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"What good thing ever came from Newcastle?"
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Life in the left lane
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Controlling the light part 2
In part 2 of this article we get more in-depth in controlling your lighting
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Controlling the light
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Which club do you belong to?
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This blog entry:
After a protracted silence, The GP has again found something to say. Actually - not so much something to say, but somewhere new to go, and this entry is all about it...
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Trip report
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"What good thing ever came from Newcastle?"
Thus could read a modern paraphrase of this ancient biblical question, and indeed, if you've ever been to Newcastle you could easily be forgiven for agreeing with the sentiment. Nothing really happens there. Except maybe for traffic.
Other than that, there's one large steel factory outside the town that appears to have once been the primary economic driver for the town; a mall or 3; a casino (officially opened by JZ in '99); the N11 road through Newcastle leading to Ladysmith (to the south) and Volksrust (to the north), and the R34 leading to Memel (to the West) and Utrecht (to the East).
The web delivers some articles claiming that Newcastle has attracted Chinese and Taiwanese investment in the textile industry over the last decade, mostly to make up for the flagging steel and mining employment, but most interestingly, it seems: "The town of Newcastle was established in 1864 and received its name from a Dr Sutherland, who was trapped on the swollen banks of the Ncandu River during his honeymoon. To pass the time, he planned a township on the site, named streets after members of the government and filed his plan on return to Pietermaritzburg".
????
Seems to me the dear Dr Sutherland didn't know that one is not supposed to merely "pass the time", when on honeymoon...
But it's not Newcastle itself which is the focus of this feature. Rather, it is the Drakensberg hinterland that is accessible only by dirt road to the West of Newcastle, and south of Memel, to which I want to draw your attention.
Not far south of Newcastle (20km) is the Chelmsford Nature Reserve turn off. Take it, and once you've left the Chelmsford Nature Reserve behind, you'll be faced with choosing between the Normandien and Muller's Pass roads, and this is when the good stuff really begins!
I accidentally discovered this area in April of 2007 after returning to Jozi from shooting a wedding at Zinkwazi on the KZN North Coast. I went inland on a dirt road exploratory trip, in search of some good waterfalls, but found none.
The dirt roads were (and still are) mostly in good condition (although I should think they could present somewhat of a challenge after heavy, soaking rains), and as I passed through the countryside I found myself being moved by the rural tranquility, and the majesty of this gentler face of the Drakensberg.
Think: Drakensberg Mountains with less drastic up and down bits, and a fluffy green micro fibre blanket.
This is WIDE open country, with dramatically undulating views.
Many stretches of road are unspoilt by the sight of telephone poles, and you can quite often stop and walk around, looking for a better angle from which to compose a photo, and realise, after a half hour or more has passed, that only time has passed you by, and certainly not another human...
to be continued...
* Normandien
I really must agree with you regarding this pass. To sit on the rocks overlooking the south
eastern valley as the sun goes down behind you.
The world suddenly switches off. An eerie silence broken only by the occassional bird call and barks from far off baboons.
A great pity that the local farmer has fenced off this view point where i have had many great braai's.
Comment posted on 08 June, 2010 at 01:43pm by: denis