Gauteng winter getaway: Chill out in Umdloti

As the water in the birdbath froze and the howling wind ripped pieces off our roof in Joburg while the cold front ripped across the country, I sat with coffee on the balcony, absorbing an Indian Ocean sunrise.

I couldn’t resist the temptation, I sent a WhatsApp message to a friend: “The temperature’s down to 21 here!”

At lunchtime, on the same balcony, in shorts and a T-shirt, I sipped wine while eating a Ploughman’s Lunch, SA-style (bread and cheese) … all the while watching people swimming in the shallow warm waters protected by a barrier of rocks.

There’s a lot to be said for getting away from Gauteng in the winter and heading to KwaZulu-Natal. Firstly, it’s closer than Cape Town. It’s also more affordable than the Western Cape which, over years of being spoilt by foreign pounds, dollars and euros, has developed rip-off prices to a fine art.

Nothing can be considered cheap any more, but at least the prices in Durban and surrounds won’t give you a heart attack.

The coast north and south of the city offers tens of thousands of accommodation opportunities. We chose the North Coast on the back of wonderful memories of a holiday at Umhlanga when the kids were small.

The Indian Ocean at Umhlanga Rocks, KwaZulu-Natal. Photo by Amanda Watson

These days, Umhlanga is really Sandton with sand and sea and it’s a bit overcrowded … although Joburgers might like the buzz.

We opted for Umdloti, or Emdloti as some brochures call it, which is about 30km north of Durban and a little further up the coast than Umhlanga.

The last time we were there about 15 years ago it was also a smaller place. Apartment blocks have sprung up on the north and south beaches in the town. But it still feels small and a bit unspoiled.

There are a few restaurants offering pub grub to pizzas and Italian … nothing too gourmet.

There is also a fish-and-chips joint (Spud) recommended by my colleague Seelan, which serves up old-fashioned battered hake. Got to have that at the seaside …

Umdloti beach. Picture: Brendan Seery

There’s not much to do in Umdloti, apart from swimming and lounging in the sun … but that’s what a beach break is all about. That, and the luxury of falling asleep reading a book in the afternoon while the crashing of the waves drowns out all other noise.

On that note, you have to be careful along the beach, because the vervet monkeys from the adjoining dune forest will nip inside your apartment in a flash. You have to keep the windows closed.

If you go a bit further afield there is plenty to do in Umhlanga, Durban and a chic shopping centre in nearby Ballito. A lot of the shops and amenities remind you that you haven’t left civilisation too far away.

But five minutes on that balcony, feeling the dusk enveloping you as the sounds of the sea turn into a lullaby, is enough to help you thoroughly chill out.

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