Rosetta, Natal Midlands

Rosetta is one of those little villages that, until recently, would have been relegated to a passing glance as you drove through it, on the way to elsewhere. Originally the area was dominated by the Rosetta Farm, granted by the Crown in 1861, and the village possibly resulted from the colonial farm pioneering boom that took place at the time in Natal. One can only hazard a guess that the local Mooi River, when in flood, reminded farmers of the Rosetta branch of the Nile, where the mighty river divides north of Cairo.

Today, Rosetta serves the surrounding smallholdings with little more than a small village mall, which includes a little shopping centre. But one doesn’t come to Rosetta to shop. The dramatic views of the Drakensberg from here, and the ‘far from the madding crowd’ country getaway that it offers, are what draw people to Rosetta.

The hillsides surrounding Rosetta come alive during spring and summer with abundant wild flowers; the cold autumns are an array of burnt orange and amber; and crisp, chilly winters offer a frost-laden air with snow-capped peaks in the distance and sometimes snow on the ground. Some of the most spectacular waterfalls in KwaZulu Natal grace this part of the world, and when staying in Rosetta, one is less than an hour’s drive from Giant’s Castle.

The Kamberg Nature Reserve can be reached along the Kamberg Road from Rosetta, where birdlife is the main attraction, including waterside birds at close range. The walks are interesting too, but the reserve is best known for its trout fishing.