KwaNogqaza, South Africa

KwaNogqaza, the ‘Place of the Tall One’

by Bob Sinicrope & Frances Scanlon

Howick is Goodenough!  Between teaching at the Amy Foundation in Cape Town and the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, we were fortunate to spend the weekend with our dear friends Stan and Mary Goodenough in Howick, KwaZulu-Natal Province. Nearby Howick Falls is a waterfall approximately 95 m in height and lies on the Umgeni River. The Zulu people called the falls KwaNogqaza, which means “Place of the Tall One. We traditionally take a group photo here during our tours.  Stan has been our Milton Academy tour guide since 2003 and is superb. He is always calm and collected, knowledgeable and most importantly he cares about the students and adults in our group. Over the years he and his wife, Mary, have become good friends. We’ve hosted them at our house a few times and have stayed with them in Howick.

Stan and Mary live in a game reserve. There are no animals that endanger humans, but one can easily see zebras and other 4 legged creatures. They have an amazing view and are wonderful hosts. On Saturday morning, we went to a lively farmer’s market and had a delicious breakfast ordered piecemeal from various food stands. Everything was so fresh and yummy and the barn setting that served as a church on Sundays was most enjoyable. We also visited a nice little collection of shops and a place where glass beads were being handmade. We had a fantastic dinner out that night and mostly relaxed and caught up with our dear friends.

On Sunday, we chilled out, did laundry, and enjoyed the friendship and beautiful setting of the Goodenoughs home and grounds. We are most grateful for their hospitality and cherish our ongoing connection with them. I don’t know where we would be without the amazing staff at Bundu Bashers Travel Agency, founded by Stan and his son Craig, that provides our South Africa tours with incredible guidance, skill and caring.

4 thoughts on “KwaNogqaza, the ‘Place of the Tall One’”

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  4. Oh boy, it’s great to read all this. What a privilege and pleasure it has been to connect with both of you, here in South Africa, and in the US, over these years.

    Your passion for, and support of under-privileged South African musicians and potential musicians has touched our hearts and many others. It certainly has played a distinct part in inspiring me to “making more of a difference” in the lives of so many local folk who were born into appalling conditions not of their own making and for whom so very little upliftment is provided by the authorities in South Africa.

    With much love
    Stan and Mary

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