Despite being a peaceful, green neighbourhood outside of Durban, Cowies Hill is well-known for being the last of the five terrible hills in the Comrades Marathon’s downhill section. The struggle is most frequently lost or won at this portion of the run, and many runners have fallen victim to the allure of the downhill while forgetting that home is still 17 kilometres away!
Cowies Hill was once a farm and was called Steilhoogte (steep heights) after William Cowie, who travelled to KwaZulu Natal in 1837 with a group of Voortrekkers to arrange their settlement with the British. Cowies Hill, one of the most coveted neighbourhoods in the wider Pinetown area, boasts spacious homes, tree-lined avenues, and the benefit of being on a crest just above Durban, where cooler temperatures follow an elevation.
Due to the peace and abundance of trees and foliage, Cowies Hill has a thriving bird population. It also offers a serene way of life while still being reasonably close to Durban and its attractions.
The Pavilion shopping centre, Pinetown, and the city of Durban’s magnificent bathing beaches can all be reached in less than 10 minutes by car. Hillcrest, which is close by and has excellent farm stalls, nurseries, and country pubs like The Colony and the Heritage Center, is nearby. The Krantzkloof Nature Reserve provides a beautiful escape among waterfalls, the Kloof mist belt, and an indigenous woodland just up Fields Hill near the neighbouring suburb of Kloof.