Became a member in: 2018
Renewal Date: 01/Nov/2019
We are a life partner couple of 50 and 52 years old who recently joined HomeLink after reading a fascinating magazine article about the travel experiences of local members: to travel is one of our biggest passions. Though we are new members to HomeLink, we had the same house since 2002.
I am an Advocate by education, working in the finance sector as executive and partner Rudi is an IT Systems Architect. Rudi has 2 semi-adult children: Leigh a medical student at university and Nicholas (16) in high school. The ‘kids’ may accompany us, generally we like to travel with some good friends.
We have 3 pets and you would be required to be nice to them; other care not required: when you visit our home, I will arrange for our live-in domestic goddess Julia to and stay on to care for the furry family members, as well as give the house’s shared living areas a quick clean in the mornings. The pets love her and it should make their adaption to your visit easier. Julia vacuums all traces of our furries away - the house is spotless. Do not worry about privacy with Julia there - she operates like a ghost, never in your way, never intruding, a beautiful sunny person.
On holiday we are laid-back persons, enjoying quiet time and beautiful sunsets, walks to explore the scenery, a glass of good wine, invigorating conversations and philosophy. We share scuba diving as hobby and both have motorcycles - though we are not “bikers” in the general sense. We enjoy photography and music. Rudi and Leigh are very musical, thus we have an electronic piano and several guitars in the house, as well as a good hi-fi system. We love good food. A restaurant with soul food and a live band is our idea of bliss.
We LOVE to read. Our house has loads of reading material: it has a study / library stocked with books: fiction and non-fiction.
We have unlimited fibre to the home (wifi) if an iPad or Kindle is preferred to read from. It can also be used for for Netflix and communication with family back home, online gaming, etc.
I am a keen gardener and has just started a raised bed vegetable garden. There are several shade covered outdoor spots to enjoy and relax in. We also have a swimming pool in the garden. The garden has automated irrigation - except for loving the relaxation of watering plants with a hose pipe, it won’t be required.
When time allows: Rudi enjoys playing with electronics and I dabble with a bit of needlework and painting. I also try my hand at interior decorating and regularly change furniture around.
I’ve marked ‘University Professors’ under affiliations: We are not academia ourselves, but our good neighbours are: husband and wife - both Professors in Law; you will probably meet them.
Additional languages spoken
Afrikaans
Affinities
Plants & Gardens,
Pets,
Skiing,
Hiking,
Wine Lovers,
Foodies,
The Arts,
Yoga / Meditation,
Music Lovers
MoreLessAffiliations
University Professors,
Law Professionals,
Technology Professionals,
Banking / Finance
MoreLessProfession
Executive in Banking Sector
Our pets
We have two small dogs Nougat and Fudge and our Maine Coon cat Ruby Tuesday (alias Choccy)
Non-simultaneous Home Exchange
Simultaneous Home Exchange
Smoking Not Allowed
Children Welcome
Use of Personal Car is possible
| Open to all dates and destinations |
Description of the home we are offering for exchange
A luxurious yet comfortable home nestled between big trees in a peaceful cul-de-sac. The house is located in the prestigious Eastern suburbs of Pretoria (housing Universities, Embassies, etc) in a safe private security estate. The house has high-end finishes and all modern conveniences.
Type
House - 2 or more floors/ Main Residence
Amenities
Entertainment
Extras
Setting
Description of our neighbourhood and surrounding area
We live in a well managed and safe private security estate with 24/7 access control by friendly guards: The Meadows Estate. The estate is in character like a small town: people walk their dogs in the evenings, neighbours know and greet each other and children play in the streets. There is a 30km/hr speed limit inside the estate for cars; people walking/jogging and children playing have right of way, making it a joyful community. Inside the estate there is no high walls or impersonal electrcal fencing, the gardens spill onto the sidewalks - it is green and beautiful. There is a communal clubhouse with a swimming pool were socials are arranged by the homeowners association. The estate is located in the suburb Moreleta Park, which is one of the prestigious suburbs in the East of Pretoria, in the same general area as universities, embassies, theatres, golf courses, nature trails, mountain bike trails, private hospitals, luxury shopping centres and even nature reserves.
Outdoor Activities
Leisure
Cultural Activities
Transport Nearby
Neighbourhood Services
Our home exchange - places to go and things to do while staying in our home
For golfers or people just wanting to take in the magnificent views over the golf courses from a clubhouse; Wingate Park Country Club is a 5 minutes drive away (www.wingateparkcountryclub.co.za) and Woodhill Country Club (www.woodhillestate.co.za) is a 10 minutes drive away.
In Africa the wildlife is supreme: Rietvlei Nature Reserve is only 7 minutes drive away from home - on our doodstep. In close proximity is also Moreleta Kloof Nature Area and Pierre van Ryneveld Nature Area. Parkview Shopping Centre (8 minutes drive) has a view over the Moreleta Kloof - pick a restaurant and watch nature in comfort.
Being in the Capital City, there is arts, culture and heritage abound: the Erasmus Castle is a 15 minutes drive away and the Union Buildings is a 20 minutes drive away. There are various tourist websites showing off all the city has to offer - have a look at www.tshwane.gov.za. September/October is a beautiful time, with the whole city painted purple with thousands of Jacaranda trees in bloom. If you want a huge retail experience: Menlyn Mall (http://www.menlynpark.co.za/) is 17 minutes away.
Our neighborhood shopping is done at The Village, Moreleta (www.villageshopping.co.za) which is walking or bicycle ride distance: 2 minutes by car. It has a Woolworths Food store, which is recommended for high quality ingredients and ready made meals, including breads. There is a Clicks pharmacy in the same centre as well as a Checkers supermarket - which stocks about anything you could need. It has a Planet Fitness gym too.
Pretoria is renowned in the world of academia with several universities and colleges; the crown jewels being University of Pretoria and UNISA. Both are about 20 minutes drive away. Except for Washington DC; Pretoria has the highest number of foreign representation in the world: 120 Embassies and High Commissions. Be prepared to hear all mainstream international languages spoken by patrons at restaurants, shops, parks, etc. adding true cosmopolitan flavour to Pretoria.
Our favourite restaurants
Cafés & bars
Special places to shop
Walks or jogging paths
Health or fitness clubs
Our home exchange - here are our Preferences and House Rules
No smoking inside the house or near open windows/doors.
We expect our house to be tidy and clean on our return, the way we left it.
We do not want noise or nuisance complaints from our neighbours - we will know it immediately, all have our mobile numbers.
All residents are bound by the estate community conduct rules which I will share: entails security measures, good neighbourly conduct, etc.
I will have to enroll your access (fingerprints) with the Board of Directors before departing self, access to the estate is given to visitors via smartphone app and fingerprint scanners (it is for your own safety).
We are house proud and have no real children play areas - except in the driveway and street (it is safe there - children have right of way + speed limit of 30km/h enforced). Children under 12 years old would be difficult to accommodate, I think? Willing to discuss though. There is several neighbours with children under 12 which could be playmates.
We have a Maine Coon cat and a Yorkie and a Schnauzer cross small breed doggies. The dogs might except a visiting small breed playmate, madam cat won’t except any other cat near her domain. We do not require pet care, only pet love. The pets are not used to small children. Fudge loves playing with the kids in the street, Nougat and Ruby not.
The garden has automated irrigation, watering is not required.
A car would be required to get around in the city (public transport limited) - hence I am willing to include a vehicle in the exchange; subject to proper international licences being in place, driver older than 25, etc. There is always Uber to use too.
Conditions
Use of Personal Car
Home Exchange Type
Over 70 years of home exchange experience
Local home swap representatives around the world to assist you
Travel, save and feel at home around the world!
