Greytown has much to offer anyone wishing to visit for a day or more, all in close proximity. We are blessed with beautiful scenery varying from rolling hills, green trees and pastures, grasslands and thornveld. We have all sporting facilities, accommodation types, historical sites and monuments, a highly regarded museum, diverse cultures, hotsprings, game parks, a wide variety of birding habitats and even an optical illusion!!

All the information you need (and more) can be found on this site so browse around. Greytown has a wide range of accommodation including luxury lodges, guesthouses, B & Bs, chalets, camping and rustic sites all within less than an hour from Greytown. Our only hotel is being restored and should be ready soon. The Museum is situated in Scott Street between Durban and Voortrekker Streets in a building erected by Dr Birtwell in 1879 and sold to the Colonial Government as "The Residency" or "Drostdy" for the local magistrate. It remained as such until 1971 when the then Magistrate found it unacceptable and persuaded the authorities to build a new residence on adjoining land. The then Borough Council acquired the property and the Museum was officially opened on 17 August 1973 by the Administrator of Natal, Ben Havemann. It is now a National Monument and considered to be one of the best small museums in the country.

Greytown Museum
Open Monday to Friday 08:00 to 16:00 and some Sundays
The Museum has a large collection of memorabilia from the Umvoti Mounted Rifles involvement in the Bambatha Rebellion of 1906, the Zulu, the First Anglo Boer , the South African and the two World Wars.

It houses a Victorian Children's Room, Hindu and Muslim Room, Zulu Culture Room and a Blacksmith's forge in the Coach House with a good selection of farming equipment.

Lake Merthley
This lake nestles in picturesque wooded "Little Canada" surroundings and supplies the town with water. The lake is a popular, all water sports and fishing venue with several cottages, camping sites and ablution blocks.
Tel: 033-4131115 Fax: 033-4171393.

Sarie Marais' Grave
Off the D479 on the way to Stanger.
The song "Sarie Marais" is based on the American "My Darling Ellie Rhee" and gets its name from Sarie Mare (note spelling) who married at 17 and died two days after having given birth to her eleventh child at age 35.

Aya Jana's Tree
(Voortrekker Vow 1912)
Aya Jana who as a small child was orphaned when the Voortrekkers and Matabeles under Mzilikatzi did battle. She was taken in by the Voortrekkers and was with them when the Zulus attacked the Voortrekkers at Bloukrans near Weenen. While seriously wounded she escaped with her life by feigning death while being prodded with assegais.
She was nursed back to health and adopted by the Mare family, an Aunt and Uncle of Sarie, raised as one of their children and went on to live to the ripe old age of 93. Honour was bestowed on her at the historic festival of the Voortrekker Vow in December of 1912, where she planted a tree to commemmorate the event and took her place on a bench with all the VIPs - which included among others, the then Governor of Natal C.J. Smythe, the wife of Andries Pretorius (she must have been ancient!), the Advocate E.G. Jansen who later became Governor General of the Union of South Africa.

Bambatha's Rock
In 1906 a poll tax instead of the usual hut tax was imposed on the local Zulus. This coupled with numerous other issues resulted in the rebelling of several tribal chiefs including Bambatha.
The inhabitants of Greytown went into laager in the Greytown Town Hall and a column of police were sent to collect two women and a child from the Marshall Hotel (Keates Drift road) and the Storekeeper's wife from Keates Drift. On their return with shouts of Usuthu, they were ambushed at the rock 23 km on Keates Drift Road, 4 policemen were killed.
This resulted in what is known as the "BAMBATHA REBELLION" the appalling loss of 70 rebels at Pukunyoni, over 600 at Isuzi and 575 at Mome Gorge. More information on this enigmatic Bambatha at the Greytown Museum.
In 1968 one Mishak Mthalane was at the offices of Attorneys Nel & Stevens and they needed to know his age. He didn't know how old he was so Interpreter Gilbert Maphanga tried to find out what major events Mishak could remember and how tall he was at the time hoping to set a guideline to estimate Mishak's age. Mishak said that he taken part in the Bambatha Rebellion. When Tiny Stevens heard this he asked Gilbert to take a statement from Mishak.

Bambatha Memorial
(to the Policeman)
13 km out on Keate's Drift/Dundee road is a Memorial erected in memory of the four policemen including Trooper Aston and his dog, killed at Ambush Rock. It is alleged that Sgt Brown's body was only found the next day badly mutilated - his moustache was carried around to encourage Zulu men to join up with the rebels, while parts of his body were made into medicine to make warriors immune to bullets.

Greytown Accommodation

The Rawstornes@268 Guesthouse
268 Voortrekker Street, Greytown
Tel: +27-33-4171344
Cell: +27-84-5176717
Fax 0866228800 (SA Only)
Email: drawstorne@xsinet.co.za
Web: www.therawstornes.com