Once a country retreat for the prosperous and a weekend refuge for Johannesburg’s inner city residents, Honeydew has been all but swallowed up by progress. Much of the original farmland was absorbed into magnificent housing estates, leaving only a tiny residential area and some commercial properties in Honeydew.

However, Honeydew remains at the centre of these estates with equestrian centres, popular wedding venues, upmarket lodges and conference centres nearby. The airport is a short drive from Honeydew, as is the Sandton financial district.

The village of Honeydew is gone but don’t despair, the area is scenic and still has that fresh country feel, a welcome respite from the hectic pace of city life.

Top 6 reasons to visit Honeydew

1. The Honeydew Shopping Centre is conveniently located at a busy intersection for residents to stop off and shop at the major anchor tenants and pick up a meal at one of the centre’s eateries.

2. Standing on the spectacular fairways of the links golf course at Eagle Canyon Golf Estate, it’s hard to imagine the area was once an old quarry. The estate has a driving range alongside the course and patrons can enjoy panoramic views from the clubhouse.

3. Kloofendal Nature Reserve has two walking trails, a stone amphitheatre and it’s the site of one of the earliest gold mines, Confidence Reef mine shaft. The mine has been restored and is a national monument. Opt for a formal tour to try your hand at panning for gold.

4. For a fun family outing, head to Honeydew Mazes to take the quizzes and make it through the various mazes. Those who correctly answer the quiz qualify for a free ice cream!

5. Visit the Honeydew Equestrian Centre in the evening for a horse riding lesson under floodlights. Qualified instructors are available to train riders of all levels.

6. Travel to Krugersdorp to visit the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens. A magnificent waterfall is surrounded by manicured lawns and the ridges above are home to the black eagle. The gardens house all manner of environ; forest, wetland, cycads, succulents, arboretum and dams. Nursery and restaurant on the premises.

Transport

Lanseria Airport is 20km from Honeydew. An alternate airport is OR Tambo International Airport, 48km away. Plans are underway to extend the Gautrain route (express rail service direct to the airport) via Honeydew and into Sandton. A vehicle can be hired at car rental agencies stationed at the airports and in Roodepoort or book a rental directly online. There are a number of metered taxi and shuttle service companies operating in Roodepoort and Sandton, otherwise register with Uber and order a ride via your mobile phone.

Did you know?

The Steve Jobs School in Honeydew is regarded as a school of the future where the iPad is the designated medium, children are assigned goals and learning methods centre on real world learning. Each child’s progress is carefully tracked using analytical software.

In 2015, Eagle Canyon Golf Estate was rated one of the best suburban living spaces, outperforming many prestigious high end suburbs.