Zululand Backpackers

Situation Profile

INTRODUCTION

ZULULAND BACKPACKERS AND THE "ZULULAND BREWING CO"
The Zululand Backpackers' Lodge. It is the ideal backpacker's base for a holiday in Zululand. The only Backpackers in the world with their own BREWERY.

THE KINGDOM OF ZULULAND: -
Eshowe was the first Zululand colonial town and capital. Eshowe 'A City set on a hill,' is situated close to the capitals of the old Zulu Kingdoms boasts flora, fauna and birdlife unequalled in Southern Africa.

Your tour advisors are well known Graham Chennels and Roger Gaisford. Graham has a intimate knowledge of the Zulu people and has been involved in community projects for many years. He was mayor of Eshowe, is a rotarian, businessman, farmer and retired sportsman.

Roger is a historian, teacher, propector, great outdoorsman and a raconteur par exellance.

WE PROVIDE :-
Good comfortable 25 room hotel from R125.00 per person.
40 dorm beds from R60 per person per night
Private rooms from R75 per person per night
Tent sites R40 per night
Qualified tour advisors
Secure parking
The Quarters Restaurant
The Zululand Brewing Co.
Full kitchen and laundry
Good access to medical facilities
24 hours access
Daily tours, hikes and birding.
Close to shops, banks and Post Office.
Large swimming pool.
BBQ facilities.
Card phone.
Access to E-mail.
On the regular Baz Bus route (Johannesburg-Swaziland-Durban and Dbn-Swaziland-JHB).

CLIMATE: -
Our winters are warm. Day tempretures up to 23 degrees centigrade and nights just slightly chilly. The best climate in South Africa for this time of year.

Our summers are cooler than the coast as we get an offshore breeze and our altitude is on our side.

We are only 25 kilometres from the beach, lagoons and wetlands.

THE ZULULAND BREWING CO: -
Pub & Restaurant36 Main St. EshoweLunch & Supper Available.

Established 2000

This is the first Microbrewery in Eshowe, Zululand and one of a few in the country.
We have installed our new Brewhouse to produce our new natural, handcrafted traditional brands. We are also drawing product from Nottingham Road to suppliment our stocks. Pub lunches and beer are available at “The Zululand Brewing Co. Pub and Restaurant” in Eshowe. (Adjacent The George Hotel)We have developed 5 Brands (Pale ale , Pilsner, Porter. Bitters & Lager ).

At present we are producing Pale Ale, Porter and Lager.We are also busy developing our brandnames.

This is a project by Graham and Mark Chennells with the assistance of Richard to help establish Eshowe on the Zululand Tourist map.Mark Chennells is also a valuable contributor.

JUDGING A BEER

3 POINTS FOR APPEARANCE
4 POINTS FOR AROMA
10 POINTS FOR MOUTHFEEL
3 POINTS FOR OVERALL IMPRESSION.

SOME QUOTES

"There is nothing so sincere than the love of beer"
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy". Benjamin Franklin.
"The problem with the world is that everyone is a few drinks behind". H.Bogart
"Business is good but the beer is better"
"He was a wise man who invented beer". Plato
"When I read about the evils of drinking I gave up reading".
"Draft beer, not people".
"Your thirst fought every day". Pilgrim Brewery
"Why diet if you can have a beer"
"Praise the mother who gives birth to a brewer". W. Shakespeare
"Beer is the curse of the working class". Oscar Wilde

OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION: -
Ale: Trade name for beerLager: Effervescent, light in colour & body Kind of beerPilsner: A lager beer brewed at Pilsen in Chekeslovakia! HopsContrary to popular myth, beer is not made from hops. It is made with them. Beer is made from grain and the hop is a spice-like preservative and flavouring. Hops have no influence on the alcohol content of beer. What they contribute is aroma and flavour. Depending on the variety used the hoppy character may be cedary, piney or lemony, or reminiscent, for example, of orange zest, aniseed or mint.Hops usually have an appetizingly dry finish, and the power of their flavour is measured in a scale called International Bitterness Units.

OUR FULL DAY TOURS.
1. Shakaland Cultural Experience. We are 10 minutes away.
2. Battlefield Tours.
3. Birding. Eshowe is the epicentre of birding in Southern Africa with over 400 species within a 40 km radius of the town. ( Members of the Barbet Route.)
4. Various Mountain Bike Trails - Bikes available.
5. Vukani Collection - biggest collection of fine Zulu Arts & Crafts in the world. Over 3000 items. Basketware, pottery, beadware, garments etc. ( Tuesdays, Wednedays and Thursdays.)
6. Shembe Religious Festival ( October.) Over 30,000 Zulu's gather and camo for a month. We are invited to attend this great religious festival and to meet them and their saviour Shembe. Sundays are spent in traditional costumes with traditional music and dance.
7. Traditional Zulu Schools Music, Dance, Modelling and Poetry Festival ( October/November.) We visit local venues durning these months where regional competitions are taking place.
8. 4 x 4 TRAILS John Diunn Hunters Trail including Beach Trail, Cetesway's Retreat and the Bulls Run.

1. THE BIG 5. ( Tues )
Hluhluwe and Umfolosi Game Parks and St.Lucia boat trip. To achieve so much in a day you will leave very early and get back late.

2. ESHOWE URBAN TOUR.
Our adventure is to go out and meet Zulu people from all walks of life visiting schools, skills centres, creches, small businesses, housing projects and seeing the results of the apartheid era, the John Dunn story, martyr's cross, early Norwegian missionary adventure, seige of Eshowe, British war graves, Shaka's Kwabulawayo Kraal and Nandi's grave.

3. RURAL ZULULAND.
Spend the day in remote rural Zululand with Walter Cele and his family. Walk in the shoes of rural Zulu's and find out how they live. Explore life on a sugar small holding.

Visit Zionist and Shembe churches, schools, the sangomas, neighbours and finally watch the sun set over the Zululand hills from a local shebeen.

4. RURAL WEDDINGS, ENGAGEMENTS COMING OF AGE CEREMONIES & SANGOMAS CEREMONIAL RITUALS
Through our Zulu friends we get personally invited to these occasions.Once you are welcomed, you are treated like a member of the family.

They are delighted to have overseas visitors and even more delighted if you dance!!

We contribute in kind to the occasion. This is an experience you will never forget.

FACILITIES

ACTIVITIES

Accommodation offered at this Establishment