Estate Living Magazine Invest SA - Issue 45 September 2019 | страница 18

P R O P E R T Y
&
I N V E S T M E N T
ISLAND STYLE
The Islands is a revelation for those who equate Hartbeespoort and its surrounds with golfing –
it’s a slice of European-style marina living.
The farm on which The Islands has been developed has been in
Dries Pretorius’s family for 180 years, so when he decided to
develop it, he was determined to make it something special. The
topography of the land made it ideal to develop into a marina.
Canals
Canals have been widely used throughout Europe for hundreds
of years – long before the development of road and rail networks.
And it was these long-distance transport canals that also inspired
the construction of locks, which have helped to create two levels
throughout the canal system and the estate itself – not only because
they help to keep the water moving, but also because they enhance
the views of the dam.
Those views are nothing short of stupendous – but they’re only one
part of what makes a purchase at The Islands a sound investment,
according to Dries. ‘You’re not simply buying a beautiful property.
You’re also obtaining the canal infrastructure, which means you get
seriously good value.’
The canals comprise of 11 hectares of water, which is equal to 22
rugby fields, Dries notes, emphasising the scope of that infrastructure.
But it doesn’t end there. With around 664,000 cubic metres of soil
having been removed from the canal beds during construction, the
developers found themselves with more than enough material to
construct an 8.5-hectare park.