548ha Declared Nature Reserve Farm | Ncandu Reserve, Normandien Pass | Two Homes, Off Grid

NATURE RESERVE FARM

This 548 hectare declared nature reserve farm lies at the top of Normandien Pass on the KwaZulu-Natal and Free State border, roughly 50km from Newcastle, and forms part of the Ncandu Private Forest and Grassland Reserve. The farm was gazetted into the reserve in November 2013 and is zoned Protected Area. That declaration also carries the municipal rates relief that applies to declared protected area land, which is worth confirming in writing before transfer.

LAND AND CLIMATE

Altitude runs from about 1300m to just over 2000m above sea level, across undulating grassland, mountain plateaus, rocky outcrops and deep gorges. Mean annual rainfall is 901mm to 963mm, summers average 24 degrees, and winters are cold with a mean low of 9.6 degrees and heavy frost. There is no arable land under the conservation zoning. Grazing capacity is 2.2ha per LSU for agricultural grazing and 3.1ha per LSU for conservation grazing, with good winter and summer grazing over most of the farm. External boundary fences are in good condition and the provincial boundary is a high fence.

WATER

The perennial Ncandu River runs through the property, along with several mountain streams, waterfalls, natural springs and an earth dam. Household water is drawn from a spring and a borehole into JoJo tanks that gravity feed both houses, so neither home depends on a municipal supply.

HOMES AND POWER

A renovated sandstone house offers seven bedrooms, a lounge with fireplace, an office and dining room, a kitchen with coal stove, and an added entertainment sunroom. A separate log home has a double volume open plan lounge, dining room and kitchen, a loft main bedroom with bathroom, and a wooden deck over the valley. There is no Eskom supply. Both homes run on solar with generator backup.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Land of this size inside a declared reserve, with permanent running water and existing accommodation, very seldom reaches the open market. It suits a private conservation holding, eco tourism, a lodge development or a serious lifestyle farm.