Kameeldrift, Pretoria

Kameeldrift may be only 15 minutes outside of Pretoria, but this former rural area just beyond the Magaliesberg range of mountains remains a real country experience, the rustic suburb providing some wonderful places of escape from city living.

Kameeldrift is about breathing space; a slowing down of time, and the Moreletta Spruit, which appears sporadically amongst the lodges and spas that have sprung up in Kameeldrift en route to the Roodeplaat Dam Nature Reserve. Here one can experience the best of both worlds - peace and tranquillity away from the city, and quick access into Pretoria if that’s what you intend. It’s a matter of ten minutes to reach the Roodeplaat Dam from Kameeldrift East. Formerly known as the Pienaars River Dam, named no doubt after the river on whose banks it resides, it was initially built to contain irrigation water for surrounding farmers. The reserve is in two sections: the northern reaches are given over to leisure activities, and fishing and canoeing are the order of the day. It can be a little noisy over weekends, so heading off to the southern end, which is a bird sanctuary with two hides overlooking the water, is probably a better idea.

To reach the reserve you head virtually for Cullinan, the charming little mining village famous for the discovery of the Cullinan Diamond. It is worth a detour to view the corrugated iron mine workers’ houses - a throwback to the mining times of the early 1900s.