Kelso is located in the uMdoni Coast region of

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 ...

facing 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 ...

. Kelso is located 65 kilometers south of

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 ...

, the largest city in KwaZulu-Natal.

History

Henry Cooke, one of the original mid-nineteenth century

Byrne settler The term Byrne Settler refers to any emigrant brought to Natal by the company, J. C. Byrne & Co. These people landed in Natal on 20 ships during the years 1849 to 1851. Allotments were laid out in the Byrne valley ' Byrne (also O'Byrne) is an I ...

s, named the South African coastal village after the town of Kelso on the Tweed River in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

. Before modern transportation, the village of Kelso served as an important link in the transportation of sugar. Vessels launched on the

Umzinto River Umzinto is a town, located in the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and falls under the uMdoni Local Municipality. It was a sugarcane growing area and the town was set up as the centre for a sugar mill. Etymology "Umzinto" is said ...

could take their cargo out to the larger ships anchored at sea, off the river mouth. The Umzinto River, which borders its southern side was the site of a mini

gold rush A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New ...

during the 1860s.

Recreation

Kelso is known for its excellent golden beaches and waves that provide great conditions for

kitesurfing Kiteboarding or kitesurfing is a sport that involves using wind power with a large power kite to pull a rider across a water, land, or snow surface. It combines aspects of paragliding, surfing, windsurfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, and wak ...

and surfing. Several competitions take place here annually, including hosting part of the South Coast Surf Carnival. Fishing at sea is also a popular activity.

Transport

Kelso is served by the railway from Port Shepstone to

and had a branch to

Umzinto Umzinto is a town, located in the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and falls under the uMdoni Local Municipality. It was a sugarcane growing area and the town was set up as the centre for a sugar mill. Etymology "Umzinto" is said to ...

, connecting to the

Umzinto - Donnybrook narrow gauge railway Umzinto is a town, located in the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and falls under the uMdoni Local Municipality. It was a sugarcane growing area and the town was set up as the centre for a sugar mill. Etymology "Umzinto" is sai ...

until its closure in 1987. Major roads are the N2 and the

R102 The R.102 (originally referred to as Project H) was a British airship planned in 1930 but never built. The development of R.102 resulted from the Imperial Airship Scheme, when it became apparent that the R100 and R101 airships then being buil ...

References

Populated places in the Umdoni Local Municipality Populated coastal places in South Africa {{KwaZuluNatal-geo-stub