HartRAO Home > How to get to HartRAO > from Sandton via the William Nicol (R511) and/or R512

Take the William Nicol Highway (R511) heading north-west. This can be followed through the Skurweburg hills, turning left onto the R27 heading west. Pass Pelindaba on your left. Drive past the the turnoff to Lanseria / Johannesburg and continue to proceed west on the R512. After Broederstroom turn left at the Hartebeesthoek turnoff and proceed as described below**.

A shorter alternative is as follows:

Turn left from the William Nicol onto the Witkoppen Road (R564) just before the Fourways Mall.

Immediately after the Fourways Mall turn right onto Cedar Road, which becomes Rietvallei Road. Continue until a T-junction is reached.

At the T-junction with the Lion Park Road turn left then immediately right. This road flies over the N14 / R28. You will reach a T-junction, which is the R512.

Turn right at the T-junction and pass Lanseria, continuing to the T-junction with the road from Pretoria / Pelindaba to Broederstroom / Brits, at which you turn left.

**Turn left onto the Hartebeesthoek road which is signposted about 2 km after Broederstroom. After 9 km a stream is crossed and a dirt road to Skeerpoort turns off to the right. Ignore this dirt road and proceed for a further 9 km on the tarred road to the CSIR-SAC / HartRAO entrance on the right-hand side at the 34 km marker. There are signs "Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory" and "HartRAO" behind the fence, to the left of the gate, and "Satellite Application Centre / CSIR" to the right of the gate.

Once inside the gates of CSIR and HartRAO, drive 3 km down into the valley. After 1 km you will pass the CSIR's Satellite Application Centre on the right. HartRAO is at the end of a steep descent into a valley.

Here is a map in pdf format.

Note that all visits must be booked in advance.