Highlands Wilderness is a privately owned (sectional title) game/nature farm in the foothills of the Waterberg, 20Km north west of Bela Bela. More detail on our exact location as well as directions can be found on the Directions page and we elaborate on our fauna and flora on this page.
Highlands is not focused on commercial activity and by far the majority of owners utilise the farm themselves. This ensures a community where a sense of ownership contributes to assuring harmonious relations and a tranquil atmosphere.
The farm is managed according to guidelines from a formally commissioned environmental study. These recommendations are based on a year long study period of on-site field work at Highlands and the theoretical foundation of experts from the University of Pretoria. Add to this the fact that quad bikes and scrambles are not allowed and you may well see that we work hard to ensure an ecologically sound game farm which provides peace and quiet for all.
Terrain:
Slopes vary between 0-3° and >45° This effects run-off and erodiability.
Granite, Rhyolite and Arenite are the indigenous rock types.
Soil:
We are classified to be part of “the sour bushveld of the savanna biome” and accordingly have a very varied soil make up. Five dominant types are identified. The higher areas and the north facing areas are characterised by shallow soil depth and various rock dominance while the south facing sides towards the savanna area have increasing soil depth which gradually changes towards sandy.
Birds:
Highlands has a number of ecospheres and a wide variety of vegetation. Add the terrestrial altitude spectrum of just over 200 meters and it becomes easy to understand why Sinclair reports 209 different bird species to occur in this region. While none of us are experts in this field, we can all testify to abundant bird life. You can download a list of birds species identified from the attachment area lower down on this page.
But because Highlands in not only about the heavy stuff, we welcome any enthusiast who wants to share his/her/their informal list of species seen on Highlands. Also feel free to add your bird photos to the applicable photo list on this site.
Game:
The spectrum of species and the numbers ideally suited to our environment and vegetation is being managed towards the suggestions of the environmental study we had done in the early days. This means that they are responsibly culled (not hunted!) where necessary and supplemented from acquisitions from either game auctions and/or game captures. Where necessary annual vaccinations are done by professionals from helicopters. Once again, feel free to add your photos to the applicable photo lists on this site.
Approach:
Highlands is run and owned by some 100 individuals and while the Trustees and the Management team are more involved, it is and has always been the preferred approach to utilise all contributions possible. This attitude is well evidenced by the words from our Chairman at the time, the late (yet still loved) Frans Joubert, around the time of the official hand over from the developer (2005)