Al-Qalam 
If you want to feel and see what our sub-tropical forests were like centuries ago, then head to the breathlessly beautiful Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve about an hour’s drive from Durban, writes Ismail Suder.
For years, when travelling along the coastal belt of the Kwa-zulu-Natal South Coast, I usually whizz past the sign near Umzinto that shows the direction towards the Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve run by KZN Wildlife.
Well, last week, I decided I would go and check it out – and what a pleasant surprise it was for me.
On the inland road, just 9km towards Umzinto, a well-maintained gravel road takes you on an uphill climb through grassland, coastal forests, streams and mountainous terrain before you reach the entrance gate.
It is a “botanical delight” for those who enjoy carpets of green everywhere, especially in spring and summer. It is here that you will find the real sub-tropical forests of centuries past, including giant raffia palms. The reserve also boasts a wide variety of different habitats, including scarp forest, extensive grasslands, rivers, wetlands, cliff faces and dams which provide a haven and shelter for a wide variety of wildlife which exist in the reserve.
This is a birder’s paradise. Over 300 bird species have been recorded in the reserve and some of the birds seen on a regular basis are grey crowned cranes, crowned eagles, martial eagles, ground hornbills, trumpeter hornbills, secretary bird and black duck.
Although a 4×4 is good to have, you can travel in any car with a high clearance.
I travelled there in my Suzuki Jimny 4×4 and what a delight it was traversing the winding road past sugarcane fields to the reception area. If you are going for a day visit, you would pay R40 per adult to enjoy nature’s fiesta in all its bounty that AllahTa’Ala had created. There is a stunning shaded picnic area overlooking distant hills and valleys. And about 1km away from the reception building, there is a small lake where I enjoyed a solo braai, which in my opinion, would be best enjoyed at sunset (if you booked overnight in the rest hut)
I cruised slowly through the 15km of gravel road within the 2,189 ha nature reserve and saw several animals such as giraffes, zebras and wildebeest. In fact, when I stopped on a road to a mountain viewpoint, a curious wildebeest emerged from the bush to stand and stare for several minutes before calmly sauntering off. If you are lucky, you may spot animals such as bushbuck, blesbuck, impala, blue duiker, black backed jackal, dassies, mountain and common reedbuck and many more. There are no dangerous animals in the Reserve, and management, in fact, encourages visitors to go on the numerous marked trails, providing you carry repellents against ticks.
I spent the night in a two-bed rest-hut set under large trees, about 750m from the reception building. There are two comfortable beds, fresh linen, a table, cupboard and even DSTV. But, for me, putting on the TV was a big NO. All I wanted was to hear the nighttime sounds of crickets, birds, including creaky palm trees rustling in the summer breeze. Yes, the sounds of the bush around you can be “creepy” as my little nephew put it, but this was the magic of nature that I had come to experience.
To be honest, I would be more concerned about human intruders, but camp management assured me I had nothing to worry about as a game ranger would be on constant patrol. I slept peacefully with all my windows wide open to take advantage of the cool breeze wafting through the forests around me.
The next morning, I enjoyed a hearty breakfast of eggs, sausages and toast that I cooked on my portable Cadac gas stove outside the hut, although there is a large communal kitchen and ablution block on the campground).
With a twittering of birds bidding me farewell (I think), I drove out of the camp and headed slowly towards the exit gate 6km away, all the while thinking why I hadn’t explored this beautiful sanctuary earlier.
To see more photos and a video, check out my instagram page: @jimny_go_afrika.
*The cost for two persons staying at the rest hut is approximately R550 per night and senior citizens get a 20percent discount.
For more info, check out the KZN wildlife page at: www.kznwildlife.com
