It is a ‘pocket’ of Simbithi not many get to explore – a small cluster of homes in the leafy, tree-canopied first phase. Tucked in a cul de sac close to the boundary is the Peters’ family home. The regulation Simbithi house signage at the entrance of the winding driveway is intriguing: “Miracle Home”, it reads.
Alaister waves cheerfully, briefly stepping out of the airy entrance hall. Samantha arrives a few moments later, in a matching Barcelona FC shirt. As we sit down to chat, Miykael and Abigael shriek in delight as they zoom around the magnificent garden. Abigael bounds in with a handful of bright red slime; Miykael – with green – follows closely behind.
Samantha smiles fondly at her children, and then at Alaister as he begins to speak. “Sam and I were living in Dubai, when she fell pregnant with Miykael. We soon started to feel that we wanted to come back home, so our children could grow up the way we did: playing outside with hosepipes and bicycles until it was dark.” Samantha, a self-confessed ‘greenie’ wanted the joy of nature to surround her children, as it did her childhood. “My grandfather had a nursery, and our whole yard was a playground. Having lived in Dubai, in a land of many apartments, I knew I didn’t want that busy, stressful, technologically-driven life for our children. I grew to value clean air and green outdoor living amongst family and friends. It’s priceless yet so important for our health and environment.”
While living in La Mercy, the couple purchased land on a similar neighbouring North Coast estate. “It was lovely, on a greenbelt,” Samantha shares. “But, I kept feeling it was not where we were meant to be. I started researching and looked at a few properties in and around Ballito. When I came to Simbithi, I saw vision. It was natural, spacious, perfect for kids…everything we wanted.” A year of house hunting followed, while Samantha deliberated whether she could manage the project of building their new home with, now, two children and Alaister travelling out of the country almost a week a month. Still, they did not find a property that ticked all the boxes – that is, until a string of miracles was set in motion.
“After a year, Al and I felt we should stop looking and just concentrate on building our home,” Samantha says. “A short while after we agreed to stop, an agent called and invited me to view this place.” Although initially reluctant, Samantha agreed to pop by. Within moments of arrival, Samantha knew it was the place they were meant to call home. “It was perfect: our dream home.”
But it seemed as though the odds were against the Peters clan. In order to secure the home of their dreams, they had to sell the land they had purchased, and their home in La Mercy in one month. This, in 2015, while the property market was going through a concerning slump. “Financially, it seemed incredibly risky – impossible, even,” Alaister recalls. So, they put their strong faith into action. “We prayed, and we knew that if it was the will of God for us to have this home, He would make it possible.”
The words of Matthew 19:26 (“…with God, all things are possible…”) came alive, as the Peters watched things fall into place. Their offer to purchase was accepted by the home’s previous owner, the banks granted them the finances to purchase the home and they found tenants for their La Mercy property. And, an added blessing, the land they had purchased was sold soon after.
“We look back, although it wasn’t easy we have seen the grace of God over the entire process,” Samantha strokes Abigael’s hair as she comes in for a cuddle. “That’s why our sign says ‘Miracle Home’, a constant reminder to acknowledge His grace in our lives.” Having lived in Simbithi for four years, Samantha – a popular Ballito physiotherapist – and Alaister, a CA, are well, and truly, at home. “For me, security is paramount. It gives me peace of mind to know that when I travel abroad for work, Sam and the children are undoubtedly safe in our home. And, there’s so much to do within the Estate! We don’t have to go out much, between pizza and adventure golf at Heron, soccer on Guinea Fowl, family bonding time during our Sunday afternoon walks through the beautiful forest trails on the estate or simply enjoying our own home.”
Simbithi life suits Samantha perfectly; with her physio practice at IMF Medical Centre, and the children’s school just minutes away. “We are so excited to be part of something great. Simbithi can proudly boast as one of the best estates in the country, and we feel blessed to raise our children in this very well-run estate.”
