Lie back and enjoy the sun, sand and surf of North Coast

There can be few more beautiful places to wake up to in the morning, than the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast.

While lazing back in a hammock strung between two golden-leaf trees the crashing of surf may be just 50m away, but you can close your eyes and be anywhere your imagination takes you.

For me the tiny resort town of Shaka's Rock is where I recently retreated to for a few days and for a Weekend Drive. It's ideal.

With the mad Christmas rush now a thing of the past, hot summer days, sunny skies, the smell of suntan lotion and lazy hours spent on the beach all add up to an ideal way to recharge the batteries after the recent festivities.

Unfortunately, trips to the coast are no longer cheap.

Yes, I was fortunate enough to have use of our long-term BMW 520i, which returned the excellent consumption figure of 9.1 litres per 100km - with four adults and a fair amount of luggage.

This particular Beemer was born for the open road and delivers not only on looks but also on performance.

But forget about the toll roads (R174 each way JHB-KZN) and the petrol (R700 each way), it's the cost of accommodation that is a killer.

For decent hotel accommodation these days, on just a bed-and-breakfast basis, you are looking in the region of R1000 per person per night.

Add that up over a couple of days and it's no wonder many people are heading to the Far East on package deals as the rand is still incredibly good value in countries such as Thailand.

Closer to home, though, a viable alternative to the hotel route is self-catering and a search on the internet threw up the name Ballito Accommodation.

It is the letting agent for hundreds of apartments along the Dolphin Coast and each property has a photo gallery, comprehensive description, terms and conditions and cost.

Although I've been stung in the past when pictures didn't exactly match up to reality, a place I chose five minutes north of Ballito - Chaka's Cove in Shaka's Rock - lived up to expectations.

The kitchen was nicely appointed with all the usual modcons.

DStv was available in the lounge and en-suite bedroom and there was a braai on the patio with those never-ending waves a stone's throw away.

The other beauty - besides saving on exorbitant hotel costs - of going the self-catering route is that you can have meals according to your tastes and not those of some executive chef who believes a portion of vegetables consists of three peas and two Brussels sprouts.

Let's not even touch on the unrealistic mark-up on cold drinks and alcohol that hotels like to pile on guests.

It's as though they believe everyone walks around with a wallet full of euros just waiting to be spent.

Although the North Coast beaches at Umhlanga Rocks, Ballito and Umdloti can get busy come the weekend, the further north you travel the less populated they become and Shaka's Rock does have the advantage of a couple of great tidal pools, which are a welcome retreat when the surf gets too rough.

If you do find yourself getting tired of the sun, sand and surf, a 20- minute drive will take you to Umhlanga's Gateway Shopping Centre, which claims to be the largest in the southern hemisphere.

Ranked No27 out of 141 things to do in KwaZulu-Natal by Lonely Planet, Gateway is home to 480 shops, cinemas and restaurants. When they claim it can take a couple of days to explore everything, they are not joking.

What is more, if you fancy a flutter, the Sibaya Casino and Entertainment Kingdom is just up the road, where, again, you will find an array of movie houses, restaurants, bars and theatres.

Yes, it may take a comfortable six hours to get to the North Coast of KZN, but once you are there, it is worth every cent spent on the journey.