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The Estate Living team sat down with Henk Booysen, estate manager of Thesen Islands, to gain valuable insights into how he oversees the daily operations of one of the country’s top estates.
How would you describe Thesen Islands?
Thesen Islands is a gated community located in the middle of the Knysna Environmental Protected Area. The combination of a residential estate with a holiday atmosphere creates a unique character, and the staff and homeowners are proud to be associated with such a beautiful development that is committed to high environmental standards
How has the estate remained ahead of an ever-changing environment and met the needs of the homeowner when it comes to technology?
Thesen Islands has several technological service offerings to ensure the safety and comfort of our residents and visitors. Unlike other estates, Thesen Islands cannot have an electrical fence or perimeter wall. Instead, fibre has been placed throughout the estate and along the eco-belt to enable a complete security network of cameras around the estate. Possible intruders are identified 24/7 and can be stopped at the salt marshes before they set foot on the islands.
We are currently also investigating implementing a tagging system for boats in 2018. Due to the change in water levels of up to 2 metres between low tide and high tide, beams
cannot work and tagging boats is therefore the only viable method. These tags will trigger an alarm every time a non-tagged boat attempts to enter.
Thesen Islands is one of two places in the world where live water monitoring takes place through the Knysna Estuary Monitoring Platform (KEMP). This is a water quality monitoring programme located within the Knysna estuary and waterways of Thesen Islands and is used to conduct long-term water quality monitoring to provide data for research and management purposes.
There are also 15 pump stations on the island and if a pump breaks down, sewerage will overflow directly into the lagoon within minutes, resulting in serious impact on the quality of water. Although Knysna Municipality is responsible for the maintenance of these pumps, our Board purchased a telemetry system to monitor the levels of the pump stations well before they overflow and proactively contact the municipality to have this rectified.
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We are also in the middle of rolling out fibre throughout the estate in conjunction with a national service provider. The fibre will be available in every home and includes a modem with a VoIP phone to allow for greater communication.
How did the HOA manage the needs of the community during the recent fire disaster?
Thesen Islands managed to assist the community in various ways. A network of our members opened their homes, allowing more than 60 families to come and stay on the estate and, in most cases, they were housed in homes not inhabited by their owners. The Epileptic Hospital medical staff, caretakers and 60 patients were hosted in the Clubhouse on two occasions when the hospital had to be evacuated, and our communication network enabled us to arrange meals for the patients.
The overflow of meals was taken to organisations that could distribute it as per requirement, and thousands of items were donated through the HOA office and distributed to those in need too. Many of the people who received items were fire victims who stayed on Thesen Islands. A special disaster fund was created by our members, with contributions of almost R 500 000. These donations were managed by a special committee and assisted various workers to reinstate their houses to design and standard before the fire damage. The unused balance of the funds was donated to special welfare organisations in Knysna.
What would you say are the largest contributing factors to the ongoing capital appreciation the estate has seen?
A safe and secure environment is certainly one major factor, as is the excellent return on investment due to the exceptional rental opportunities that exist in an estate like Thesen Islands. Finally, the estate is managed to the highest environmental standards, acknowledged by WESSA for the fifth consecutive year, and having attained the Blue Flag award really sets the bar high for other estates to follow.
