Johns

We were up at the crack of dawn this morning.  We were all dressed, packed and presented ourselves at breakfast at 0630hrs.  The breakfast area is right next door to the Boer War Museum Room and Bar.   As I passed I thought about missing a pleasant evening in good company.  I like the idea of signing chits for drinks on an honesty basis, it has a military mess (Officer or NCO) feel about the place.   In truth the bar area has more British paraphernalia than many a modern military establishment.  I wish we could have stayed longer but it was time to move on. 

We paid our bar bills and were on the road by 0720hrs.  I took the first stage and drove to the N3 and then south to Pietermaritzburg.  I came off the ‘motorway’ and proceeded through the town, hoping that I was on the Richmond road.  Sadly this was not the case.  I believe I was on Boshoff Street and should have taken a left on Jabu Ndlovu Street.  Instead I went through the centre, within striking distance of the Church of the Vow and the Imperial Hotel, once used by the Prince Imperial of France (Napoleon III’s son) before he was killed by the Zulu.  Following the defeat of France in 1870 by the Prussian army, Napoleon III was overthrown and the Republic restored.  His son, Napoleon Eugene Louis Jean Joseph, sought to win military glory in exile by enlisting under British colours and fighting in South Africa. 

 “One morning in June 1879 he rode out with Lieutenant Carey, six troopers, and a guide to inspect a camping site.  While they were making coffee, a party of Zulus hidden in a donga opened fire…” 

In the confusion the Prince Imperial failed to mount his horse which fled.  He faced fourteen Zulu warriors alone with only a revolver at hand.  He was killed, stripped naked and found by British troops later that afternoon.  So ended any hope of a Third Empire.  Poor old Lord Chelmsford, Commander British Forces; he had suffered a humiliating defeat at Isandlwana and now the death of the Prince Imperial. 

As for the Church of the Vow, perhaps another trip.  H.V. Morton certainly recommended a visit following his trip here in 1946.  We ended up going past Victoria Road, up Chatterton Road, through a roundabout, past a main hospital and into an upmarket suburban estate.  When we came to a dead end we had to ask for directions.  This did not altogether help so we headed back onto the N3 and south to Durban.  No time to look for the remains of the old Port Natal Fort, dating from 1842, instead we joined the N2 and headed south, stopping only to buy fuel and pay tolls. 

I made the mistake of presuming that because the N2 between Durban and Port Shepstone was such a good road, I should continue on the N2 to Brooks Nek, past Kokstad – big mistake.  I should have gone to Port Edward and pushed inland on the R61.  The N2 had many sets of roadworks and was not much better than an ‘R’ road.  It was after 1400hrs before we got to Brooks Nek, passed from KwaZulu-Natal into Eastern Cape and witnessed the road deteriorate even more. 

We cut across country on a back road to Fort Donard, Flagstaff, Lusikisiki and finally approached Port St John.  During this journey I was stopped by police once for a routine check of driving documents and saw them on two other occasions.  I wish their diligence was replicated by the people responsible for maintaining the road, which is full of potholes.  Finally at around 1630hrs we arrived at the Umngazi River Bungalows and Spa, about seven miles off the R61 and probably 16 miles from Port St Johns on the Mthatha (Umtata) road.  We had shared the driving and taken only short breaks.  In essence it took nine hours to get here and we are worn out.  The kids were very good during the journey and took a great interest in the goats and cows on the road between Brooks Nek and Port St Johns! 

Once we entered the gate of the Umngazi River Bungalows and Spa, it was as if we were leaving behind us the problems of the outside world.  Umngazi is a family resort designed with a focus on the needs of children.  They even have nannies for hire, at very reasonable rates, which allows the adults to do their own thing.  This, I must point out, is not our way.  We look after our own children.  We could have sent them to eat in a special children’s dining room, but this is really only designed for young kids (toddlers really) under supervision.  We eat together as a family.  The rules of the establishment were explained to us (and washed over the top of us) and then we went to our bungalows.  We have two together with a connecting passage, so the kids have one bungalow with single beds and we have another with a double.  It literally couldn’t be better.  The view outside of the river and the sea is absolutely outstanding.  The noise of the breakers on the beach gives the impression of a gale of wind, yet there is not a breath of wind.  This establishment is set in a breathtaking location. 

We went to dinner in the main dining room at 1900hrs (table fixed and allocated by room number).  It was good to see other families with pre-teens dining together.  At night the fish and main courses are served whilst all the rest (soup, salad, pudding, cheese and biscuits and tea/coffee) are self-service.  Service was a bit haphazard because no one member of staff appears to be allocated to a specific area.  You may get two or three staff asking about your food or drinks order.  But I have to say the food is quite good.  There is certainly no shortage on the old buffet front.  I noted only one black person sitting down to dinner, all the rest of the patrons being white.  This restaurant can sit over 150 guests and was probably about half full when we had dinner.

 We were glad to climb into bed at 2200hrs and glad of the thought of rest for three nights.  We are looking forward to the opportunity to unwind at the Umngazi River Bungalows & Spa.