Howick is situated in the heart of the uMngeni Municipal region, in the hub of the Midlands. The town is ideally located North of Pietermaritzburg and on the N3 freeway, connecting it with the rest of the province. Some of the key villages found in the vicinity of Howick are Karkloof, Merrivale and Lion’s River.
Set in the town of Howick is Howick Falls, which is a large waterfall that occurs when the Umgeni River falls 95 metres over rocky cliffs on its way to the warm Indian Ocean. There are several other waterfalls in the vicinity of Howick, namely, Cascade Falls and Shelter Falls, while Karkloof Falls is 16 km to the east. The number of waterfalls embracing the area is not only scenic, but can be said to restore vitality and vivacity. It enjoys warm summers and cool dry winters that descend to chillier temperatures when snow falls on the nearby Drakensburg Mountains.
Village Lifestyle
A great place to find antiques, arts and crafts, and part of the Midlands Meander – Howick was named after Earl Grey, the British Colonial Secretary who was commonly referred to as Viscount Howick. It remains fundamentally a farming town that supplies a number of farms in the area, and people pass through here on their way to the interior or to Midmar Dam, just 7 kilometres away.
Healthy Haven
There are plenty of medical facilities in Howick, including a modern and private hospital, specialist surgeons, G.P’s, physiotherapists, chiropractors, optometrists and pharmacists. The main medical centres and hospitals include:
- Oatlands Care Centre
- Mediclinic Howick
- Howick Psychiatric Clinic
- Netcare Limited
- Life Hospital at Hilton
Tranquil Amenities
Howick offers a vibrant shopping experience for the locals and visitors alike with a number of shopping centres, each offering a wide range of services and products. There are four petrol stations including BP, Engen, Sasol and Shell. A variety of businesses and attractions can be found in the town including, book stores, gift shops, the start of the Midlands Meander and great food experiences. Howick offers the convenience of the many and varied fast food oulets; or sit-down to a scrumptious meal at any of the great restaurants with their own unique blend of flavours. Religion is catered for with everything from a Muslim mosque in Howick West to a variety of Christian churches of all denominations.
Tourist Attractions
The Midlands is an entrenched creative hot-spot with many successful and local businesses, such as Abingdon Wine Estate – the single vineyard boutique wine producer, Wedgewood Handmade Nougat – producing a mouth – watering nougat daily, Groundcover – manufacturers of fine handcrafted leather footwear and accessories, and grown from a humble shade cloth farm stall – Piggly Wiggly is now the leading eat-shop-play destination housing 25 interesting shops, among them, Three Fat Pigs, the lick-your-lips deli and cheese shop.
Howick and its surrounding areas are well-known for the excellent hospitality on offer. There are many B&B’s, self-catering establishments, superb hotels, and conference and wedding venues. The area has also become popular as a dream wedding destination with venues, accommodation, catering and wedding planners on hand to ensure a memorable occasion.
No trip to Howick is complete without a visit to the symbolic and momentous Nelson Mandela Capture Site, Lions River – which is marked as the site where the great legend Nelson Mandela was captured many years ago.
A variance of restaurants that cater for all taste buds surround Howick and these include:
- The Black Olive
- 66 on Main
- Yellowwood Café & Restaurant
- The Falls Rest
- ll Postino Pizzeria
- Gosh Restaurants
- Caversham Mill Restaurant
- Terbodore
- The Farmers Daughter
Schools
There are a number of schools and higher education opportunities in and around Howick including, Howick High School and Howick Primary School. The town sustains schools and tertiary institutions of a high standard.
Well-known private schools in the area include:
- Cowan House Preparatory School
- Hilton College
- Michael house
- St Anne’s
- Grace College
Natal University is a 20-minute drive to Pietermaritzburg where you also find the Varsity College Campus.
Sports and Recreational
The Howick Sports Club offers tennis, soccer, squash and bowls. Midmar Dam, on the other side of the N3, offers fun and exciting water sports and activities. From the famous Midmar Mile annually in February, to daily water-skiing, yachting and canoeing, the area has it all. Beautiful 18-hole Golf courses such as Boschoek, Sakabula, and Gowrie are between 5 and 25km from the town. The 9-hole Howick Golf course is extremely popular and is found in the town overlooking the uMngeni Valley. Also home to the ever popular Highlander Mountain Bike Race, which attracts a number of mountain biking enthusiasts, and the start of the ever popular Midlands Meander where you can enjoy picnics, putt-putt, hikes and walks.
Popular for Industry
Howick is surrounded by agricultural land, natural mountains and dams. There are a number of farm-stalls, factory shops and home industry traders in the area, as well as, markets held at Howick Falls. Some of the industries found in this area include, Sutherlands Home Furnishing, Fairfield Dairy and Pallet Link.
Being situated at the hub of the Midlands Meander Arts and Crafts Route, one is never short of shopping, recreation, entertainment, dining and sight-seeing opportunities! There are also a fair amount of office buildings in the area and the proximity to the N3 and to raw material suppliers make Howick popular for industry as well.
An area that has it all, from work to play to live- Howick is an ideal destination for families and retirees in search of serene village living without compromising on luxury and modernity.
Still looking for your dream home. Feel free to give one of our developers a call today.
Tom Eastwick – The Gates, Hilton and Garlington, Hilton | 072 297 2699 | tom@devdirect.co.za
Dave Rees – St John’s Village Lifestyle and Retirement Estate | 083 775 8288 | dgr@spaceprops.co.za
Janet Channing – Waterford Residential Estate, Howick | 082 570 5834 | janet@devdirect.co.za
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Author: Midlands Developers Direct