a publication for
VAL DE VIE ESTATE RESIDENTS
November 2022
Dive into Summer In 2001, Founder and CEO of Val de Vie Estate, Martin
imagination, innovation and patience to rewild the land,
Venter, saw the ideal location alongside the Berg river
andwaterwasthefirstcatalystforchange.Quarrysites sourceintheFranschhoekandDrakensteinmountains,
for his family home. Looking down on the dilapidated
hollowedbymanandmachinebecamehometo12
wine farm, started by Abraham Andries le Roux back
largelakescoveringovereighthectares.Withwaterand naturalpicnicandfishingspotsoraplacetospendan
in 1783, he suddenly knew that this place had potential
greenery,thesmallestofaquaticcreaturesreturned,afternoonclosetonature.Wealsohavetheadvantageof
and needed to be brought back to life. Sustainability has
creatinganaturalhierarchyandabalancedfoodchain. asuperbclimateonValdeVieEstate,soresidentscan
been at the heart of the Estate since its inception. After
Today,overseenbySimonAllen,theEstate’sdedicated choosetospendtimerelaxingortrainingattheoutdoor
decades as a sand quarry, the land had to be restored
EnvironmentalOfficer,freshwaterfish,aquaticbirds,and OlympicsizepoolatTheYard,whilethenewlyrefurbished
conservingitremainsapriority.TheBergriver,withits flowsalongthewestoftheEstate.Theriverbanksoffer
evenottersliveinandaroundthewaterways.Waterwas resort-stylepoolatthePearlValleyClubhouseisthe tocreateaflourishingecosystem.Ifpeopleweretolive well, then nature in all its forms had to return. It took
keytotheearlytransformationofValdeVieEstate,and perfectplacetocooldownonwarmsummerdays.