Near to the banks of the mighty Apies River, Pretoria North is a lush, well laid out suburb only 9km from Pretoria city centre. Pretoria North has a number of schools and colleges, parks, a large hospital, medical facilities and several malls. The suburb provides various services to residents north of Pretoria through the revenue offices, motor industry and magistrate’s court. Located here is the South African Banknote Company, responsible for the printing of the country’s banknotes and the Wonderboom Airport is nearby.
Pretoria North lies within a subtropical dry forest biome, and with an average annual temperature of 17° Celsius, is mild enough to visit all year round.
The suburb is close enough for both a bushveld escape and a metropolis adventure, the choice is there for visitors to decide.
Top 6 reasons to visit Pretoria North
1. The Wonderboom Nature Reserve is within walking distance and across the Apies River to view the magnificent Wonderboom (wonder tree) fig tree, over 1000 years old and with 13 trunks spanning roughly 50 meters. An old 19th century fort can be visited in the reserve which is also where Iron Age and Stone Age artefacts were discovered.
2. On warm summer days, join the locals by cooling off at the Pretoria North swimming pool, a short-course Olympic-size pool open 7 days a week.
3. A day trip to the world-renowned National Zoological Gardens of South Africa is recommended to see the 5000 mammals, reptiles and other creatures spread over the 84ha property. A unique resident is the Komodo dragon. Exciting camping and night tours are also offered.
4. Drive into Pretoria city for a visit to the Pretoria Art Museum. The museum has a vast collection of South African visual art and exhibitions are regularly held here. Educational tours are available.
5. A 35-minute drive from Pretoria North is the Tswaing Meteorite Crater Reserve. The crater was formed by an asteroid that hit the area 200000 years ago, leaving behind a kilometre-wide ring 100m deep and the smell of sulphur hanging permanently in the air. The word Tswaing means salt pan and the crater has always been a source of salt for both man and animal.
6. Anglers use all kinds of unusual baits to catch carp and barbel (sharptooth catfish) on the nearby Bon Accord Dam, including almond essence! Hire fishing gear and get some tips from your host before trying your luck at the dam.
Transport
The nearest airport is OR Tambo International Airport, 55km from Pretoria North. An alternate option would be a charter flight to the Wonderboom Airport, 6km away. 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 Pretoria North. If you have the Uber app, order a ride via your mobile phone.
Did you know?
The Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute bordering Pretoria North is regarded as the country’s seat of veterinary excellence. The institute is also a world leader in biomedical and tropical disease research.
The asteroid that caused the Tswaing crater vaporised upon impact and no material has ever been recovered, however, mathematicians have determined that the asteroid was 300000 tonnes in mass. The energy produced by the explosion is believed to have matched that of the USAs first hydrogen bomb, detonated in 1952.
