Kelso, Kwazulu-Natal is located in the Umdoni Coast region of South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

 facing the Indian Ocean

Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...

. Kelso is located 65 kilometers south of Durban, the largest city in Kwazulu-Natal

KwaZulu-Natal

KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....

.

History

Henry Cooke, one of the original mid-nineteenth century Byrne settlers, named the South African coastal village after the town of Kelso on the Tweed River

Tweed River

Tweed River may refer to:*River Tweed, which flows from the Scottish Borders into the North Sea at Berwick-upon-Tweed, England, forming the border between Scotland and England along part of its route*River Tweed, Leicestershire in England...

 in Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

. Before modern transportation, the village of Kelso served as an important link in the transportation of sugar

Sugar

Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...

. Vessels launched on the Umzinto River could take their cargo out to the larger ships anchored at sea, off the river mouth.

The Umzinto River, which borders its southern side was the site of a mini gold rush

Gold rush

A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...

 during the 1860s.

Until halfway the eighties, Kelso was served by a railway station on the Umzinto - Donnybrook narrow gauge railway

Umzinto - Donnybrook narrow gauge railway

The Umzinto - Donnybrook narrow gauge railway is a closed two-foot railway line in South Africa. It runs from Kelso to Donnybrook, passing through Umzinto, Highflats and Ixopo, with a branch from Ixopo to Madonela...

Recreation

Kelso is known for its excellent golden beaches and waves that provide great conditions for kitesurfing

Kitesurfing

Kitesurfing or Kiteboarding is an adventure surface water sport that has been described as combining wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, and gymnastics into one extreme sport. Kitesurfing harnesses the power of the wind to propel a rider across the water on a small surfboard or a...

 and surfing

Surfing

Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...

. Several competitions take place annually, including hosting part of the South Coast Surf Carnival.

Sea fishing is also a popular activity.