Countdown to Easter – when school is out, and a long weekend is around the corner – so consider a family holiday in the Valley of a 1000 Hills – a ruggedly beautiful destination situated halfway between Durban and Pietermaritzburg on the N3. It offers a host of options to suit every style, occasion and budget – and the temperate weather is cooler than the humidity of the coast, and warmer than the autumn chill of inland. It is also geographically well placed to be in easy reach of countless fun and affordable attractions, accommodation options and destinations: from Berg to Bush to Beach.
Here are just a few of the reasons why you should Hop to the Hills this Easter:
We have brilliant places to stay.
To find the perfect place to stay for your Easter getaway – visit 1000 Hills B&B Association: a collective of a dozen or so accredited B&B’s who network closely together – all situated in the Kloof / Hillcrest / Botha’s Hill area. Their website is designed to process and send your request to all of the members so this saves on having to contact each establishment separately for a quote. Only members that have availability will respond to you.
1000 Hills B&B Association work closely with 1000 Hills CTO – both of whom have active websites with different accommodation options – which jointly account for at least 60 registered, compliant and accredited venue options in 1000 Hills area.
We have oodles to do.
We have heaps to offer right here on our doorstep:
- great food options;
- outdoor activities (such as putt-putt, golf, hiking, biking, horse riding, quad biking);
- galleries and cultural attractions;
- the great outdoors; animal farms (with bunnies)
- and plenty of retail options and markets.
Kearsney Easter Rugby Tournament
Supporters of fast-paced schoolboy rugby are set for an exciting feast over Easter weekend, with the 2024 Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival (KERF) which will showcase 14 highly rated high school teams, as well as an inaugural primary schools’ festival, at which 10 local sides will compete.
This 15th KERF promises exhilarating competition between some of the country’s top-ranked schools, over the three play days of Thursday 28 March, Saturday 30 and Monday 01 April.
Durban High School (DHS), Glenwood High School, Westville Boys’ High and hosts Kearsney College will again represent KwaZulu-Natal at this year’s event. The organisers are excited to welcome newcomers Hoërskool Rustenburg from North-West, Rondebosch Boys’ High from Cape Town and Pearson High School from Port Elizabeth.
Two powerhouse teams from Gauteng – Hoërskool Monument from Krugersdorp and Boksburg’s Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen – will return to showcase their brand of fast and physical rugby.
After an excellent festival debut last year, Worcester Gimnasium from the Western Cape, together with the Eastern Cape’s Nico Malan High School (Humansdorp), Hoërskool Framesby (Gqeberha) and Hoër Landbouskool Marlow (Cradock) are certain to offer spectators thrilling running rugby. They will be joined by the tenacious team from Hoërskool Noord-Kaap (Kimberley).
The Easter Bunny is hanging out in the hills… and will be hopping all over the place!
The Valley of a 1000 Hills Community Tourism Organisation is supporting the Kloof and Highway SPCA in an event packed morning of Easter family fun on Saturday 30 March.
Well known creatives Kevin Ellis and Gareth Graves have put together an interactive programme of entertaining events for the Saturday morning all with an underlying Easter theme. The Easter Jive Bunny is scheduled to visit mid-morning to oversee the Easter egg hunt. The Easter eggs have been donated by 1000 Hills Community Tourism Organisation.
There will be dance demos leading kids (and parents) in some fun line dancing routines. Songstress Belinda Dolphin will be providing the vibes for the morning. All the Village Green shops, the Hidden Treasures marquee and the Tea Garden will be open.
There will be special Easter sales – with the shops offering a 50 % discount on select items (excluding the plant nursery, the Tea Garden and music shops.)
All these fundraising activities raise much needed monies that go towards fulfilling The Kloof and Highway SPCA mandate of preventing animal cruelty.
Hollywood may have Snakes on a Plane – but we have Bunny on a Train.
Looking for something fun to do with the family over the Easter weekend? Why not take a trip behind an 85-year-old Steam Engine which meanders through the Valley of a 1000 Hills.
There are trips on Sat 30 and Sun 31 March – with trains departing Inchanga at 09:00; 11:00; 13:30 & 15:30. The last train returns to Inchanga at 16:45. The Easter Bunny will be on board trains on Sunday, 31 March, handing out Easter eggs to children.
This roughly 75 minutes trip departs from Inchanga Railway Station, meandering along the rolling hills of KZN, through one of the oldest operating tunnels in South Africa, with the sights of the Valley of 1000 Hills in the distance, before turning around at Botha’s Hill for the return to Inchanga.
Before or after your trip, you can browse through the Inchanga Station Craft Market where there are various treasures on sale, food to suit most tastes and activities for the whole family.
Visit the Inchanga Railway Museum situated in the Old Station Master’s House or find Thomas and Friends in the Modeller’s Shed on the platform.
Please ensure you bring cash or use Zapper as there are no card facilities nor ATMS. Please arrive half an hour prior to departure to collect your tickets.
Those Snakes have left the Plane… they are now in the hills.
With us Easter is more than just bunnies (at PheZulu, we have snakes, crocs and tortoises too ….)
The first 50 kids on Sunday 31 March to visit the Reptile Park and Creature Cave, will get free Easter Eggs on arrival. Visit the crocs, snakes, tortoises and other magnificent reptiles and learn more about them.
The ever-popular game drives through the PheZulu conservation area will be running over the Easter weekend, and tickets are sold on a first come first served basis, so arrive early! Game drive times are held hourly.
The Phezulu Gasa Clan Dancers will be performing four shows a day over the Easter weekend, in a show which is both educational and entertaining. Show time are: 10h00; 11h.30, 14h00 and 15h30.
PheZulu Safari Park serves traditional South African food in their Nguni Café and offers accommodation options to make a weekend of it – so you can fall sleep to the soundtrack of the PheZulu animals and night calls of Africa.
Easter Eggs and Country Markets
There are glorious country summer market days being held on the grounds of the expansive Fig Tree Farm on 22 March (2pm until 8pm), 23 March (9am until 4pm) and 24 March (9am until 3pm). There is an entry fee of R20 per car.
The Easter bunny will be busy – as there will be Easter Egg hunts daily on the farm on Friday 29, Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 March at any time between 10am until 3pm. Collect clue maps at the entrance, and tickets available in advance through Quicket.co.za. In case of rain, don’t worry – tickets can be exchanged for an alternative day.
Easter among the sugarcane
Upon a hill in the Shongweni Valley, midst the sugarcane fields, overlooking the majestic Kirk Falls is the Shongweni Farmers & Craft Market. Local traders sell everything from fresh produce, deli, food, crafts and art. There is a great view, and plenty to keep everyone occupied – and the market is pet friendly too. There will be special Easter themed markets over the holiday season – Saturday 30 March from 7am until 1pm, and Sunday 31 March from 8am until 1pm.
There will be an Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday on the main stage at 10am – with prizes for the best dressed. (there is no charge for the Easter Egg Hunt)
There is live music on the main stage – on the programme is 16 March – Blarney and Son; 23 March – In the Flesh; 30 March – Cornel Meyer and 31 March – Angel.