Hi fellow Mountainlanders and nature lovers:
I’m Melvin Jones – the ruggedly handsome (lol) dad of the Jones family, and while it’s very early days I can declare that we are in love with Mountainlands. I’m an engineer – and currently manage a mid-size engineering firm in Secunda (Proconics). The lovely lady sitting right from me in the picture is my wife Jaqueline. She’s a multitalented, qualified architect that has swapped her career to focus on community upliftment projects. Our daughter Robin is the eldest – she’s 6 going on 16 and very wise. Samuel is 3 – and everything is an adventure.
We’ve been looking – on and off – for a space in a wilderness area for close on 15 years. We have not been able to find a space that ticks all our boxes – for any price – anywhere in the country – till we discovered Mountainlands.
We really love spending time in nature – and most of our holidays are to places where we can absorb and observe the variety that nature has to offer. The big five are majestic – but being able to walk and experience the smells and sounds and maybe startle a herd of Impalas – that’s where the real joy lies for us.
I spoke about ticking our boxes – and not being able to find another place that has everything we wanted. I think you may be surprised – many of the best features of Mountainlands are like sprinkles on an excellent ice-cream. Once you get past the non-negotiable requirements you’ve eliminated just about every space in the country – and then when you get to experience the bio-diversity, spectacular landscapes and the world heritage potential…if you’re not in love something is wrong.
In my exchange with Gary (another owner in Mountainlands who I interviewed as part of my due diligence) I asked him why he thought the estate was not already fully developed. He responded with – Melvin, do you think it’s a no brainer?
Yes Gary – it’s an absolute no brainer.
Look forward to getting to know you all.
Melvin, Jaqueline, Robin and Samuel Jones.
The Jones’ tick box of wants:
• Very low density of housing and people. 18 one hectare stands on 1400 hectares estate is spectacular. Something which is important if you want to truly have an immersive experience in nature.
• Access and traversing rights on a larger estate. 18 000 hectares immediately places this in a league with only a hand-full of areas in the country.
• Managed infrastructure – normally to get low density you need to buy your own full title farm – which requires the means and interest to maintain fences, roads and other infrastructure. When the infrastructure is managed, it is high density or on limited estates with very prescriptive rules.
• NOT BIG FIVE – the big five are great. But they limit you because then the estate insists that you cannot walk or ride a mountain bike – very important features for us.
