The bird park at Heidi’s Farm Stall is a riot of colour as adults and kids alike enjoy the sights, squawks and cheerful song of these loveable critters. Story and photographs Garth Johnstone.
When I visit the bird park at Heidi’s Farm Stall in Botha’s Hill, I’m astounded by the lovely view of the valley below. Green fields, hills, flowers in bloom, sleepy looking homes and smallholdings, animals quietly pottering around . . . it’s a true piece of semi-rural heaven.
But owner Scott Gelder hopes locals and visitors from further afield will be flocking to the bird park to enjoy other sights altogether . . . the bright and bold, big and small, the weird and wonderful, from hornbills to finches, toucans, macaws, amazons, lorikeets, parrots, barbets and on and on.
Scott, who recently returned from a spell overseas, first thought about opening a bird park on the property when the Umgeni Bird Park in Durban fell on troubled times. “When I first heard that the Umgeni Park was going to close – before the latest plans to save it – I thought, ‘What a great idea a bird park would be for the Upper Highway community’. My idea was to develop a one-stop attraction for the family, to add to what we already have here.”
Scott’s plans for the park quickly became a reality and the centre opened early this year. To add to the existing main building housing the Guns & Roses Coffee Shop, Highway Gifts and Sports, firearm training facilities, conference venue, and Health 2000, on the cards at the bird park are: the Have More Sweet Shoppe harking back to yesteryear, with old oregon pine flooring and furniture and Victorian era pots filled with sweets; The Ice Cream Doctor; Heidi’s farm stall (to open shortly); Dawn’s Creations embroidery outlet; Polly Parrot’s Parties venue; mini golf and jungle gyms. And, of course, let’s not forget the bird park itself. The Polly Parrot’s venue can host two parties of 20 each at a time, the perfect fun venue for a group of energetic kids . . . and there’re all those lovely sweets next door in the sweet shop.
I asked Scott where he had sourced the birds. “I had to scratch my initial idea to provide a home for some of the Umgeni Bird Park birds, and have sourced them from all over the country. I approached locals and importers, and have secured both indigenous and exotic species.
“Obviously the birds’ care is our number one concern. I’m a real enthusiast and think it’s great that people will no longer have to travel all the way into town to spend time with these wonderful creatures. We are doing this the correct way and the care and maintenance of the birds is the first priority. We want happy, healthy creatures.”
To this end, the park boasts clean walkways with benches, while the cages are quality built, clean and generously sized.
“In the first phase we have three walk-in free flight aviaries, so people can interact with the birds. We do have further expansion plans, including a much larger aviary.”
Parents who will readily welcome this addition to the area’s attractions – the coffee shops, restaurants, bed and breakfasts, hotels, antique shops, arts and crafts, speciality stores, horse riding, cycling and more – will be pleased to know the park is fenced off and is a secure environment for their children to explore and enjoy to their hearts’ content.
“We want children to have their parties here. There are educational talks and we are working on a show. This is a big attraction for the community and we have received great encouragement from the 1000 Hills Tourism centre and other local bodies.”
Here’s hoping all these plans take flight and launch yet another wonderful drawcard for the area.
Useful info: For further info telephone 031 765 6090, or e-mail raredleg@iafrica.com