KwaZulu-Natal Midlands Meander — Pietermaritzburg to MooiRiver.
Distance
130 km
Duration
1 day
Climb
900 m
KwaZulu-Natal Midlands Meander — Pietermaritzburg to Mooi River.
A 130km meander through the rolling green hills of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands on the R103 — one of South Africa's most scenic and unhurried roads. Farm stalls, craft breweries, fly-fishing villages, and Howick Falls punctuate the route, with the Drakensberg escarpment growing on the western horizon.
Quick facts
SurfacePaved
Distance130 km
Days1
Total climb900 m
DifficultyEasy
Loading map...
The route.
PietermaritzburgStart · Start in uMgungundlovu — KZN's capital. The 1894 City Hall is the largest red-brick building in the Southern Hemisphere. Mahatma Gandhi was famously thrown from a train here in 1893.
HiltonScenic Point · The road climbs onto the cool Midlands plateau. Rolling hills and pale-gold grassland under a wide sky. Speed limits are enforced on this section.
Howick FallsPhoto Spot · The Umgeni River plunges 95m. The spot near the falls is where Nelson Mandela was arrested in 1962 after 17 months underground — a poignant historic marker stands nearby.
Lions River & BalgowanRestaurant · Craft breweries, farm stalls, and pie shops line the R103. The Karkloof blue crane sanctuary is a short detour north. Try the local trout at any of the farm eateries.
Nottingham RoadScenic Point · The quintessential Midlands village. Antique dealers, fly-fishing on the Mooi, and Rawdons Hotel — a perfect lunch stop with English countryside atmosphere.
RosettaScenic Point · Rolling hills covered in proteas and heather. The Drakensberg escarpment appears clearly on the western horizon — its 3,000m-high wall of basalt dominating the skyline.
Mooi RiverEnd · End in Mooi River. The Drakensberg peaks loom to the west. Continue to Giant's Castle or Cathedral Peak for a mountain extension, or return via the N3.
More routes in South Africa
Chapman's Peak Drive — Cape Town to NoordhoekZA WC · 45 kmSir Lowry's Pass & the Elgin Valley — Somerset West to VilliersdorpZA WC · 70 kmHogsback — Fort Beaufort to the Amatola MountainsZA EC · 110 kmOribi Gorge — KwaZulu-Natal South Coast LoopZA KZN · 120 kmGydo Pass & the Koue Bokkeveld — Ceres to CitrusdalZA WC · 130 kmWest Coast R27 — Cape Town to Paternoster Fishing CoastZA WC · 155 km
Save this ride. Open the app.
Clone it to your planner, customize dates and stops, then ride. All free.
Open in MotoVault
Navigate this route with GPS