Things to Do in Lindley

Situated near Crestholme on the edge of the Valley of Thousand Hills is Muddy Paws Farm, a little herb and lavender farm with more to offer than meets the eye. Here you can spend time amongst the farm animals or in the herb display garden, select herbs in the nursery, pick your own lavender, and purchase herb products and crafts in the shop. Also on site is Insight Art Gallery, with affordable photographic and original artwork by local artists. And there’s Huberto's famous ice cream!

One of the biggest malls in the southern hemisphere, Gateway Theatre of Shopping offers an incredible choice with 380 top-notch retailer stores, the most up-to-date entertainment and sophisticated fashion.Visitors are guaranteed an experience way beyond what one would normally expect from a major shopping mall.Grab your kids and let them lose on the soaring indoor climbing wall, the scary D-Rex or gentle wave machine. Wannabee Einstein’s can have fun while exploring the secrets of the universe at the ScienCentre. There’s so much on offer for families at Durban's entertainment hub – even a dinner theatre that will have you slapping your thighs and rolling in the aisles with tears streaming down your cheeks.

Friendship, good food, wine and brilliant entertainment – the Barnyard Theatre at Gateway is where it all comes together. The first Barnyard Theatre started as a homely, rustic farm theatre in Plettenberg Bay where friends and family could be entertained and eat, drink and talk into the small hours of the morning. It proved to be such a winner that more Barnyard Theatres started popping up all over the country. There are currently 12 Barnyard Theatres in South Africa. While each theatre is a product of its individual setting, they all retain the quaint rustic charm of the original farm theatre’s humble beginning.

Hip, hot and always happening, Wave House is the coolest place for youngsters to hang out in Durban. Conveniently located at Gateway’s Theatre of Shopping in Umhlanga, it’s also a fantastic spot for a family outing, offering an awesome fusion of boardsport cultures.Choose an experience from mild to wild. Get n-n-nervous on the mighty D-Rex, the first of its kind double-point break standing wave. The two beach-break Flow Riders are suitable for beginners and family fun. Skaterats will enjoy the 4 000 m² Skate Park designed by 10-time world skating champion, Tony Hawk.And if all that action makes you hungry and thirsty, there are fully-stocked bars and a restaurant featuring a wrap-around deck overlooking the extreme sport action. Regular entertainment ranges from live bands to amazing events. Durban’s ultimate attracts numerous visitors including international board sport stars.

Get in touch with your wild side with the luminous feathered inhabitants of Umgeni River Bird Park. Tumbling waterfalls, lush semi-tropical vegetation, lively birds singing and squawking, walk-through aviaries and open paddocks contribute to make this a renowned bird paradise. View dazzling macaws, parading flamingoes, stately cranes, and comical toucans. And you’ll see loads more – witness how some of the world’s rarest birds live and breed. Make your way to the 'baby room' viewing window and follow the activity in the nursery where plump little chicks are reared by loving foster-parents. Don't miss the Free flight Bird Show with critically endangered species like the Wattled Crane, owls, storks, hornbills and a Cape Vulture in free unrestricted flight. It's highly educational but also loads of fun. Free flight Bird Shows take place at 11am and 2pm every day.

An integral part of protecting the vibrant tourism industry, the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board has been protecting popular KZN beaches from shark incidents for over 40 years. KZNSB boats launch each morning to patrol the coast and clear the shark safety gear of any catches. At least once a month each net is rotated ensuring that every net in the installation is removed and repaired before being placed back in the water. Marine growth as well as wear and tear can cause damage to the nets and it is only through the regular maintenance of equipment that an efficient and cost-effective service can be delivered to the local authorities. The public are given a unique opportunity of being able to view firsthand the servicing of the nets off Durban’s Golden Mile from the KZNSB Tour Boat. These two hour trips leave Wilson’s Wharf at 06:30. After witnessing the meshing operations, there is the chance of opportunistic viewing of wildlife including seabirds. Trips are weather and sea conditions permitting. Bookings are essential – call 082 403 9206. Cost – R250 per person (as at August 2010). The boat trip can be followed up by an excursion to the KZNSB Headquarters in Umhlanga at 1a Herrwood Drive. An audio-visual presentation is followed by a fascinating shark dissection on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 09:00 and 14:00. Sunday afternoon dissections take place at 14:00. Cost – adults R35, children or pensioners R20 (as at August 2010). Tips for your safety at the beach from KZNSB: Swim at protected beaches Obey the lifeguards on duty Avoid swimming in dirty water (river in flood) Avoid swimming at night (between dusk and dawn) Avoid swimming alone Remember: Alcohol and seawater make a lethal cocktail – to be avoided at all times.

Offering numerous scenic walks and viewpoints, Krantzkloof Nature Reserve is a haven for twitchers and jaded urbanites right in the heart of the suburb of Kloof. The spectacular Kloof Gorge is part of Krantzkloof Nature Reserve, and is one of the few places in Durban where Knysna Turaco can be found, along with a number of forest birds and the magnificent crowned eagle. The attractive Everton Conservancy is also part of the Kloof area, and to crown these ecological attractions – the spectacular Valley of 1 000 Hills Tourism Experience starts in Kloof. A magnet for eco-tourists, Kloof is also a welcome retreat for business executives visiting the nearby industrial areas of Pinetown and Hammarsdale. Krantzkloof Nature Reserve is open from 6am to 6pm daily. Entrance is free excepting for a small fee charged at the Kloof Falls picnic site on weekends. Please ensure that you are familiar with your hiking route prior to departure, as it is fairly easy to get lost in the gorge. Guided walks take place on the first and third Sunday of each month at 8am. Cost is R30 per person and booking is essential for these walks. The walks leave from the main picnic site in Kloof Falls road. Should you require further information about any of the walks or trails telephone the Officer in Charge: (0)31 764 3515.

Named after Jonas Bergtheil, this museum is situated in the leafy suburb of Westville midway between Durban and Pinetown. Much of the museum is housed in Westville’s oldest building featuring massive stone walls and hand-hewn timber floorboards. The park like surrounds add an atmosphere of tranquility. Exhibits mostly focus on the first German settlers that Jonas Bergtheil brought to Natal as director of the Natal Cotton Company and their associations with the settlements of Westville, Claremont and New Germany. Visiting hours are 8:30 – 16:00 Monday to Friday, 8:00 – 12:00 Saturdays. Closed Sundays and Public Holidays. Entrance is free.

Visit a lighthouse on the Sugar Coast that recently caused an un-nautical stir – draped in a condom! The landlubber nonsense on Umhlanga's beach was all for a noble cause and brought a massive HIV-Aids awareness message on World Aids Day. The red and white 21-metre tall lighthouse was draped in fabric to resemble a giant condom and inscribed with the message 'Know your status'. So what was the reason behind this controversial transformation? Iain Buchan from the Unlimited Child, an NGO working in the Valley of 1000 Hills, says they wanted to highlight the plight of Aids orphans. “The feedback I've had so far from some of our people here has just been fantastic. We're getting people sending us SMSes, blogging, just saying it's incredible, the response and the awareness. And that's really what putting this condom on the lighthouse has done. It's kind of shaken people's awareness to say, 'ok this is different, and how can we get involved?'." Now it’s business as usual for the Umhlanga Lighthouse, beaming out nightly signals visible to vessels as far as 24 nautical miles away. The fixed red light enables ships waiting to anchor in the outer anchorage to monitor their position. You will find this landmark near the end of Lighthouse Road in Umhlanga.

The Beachwood Mangroves is a delightful mangrove estuary lying north of the Umgeni River Mouth. Within the nature reserve are red, white and black mangroves, fiddler crabs, mudskippers, kingfishers and other bird species. Several interesting walking routes have been laid out. The key to the southern entrance can be obtained (after paying a deposit) at the northern gate off fairway drive.

Just a five-minute drive from Durban on the N3, The Pavilion Shopping Centre provides a premier shopping and entertainment experience. Something of a Durban fashionista hot spot, the mall merges fun, food and fashion under one roof and there’s plenty to keep you busy.Offering over 230 shops and more than 40 restaurants, the centre has one of the widest choices in KwaZulu-Natal. With 14 jewellery outlets, it’s the perfect place to pick out gifts and curios for loved ones.And there’s no end of entertainment to keep kids amused at the Amusement Area, skate park and 12 cinemas. Over 6 000 covered and open parking bays have direct access to the centre and are protected by state of the art security.So whether you're looking for a cool place to escape Durban’s hot summer or you have to watch the latest movie after a good Indian or Italian dinner, the Pavilion is an obvious choice in the greater Durban area.

Home turf of The Sharks, official rugby team of KZN, ‘The Shark Tank’ is a stadium in the Kings Park Sporting Precinct neighbouring Moses Mabhida Stadium in Stamford Hill, Durban. Kings Park Stadium, officially known as Mr Price Kings Park Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is also endorsed as The Shark Tank and was previously known as the ABSA Stadium. Durban’s Premier Soccer League football clubs often use the facility, which has a seating capacity of 55,000. Kings Park Sporting Precinct, Jacko Jackson Drive, Stamford Hill, Durban

Durban's stadium, the Moses Mabhida Stadium, played host to one of the 2010 Fifa World Cup semi-finals. This brand new stadium lies next to the Mr Price Kings Park Stadium, providing seating for up to 80 000 fans. The entire area is extensibly developed and incorporates Olympic-standard football, athletics and swimming facilities. The vibey and colourful semi-tropical city of Durban has strong eastern ties. It's a truly multicultural city with a strong emphasis on the beach. Pack your boardshorts or bikini, sunglasses and skimpy evening gear and revel in Durban's endless summer – it averages 320 days of sunshine a year. Needing some action? The surfing's great in the heart of the city and up or down the coast, there's awesome diving with sharks on the South Coast and beautiful coral reefs up in the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park, along with fantastic wildlife viewing there and at Hluhluwe/Umfolozi. Durban is KwaZulu-Natal's holiday Mecca and there's a wide range of beachfront accommodation to suit all pockets along the coastline.

Superbly situated on 48 hectares of coastal highland, with 360 degree ocean and hinterland views, Sibaya combines spectacular elements inspired by traditional Zulu architecture with state-of-the-art technology, distilled from extensive research across the globe into the latest concepts in casino-resort entertainment.This magnificent gaming and entertainment complex has brought a significant capital injection as well as employment opportunities to the province’s coastal belt north of Durban. It has also offered an unprecedented experience of the vibrant multi-cultural background of KwaZulu-Natal, infusing elements of fantasy to create a richly rewarding entertainment environment.Central components of this grand-scale fantasy environment are the outstanding casino facilities. These include the innovative use of smart cards for the convenience of all players, and 1001 slots and 37 tables available in three areas, a Main Casino floor, a Smoking Casino and the exclusive Royal Court Privé. The Privé is the most sophisticated in the country and houses smoking and non-smoking slots and tables, and also boasts views of the Indian Ocean.The Sibaya Casino & Entertainment Kingdom incorporates the Royal Sibaya Hotel, a luxury hotel with 12 suites and 24 rooms for exclusive use by top end gamers, as well as the Sibaya Lodge, a 118 room limited facility hotel catering for the leisure and conference market. Complementing these world-class hospitality facilities is an imaginative and comprehensive spectrum of restaurants and bars.These include A2A a deluxe buffet featuring food from African to Asia; Aqua a speciality seafood restaurant; the Royal Court Grill a fine dining steak house, Sondela Tavern serving African fusion food, an exclusive MVG (Most Valued Guest) Lounge; a number of elegant bars, Gabbiano & Co Coffee Shop offering beverages, coffee and a light menu; and a fast-food court featuring three different food options Steers, Debonairs and Nando’s.Other amenities include a sweet shop, as well as family amusement facilities, the Magic Company a children’s entertainment centre and a crèche.Krakatoa, Sibaya’s ‘volcanic eruption’ three-tier show bar is an experience in sensory dazzlement. This night life venue, named after one of the most famous volcanos in history, is one of the most happening nightspots in town. The spectacular venue is split into three hospitality levels and is used all year round for product launches events and parties as well as being a nightclub on Fridays and Saturdays.The 592 thatched iZulu Theatre which opened with the internationally acclaimed African Footprint and over four years has seen major productions grace its stage including Umoja, Bounce, Tap Dogs and Bollywood Crush.Experience true African pampering based on traditional African healing therapies and indulgent royalrituals for men and women at the award winning Mangwanani Private African Day Spa at Sibaya. The spa is set in a spectacular authentic Zulu village overlooking rolling green hills with breath-taking views of the warm Indian Ocean.Traditional and contemporary Zulu designs and themes recur throughout Sibaya. Exquisitely designed water features echo the tranquility of the nearby Ohlanga River in the complex’s lushly landscaped, scenic surrounds.

Situated on the eastern slopes of the Berea ridge, Durban Botanic Gardens is renowned for the rarest original specimen of a plant in the world – a cycad named Encephalartos woodii. Initially the garden grew experimental tropical crops but today the extensive offerings include the herbarium, orchid house, cycad collection, a garden for the blind and a tea garden. Along with an extensive collection of South African cycad species, a highlight is the Orchid House, best viewed during spring. Guided tours are on offer but it’s essential to book well in advance. The charity tea garden is open from 09:30 – 16:15 daily.

She's pear-shaped but a winner! The Greyville Racecourse surrounds the Royal Durban Golf Club's Championship course, which provides a picture of green grass and foliage throughout the year framed in the background by the many hotels of Durban's Golden Mile. This right-handed track has a circumference of 2 800 metres, and a run-in of 500 metres and no straight for sprints. Unusual features are the golf course in the centre of the track, the Drill Hall which obscures the 1600 metre start and two subways. The construction of these subways resulted in the course having an uphill section from the 2 400 metre post up to the 1 800 metre position, thereafter a gentle downward slope for about 800 metres, followed by an uphill section from the 1000 metre mark into the straight. In 1996, history was made when it became the first track in the country to successfully install floodlights, enabling the course to accommodate night racing at all its midweek meetings.

SUNCOAST Casino & Entertainment World's setting is idyllic – surrounded by waving palm trees and right on Durban's beachfront along the ‘Golden Mile’.Durban’s largest casino offers entertainment heaven for anyone inclined to gaming. Gamblers can choose from 1 330 slot machines, 50 gaming tables and the exclusive 77 Ocean Drive for higher limit slots and tables.Along with the astonishing array of gaming on offer, the Miami South Beach Art Deco style complex houses plenty of shopping and entertainment options. There is mega fun for the whole family with 12 restaurants and fast food outlets, kids entertainment, eight cinemas and a dance bar.

Staging its first Test match in 1923, Kingsmead cricket grounds has seen some of South African cricket’s most significant triumphs. Kingsmead is also home to the KwaZulu-Natal cricket team – the Sunfoil Dolphins. Today the extensively redeveloped stadium sport new stands, keeping the old main grandstand as a token of its past grandeur. The 25 000-seater stadium is almost situated within bowling distance of the warm waters of the Indian Ocean – it's just a short stroll to the beach. The below-sea-level pitch is something of a local legend – apparently when the tide comes in it rises the water table, giving seam bowlers an unexpected advantage.

Ever dreamt of sashaying in a sari, getting tattooed with henna or tucking into an ‘atomic bomb’ curry? Satisfy your yearning for burning and a lot more at Durban’s oldest market. Venture down to the Victoria Street Market on the corner of Queen and Victoria Streets in Durban Central and step into a sensory Afro-Indian world. Here the smell of incense and spices pervades the atmosphere where over 180 traders sell their produce. You will find all manner of delightful food and spices including a fish market. Durban’s Indian community is the largest outside of India and has influenced the character of the city immensely. Operating since 1870, Victoria Street Market still offers a dizzying whirl of colour, aromas, vibrant fabrics and the cheerful noise of bartering. Shoppers can purchase silk saris, scarves, jewellery, woven baskets, beaded and carved curios, Asian ceramics and even cheap Chinese products. Further down is the clothing mecca of Grey Street (Dr Yusuf Dadoo Street), where you will find typical Indian architecture, narrow lanes, colonnades over pavements and an array of fabric shops. Open Monday to Saturday 08:00 – 18:00; Sunday and public holidays 10:00 – 16:00. +27 (0) 31 306 4021.

Where Africa and the world meet. The International Convention Centre Durban (DICC) is one of the most advanced conference facilities in the world. Key factors in the design of this state-of-the-art technology driven centre are flexibility and versatility. The DICC is a purpose-built, fully air-conditioned centre with three convention hallsthat are interlinked but separate. Moveable walls allow for numberous different venue configurations. Alternatively the halls can be opened up to form one large venue with seating for 5000 delegates or 7000m squared of column free floor space. Together with its sister venue, the Durban Exhibition Centre (DEC), the ICC can double its capacity to accommodate 10 000 conference delegates. The centres can function independently or as two halves of one whole. This is achieved by closing Walnut Road, a brick-paved concourse between the two centres, to provide easy access for delegates.