Enduring Landmarks

Discover the history, beauty, and charm behind these iconic locations and attractions Whalebone Pier Built in 2007 as a stormwater outlet, it’s designed to resemble a whale’s skeletal frame, paying homage to whale migration patterns. The 80-meter pier offers spectacular ocean views and features beautiful mosaic art. It was named one of the world’s most beautiful piers by CNN in 2014, and has since become a popular spot for fishing, sunset watching, and photography, attracting...

The Cavern Chronicles

My partner and I like to make it a full trip when we are travelling to view new places. This time, we started off with a delicious brunch at the beautiful Blueberry Café in the Midlands, and then headed to our destination, which we were super thrilled to get to. We arrived at The Cavern about 14:00, perfect timing for us to check in. The lovely staff welcomed us with big smiles and gave us...

Ridiculously Comfy, Seriously Funky

How Funky Pants grew from paddling prizes to pop culture. Billy and Tracy Harker, founders of Funky Pants, never intended to make and sell sportswear. In 1997, Billy forged a career in organising paddling races around the country. In the early 2000s, the paddling scene brought Billy and Tracy together, and she took on the role of organising event garments such as T-shirts and prize apparel. Noticing a gap in the market, she became passionate...

Finding Love Offline

Speed dating is making waves in uMhlanga, and people are loving it! If you’re still on the fence, we caught up with Chanelle Nundlal, the host behind these matchmaking events, to give you the lowdown. The Spark Chanelle, a 33-year-old attorney at CN Attorneys uMhlanga and a die-hard romantic, enjoys bringing people together. And here’s why: After coming out of a long-term relationship that ended, it seemed daunting and rather unsafe to enter the dating...

20 Years of uMhlanga UIP

From its early days of storm-damaged walkways to becoming one of South Africa’s most recognisable coastal destinations, uMhlanga’s story is one of collaboration, commitment and consistent delivery. If you’ve lived in, worked in, or even just visited uMhlanga Rocks over the past two decades, you’ve seen more than just growth – you’ve seen a transformation. Today’s uMhlanga is vibrant, clean, safe, walkable, and full of those small touches that make a seaside village feel like...

East Coast Radio House + Garden Show 2026

Dream, Create & Live Saturday 27 June to Sunday 5 July 2026 Out with your diaries! The doors to a myriad opportunities to Dream, Create & Live open on Saturday 27 June to Sunday 5 July at the Durban Exhibition Centre. It’s the 2026 East Coast Radio House + Garden Show – Durban’s high point on the city’s sunshine calendar for décor dreamers and garden schemers! It’s the all-under-one-roof home of fresh ideas, the incubator of new...

My Story: Teal Hogg

Inspired to create a supportive community and empower women in fitness, local business owner Teal Hogg shares her story and passion with us.   Tell us about yourself I’m a 26-year-old Durbanite and the proud owner of Hustle Fitness Studio in Umhlanga. Having been born and raised here, I’m deeply connected to this vibrant city. My journey began as a professional surfer, fuelled by my love for the beach and outdoor adventures. I now own...

Spectacular Summer Sips

Take a look at the funkiest drinks of Umhlanga!   Freak Shakes at Romano Ice Cream Thick and creamy milkshake on a hot day? The answer is always yes! We went on a quest to find the craziest milkshakes on the East Coast, and Romano Ice Cream’s freak shakes top the list. Their three flavours, Oreo Bomb, Big Bang and Cotton Candy, are extravagant and heavenly sweet, so we had to try them all. Cotton...

A Showstopper for Performing Arts in Durban

KZN matriculants with a passion and talent for the performing arts often have to move across the country to complete further studies in the industry, where they may not even receive the qualifications needed to pursue a global career.   Welcome to the stage the International School of Performing Arts.   Located on Florida Road in the heart of Durban, ISPA is a tertiary musical theatre academy dedicated to comprehensively training young talent in all...

A Foodie Odyssey

Let’s go on an adventure to discover the tastes of Umhlanga. Our town is so diverse, including everything from Indian to Italian! They’re all there, just waiting for you to come to try them out.   A Little of France Château Gâteaux have been creating exceptional handcrafted quality cakes, pastries and treats since 1997 – that’s right, it is their 25th birthday this year! Every masterpiece is lovingly made with fine ingredients in their world-class,...