Durban - The old picture this week takes in the Goodison Drakensberg Gardens resort in KZN’s southern Berg and was probably taken in the late ’60s or early ’70s, soon after the hotel opened in 1963. It was posted on the Facebook page Durban Down Memory Lane.
Located on the Drakensberg World Heritage site, Drakensberg Gardens has offered countless guests the chance to relax and unwind with magnificent views of the mountain range. It has also proved a perennial holiday favourite for many young families, largely thanks to the number of child-friendly activities and the hotel’s childminding and babysitting services.
Activities include hiking, horse riding, mountain biking, canoeing or trout fishing. The resort also boasts an 18-hole golf golf course, several swimming pools, as well as tennis, bowls, putt-putt, volleyball, badminton and squash. There is also a “Discovery Park” where children can get to know nature's creatures in a mini farmyard with birds and rabbits.
Another popular excursion is a day trip up Sani Pass for a drink in the highest pub in Africa.
The three-star resort, which underwent a substantial renovation for its 50th anniversary in 2012, offers 79 hotel rooms as well as self-catering chalets that sleep four or six. There are also camping and caravanning options, three restaurants and two bars.
The modern picture was taken for the Independent on Saturday by Taryn Muil, the resort’s marketing and admin manager.
The Independent on Saturday