Doornhoek, Magaliesberg

Doornhoek lies in the heart of the Magaliesberg, close to the little village of Hekpoort that nestles on the gentle southern slopes of the mountain range, just north west of Johannesburg. Most of the area is used for agriculture in this corner of Gauteng, which virtually borders on the North West Province, and game farms and large tracts of land given over to farming dominate the landscape.

Doornhoek a beautiful part of the world - enviable blue skies and an horizon dominated by mountain slopes makes for revitalising getaways. Not only is Doornhoek in the heart of the world-renowned Cradle of Humankind but it’s also less than an hour’s drive to Johannesburg or Sun City. Hartbeespoort Dam, or Harties as it’s known to locals, is only a short drive away and you are spoilt for choice when it comes to things to do in the surrounding area.

First named by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1999, the Cradle of Humankind is a complex system of limestone caves that include the Sterkfontein Caves of Mrs Ples fame - a 2.3-million year-old fossil - and the Wonder Cave in Kromdraai - the third-largest cave chamber in the country believed to be about 1.5 million years old with stalactite and stalagmite formations of up to 15 metres, 85% of which are still growing.

The Magaliesberg Mountains too provide a welcome respite from city life. Deep gullies containing wonderful kloofs, streams, waterfalls and sheer quartzite cliffs more than fulfil the average hiker’s expectations, and adventure or even quiet ambles are the order of the day.