Durban - You may remember that cheesy John Denver song, “Country roads take me home – to the place I belong…”
The folk of the Midlands Meander believe everyone has a bit of country in them and that the road to finding it takes them to the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.
The Midlands Meander offers a country experience to everyone wanting to get away from the hectic city lifestyle.
Last year the organisation appealed to Midlands Meander fans to submit footage of their best Midlands Meander moments – the incentive was a grand prize worth R25 000… and the video clips came rolling in.
Some videos had great berg views. There were pretty brides and their bridesmaids having fun before their big day, also families chilling next to the magnificent Karkloof Falls and kids riding their mountain bikes on country trails. The organisers say they were overwhelmed: it was hard to choose the winner because of the high number of fantastic entries – some people filmed on cellphone cameras, others on devices mounted on produced footage from theiwent all Hollywood style and used go-pro mountain bike helmets.
Beautiful sunsets vied with picturesque country landscapes, for attention and we got the sense that people just loved coming to the Midlands as much as we loved having them herefoodies showed off plates piled with yummy nosh, and those with an eye for decor showed off the best of the country-style hospitality.
The #mymidlandsmeander competition was part of the Meander’s 30th birthday celebrations and the winner was Jessica Sinclair, a teacher from Durban scooped the prize worth R25 000.
Her submission won the most votes the best through social media votes.
The Midlands Meander Association wanted to use the footage and came up with the idea of a “road trip promotional video” using elements from all the videos submitted by Midlands Meander fans.
The final edit was performed by Durban cameraman Nathan Pellow-Jarman, who also produced extra footage, and the project came together.
The association has launched the Midlands Meander road trip video before the festive season in an attempt to entice any people who may not have a place to go over the festive season.
“Come to our slice of paradise and have a fantastic time.”
Saturday Star