OK, you know you have always wanted to make that break from the city rat race and now the ideal opportunity presents itself! For the last 9 years Tamakwa Country Lodge has been offering its unique and generous form of country hospitality to the city slicker. Those that were fortunate enough to pass this way inevitably left feeling refreshed and reenergised. Now there is the chance to purchase one of the existing cottages or build your own on the Estate, designed to your specification by our architect.
This is a whole different way of living! Clean air, superb mountain views, low crime and an altogether slower pace of life. Time to smell the flowers, cast a dry fly to the wily brown trout in the Mooi River, sip a chardonnay while watching the sun set over Cathkin Peak or savour a shiraz next to the log fire in winter. Enjoy a leisurely walk by the river, spot a malachite kingfisher, laze by the pool or enjoy a few sets of tennis. If you live here then this is all on tap, even if its a work day!
Tamakwa County Estate is superbly positioned on tar roads, in the quiet hamlet of Rosetta in the heart of the Midlands Meander. It is a mere 25 minutes from the Ukahlamba Drakensberg World Heritage Site. There are a number of top class private schools in the area, golf courses and of course a vast array of arts and crafts establishments. We are also situated only 45 minutes from the City of Pietermaritzburg and its airport, which has regular flights to O R Tambo International. And of course the innovations in communications technology such as cell phones and the internet makes it so much more feasible to work from a remote location!
If you think its time to make that change, read on ………
The overall intention in the proposals is that it will be low density and in keeping with the overall “feeling” of development in the Rosetta area. Sites for sale will therefore generally be in excess of an acre in size with 28 in total. The property slopes down towards the Mooi River and is convex in shape thus ensuring that virtually all of the sites have an excellent, western facing aspect toward the river and the Drakensberg. Approximately 48% of the total site lies on the floodplain and will not be developed at all, contributing to the low density of the overall development. A significant part of this is an ephemeral wetland
The owners, Adrian and Wendy Wilson, intend to continue living on the property and their thinking was to opt for a low-density development, retaining the emphasis on a high quality country lifestyle. The affairs of the estate will be managed via a homeowners association and a constitution has been developed for this.
( click here for the Homeowners Association Constitution in Word fromat )
23 of the sites will be for sale. The sites vary in size between 3 800m2 and 5 600m2. All have outstanding views of the Drakensberg Mountains. More than 90% have views of the floodplain and wetland and some also have direct views of the river. The sites are sold on a freehold basis.
Four of the sites have existing structures on them, namely the Old Farmhouse, Quarry House, Bergview Cottage and Lavender Cottage. All of these are for sale immediately but they will need modifications to tie them in with the architectural theme (see below). Draft proposals for the minimum modifications required will be developed by the architects for the Estate; DZM Space. The buyer will be required to undertake the modification work at their expense.
( click here for the entire site layout - this is a 2.7MB PDF document )
The general theme adopted for the architecture of the estate can be described as “contemporary farmhouse”. A totally unique interpretation of this concept has been developed to tie in with the lifestyle in the Midlands. Farm buildings historically develop and grow with demand, as families require additional space. This often results in articulated buildings of differing form and roofing elements, creating private courtyards and patios, often well protected from the prevailing climatic conditions. Large verandas are a major feature of the design. The emphasis will be on earth tones, augmented with natural stone feature walls and plinths, extensive use of natural timber and complimented by dove grey metal roof sheeting.
click above to enlarge
Architectural design guidelines have been developed and all structures must comply with this. Control measures have been developed which will restrict the height of completed structures and also the footprint of the building in relation to the site so as not to impact negatively on neighbours’ outlook. An area has been demarcated on each site, which defines an area within which houses must be located. This is again to protect the outlook from adjacent sites.
( click here for the Architectural design guidelines in Word format )
The architectural code incorporates a number of environmentally friendly and energy efficient features so as to reduce the “carbon footprint” of the development.
The Estate Architect has developed three typical house designs. Buyers are not compelled to use these but if they do, then the architectural fee will be lower than for a new design.
( click here for option 1 and option 2 of architectural plans in PDF format )
A building clause will be operative which dictates that, from the date of transfer, construction of the house must be complete within a period of 24 months.
A small entertainment area will be developed, consisting of the existing swimming pool, to which a floodlit tennis court will be added and a small boma or clubhouse facility.
Access control and security fencing will be included and an ongoing security presence. The objective will be to achieve a safe and secure living environment without security becoming too obtrusive. Thus far crime in Rosetta has been very low and hopefully it will stay that way!
The development incorporates a lovely river walk. This also provides access to the river for fishing and canoeing. The Mooi River was one of the first in the country stocked with brown trout, in the late 19th century. Included in the development will be the removal of the alien tree species on the floodplain and rehabilitation of the wetland. This incorporates the introduction of suitable indigenous species. A bird hide will also be developed at the dam.
A landscape designer has been retained and the general access areas for the homeowners including the roads, major footpaths and entertainment area will be improved via suitable combinations of indigenous and exotic species.
The existing main (thatched) house has been zoned for a lodge and restaurant facility, which can be expanded in future if so desired by the owners.
The initial preliminary design work has been carried out on the roads, stormwater, electrical reticulation and water reticulation. The municipal water system in the area has proved to be unreliable and has capacity constraints and therefore it has been decided to go the route of groundwater in terms of ensuring a reliable water supply for the Estate. Initial investigative work has indicated that this is very feasible. Both Eskom and Telkom have confirmed suitable capacity of their services. ADSL has recently become available in the area and this has greatly increased the speed of internet connectivity.
Roads will be constructed to a high quality with suitable foundations and a slurry seal finish (tar).
As part of the service offered to prospective buyers, we will have a full multi-disciplinary team available to deliver the final product, including land survey, architect, quantity surveyor, structural engineer and a builders panel. They will ensure a comprehensive “end to end” service is provided. Each house will be individually designed while at the same time conforming to the overall architectural theme. This package of professionals will be managed by Geoafrika Projects who have extensive experience of property development projects in Kwazulu Natal. This will ensure that the final product will be high quality and delivered on time and within budget.
Work on installation of the roads, water, electricity and other services will commence once an appropriate threshold level of sales has been reached. Detailed design and awarding of tenders is expected to take a period of 3 to 4 months. The construction period is also expected to take 3 to 4 months.
These are shown in the attached price schedule. Transfer duty is not applicable to any sales.
( Click here for price list in Word format )
For a Full Colour Brochure, please click here to dowenload in PDF format. If you any questions regarding development of the Estate, then please address them to one of the following:
Tamakwa Country Lodge - Luxury Country Hotel / Retreat accommodation in the Drakensberg, KwaZulu Natal Midlands.
Site Description for http:www.tamakwa.co.za: Tamakwa Country Lodge, Rosetta in the Kwazulu Natal Midlands - luxury country estate offering luxury accommodation in the Drakensberg mountains and the gently meandering Mooi River. Luxurious accommodation in the Natal Midlands
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