Port Edward is the southern-most holiday resort on the South Coast, about 170 kilometres from Durban.
The tranquil little town is surrounded by subtropical coastal forest and banana plantations. The beaches are rocky in many parts, but interspersed with sandy patches and beautiful bays.
The town's centrepiece is the North Sand Bluff Lighthouse, 24 metres high and visible from far. If you climb the steps to the top, you have wonderful views of coast and inland. Downstairs is a museum and a coffee shop.
Port Edward claims to have the smallest desert of the world, called "Red Desert". The area lies some kilometres west of town and measures only 11 hectares. It looks like a miniature version of the Arizona desert. Man-high hills and valleys from naked red soil build a striking contrast to the lush, subtropical vegetation of the surrounding.
For a long time this phenomenon was an enigma triggering much musing upon an explanation. Did perhaps once extraterrestrial creatures land here? In the meantime the answer has been found: A Zulu tribe gathered here in the 19th century cattle herds it had stolen from the Pondos in the south. First the terrain was severely overgrazed and subsequently the wind eroded the bare layer of soil, leading to desertification. At present, motorbikes are still roaring about the red mini-desert, but the community of Port Edward has recently acquired the land to place it under nature conservation. After all, the Red Desert offers a great chance to study desertification in natura.
Further travel information and accommodation: INFO Left: Port Edward. Top right: Lighthouse of Port Edward. Bottom right: Red Desert.
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