Herrondale & Waterberry Haven

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SPECIAL REPORT> HERONDALE WILDLIFE ECO ESTATE AND WATERBERRY HAVEN

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By Bev Hermanson

A mere 100km away from the frenetic pace of Johannesburg’s busy suburbs, two Dream Veld Authentic Lifestyle Developments projects, on the outskirts of Potchefstroom, offer an alternative lifestyle to those looking for something completely different. The Herondale Wildlife Eco Estate on a magnificent 2400ha malaria-free game farm offers residents an exclusive bushveld experience, while Waterberry Haven offers a retirement option which is more a resort for active seniors than a retirement village.

Although there is no pressing need for gated security estates in Potchefstroom, the directors of Dream Veld Authentic Lifestyle Developments realised that this residential trend has many advantages. This prompted them to come up with two unique, but very different estates. The Herondale Wildlife Eco Estate is situated 9km outside Potchefstroom on a piece of African bushveld that would make one believe one is truly out at the wild frontier. Waterberry Haven, on the other hand, is pretty much a part of Potchefstroom’s urban fabric.

Herondale Travelling along the vastly improved N12 roadway from Johannesburg to Potchefstroom, one can’t miss seeing the imposing gatehouse of the Herondale Wildlife Eco Estate proudly welcoming visitors and residents to its bushveld experience. Even when all the building work is complete, this 2400 ha game farm will remain mostly ‘wild’ as only 2% of the entire land area will be covered with buildings.

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LEFT: Artists impression of the Herondale Gatehouse.

TOP RIGHT: Map of Sunset Creek showing the layout of the stand.

BOTTOM RIGH: Map of Kiepersol showing the layout of the stands.

On completion, the estate will have four villages placed remotely from each other in the depths of the African bush. Each village has about 70 stands of between 2000 sq m and 3500 sq m, of which the houses may only occupy 500 sq m on their ground floors with a further 300 sq m allowed for an upper level. No perimeter fencing is allowed, although provision has been made for each home to have up to 600 sq m as a courtyard. This is to allow the game to roam freely throughout the estate.

The game on the estate is non-predatory and is mainly made up of herds of zebra, impala, springbok, waterbuck, reedbuck, black wildebeest, blesbuck, gemsbok, kudu, eland and giraffes, as well as a number of ostriches and other birdlife.

“To qualify as an eco estate, the built-up area has to be less than 5%,” explains Zieg van Huyssteen, sales consultant at Dream Veld Authentic Lifestyle Developments. “At Herondale, we are only building up to 2% of the land, so there’s lots of room for the game and birdlife.”

Architectural style The first two of the four villages have been launched, with all the electricity, water and sewerage services in place and dirt roads provided during the building phase. After all the building has been completed, the roads will be tarred so that luxury vehicles can be driven around the estate, in addition to 4x4s.

The architectural style prescribed for the development is contemporary African with natural materials used as much as possible. Landscaping should be done with indigenous plants typical to the region and the colour palette for paints has to blend with the earthy colours of the surroundings.

Sunset Creek, with 75 stands, is already almost 50% sold out, while the second village, Kiepersol, with 71 stands, is 35% sold out. With stand prices just over R500000 each and monthly levies of R400 per month, a slice of this African paradise is certainly within reach of most families looking for a secure, yet authentic lifestyle.

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A view of the surrounding landscape.

Being at home in the African bush, residents will be able to enjoy the climate and natural flora and fauna of the area, undisturbed and in safety. Recreational activities available to residents include game drives, hiking, walking and jogging, mountain biking and horse riding. In addition, an organic spa centre will be built close to the gatehouse. This will house a gym, heated swimming pool and squash courts, while outside, there will be tennis courts and a driving range.

Waterberry For older residents looking to downscale, the conveniently located Waterberry Haven is the answer.

Seeking to revolutionise the concept of a retirement village, the directors at Dream Veld Authentic Lifestyle Developments conceptualised a village where residents need not lead sedentary lifestyles, although full facilities have been included so that, should there be a need for frail care, this will also be available as part of the unique Waterberry life care programme.

The village is split into full title independent living units and assisted living units, with a care centre that has facilities for frail care and sub acute conditions. When the village is complete, a clubhouse, with a restaurant, lounge, pub, overnight accommodation for visitors, wellness centre, social centre and conference centre will be available.

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10 > Situated on the banks of the Mooi River, with 200 km of river frontage on the western side and the wall of the Potchefstroom Dam on its northern perimeter, Waterberry Haven is one of the only estates in the North West Province with water on two sides. With 5 ha of parkland and landscaped gardens for relaxing, the estate offers residents the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors without having to stress over the maintenance of the common areas. The upkeep of the estate is handled by the Waterberry Management Trust, along with the 24 hour security and emergency service.

The communal buildings have been planned to cater for the movement impaired and are wheel chairfriendly, with widened doorways and passages, ramps, user-friendly taps and specially designed showers. Furthermore, emergency and security buttons have been strategically placed in case of crises.

To make life easy at Waterberry Haven, once the estate is complete, transport will be laid on for those needing to go shopping, laundry and cleaning services will be available and meals will be provided by arrangement.

Why Potchefstroom?

Both Herondale and Waterberry are close enough to Potchefstroom’s central business district to make either one of the developments a worthwhile choice, depending on age and lifestyle requirements.

Present-day Potchefstroom is best known as a ‘university town’ with a large student population. However, the city is actually steeped in history and has much to offer.

Founded in the late 1830s by the Voortrekker leader, Andries Hendrik Potgieter, Potchefstroom (or stream

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Artists impressions by architect Shawn Rowley Architects – recommended style for Herondale houses.

of the chief Potgieter) was, at first, the capital of the Transvaal Province and home to the first president of the Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR), Marthinus Pretorius. During the Anglo Boer War, the Battles of Frederickstad and Tygerfontein were fought close by and many of the Potchefstroom residents were involved in defending the territory. Gold was discovered in the region in 1853. This caused great changes as hordes of fortune seekers arrived in the Transvaal to grab their share of the action.

In 1910, the Avenue of Oaks was planted with a total of 710 oak trees. Stretching 6,84km from the Agricultural College in Botha Street, via Tom Street to the Lakeside Resort, it is considered the longest avenue of oaks in the southern hemisphere and is now a national monument. Other national monuments include the Old Gunpowder House, the Old Police Station building, the Kruger Kraal Opstal and the old Landrost, Post and Telegraph Offices.

For the culture lovers, there are a number of museums to be found in Potchefstroom. The Potchefstroom Main Museum in Sol Plaatjie Avenue comprises three art halls and a cultural history hall.

Totius House Museum was the home of the wellknown bible translator, JD du Toit, who was better known as Totius. The President Pretorius Museum is the restored Cape-styled residence of the late Marthinus Wessel Pretorius, the first president of the ZAR and the Goetz/Fleischack Museum is the Karoostyled residence of the late Andreas Marthinus Goetz, magistrate of Potchefstroom between 1870 and 1881.

For avid shoppers, there are a few shopping centres, the most notable of which is the sprawling Mooi River Mall that was built in 2008. Straddling the Mooi River, this modern shopping mall offers a wide selection of stores, banking facilities, restaurants, and cinemas – enough to keep one busy for hours.

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12 > At night, the student district comes alive, with lots of fun to be had in the various eateries frequented by the younger set.

If sport is the priority, there are a number of sports grounds in Potchefstroom. At the Fanie du Toit Sports Grounds, one can play soccer, cricket, netball and hockey. The Kenneth McArthur Oval is well known as a venue for rugby and soccer matches, while cricket is best enjoyed at the North West International Stadium – Seagars Park. The North West University’s Potchefstroom Campus also boasts a variety of world class sports facilities, including the North West University High Performance Institute. The Potchesfstroom Country Club has an 18-hole golf course and the Boskop Dam is a favourite angling spot.

Game on the plain at Herondale Wildlife Eco Estate.

For nature lovers, the NWU Botanical Garden, which is maintained by the university’s School of Environmental Sciences & Development, is open to the public. Another attraction is the OPM-Prozesky Bird Sanctuary located on the wetland adjoining the golf course, which is excellent for bird spotting.

Further afield, the Vredefort Dome, now proclaimed a World Heritage Site, is the spot where, more than 2000 million years ago, a giant meteorite crashed into the Earth. Here, one can enjoy hiking and many outdoor adventure activities, including white water rafting, kayaking and canoeing on the Vaal River.

Of course, the many attraction of Johannesburg are not too far away and the OR Tambo International Airport is less than a 2 hour drive, for those who still wish to enjoy their holidays overseas. <

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