Being plunged into darkness, suddenly and unexpectedly, tends to concentrate the mind wonderfully.  So one can say that South Africa’s environmental consciousness really kicked in during January 2008, when energy utility Eskom ran out of power and we all stocked up on gas lamps, generators and rechargeable batteries in the expectation of ten years of rolling black-outs.

It’s quite funny to look back now – with things humming along almost smoothly – to remember what a fright we got when we faced the idea of life after the lights had gone out.  And even though our existence has largely returned to normal, the idea that resources must be saved has taken root. Of course the global environmental movement got its lightning jolt exactly 40 years ago – in July 1969 – when the Apollo craft landed on the moon and sent back the first photographs of our little blue planet, swimming in the huge blackness of space. “It was the first time that we really saw our world from a distance,” says conservation writer James Clarke, “and it made us realise just how small and fragile Planet Earth really is.” It’s no coincidence that the first Earth Summit was held two years later in Rio de Janeiro.  And from then onwards, a small but determined (and slowly growing) group of people have been exhorting us to ‘recycle, re-use and conserve’. It is unfortunate, though, that the image of environmentally conscious people has been confined to your sandaled hippie-types with stringy hair and strange sleeping arrangements.  It’s almost an axiom that recycling and conservation friendliness is synonymous with living rough and putting up with inconvenience.  You want to save the world?  Then you must eat only brown rice, live in a bug-tolerant grass hut and shower with a friend. Not any more.  Environmental responsibility has hit the big time.  And it is now possible to holiday greenly while wallowing in the lap of luxury. Leading the charge in KwaZulu is the Izulu Hotel in Ballito on the coast north of Durban.  There is nothing to make you suspect, when you drive into the wide courtyard past hedges of lavender and iceberg roses, that this five-star boutique hotel is in the vanguard of ecological awareness.  It just comes across as a slick, professional, friendly, well-run luxury hotel. It’s only when you start to look deeper that you find some rather unusual – and endearing – touches.  The first clue is the old dog that comes to greet you at reception, wagging his entire rear end.  This is an SPCA mutt, saved from the pound, so far removed from the snob value of a thoroughbred hound that he actually approaches it from the other side. Then, when you wander through the manicured garden, you will find a prominently featured, immaculate fan-shaped flower-bed – but a closer look will show you that the plants are actually vegetables and herbs, growing for the hotel kitchens. A browse through the hotel shop will uncover bottles of worm tea for sale – a liquid fertilizer from the hotel’s worm farm.  And so it goes. Something that is not visible to the casual eye is the fact that the hotel is moving towards solar power and wind power for its energy needs. “It’s becoming the trend,” says Hotel Izulu’s manager Keith MacVicar.  “Not only is it morally the right thing to do, but nowadays it is becoming the cost-effective thing to do.  With the recent increase in the price of electricity it makes sense.  We save an enormous amount by using solar energy.  And once you have that frame of mind, it becomes easy to think that way all the time – donating bottles and glass and paper to the local school for recycling (most schools collect non-perishable waste for which they get paid – the money goes to school funds), growing our own organic herbs and vegetables, recycling water, turning kitchen waste into worm food, etc.” Because of all of these features, it is easy to enjoy the hotel’s effortless luxury without the slightest twinge of conscience.  Each suite of rooms has its own Jacuzzi  (the highlight for my children!), hide-away televisions where I was able to watch the semi-final of the Rugby Super 14. The furnishings are comfortable in a solid and friendly fashion, the bathrooms are large enough to throw a party in, and the gardens are elegant.  Oh, and I really liked the easy-to-reach electricity outlets so that you don’t have to crawl on the floor to plug in your hair dryer. For North Coast people, Hotel Izulu is a favourite venue for special occasions and celebrations – and an unforgettable location for weddings.  It really says something about a place when it is well-regarded by the locals. My fondest memory of my stay was the superb massage I was given by a diminutive masseuse that put me on cloud nine for several days.  And perhaps the licorice ice-cream…  Another extremely useful aspect to Hotel Izulu is that it is well-placed for most of the attractions of the northern half of KZN – the new airport, the game reserves, the interior of the province.  It would be a good base from which to explore the wonders of the Zulu Kingdom – that is, if you could tear yourself away.