Msauli Village Day Trip News Lowveld Chapter

We headed out in convoy towards the N4 and took the scenic Mara road and then the Low’s Creek road. This quickly turned into a muddy dirt road due to the previous day’s wet weather. We stopped at the Revolver Creek mine and got ready for the route ahead into the Makhonjwa Mountains.

With tyre pressures set and coffee cup in hand we started our climb deep into the mountains. This made for some very entertaining mud driving and sliding along the way. All the vehicles performed extremely well in the wet and muddy terrain. Driving along this route provided some of the best views of the mountain range and surroundings in the area. It was breathtaking!
We passed the Barbrook mine and arrived at Shiyalongubo dam. Here we met the owner of Moonlight Cabins which was kind enough to allow us the use of his facilities. After the brief stop we pushed on to the abandoned ghost town of Msauli.

Leaving the main tarred road we were met with a very muddy and slippery road down the mountain to the village of Msauli. On our arrival we were met with the remains of what was once a very well kept little mining town. Time and lack of maintenance has clearly taken its toll on the buildings and surroundings. Everything was overgrown and some of the buildings were looted. Never the less it was still in good condition considering that it was abandoned many years ago. The club house was standing open with its cash register still neatly placed on the solid sleeper wood bar. In one of the rooms behind the bar stood a spotless Union Billiards full size snooker table. What an amazing sight to see. We also had a look at the abandoned primary school. Their last biology lesson was still on the chalk board along with a farewell message from the last headmaster.

With the exploring done, we settled down for lunch and then set out for the long road back home. This was a great outing and I would suggest a visit if you are ever in the Barberton area. It is simply a must see!