Weekend Getaway from Johannesburg
Holed up in Cedar Lakes, a gated enclave near
Fourways, our weekends followed a gentle ritual. The Lions and Rhino Park sat a
short drive away, Monte Casino closer still, and Hartbeespoort Dam and the
Magaliesburg foothills were easy day-trip options. Despite being spoilt for choice by a buffet of places, the place we would often choose was Van Gaalen’s Cheese Farm, a green pocket of calm about an
hour from the city.
The Place
The farm lies beneath the Magaliesburg mountain range,
with a clear stream that begins in those heights and flows into the
Skeerpoort River. The property feels deliberately generous: a helipad that
hints at unexpected arrivals, a stable where horses chew the afternoon, and
dirt tracks and hiking routes that weave through some eighty properties and
more than 80 km of trails. Families picnic on the lawns, children run free, and
the air tastes of grass and distant wood smoke.
The Cheese Tour
Our first visit began with the Cheese Tour, a slow,
curious procession through vats and aging rooms. Our tour guide revealed the
alchemy behind the making of cheese and the different types of cheese like Mozzarella,
Gouda, Haloumi, Ricotta, Cheddar, Gorgonzola, Parmesan, and the small,
exacting science behind each: the cultures, the curd, the patient maturing. The
guide’s explanations made the process feel like a craft passed down with pride.
The Rituals of a Visit
After the tour, we would drift rather than hurry. Strolling
along the stream, we’d pick up fallen pecan nuts, watch dragonflies skim
the water, and let the children invent games among the trees. The restaurant
became the center of the day: rustic plates, generous wine, and the slow
pleasure of tasting cheeses infused with fenugreek, cumin, pepper, chillies, and rosemary. Before leaving, we always bought a few wedges to take home, the
spice-laced cheeses tucked into the car like souvenirs.
On the drive back, we invariably stopped at roadside farm stores to fill our baskets with seasonal fruit and vegetables. The whole outing – with a drive of less than
an hour each way – felt like a small, restorative exile from the week.
Why It Matters
Van Gaalen’s is more than a destination; it’s a reset. The
quiet and clean air seems to stretch time, turning a single afternoon into a
memory that lingers. For Indian expats in the Johannesburg–Pretoria area, it’s
a place that comforts and surprises in equal measure, a reminder that simple
pleasures – good food, open sky, and company – are often the most nourishing.
My write-up wouldn't be complete without the pics below
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