spread YoUr Wings

As part of exploring the talented people right here in the Midlands, we decided to take to the skies. Well, not really, but we heard from Kelly, who is a pilot and savvy businesswoman, spreading her wings all while staying grounded throughout it all.

Words kelly van der Merwe

What if I told you there is a place that’s magical, a place of peace, where you don’t look over your shoulder or lock your doors. A place where children run barefoot on real grass. At night the darkness is all-encompassing, and the sound of tree frogs and jackals howling fills the air. What if I told you we found this magical place? My husband and I, along with our three children, made the decision to exchange the fast-paced city life for this magical place in the Midlands. But let's rewind a bit first.

In the year 2000, I became a commercial pilot. This was a dream of mine since the age of six. I specialised in the VIP sector of business jet aviation and have a passion for people and customer service. After working for the Oppenheimer’s for 10 years, and just after having our third child, we realised we wanted to get out of city life.

I wanted to be a mom on my terms. My husband who has now been by my side for 19 years is a helicopter pilot and farmer so I knew the balance between city life and farm life would always be an important part of our lives. I understood it meant keeping our children grounded yet also allowing them to experience the best of both worlds.

We initially moved out of Joburg for a slower pace to my hometown Durban in 2012, but we always knew it was a stepping stone to the farm life we had been dreaming of. Durban was the perfect fit for us for the next seven years as we built our aviation business from the bottom up.

Aviation One was established in 2010 when both my husband and I had been working in corporate aviation on a VIP level for over 10 years. We wanted to create something for ourselves making use of the years we had spent in the industry gathering knowledge. This proved to be perfect timing and our business strategy was very well received by top South African firms who owned aircraft.

A turnkey solution evolved for private individuals and corporates alike who needed the headache of managing their aircraft removed. Leon, my husband, had always had a passion for filming and photography. In 2010 he teamed up with a world-renowned wildlife photographer to film and photograph Africa in its extremes. This relationship blossomed into a friendship and we have been working with this client ever since. We have expanded our footprint out of Durban, we now have partnerships all over Africa as a result of our VIP customer service.

relocaTing To The Midlands

To backtrack a bit, we also owned our Advantage Brahman Stud farm, which was established in 1998 in Newcastle, an exclusive white brahman stud farm for other farmers to strengthen their gene pool. We are a family-owned and run farming operation which gives our children insight into day-to-day running. They are lucky enough to see calves being born and even get to bottle feed the odd calf.

We take pride in producing quality hormone-free cattle that roam on the slopes of the lush Midlands grasses.

The Midlands has been very good to us as our client base has grown substantially since relocating. The climate is great for Brahman and the local farmers are a tightknit community. Today it is the culmination of integrity and hard work that has made Advantage Brahman Stud many farmers’ first choice when buying bulls to improve their herd.

In March 2019 we finally made our dreams a reality by buying one of the most beautiful farms in the Lidgetton Valley. We relocated Advantage Brahman Stud from our existing farm in Newcastle to the Midlands. Running the Aviation Company would also mean commuting and overseeing remotely, we knew the sacrifices it would take, but we were up for the challenge. In no time we became entrenched in an old-fashioned community, where the pace is slower and the people genuine. During lockdown in 2020, we realised just how fortunate we were. Whilst the world was locked up inside, we were able to take walks together on our farm and appreciate what we really had, freedom, space, and real family values.

It was then that I was able to begin a deeper journey of finding true contentment by helping more people of the Midlands through the birth of the Midlands Food Bank, which I run together with my friend Riaz Nakooda. The lifestyle that the Midlands has to offer, being a young family bringing up children, is second to none. Often people ask us why we haven’t immigrated yet, and we simply tell them that we feel like we have.

Looking back, I understand life is all about seasons. I had my fast-paced pilot life while I was building my career and now that I’m privileged to be a mom I’m able to pivot between mom, farmer's wife, aviation company owner, corporate jet pilot, and serial entrepreneur on my terms.

Yes, I commute to Durban a few times a week, sometimes I visit six or seven different cities in a few days, but nothing beats getting home to that magical Midlands air. We as women are always trying to juggle all the balls at the same time, sometimes we need to prioritise one ball over another for a season. That’s okay. Right now we have exchanged the Mr D App for home cooking, and shopping malls for farm chores, but that doesn’t mean I cannot still be a cutthroat career woman in a male-dominated industry.

Unearth the wonders of Boston, Dargle and Impendle with what this all-inclusive and environmentally friendly Community Tourism Organisation has to offer.

Words nikki BriGhTon

The iconic Inhlosane ridge, visible from across the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, rises to 2026m from the surrounding settlements of Impendle, Boston, and Dargle. From the peak, the views of the countryside and the Drakensberg are incredible.

In this area, you are likely to spot the Cape Parrot flying between patches of indigenous forest, Wattled Crane foraging in wetlands, endangered Blue Swallows swooping across grasslands, or an Oribi sitting quietly in the long grass. It is a bio-diverse region, the catchment of the mighty Mkhomazi River and the Umgeni River, a thriving farming community, and a hub of hiking, walking, fishing, cycling, motor-biking, horse-riding, and birding activities that have been a bit of a secret - until recently.

In 2018, owners and managers of tourist establishments in the area joined forces with the local municipality to form the Boston, Dargle, Impendle Community Tourism Organisation (BDIT) to create awareness of the relatively unexplored area and create employment.

There are accommodation options to suit every taste. With Midlands country weddings very much on-trend, BDIT offers a fabulous variety – from elegant, old school, or rustic – choose between Calderwood Hall, Dargle Forest Lodge, Mount Park Guest Farm, Crab Apple Chapel, and Old Furth Estate. If it’s a party venue that you are after, then Boston T Party is a great spot for a celebration! There is no need to drive far afterwards, with plenty of beds available at these venues or on neighbouring properties.

Should a quiet afternoon of trout fishing be your thing, the waters at Copperleigh Trout Cottages, Tillietudlem

Nature Reserve, Boschberg Cottages, and Star Dam Estate will keep you well entertained. Perhaps some of your family would rather walk in the forest at Khula Shanti or explore the hills on horseback at Stormy Hill Horse Trails.

Just along the road are para-gliding and hang-gliding heaven – from Mahaqwa in the village of Bulwer. Not that keen on an active escape? Then the views of Impendle Mountain from the deck at Maphanga Lodge might suit you best, or the friendly farm stays and cosy cottages at KhulaShanti, Elvesida Guest Farm, Fine-Alley Country Cottage, Everwood Estates, Beverley Country Cottages, or Le Bonne Vie, that all offer an authentic Midlands experience.

Chairperson Sue Brighton comments, “We put a lot of effort into assisting those members who have not benefitted from the formal tourism industry in the past - supporting rural homestays and local guides in the beautiful Nzinga area just outside the town of Impendle. Here there are opportunities for cross-cultural experiences, exploring rock art, local craft, tasting traditional lifestyles, and learning about indigenous agricultural and spiritual practices. We engage with local schools, educating the next generation about the benefits and opportunities that tourism can provide our region.” This means that unique experiences are available to visitors who head (just slightly) off the beaten track.

Impendle is an important birding area where many specials can be found. Twitchers are likely to tick off African Marsh Harrier (Circus ranivorus), Grey Crowned Crane, Wattled Crane, Denham’s Bustard, Southern Ground-Hornbill, Bush Blackcap, or the Black-winged Lapwing (Lioptilus nigricapillus) on their ambles.

Make sure to take your eyes off the birds for a moment, and marvel at the vleis filled with Satyrium hallackii in spring, the banks of the Elands River rimmed with red-hot pokers, the variety of orchids in the grasslands, and Anemone faninnii waving in the summer breeze.

The flora on Inhlosane is worth investigating, too – the altitude and geology mean it is different from the area below. The climb is steep but not difficult and worth doing if you are in the area. Walk through proteas and deep blue agapanthus, magenta Senecio macrocephalus, and swathes of pink Watsonia in springtime. Here you may spot black-backed jackal on the slopes, Natal red rock rabbit between the boulders, and certainly hear baboon calls echoing across the valley.

The 8759ha Impendle Nature Reserve is not open to the public, but special arrangements can be made to visit. The value of this land to conservation (particularly Eastern Mistbelt Forest, Midlands Mistbelt Grassland, and rare species such as Drakensberg cycad, dwarf chameleon, and blue swallow) was recognised in 1983, with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife managing the reserve since 1994.

These valleys certainly contain a lot of history – from the wagon tracks and stonewalls that crisscross the hills to stories of elusive leopards, legendary farmers, and heroic Chief Duma. The BDIT region was one of the original haunts of Bushmen hunter-gatherers who moved between these foothills and the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg.

In the early 1800s, the Bushmen found themselves trapped between Shaka’s army and Boer settlers who laid claim to the forests and pastures, those who could, took refuge in the mountains of the ‘Berg.

Find a pub to chat to the locals, or settle in at the Picklepot Café for breakfast or homemade burgers accompanied by the famous Picklepot pickles, and share your discoveries with other patrons. It may be your first visit to the area, but there can be little doubt that you will make new friends here and it won’t be your last.

Many roads lead towards Impendle. Take the picturesque Dargle Road and trek all the way through to Boston. Or turn right after Boston onto the P127 and trundle through the hills. Follow your nose with the peak of Inhlosane to navigate by – who knows what unexpected treasures you will find. Don’t keep them secret.

082 460 1815 www.bditourism.co.za @bditourism