The easterly suburbs of Pretoria are sought after and Moreleta Park is no different. The suburb has well-appointed homes and modern gated communities with typical suburban amenities demanded by homebuyers and investors able to afford the area, namely churches, schools, parks, shopping malls, entertainment facilities and medical centres. A nature reserve lies within Moreleta Park, a fertile green oasis amongst the suburb’s residential homes and business parks.
The Moreleta Park land was once owned by the Rademeyer family who built their home in 1903 on Moreleta Kloof. The house still exists in its original form and is currently used as a restaurant.
Travelling between Moreleta Park and Pretoria, Midrand and Centurion is hassle-free, making the suburb an ideal location for both business travellers and holiday makers.
Top 5 reasons to visit Moreleta Park
1. The Moreleta Kloof Nature Reserve has 3 self-guided walking trails ranging from just under 2km to 7.5km in length. The reserve stocks various antelope species, zebra and small mammals. A restaurant is on the premises and the reserve is a favoured wedding venue. Free entrance.
2. The ultra-modern Parkview Shopping Centre has close to 100 stores with large retail outlets, gym and ample parking. Various restaurants are scattered throughout the mall and movie theatres are planned for the near future.
3. Be entertained while enjoying a meal at the Pretoria Barnyard Theatre. The venue caters for over 100 people and the tables are well-placed for stage views. Most shows are music related.
4. Golfers have the choice of playing a round of golf at the Woodhill Residential Estate and Country Club east of Moreleta Park or the Wingate Park Country Club that adjoins the suburb to the west. Both are championship courses ranked in the list of Top 100 South African golf courses.
5. Hike the Moreletaspruit Nature Trail that begins at a beacon along the Moreleta stream in Constantia Park and ends at Val de Grace, 8km away. The hiking trail winds its way past a dam, bird sanctuary and the Faerie Glen Nature Reserve.
Transport
Moreleta Park is 40km from OR Tambo International Airport. Domestic flights arrive and depart from Lanseria Airport, a 53km trip. Other airports for chartered flights are Wonderboom (29km) and Grand Central in Midrand (32km). Catch the Gautrain, a fast train service that travels between the OR Tambo Airport and the Hatfield station, 12km via the M30. Car rental agencies are located at the airport and throughout Pretoria city or book a vehicle online. Metered taxi companies are based in and around Moreleta Park. If you have the Uber app, order a ride via your mobile phone.
Did you know?
A volunteer organisation called Friends of Moreletaspruit have assisted in removing alien vegetation and cleaning up the stream to a point where rare bird life is returning to the area. The organisation is erecting bird nests for returning birds and they expect to see bush babies occupy some of the nests. The shy grassland owl will be re-introduced once the wetlands recover completely.
The name Moreleta is a corruption of the North Sotho word Moretele which describes the common velvet raisin bush (known in Afrikaans as the brandewynbos, or brandy bush) that in the past was distilled to make an alcoholic drink.
