Bluff or The Bluff is a geographical area, containing eight suburbs in

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality is a metropolitan municipality created in 2000, that includes the city of Durban, South Africa and surrounding towns. eThekwini is one of the 11 districts of KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. The majo ...

, KwaZulu-Natal Province,

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

. The Bluff forms a large part of the South Durban Basin, a sub-region located south of Durban.

History

The promontory on which Bluff is situated is Durban's most prominent natural landmark. Accordingly, it probably served as an important visual reference for navigational approaches into Durban Harbour. Between 1907 and 1975, the exposed south-east side of The Bluff housed a

whaling Whaling is the process of hunting of whales for their usable products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that became increasingly important in the Industrial Revolution. It was practiced as an organized industr ...

station. Since the mid-Nineteenth Century, the region has been purposed for navigational and military uses. This use has provided protection for much of the area's native vegetation. Today, the area is considered important in the ecological management of Durban and environment.

Etymology

The traditional Zulu name for Bluff is ''isibubulungu'', meaning a long, round-shaped ridge. It also means "white man’s bluff", which may be a reference to habitation by shipwreck survivors. The name of the area is derived from the long bluff - two ancient sand dunes on which most of the suburbs lie.

Geography

The Bluff promonotory is a remnant of an extensive coastal dune system that formed along the shoreline of KwaZulu-Natal between two and five million years ago. Lying just south of Durban, the Bluff is one of the main enclosing elements of Durban Harbour from the Indian Ocean, and forms the southern quayside of the

Port of Durban The Port of Durban, commonly called Durban Harbour, is the largest and busiest shipping terminal in sub-Saharan Africa. It handles up to 31.4 million tons of cargo each year. It is the fourth largest container terminal in the Southern Hemisp ...

. Organisationally and administratively, it is included in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality as a South Central Suburb. The Bluff lies on the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by t ...

coastline which lies on the east and borders the Port of Durban (Island View) to the north-west, the defunct

Durban International Airport Durban International Airport (formerly Louis Botha Airport) was the international airport of Durban from 1951 until 2010, when it was replaced by King Shaka International Airport, to the north. The airport is co-located with AFB Durban. Hi ...

and the SAPREF Petrochemical Refinery to the south, Mobeni to the south-west and

(Bayhead) and Clairwood to the west. Within the area referred to as "The Bluff" lie the suburbs of Brighton Beach, Fynnland, Grosvenor, Jacobs, Merebank, Ocean View, Treasure Beach and Wentworth.

Beaches

The Bluff is a popular holiday destination, with extensive accommodation and plentiful seaside recreation. The area is known for its abundant sea life, including dolphins, and, in the winter months, whales. The Bluff has access to six beaches including Ansteys Beach, Brighton Beach, Cuttings Beach, Garvies Beach and Treasure Beach. Amongst these beaches Ansteys and Brighton beaches are the most popular with Ansteys Beach home to two pools and Brighton Beach to three pools including one tidal pool. Most of the other beaches along the Bluff remain quiet and unspoilt.

Economy

At the south end of the Bluff are two main residential suburbs: Wentworth and Merebank. Interspersed among the houses are a number of industries, including two of South Africa's largest oil refineries (Sapref and Engen facilities), the Mondi Paper Mill and other smaller factories. Durban's main airport was nearby until 2010.

moved and changed its name on 1 May 2010, relocating from the South Durban Basin to near Verulam, on the North Coast. The mixture of residential homes and large industries in the basin creates a challenge for all those who live and work in the area. Air pollution, water pollution, overcrowding and litter are some of the problems that residents and industries need to deal with. Community groups are attempting to resolve the issue by working with the large industries in the area.

Transport

The M4 highway is the nearest highway to the Bluff, running east of the suburban area. It runs through the South Durban Basin from the N2 highway (to

Amanzimtoti Amanzimtoti is a coastal town just south of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The town is well known for its warm climate and numerous beaches, and is a popular tourist destination, particularly with surfers. The annual sardine run attracts ...

and Port Shepstone) in the south to

CBD in the north. The M7 links the Bluff to Clairwood, Rossburgh, Queensburgh and

Pinetown Pinetown is a large area that is part of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, inland from Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Pinetown is situated 16 km west of Durban at an elevation of 1,000 to 1,300 feet (305 to 395 m). History Pi ...

. The two arterial routes of the Bluff include Marine Drive which runs along the coast linking Merebank, Treasure Beach, Brighton Beach and Ocean View and Tara/Lighthouse Road which runs inland linking Merebank,

Engen Engen (延元) was a Japanese era of the Southern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Kenmu and before Kōkoku, lasting from February 1336 to April 1340.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Engen''" i ''Japan encyclop ...

Petrochemical Refinery, Jacobs, Wentworth, Grosvenor and Fynnlands.

Amenities

The Bluff is served by four shopping centers namely Bluff Towers and Hillside Mall in Wentworth which are the two largest in the Bluff, Merebank Mall in Merebank and the Bluff Shopping Centre in Grosvenor. The Bluff is also serviced by two police stations in Wentworth and Brighton Beach, a public hospital which is the Wentworth District Hospital which mainly serves most suburbs south of Durban and a large golf course, Bluff National Park Golf Club between Grosvenor and Ocean View.

References

External links

eThekwini Online
Accessed 9 March 2010
KwaZulu-Natal Tourism Authority
Accessed 9 March 2010
KwaZulu-Natal search engine
Accessed 9 March 2010 {{DEFAULTSORT:Bluff, Kwazulu-Natal Suburbs of Durban