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HHunter's Rest Mountain Resort outside Rustenburg in the North West province has one of the most colourful hotel histories in South Africa.
The founder of Hunter’s Rest was one George Wellington Rex III, the grandson of the more famous George Rex of Knysna. George Rex was said to have been the illegitimate son of King George III of Britain.
George Rex had 9 children, but his grandson George Wellington Rex fathered no fewer than 14 with his wife, Georgina.
George Wellington Rex came to the Magaliesberg area in the mid-1880s to hunt big game. He stayed on, and became firm friends with President Paul Kruger, who by then had become a substantial land owner in the area.
Kruger ceded part of his Magaliesberg land to Rex, who then built Hunter’s Rest on the property. At first, it was a private hunter’s lodge for George Wellington Rex and his friends. It was later developed into a hotel, but the ‘olde worlde’ charm and Victorian character was retained.
HHunter’s Rest Hotel, now re-launched as the Hunter’s Rest Mountain Resort, has been a popular destination in the North West province for decades.
It’s a big family resort, with more than 90 rooms, sub-tropical gardens and a range of outdoor activities from tennis to putt-putt, volleyball to hiking trails.
Pride of the resort is the Hunter’s Rest golf course. One of the innovative features at the course is night golf, played with luminescent balls.
When you dine at Hunter’s Lodge, it will invariably be from a gourmet menu in a romantic, candle-lit restaurant. Saturday lunches are lazy poolside affairs and on Sundays it’s all about the famous Hunter’s Rest smorgasbord.
Did You Know?
TTravel tips & planning info
Who to contact
Hunter’s Rest Mountain Resort
Tel: +27 (0)14 537 8300
How to get here
Hunter’s Rest lies 12km outside Rustenburg. The listed Hunter’s Rest website carries full directions to the resort – and there’s a useful map as well.
Best time to visit
The ideal weather in the Magaliesberg is from February to May and August to November, although the area is somewhat temperate and pleasant most of the year with low rainfall.
Things to do
There’s a lot to do in the Magaliesberg, especially if you like historic tours or outdoor adventures – check the listed Magalies Meander website. One of the top attractions in the area is the Maropeng, the official visitors' centre of the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, and the nearby Sterkfontein Caves.
See the Magalies Meander website for activity options in the area.
There’s the Magaliesberg Rocks the Cradle music festival held annually in August.
What to pack
Pack seasonally, pack for the outdoors, bring smart-casual clothes for dinner and don’t forget your sporting gear.
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