In 1847, amongst an experimental cargo of seeds from Mauritius was a consignment of 40,000 sugar cane tops. These were purchased by the new settlers and duly planted on their land. A year later, Ephraim Rathbone arrived from Mauritius.

He was due to oversee a cotton farm on the north coast managed by Edmund Morewood.

On his way north, he noticed a small stand of the Mauritian sugar on a farm and persuaded the farmer to part with some tops. He persuaded Morewood to plant these tops on a spare patch.

The cotton was not doing well but the sugar thrived in the warm, humid climate. From these small beginnings grew a sugar industry that produces two million tons of sugar. The North Coast, from Durban to the Tugela, is cane country - a never ending undulating sea of sugar cane.

The North Coast has been known to settlers from the earliest of times because it was the main route to the hunting grounds of Zululand and ivory was brought to the port of Durban and other goods were sent in the reverse direction to trade with the Zulus.

The northern coastal strip is approximately twice as wide (50kms) as that of the South Coast and was originally lush, dense tropical forest, frequented by monkeys and bushpigs.

The warm climate is partly due to the Mozambique current that flows Southwards just off the coast and is ideal snake country and is ideal for adders, green mambas, black mambas and pythons.

Like the South Coast, many rivers have their estuaries here, most of them similarly ending in lagoons. Although remaining more undeveloped than the South Coast, it is becoming an increasingly sought after area and the area from Ballito Southwards is largely a dormitory area of Durban.

The beach extends the whole length of the area, broken only by the lagoons. Behind the beach is the coastal dune forest, casuarinas, hibiscus and bouganvilleas.

The coast between Zimbali and Tinley Manor is referred to as the Dolphin Coast because dolphins are commonly seen in the clear, shallow water.

Back