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SCMP Reporter

IF ever there were a city in urgent need of psychoanalysis, then Durban must surely be it. For there can be no other city in the world so generously blessed in terms of physical and man-made attractions and yet so determinedly self-deprecating.

  ''You really ought to get down to Cape Town,'' advised a local within hours of our arrival in South Africa's ''Holiday City''. ''That's where it's really happening''.

  A good-humoured shrug of the shoulders and a token murmur of agreement later, that most puzzling of advice was easily shrugged off.

  Then it happened again: ''I wouldn't spend that long here if I were you. Get up to the Kruger National Park,'' went the sagacious words of a waiter minutes later.

   And on it went: Cape Town, Kruger, even sad, cowering Johannesburg - all came with commendations from Durbanites over the next days. Anywhere, they advised with hearty, back-thumping South African candour, but Durban.

  It would probably take a legion of shrinks to get to the bottom of it, and even then one has to wonder whether the collective paranoia of this most puzzling of cities could ever be properly unravelled.

   Certainly, in the space of a glorious week spent in and around the city, there was little to inspire this particular tourist to join the anti-Durban league.

  Not that there isn't evidence to suggest just cause for discomfort among those who live in and around this sprawling seaside resort. With the beleaguered Transkei bordering it to the south and the Zulu capital of Kwazulu to its northeast, Durban and its surroundings are prey to the terrible realities of life in strife-torn South Africa.

   Day after day, the pages of the Natal Mercury contain tales of shocking violence: a young white couple driving home to their farm some 30 minutes south of the city are machine-gunned to death, a bus load of young Zulu school children meet with the same fate at the hands off fellow Zulus.

   The stories are repeated with varying degrees of savagery day in, day out. But that, alas, is part and parcel of South African life today. It cannot be ignored, yet, in a month spent travelling around the country, we did not encounter a single problem.

  And, yes, South Africa's straining economy may have led to a slight diminishing of the once-steady stream of up-country holiday-makers heading for the resort - perhaps that explains Durban's slightly old-fashioned appearance.

  But toss down that depressing newspaper and stroll the Marine Parade from your hotel and you are greeted by the sight of one of the world's great resort city beaches.

  Durban's 11-kilometre-long ''Golden Mile'', stretching from the harbour entrance to the mouth of the Umgeni River, represents a busting, fun-filled playground.

   Those not brave enough to grab a board and ride the crashing surf of the Indian Ocean can stroll a hundred metres out from shore on regularly-spaced piers and watch the sun-bleached local youths do so from dawn 'til dusk.

  Alternatively, stroll in either direction and you come across flea markets, beach-side parks and gardens and the Oceanarium complete with dolphins and the sharks which would still prey on the North Coast were it not for the vigilance of the Natal Sharks Board.

   Water sports enthusiasts flock to Vetch's pier with its ski boats and hobie cats or there is South Beach where paddling makes for an ideal family day out in the sun.

  By night the main beach attracts a diverse crowd of party-goers who flock to any number of pubs, discos and restaurants. Your best bets food-wise are either the seafood, especially the improbably large local langoustine, or Durban's real speciality: curry made with spices and herbs which would meet with approval anywhere in the East.

  Reminiscent in many ways of the good old British seaside resort (and, yes, sharing a similar air of nostalgia for better days), Durban also boasts a wealth of more sedentary diversions: its Botanical Gardens, with 5,000 orchids; the Mitchell Park mini zoo and even the Japanese Gardens.

  South Africa's obsession with sport is reflected in the popularity of horse racing during the spring months, in the crowds which flock to the Kingsmead cricket ground to watch local hero and Natal captain Jonty Rhodes lead his side, in indoor sports halls and spectacularly-contoured golf courses to rank alongside the best in the world.

  But Durban's real attraction, and this is where the anti-Durban league proves most puzzling, is its proximity to some of the most spectacular destinations imaginable.

   Head northwards out of town on the impressive N3 highway towards the Natal Midlands and you find yourself among eye-goggling, spectacular countryside.

  After a drive of some 80 kilometres, you reach game country. Places like the Game Valley Lodge which is situated just off the Umgeni. There, a guide will point out buffalo, gazing zebra, surprisingly inquisitive giraffe and the remarkable square-lipped or white rhinoceros.

   These astonishing beasts, which can weigh up to 2,300 kilograms, and were once endangered. On our visit to the valley, two came within five metres of our Land Rover, ''vacuuming'' the grass without an obvious care in the world. It was then that the guide casually admitted that one of them had savagely gored a warden just the previous week.

  The valley also contains leopards, but they are seldom, if ever, seen by day. Their prey - all manner of buck including the rare sable and roan antelope - can be seen at close quarters and on any given day.

  Day-trippers can comfortably take in the sights and sounds of the valley in an afternoon. A day's excursion might also take you to the Howick Falls where the Umgeni plunges 95 metres into a ravine, and then on to the Valley of a Thousand Hills where Zulus in traditional beaded costumes throw open their villages to tourists, albeit it in a calculatedly mercenary fashion.

  No northward trip is complete without a visit to Pietermaritzburg, the provincial capital which was founded in 1838 by the Voortrekkers. An historic garrison town, it is famous for its university and the ornate city hall which is considered to be the largest all-brick building in the Southern Hemisphere.

  On another day, you might head out along the North Coast to the seaside resort of Umhlanga Rocks, stopping to swim, or nipping inland to quaint towns like Umhloti or Ballito as you head towards Zulu country.

  Then there are the longer excursions to the Drakensberg, to the sugar cane belt, to the rolling farmland of Richmond where Cecil Rhodes spent his leisure time golfing or playing cricket.

  But there is always Durban to retire to when a day on the beach is all you need. That and a sprawling seafood dinner washed down with South Africa's justly-famous wines.

   It's at times like this that the Durban bashers seem most puzzling. Perhaps they have simply become blase about their city or maybe the admittedly spectacular Cape Town really has developed at a faster pace.

  Whatever, the thoroughly contented Durban visitor can take solace in, of all things, a popular local postcard.

   It contains as aerial photograph which sweeps the eye from the deep blue Indian Ocean, through golden beaches, across sub-tropical coastal plains and undulating countryside up into the rugged, snow-capped summits of the Drakensberg mountains.

  That, doubters, sums up Durban and its many delights, whether you like it or not.

   Singapore Airlines flies to Durban, via Johannesburg, every Tuesday. Return flights to Singapore also leave on Tuesdays. Tourists wishing to stay less than 30 days do not require visas.



Dusting off all that paranoia about Durban