mergeier (bearded vulture). The highest con- centration of walks and trails in South Africa is found here.
The uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park was declared a world heritage site in 2001 and con- sists of almost the entire Drakensberg moun- tain range from Bushman’s Neck in the south to the Royal Natal National Park in the north.
Peaks soar to over 3 000 m and are often snow-covered in winter. The park is admin- istered by Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife. Their trout hatcheries are located in the Kam- berg Reserve area. There are also trout hatch- eries at Cathedral Peak.
The Lotheni Nature Reserve is notable for its trout fishing facilities (angling permits are required). Relics of the area’s history have been preserved in the Settler Museum.
The Himeville Nature Reserve has two lakes stocked with trout. The Swamp Nature Reserve close by attracts a variety of waterfowl, includ- ing the rare wattled crane.
The Ndedema Gorge is located in the Mde- delelo Wilderness Area near Cathedral Peak and contains examples of Khoi and San art.
Sani Pass is the only road across the high escarpment between KwaZulu-Natal and the Kingdom of Lesotho. Sani Pass may be a road, but the top section is only passable in 4x4 vehicles. The Giant’s Cup Hiking Trail, starting at the foot of the pass, is described as one of South Africa’s finest. Giant’s Castle Game Reserve is especially known for its more than 5 000 San paintings. The Bushman Site Museum is well worth a visit.
The Royal Natal National Park offers many scenic highlights, including the Amphitheatre, Mont-aux-Sources and the Thukela Falls.
Battlefields
The KwaZulu-Natal Battlefields Route has the highest concentration of battlefields and related military sites in South Africa. The Bat- tlefields Route starts at Estcourt, winding north through Colenso and Ladysmith to Newcastle and Volksrust, and eastwards to Utrecht, Glen- coe, Dundee, Nqutu, Paulpietersburg, Vryheid, Babanango and Ulundi.