Hillcrest Area Profile

Hillcrest at a glance

The area, known generally as The Upper Highway, lies between Westville and Pietermaritzburg and is made up of smaller suburbs such as Kloof, Gillitts, Hillcrest, Winston Park, Botha's Hill, Assagay and Waterfall.  Once known as a sleepy village, the Upper Highway has become a much sought-after area for families to invest in their futures. From lush greenery in Kloof to the breath-taking Valley of a Thousand Hills, this country lifestyle offers magnificent old Victorian style homes, ultra-modern apartments and some of the finest estates KZN has to offer, including an equestrian estate, a golf estate and a wildlife estate. Entry level apartments make living and owning property in this exclusive area a lifetime journey of property growth.

Location
The Upper Highway is located just 60 kms from King Shaka International Airport, 30 kms from the city centre and a pleasant 1-hour scenic drive to the picturesque Midlands Meander.

Climate
The climate is considered temperate, winter brings cool mornings and evenings with warm sunny days while summer is hot and dry. With an average low temperature of 10 degrees and an average high of mid to upper 20 degrees, families enjoy quality time by the fireside in winters and swimming in the summers. 

Schools
Without exception, the Upper Highway area boasts some of the country's finest schools, Hillcrest High School and Kloof High School to name a few,  and is one of the reasons discerning homeowners choose to settle here.

Private schools
Thomas More College is a co-ed school from preschool to grade 12
St Mary's Diocesan School for Girls - preschool to grade 12
Hillcrest Christian Academy is a co-ed Primary School and is the feeder school for neighbouring Curro High School
Highbury Preparatory, a primary school for boys and the feeder school for Kearsney College for Boys
Roseway Waldorf is a co-ed boutique style school 
Waterfall College is a co-ed primary and high school
Excellent government schools include Winston Park Primary School, securely situated down the infamous Avenue of Trees, Kloof Pre-Primary, Kloof Junior Primary and Kloof High School, Hillcrest Primary and High School and Forest View Primary School.
There are also many independently owned highly recommended pre-schools and Montessori schools.

Medical Facilities
The top-class Busamed Private Hospital is conveniently situated in Assagay and offers some of the finest specialists and surgeons.  For your families' day-to-day medical requirements there is the Hillcrest Medical Centre.  There are also other independent health care providers in the various suburbs including dentists, chiropractors, physiotherapists, psychologists and non-surgical beauty specialists. The Hillcrest Surgical Unit offers day surgical procedures.

Shopping Facilities
There is no shortage of shopping centres in the Upper Highway area namely, Delcairn Centre, The Colony and Lillies Quarters which are some of the old-style strip shops, then there are the malls, Watercrest Mall, Christian Village Centre, Hillcrest Corner and Fields Centre offering some unique boutique style shops and mainstream retail shops as well as all the popular franchise restaurants.

Things to do:
Families in Hillcrest are spoilt for choice when it comes to entertainment.
The Shongweni Farmers Market is a vibey extremely popular market, with live music, dogs on leads, games for the children and an array of delicious food stalls, art and craft stalls, clothing, jewellery, preloved book stalls and fresh produce stalls. There is plenty of safe parking and a view of a waterfall.
Springside Nature Reserve offers trails, braai facilities and picnic sites to enjoy
There are many guided trails to beautiful waterfalls with breath taking views
Giba Gorge is a brilliant mountain bike range
Winsome View Animal Farm
There are 3 golf courses namely, Kloof Country Club, Cotswold Downs, currently ranked 52 in South Africa, and a 9-hole course at Camelot.  Fig Tree Farms has a driving range as well as a spa, country shops and the ever-popular Millflour Restaurant with a park for children to run around in safely, they also do night trail runs. 
Willow Way Manor is ideal for picnicking in the lush green park overlooking a dam; they also offer a wonderful restaurant and plenty of room for day conferences and special events.
Bona Terra is a brilliant plant nursery with a well-maintained playground for children and an upmarket café vibe restaurant.
A choice of calm relaxing holistic wellness centres and day spas are on offer.
Watercrest Mall has a cinema, a trampoline arena called Jump 4 Joy and dodgem cars in the basement.

Restaurants (Cafés, Bistros, Coffee Bars)
Stokers Arms is an iconic restaurant, frequented by locals, it was the old railway station and still operates a steam train, it offers live music, big TV screens for major televised sporting events, fantastic pub food and a playground for children.
The Crane Flower is a unique hidden gem found under the shady trees in Kloof, offering individually hand-made treats beautifully crafted by a local chocolatier and a coffee barrister whose blends are infused with dried lavender and rose petals.
Visiting Riocca is like walking into a fairy tale, hundreds of little lights welcome you into this upmarket coffee bar sharing space with a quirky boutique offering that ideal gift for the friend who has everything.
Other cafes and coffee bars include Oscars, 1904, La Vedure, The Sprigs Coffee Shop, Jooma and Mayfair.  For a more celebratory affair, Olive & Oil, Stretta, Bellevue, Hassar Grill, Mozambik, and many others will ensure a fantastic meal that won't disappoint.

Safety
The many upmarket estates in this sought-after area offer 24-hour manned security surrounded by discreet electric fencing. The golf course area in olde world Kloof with free-standing opulent homes and rolling gardens have designated access areas monitored by neighbourhood watches and CCTV footage.  Private security company vehicles are constantly patrolling giving homeowners and their families the security and peace of mind to live freely.

To invest in this beautiful area, contact a Harcourts Upper Highway property professional