There’s a River on my Stoep

You know that feeling when you book a place after looking at the website pictures and upon arrival you realize that the pictures simply did not do the place justice? That is exactly how we felt when we were welcomed at the Self Catering Wooden Cabin in Hekpoort. This Wooden Cabin is enormous, much bigger and more beautiful than our expectations – Beautiful, well equipped with everything you need. You can lie back on your wooden deck, overlooking the Magalies river and forget about all your worries.
Tied in front of the cottage on the river, is a paddle boat for your pleasure, with approximately 1km of rowing distance, where you can sight-see and experience the most incredible sunset. You can also Catch fish (catch and release) from the boat. You might see monkeys, incredible bird life and hear the splash of the Rock Monitors diving into the water, every so often.

The Cabin is quite close to the main house, but being the only cabin on the property, you are ensured privacy , always feeling alone, yet safe knowing the hosts are close by should you need anything.

The cabin inside consists of a beautiful kitchen with everything you need. Radio and CD player, dining table, living room with all the reading material you can dream of, games and very interesting décor with a bit of a personal touch. Remember your wine and snacks. No need to bring any pillows, blankets, towels and there is electrical blankets on the bed and heaters in winter. They have a fan for summer months.

The bath is big enough for 2 and shower is outside. There is a loft upstairs which makes the cabin inside big and open.

Outside is a braai area, a beautiful, well looked after garden, loungers on the stoep and the sound of the water soothing your soul. The river, beautiful trees and reflections on the water is the view you can drink in as much as you want. A Beautiful bird life and nature sounds awaits you.

Sleeping and waking up in complete quiet, is just what you need if you want to get away from the Buzz of the city, with the cry of the Jackals at night and the sounds of nature during the day. Here you will find your peace.

Be prepared to be welcomed and greeted often by the 2 spectacular big dogs, Max the Great Dane Cross and Emma, the sweet Irish Wolfhound. They are extremely friendly with the most remarkable personalities and I fell in love with them instantly. The only sadness was saying goodbye to them and this cabin.

Emma

Wandering freely on the grounds, greeting you over the fence frequently, is Jack the Beautiful Stallion and his friendly brown friend Phoenix. What beautiful and friendly horses and the size of Jack is something to see.
If you are lucky the Peacocks will eat right out of your hands. You can walk and explore the grounds, walk on the rocks at the water and have incredible photo opportunities.

You might even see a Hot Air Balloon fly over early morning. Lourie was the perfect host, making us feel so welcome and we visited her often, talking and laughing and she took photos of us and made us feel very special. It is not often you meet people like that.

Bring a blanket and pillows and find a spot next to the river for a picnic. Kick off your shoes for some serious downtime and enjoy nature with some shuteye and the tranquility of the river sounds.

On our pillows on the Double bed in the bedroom, we found some tiny flowers and on our bedside cupboards a chocolate from the hosts. Its the little special gestures that makes a difference. I love that there is enough cupboard space to pack all of your belongings away and keep it out of sight and enjoy the beauty of this space.

There is no TV and if you are lucky, bad cellphone reception. This truly is the place to get away from it all, turn your phones off and reconnect with your loved ones.

They are situated in Hekpoort, a mere 80km from Johannesburg and 70km from Pretoria. They are close to many main attractions for those wanting to go out and explore, like Shelter Rock for a hike up the mountain, De Wildt Cheetah Farm, Elephant Sanctuary, Bill Harrop’s Original Balloon Safaris and Sterkfontein Caves.

At only R800 per night per cabin, you can’t go wrong and we could not have asked for a better host than Lourie who made our stay an absolute pleasure.

We cannot wait to go back in summer and see that whole picture change into picturesque summer days, enjoy swimming in the river, taking cold outdoor showers and making the most of a place perfect for the outdoors. They are one of the few places where Fireflies can be seen at night after the first rains and where Bullfrogs serenade you in the evenings. We can’t wait to be back to experience it.

Contact Lourie today to make your booking and enjoy your stay at There’s a River on my Stoep.

 www.hekpoort.blogspot.com. Email: petelaatz@mweb.co.za. Call:  014 576 2294