Pietermaritzburg

The then Pietermaritzburg Botanical Garden was opened in 1874 with the aim of growing plants for distribution in the colony of Natal, collecting indigenous plants for exchange and collecting rare and beautiful plants. Today the National Botanical Institute is the present custodian of the Gardens and aim to conserve living plants that are representative of the East Coast Region of South Africa. 

Umgeni Valley Nature Reserve lies in the heart of the KwaZulu Natal midlands and is best known for being the home of WESSA and the spectacular gorge with the Howick Falls. It comprises of a rolling plateau of grasslands and mixed with woodlands that fall into a steep sided gorge through which the umgeni river cuts. 

This piece of bushveld with undulating hills and valleys and mixtures of thickets and open grasslands provides an excellent and varied setting for approximately 280 different species of birds. It forms part of a larger biosphere reserve, where numerous other photographic and holiday opportunities exist.

Darville Sewage Works are a stones throw away from the rushing city of Pietermaritzburg.