Estate Living Magazine Connection - Issue 43 July 2019 | Page 10

P R O P E R T Y
&
I N V E S T M E N T
HARTBEESPOORT
HAVENS
Blue water, a beautiful mountain, a bustling food scene … no, it’s not
Cape Town, although it’s easy to see why inland-dwellers consider the
Hartbeespoort area the next best thing to a beach.
Pecanwood Estate
The Magaliesberg mountains are the first thing you notice as you approach
Hartbeespoort from Johannesburg. They might not be particularly imposing, but they
are nonetheless breathtaking, changing colour throughout the day as the sun strikes
them from different angles.
They’re a magnificent backdrop for an area that has become Johannesburg residents’
getaway of choice: when the sea is too far away, a weekend at the dam is the perfect
change of scene. But, as the bustle of city life becomes too much to handle, a growing
number of commuters are making their home in an area known as much for its dramatic
beauty as the enormous number of possible pastimes. Relics of battlefields from the
Anglo-Boer War dot the area, making it instantly appealing for history buffs and, for
animal lovers, it’s a relatively short drive to the Pilanesberg National Park. There’s hot-
air ballooning, hiking around the Hennops River, horse trails and the cableway. And
then there’s the food. Expect some truly out of the ordinary experiences, like enjoying
a Paris-style café moment at French Toast (with a mini version of the Eiffel Tower
looming in the background), Dutch-influenced ‘plaas’ fare at Jasmyn, a strandloper-
style seafood feast at De Vette Mossel, and bistro sophistication at the Silver Orange
– to name just a few. Oh, and if you’re wondering if it’s a good idea to take that boat
cruise, the answer is yes. Several initiatives, including a move to use water hyacinth in
products like fertiliser, have helped to clear the dam of the invasive water weed.