Knysna has it all. It’s the perfect balance of good infrastructure with wide-open space, between natural beauty and ease of access. You can play golf in the morning, surf in the afternoon, go sailing or fishing in the evening, and then dine in a fabulous restaurant. And the next day do it all over again substituting mountain biking, hiking or paddling – and then you can end it all by riding off into the sunset on a horse – along a beach - with the wind in your hair.
Backed by tangled forests with sunny open stretches of fragrant fynbos, the town is built around the beautiful lagoon formed where the Knysna River dawdles a bit before it forces its way out to sea. The lagoon is a great place for fishing, paddling, swimming, sailing, snorkelling and scuba diving, and is home to two interesting little creatures. Actually, one is interesting and the other is delicious. The Knysna sea horse is a mellow little guy that hangs out in the long swaying sea grass – basically just chilling, checking out the view. And the other one – the delicious one – needs no introduction. Knysna oysters have their 15 minutes of fame during the annual oyster festival in July, but they are to be found in fashionable restaurants all year. A boat trip through the Heads will reward you with sightings of bigger beasts – seals, dolphins and whales. The forests, too, are inhabited by wondrous beasts big and small – the elusive Knysna elephants, blue duikers, colourful Knysna turacos (formerly called loeries) and the spectacular Narina trogon that gets most birders hot under the collar.
Affectionately known as The Heads, two rugged sandstone cliffs guard the entrance to the lagoon from the sea. And high on top of the eastern one, is a special place – Pezula Golf Estate.
A little piece of heaven where you can live nestled among the fynbos within walking distance of the renowned Pezula Championship Course. The 71-par park/links-style course was designed by the Californian duo Ronald Fream and David Dale of Golfplan, who based the design on Gleneagles in Scotland to capitalise on the similarity in scenery. The central clubhouse offers a pro facility and shop as well as a restaurant and bar.
Both the restaurant and bar area open up onto a large veranda were you are able to admire the view while you enjoy an ice cold drink and call your broker to ensure your hole-in-one cover is in place. But sometimes, you have to work, so you’ll be pleased to hear Pezula Golf Estate offers fully equipped conference facilities. And if the mere mention of golf or work makes your shoulders ache and your wrists twitch, there’s also a fabulous spa and state-of-the-art gym at the Conrad Pezula Hotel.
But, while Pezula is great for a holiday, it’s a truly fantastic place to live.
24hrs manned security and access control along with the natural environment and community lifestyle makes both the visitors and homeowners feel safe to enjoy all the amenities the estate has to offer. With an average of 2 houses on each hectare, the estate is cleverly planned to offer maximum privacy for residents and minimum visual encroachment of housing on the golf course, while encouraging indigenous flora. Design guidelines allow for the discreet inclusion of environmentally sustainable design elements like rainwater harvesting, grey water, and solar heating and generation.
The views from both the houses and the golf course of the rugged coast stretching to the east have contributed to Pezula’s being included among the 10 most beautiful golf courses in South Africa. This is just one of the many awards it’s collected over the years, including the prestigious Home Overseas Magazine’s Development of the Year award sponsored by British newspaper, The Telegraph.
The Homeowners Association manages the day-to-day operations of the estate. Their mandate is to protect the interests of the homeowners, this would include the protection of the natural environment, maintaining all the common areas and the estate security. They focus on keeping the lines of communications, between all relevant parties on the estate, open. This has led to a harmonious and successful relationship between management and homeowners. That can be accounted for in the ever-increasing property values and return on investments.
“Security, privacy and easy living in an upmarket environment with a limited number of potential dwelling’s. The most exceptional views of the ocean and mountainous forests is the reason Pezula is such a great investment” comments Natalie Wood, Regional Manager at Fine and Country Kynsna & George. “Not only is there an steady market of individuals retiring to the Estate but also an increased number of families migrating from inland to set up home here, with the main earner commuting weekly. The past couple of month’s sales have increased and rental availabilities are few. The majority of people purchase to live, whether a first or secondary home. Home owners whom call Pezula Golf Estate their secondary home do rent out short term from time to time, inviting golfers from all over the world to play on the Prestigious Golf Course’. Plot prices start at R 500 000 to R 3 million and houses range from about R 3 million to about R 20 million depending on the location of the property i.e. an uninterrupted view of the ocean or lagoon.
Pezula Golf Estate is 10 minutes from Knysna with its private hospital, myriad shops, restaurants, entertainment facilities and private schools. George Airport is about an hour’s drive.
It’s a great place to live close to nature – up there, with the gods. There are hundreds of species of birds, and also a few small antelope running around the estate. There are short hiking trails, and a long, fabulous coastline, and a wonderful lagoon.
