Boston, Natal Midlands

The little town of Boston is barely distinguishable in its own right. Rather it is linked to Bulwer in what has recently become known as the Boston-Bulwer Beat, just over an hour’s drive from Durban in the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains.

The beat links Boston, Bulwer and parts of the Dargle Valley in an area of rolling hills, lush forests, lakes, waterfalls and dams, creating an ideal route for those seeking both peace and the thrill of adventure. Boston is a quaint village just 40 kilometres from Bulwer. Both towns are hubs of activity and hiking, walking, fishing, rafting, birding and para and hangliding - particularly from the Bulwer Mountain, the Mahwaqa Mountain or ‘the frowning one’ - are huge draw cards to this part of the world.

Originally the stamping ground of San hunter-gathers, who moved freely through the southern Drakensberg, Boer settlers made their way here after 1837 on their Great Trek from the Cape Colony to cross these passes and claim what must have looked like a certain kind of Eden to the weary travellers. The Boston Country Club hosts an Annual Spring Fling, a festive occasion that includes mouth-watering food and fun for all. The beat is also synonymous with good food and country fare and there are numerous places to stop to tank up on first-class pub food.

There are over 100 listed bird species that call this region home, three of which - the Wattled Crane, Blue Swallow and Cape Parrot - are on the endangered list. There are only 360 odd breeding pairs of the Cape Parrot still in existence, and once a year the Boston-Bulwer Beat supports the University of Natal in its Cape Parrot Count,- visitors can be ‘sworn in’ as honorary Cape Parrot Scouts.