Port Edward is a small

resort town A resort town, resort city or resort destination is an urban area where tourism or vacationing is the primary component of the local culture and economy. A typical resort town has one or more actual resorts in the surrounding area. Sometimes ...

situated on the south coast of

KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN) is a Provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the government merged the Zulu people, Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu language, Zulu) and ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

and lies on the border between KwaZulu-Natal and the

Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape ( ; ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, and its largest city is Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). Due to its climate and nineteenth-century towns, it is a common location for tourists. It is also kno ...

. It is situated on the R61 road (future N2 Wild Coast Toll Route) between

Port Shepstone Port Shepstone is a large town situated on the mouth of the Mzimkhulu River, the largest river on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast of South Africa. It is located halfway between Hibberdene and Margate, KwaZulu-Natal, Margate and is positioned 120&nbs ...

and Lusikisiki.

History

In 1831 there was a crisis between the settlers in Port Natal (

Durban Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the Provinces of South Africa, province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South ...

) and

Dingane Dingane ka Senzangakhona Zulu (–29 January 1840), commonly referred to as Dingane, Dingarn or Dingaan, was a Zulu prince who became king of the Zulu Kingdom in 1828, after assassinating his half-brother Shaka Zulu. He set up his royal capita ...

, the Zulu king. Some settlers boarded a ship that was in the harbour and the others, including Henry Francis Fynn and his family, fled down the coast. The Zulu warriors caught up with them where Port Edward is today and massacred the fleeing settlers, which included local tribespeople of Langeni, on a hill called Isandlundlu (in English, ''shaped like a hut''). The place has been known ever since as Tragedy Hill and its slopes are still littered with the bones of the victims. In 1552, the Portuguese

carrack A carrack (; ; ) is a three- or four- masted ocean-going sailing ship that was developed in the 14th to 15th centuries in Europe, most notably in Portugal and Spain. Evolving from the single-masted cog, the carrack was first used for Europea ...

"Sao Joao" ran aground at Port Edward and this is the first time in recorded history that peoples from Europe met peoples from South Africa. In 1878, the ship "The Ivy" ran aground on Leisure Bay area beach. In 1925, the area was partly owned by TK Pringle, and he named the inland portion Banner Rest as this was where he wished to "strike his banner". The village was laid out and was named Port Edward in honour of the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...

, who later became

King Edward VIII Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire, and Emperor of India, from 20 January ...

. The first holiday cottage in Port Edward was a shack built among the sand dunes in the early days by transport rider Edward Stafford. Unaware of their motility, however, he was surprised and dismayed to see his fine creation swallowed up. The area was subjected to several name changes as property was bought and sold, but the practice came to an end in 1852 when the town of Port Edward was ceremoniously dedicated to the then Prince of Wales.

Geography

Location

Port Edward is the southernmost town of KwaZulu-Natal and lies north of the Mtamvuna River which separates

from the

. It is situated approximately 46 kilometres (29 mi) south-west of

by road and 153 kilometres (95 mi) south-west of

by road.

Suburbs

The 2011 census divided the main place of Port Edward into 16 “sub places” including: *Banners Rest *Black Rock *Doc Wilson Point *Ekubo Coastal Estate * Glenmore *Ivy Beach * Leisure Bay *Leisure Crest *Meadowbrook *

Munster Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...

*North Sand Bluff * Palm Beach *Rennies Beach *Rocklands *Salmon Bay *Three Hills

Tourism

Port Edward is a tourist resort for seasonal visitors from inland regions of South Africa. There are many tourist seasons that influence Port Edward but the most significant is the

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...

/ New Year period spanning from early December to mid-January. Port Edward's Silver Beach hosts an annual New Year's Eve party frequented by youths whilst on New Year's Day itself, families populate the beach for continued celebrations.
Holiday accommodation
is a particularly important source of income for the region throughout the year.

Beaches

Beaches in the greater Port Edward area include: * Black Rock Beach * Dassie Beach * Glenmore Beach * Ivy Beach * Kidds Beach * Leisure Beach * Munster Beach * Palm Beach * Port Edward Main Beach/Silver Beach: There is a ski boat launch facility at the main beach and ablution facilities. * Portobello Beach * Rennies Beach * Salmon Bay Beach *Splash Rock : Is a popular fishing destination and fishing is one of the most popular sports in Port Edward. * Spiros Rocks Beach * T.O. Beach/Strand

Attractions

* Beaver Creek Coffee Estate is a café on Izingolweni Road. It also offers visitors a daily tour of the distinctive flavours of the world's coffee regions and how the coffee production works. * Red Desert Nature Conservation Reserve is a national heritage site and is reputed to be the smallest desert in the world with a width of just 200m, and is also used for hiking and mountain biking through the extra-terrestrial terrain. * Tragedy Hill is a sightseeing spot overlooking Silver Beach. It was named after a massacre whereby Zulu warriors massacred the family of pioneer Henry Flynn due to confusion over stolen cattle. The heartbroken Zulu King ordered the man who started the rumour to be executed by one of the surviving settlers who was given 5 heads of cattle as a reward. * Umtamvuna Nature Reserve is a nature reserve located on the banks of the Mtamvuna River on the outskirts of Port Edward * Wild Coast Sun is a casino and resort located on the opposite bank of the Mtamvuna River. It includes an 18-hole golf course and the famous Wild Waves Water Park which offers a variety of water sports.

Sardine Run

Another main season coincides with the

Sardine run The KwaZulu-Natal sardine run of southern Africa occurs from May through July when billions of sardines – or more specifically the Southern African pilchard ''Sardinops sagax'' – spawn in the cool waters of the Agulhas Bank and move northwar ...

natural phenomenon usually occurring from late May to mid-July.

Schools

There are various small schools in Port Edward, some consisting of only 50+ children; however the most popular of these schools is Port Edward Primary School.

Golf

The 9-hole Port Edward Country Club is the main golf course in Port Edward. Nearby 18-hole golf courses include Wild Coast Sun, San Lameer, Southbroom Golf Club, Margate Country Club and Port Shepstone Country Club which are highly ranked by both Golf Digest and The Compleat Golfer.

Transport

Air

The nearest airport is the Margate Airport approximately 32 km north-east of Port Edward. The airport offers one scheduled direct route to

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...

operated by CemAir. The nearest international airport is the

King Shaka International Airport King Shaka International Airport , abbreviated KSIA, is the primary international airport serving Durban, South Africa. It is located in La Mercy, KwaZulu-Natal, approximately north of the city centre of Durban. The airport opened its doors ...

(KSIA) just north of Durban and is approximately 196 km north-east of Port Edward. KSIA offers regional flights to

Southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost region of Africa. No definition is agreed upon, but some groupings include the United Nations geoscheme for Africa, United Nations geoscheme, the intergovernmental Southern African Development Community, and ...

, intercontinental flights to the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

as well as many domestic flights.

Road

The R61 is the main route that passes through Port Edward, connecting

to the north with Mbizana and

Mthatha Mthatha ( , ), alternatively rendered Umtata, is the main city of the King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality in Eastern Cape province of South Africa and the capital of OR Tambo District Municipality. The city has an airport, previously known ...

to the south-west. Izingolweni Road is a rural road connecting Port Edward with the N2 (to Kokstad) in Izingolweni to the north-west.

References

KwaZulu-Natal South Coast

External links

Travel Guide to Port Edward

360 degree Virtual Tour of Glenmore Beach

Holiday Accommodation around Port Edward
{{DEFAULTSORT:Port Edward, KwaZulu-Natal Populated places in the Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality Populated coastal places in South Africa