About Wapadrand

Wapadrand, Pretoria

The far flung eastern suburb of Pretoria Wapadrand, lies just beyond Meyerspark along the N4 as it wends its way out of the city. The pretty upmarket suburb boasts a prolific bird life and the largest variety of indigenous trees found in any suburb east of Pretoria.

Wapadrand may be one of the furthest eastern suburbs but the greenery that it enjoys means that almost no brick or plaster is visible from its streets and residents enjoy the peace and tranquillity that follows.

Wapadrand lies nestled on the slopes of the Bronberg Mountain, home to the endangered Juliana's golden mole, which ranks with the black rhino in category of threat. The mountain is covered predominantly by threatened Rocky Highveld grassland and the Bronberg as a whole is regarded as a sensitive environment - 10% of the ridge is made up of mountain wetlands. The mountain range means that there are only two crossing points, one near Wapadrand and the other to the west in the vicinity of the Moreleta Spruit.

Getting out and about in this part of the world is easy. The Botanical Gardens are close to Wapadrand and practically mandatory if it's beautiful gardens, shady trees, medicinal plant displays and pretty paved nature trails you're after.

Continue along the N4 a little further and you could make an outing to Sammy Marks Museum, where a splendid Victorian mansion lies in acres of rolling veld, the former colonial household of Sammy Marks, now a tribute to the era of the final decades of the last century - 48 rooms are filled with furniture, paintings, silver and porcelain - all trappings of fine living during the Victorian era. There is tea to be had under the trees or on the wide verandah, and the gardens invite exploration.