Spending more time on Mountainlands is now a reality for Johannesburg based couple, Garry and Shirley Boyd. They recently became the owners of the Klipspringer site, which is situated on Hyslop’s Creek with towering cliffs where aloes seem to drip from every crevice and crack. While they are currently working on creating their dream holiday home on Mountainlands they both envision living there part time or even full time.
Being keen conservationists, with a good knowledge of birds, and a growing interest in grassland and fynbos fauna, the Boyd’s look forward to indulge in hiking and mountain biking and spending family time in the reserve. Garry elaborates: “In honesty, purchasing the stand was also an emotional and very intuitive decision which, given that this is quite a big ticket buy in South African terms, is a reflection of what is most valuable, important and meaningful to me as an individual. Whenever I have been there I have felt a special excitement. I agree with Claudia Koch who describes it as a piece of paradise.”
The Boyd family (top): Mom and Dad, Shirley and Garry with Louise, Emma and son-in-law David sitting on a boulder in the Hyslop’s Creek at Klipspringer site in Mountainlands.
Shirley feels Mountainlands is a place where she can retreat and relax next to a camp fire and look at the stars. She adds: “The aspect of the development that attracts me is the fact that it is private and that the architecture should blend in with the environment. I look forward to spending time there with friends, children and grandchildren, hiking, swimming in the rock pools and enjoying the ‘little five’. Mountainlands feels remote and yet it is only 4 hours drive from Johannesburg.”
They were also enticed by the warmer climate, especially in winter, and the reserve’s close proximity to Mozambique. Asked about what they view to be the most outstanding features are of Mountainlands, the fact that one can drink water straight from the streams, the breathtaking vistas, dramatic landscape and botanical diversity tops it for them.
Garry, whose profession is in private equity, elaborates on their decision to invest in Mountainlands: ”I am not an expert in leisure property investing. On the basis of specialness and scarcity I do feel that the potential value appreciation could turn out to be excellent. I feel that what I have bought is not only a particular high quality kind of ownership of something in which I have a deep interest but, in so doing, of playing a role in the long term vision as articulated and passionately worked for by Nico and Delia.”
Garry and Shirley enjoying the sunset at Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana.
The Boyd’s are both excited about the conservation role of Mountainlands. Shirley sees the educational value when she added: “I hope opportunities can be devised for underprivileged children to spend time in the reserve similar perhaps to the wilderness leadership school that used to be in Lapalala, Waterberg.”
Visit www.mountainlands.co.za for more details on property in the reserve.