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The fresh country air and the endless exciting stops make The Midlands Meander the ideal family day out. From delicious lunch spots to fun activities for all ages, there is something for everyone. Spend your day finding all the fun activities or take a shortcut and visit a few of our favourite family-friendly midlands activities. 5 Midlands Meander Stops Your Family Will Love Start your adventure by pencilling these stops onto your route, but feel free to explore the hundreds of other stops along the way. Keep reading the blog as we reveal 5 of the best places to visit along the Meander. 1.  Piggly Wiggly This spot has it ALL. For mom, several shops are scattered around the outdoor centre to keep her entertained for ages; from a plant nursery to a sweet-smelling toiletry and pamper shop, she is bound to find something that tickles her fancy. The famous Piggly Wiggly restaurant, with its delicious lunch and friendly service, is a great place to make your base while exploring the shops and activities. From chocolate and candle dipping to riding the small train around the grounds and painting pottery, you are bound to be here for hours! Now Read […]

The newly opened Blue Cow Deli is one of the recent innovations of the Midlands based Gourmet Greek business. You cannot miss the large blue cow on the side of the road as you drive along the Lions River road. Drive past Lona’s Pianos and the Lions River Trading Post and then stop at this gorgeous little shop for a delicious cup of coffee and some Greek style treats. Drawing on their Greek heritage – the coffee shop offers food and snacks inspired by traditional Greek food. You can snack on their home made baklava – drool! Or tuck into a meze platter – with all their home made cheesy treats and dips. The crisp white shop with its soothing Greek music offers Midlands visitors a great new experience. With an occasional spash of blue, the shop is a little Greek heaven. They make their own dairy products on the premises means that you would be crazy not to try their range of cheeses and yoghurts – bursting with goodness. Filia Dimitriades and her brother Iakovos have taken the reins to expand the thriving business. Filia is a master cheese maker and has been experimenting with textures and flavours. Their […]

The Austin Healey classic cars were visiting the Midlands Meander this month. Organiser Les Uppink a Durban resident had planned for the cars to see a bit of the scenic Meander before heading up to the Drakensberg. Their usual road trip was to become an Amazing Race while they were in the Midlands as they wandered from place to place looking for clues. They started the drive at Calderwood Hall in Boston where they spent the night and the first day they spent exploring the beauty of the Underberg area. Then they set off for their Amazing race styled trip through the Midlands Meander – visiting as many of the attractions as they could. The 30-odd cars made for quite an eye catching spectacle as they drove along the roads. The cars which are stylish and synonymous with British culture are collectors items. The owners buy the cars as investments and they are seldom seen on the roads. Uppink said: “Its great to see these cars actually driven as they are meant to be – not sitting in a garage like an antique.” The sports cars are low slung and cannot handle dirt roads and bumps so the road had […]

Louise and Jan Van Niekerk moved from the Free State to the sleepy peaceful village of Nottingham Road many years ago before it became a fashionable hub of tourism. The talented pair of artists fell in love with the beauty of the lush green Midlands and felt the little hamlet would have good tourism potential … and they were right and their shop Aladdins de Light has become a favourite stop for visitors to Nottingham Road who are looking for arts and beautiful objects. Louise is a talented potter and she and her husband Jan are well known for their stained glass creations that are seen in many of the Midlands venues  decorating wedding chapels and adding decorative touches here and there. She has been doing pottery for more than 30 years in both stoneware and earthenware, and especially loves producing Raku and smoke-fired vessels. Aladdin’s-de-Light in Nottingham Road is the place to go for all things creative. Their range of stained glass lamps and window panels are inspiring, and they offer lots of pottery items – some functional and others decorative. Candles, mosaics pieces, wind chimes and sun catchers are amongst the range of affordable gifts from their large […]

Some people might think they are just about fun. Wherever they go the children smile and have a ball – whether it is getting hands dirty, painting walls or planting seeds. The Midlands Meander Association Education Project (MMEP) is a fantastic organisation that does amazing things in the Midlands schools. Using charm, humour and sheer exuberance – the BUGS – also known as environmental facilitators  – are to be found creating meaningful change in the local school communities. Using creativity and “magic” they make lessons come alive as they teach children the importance of environmental education. Based in the beautiful KZN Midlands it was imperative to teach children in under privileged schools the value of their glorious environment. While the focus was initially on the environment and urging young people to look for sustainable options the bugs soon learned themselves that there were other issues that had to be addressed. Planting food gardens at the schools became a huge priority and adapting the lessons to the school’s circumstances became important. The most amazing accomplishment is the bugs ability to turn lessons into magical stories. In one lesson you may see a circle of children wearing brightly coloured wizard hats dancing […]

Lola and Frik Haupt believe the wind speaks and their wind chimes respond to it, on their Lidgetton property at the top of a small hill, the sound of musical notes float out over the countryside. It is not only the chimes that make this scenic spot a charming place to visit, but the garden is bursting with the first spring blooms and the birds sing raucously as the go about their business making nests in the trees. The weaver birds are particularly noisy – chattering and gossiping as they construct their homes. “The swallows have not arrived yet,” comments Frik looking around the garden, “they are late this year.” Two rooms of their home are devoted to the chimes for which they have become known. Lola, is the saleswoman, and Frik is the more reticent of the duo, preferring to stay in the background and make the chimes. “Each person has a sound inside their soul” Lola invites guests inside and asks them to be still and to quiet their minds. “Each person has a chime that is meant for them, “ she says sweetly. I am doubtful, but as I wander around tapping the chimes I realize that […]