Twinstreams
General Information
Our office hours are from 08h00 -15h00 Monday to Friday. Booking is essential if you require accommodation or if you wish us to organize a course for your group.
Postal address:
P.O. Box 83 , Mtunzini, 3867
Tel: (035) 340 2511
Fax : (033) 340 2511 (call before faxing)
e-mail: tstream@wessakzn.org.za
Where are We?
Twinstreams is approximately 3km south of Mtunzini and 140km north of Durban . Situated in the beautiful rehabilitated forest the Educational Centre is:
- only 20 minutes walk from the beach;
- 6kms from Umlalazi Nature Reserve;
- 6kms from Mtunzini shops.
How to get to us
- Follow the N2 north from Durban (or South from Richards Bay/Empangeni Area)
- Leave the N2 at the Mtunzini toll plaza
- Turn eastwards towards the sea to Mtunzini
- Keep right when the tarred road splits at the entrance to Mtunzini
- Proceed downhill and follow the "Forest Lodge" signes (going back South towards Durban )
- Pass "Forest Lodge" and proceed south on the dirt road +/- 2.5km and cross the low-level small bridge.
- The Twinstreams directional signage is located shortly after the bridge
Who We Are
Established in 1952 by Dr Ian Garland, Twinstreams at Mtunzini, KZN is the oldest Environmental Education Centre in South Africa. Dr Ian Garland and many famous visitors planted the forest surrounding the Centre. It is estimated that he planted 80,000 indigenous trees on his farm 'Twinstreams'. The two streams after which the farm was named are:
- The AMANZIMNYAMA RIVER- meaning 'Dark Water' (so named because of the tannins which decomposing vegetation releases into the water)
- The SIYAYA RIVER- meaning ' We are going' (to the sea- less than 2 km from the centre).
The two streams meet just below Sinkwe Centre and end up on the beach near the public beach access ramp in the Umlalazi Nature Reserve.
When Ian retired from farming he sold his farm Twinstreams to Mondi Forests in 1987 on the understanding that the indigenous trees that he planted and the education centre that he had established would remain intact. Mondi approached the Wildlife Society of South Africa and offered us the opportunity of managing Twinstreams Environmental Education Centre. Mondi has invested a great deal of money and effort in ensuring that Twinstreams Centre is not only well maintained but is also continually being upgraded. This joint partnership between Mondi Business Paper and the Wildlife and Environmental Society of South Africa has resulted in an ever-increasing number of visitors being encouraged to become more environmentally aware and to live their lives in such a way that their impacts on the environment are minimized.
What We Offer
EDUCATION : Catering for all ages (ranging from pre-school to post-senility) our education staff plans and conducts all activities according to the active learning framework as laid out in the new Revised National Curriculum Statement. We offer assistance to teachers in acquiring fieldwork skills required for Outcomes Based Education through observing hands-on experiential learning taking place as our environmental officers interact with their learners. We tailor- make courses to suit your needs.
We also offer a basic ecology course presented entirely in isiZulu for corporates who wish to reclaim some of the skills levies that they have to pay on a monthly basis or for those isiZulu speakers who struggle to grasp English terminology.
TEAM BUILDING AND GROUP DYNAMICS : We have an experienced team of officers who are capable of enabling even the most disjointed and disparate collections of people to form co-operative, functional units. Once again age is of no consequence and the process is actually a great deal of fun!
EXPOSURE TO A WIDE RANGE OF ECO-SYSTEMS : Our guides are equipped with the knowledge to take you on informative, interesting interpretive trails through:
- dune forests;
- sandy shores;
- mangrove swamps;
- wetlands;
- raphia forests and
- grasslands
all of which are available to Twinstreams Centre- either at the centre itself or at Umlalazi Nature Reserve.
Other than Courses
There are a number of activities you can do by yourself:
- Trails : There are a number of well- maintained trails through the indigenous forest. Most are on flat terrain and are easily negotiable. They vary in length from a few hundred metres to 10 km.
- Picnics : You may picnic anywhere along the trails. Please ensure that no litter is left behind.
- Braais : Fires are only allowed at designated braai areas.
- Social gatherings : Weddings; parties; church outings; family re-unions or any other gatherings you can think of.
- Fun : We have canoes, paddles and life jackets available for hire (to be used on the Umlalazi River in the Nature reserve).
- Water : There is safe drinking water from our taps. Avoid drinking stream or river water.
- Pets : No pets allowed as Twinstreams is a Nature Reserve.
- Speed limit : Please do not exceed 40 kph.
