KHULUMA December 2019

ADVENTURE
ISLAND

Many who go there choose to
lose themselves entirely to

indolence, as though Mauritius
were no more than an indulgent

refuelling station for tans
and cocktails. It seems such
a shame, writes Seth Wood,
since there’s far more to the
island than splashing about
in the warm water or lazing
underneath a layer of sunscreen
while clutching a rum cocktail

152 DECEMBER 2019 kulula.com

There are few places on the MAURITIUS, BUT DIFFERENT EXPLORE
planet where you’re likely to
return from a hike boasting In 1990, there were only nine pink pigeons
that you managed to spot one left on earth. They’re not the only endemic
of the local pigeons. Yet, in the Mauritian species brought back from the brink, though.
bundu, the most special creature you could In 1974, the island’s only endemic raptor,
hope to run into is a rosy-breasted critter the Mauritius kestrel, became the rarest
known as the pink pigeon. On an island bird on earth – only four remained. And echo
best known for an extinct bird, it’s a rare parakeets, noisy green birds found nowhere
remnant from prehuman times and only else, once numbered just 10.
spared extinction thanks to rigorous
conservation efforts. Today, these and other survivors-against-
all-odds can be spotted in Black River
Gorges National Park, one of the best places
to get a feel for what Mauritius looked
like before humans set foot here. Tucked
between its steep cliffs, overhangs and
gorges, the park beckons

kulula.com DECEMBER 2019 153



MAURITIUS, BUT DIFFERENT EXPLORE

AUTHENTIC DIGS adventurers with dozens of trails, many of beneath the thick canopy, and then
them unmarked single-track routes ideal quickly transforms into a steep upward
Quite dissimilar to the island’s many for adventure-seeking hikers and trail gradient that slows you down to a knee-
seaside resorts, Otentic occupies runners. The reserve covers just quivering slog.
a grass embankment that tumbles 68 square kilometres, yet it’s possible to
into a river mouth on the lesser- spend several days hiking or running here Such technicalities have earned
discovered east coast. Instead of without meeting another soul. Mauritius a reputation for some of the
air-conditioned concrete cocoons, world’s most challenging trail races.
guests stay in hard-wearing safari Within Black River Gorges is the island’s The climb up Little Black River Peak,
eco-tents set on raised wooden highest peak, Piton de la Petite Rivière in fact, forms part of the island’s most
plinths; the owner has been Noire (Little Black River Peak), which famous running event, the Xtreme Dodo
scrupulous about sustainability – rises to 828 metres and is a brilliant Trail, which involves scaling all seven
everything from bathroom walls introduction to the island’s wilder, of the island’s tallest peaks; it’s a tough
to beds is fashioned from recycled primordial side. To reach the summit, you ultramarathon course that’s complicated
wood and there’s not a sliver of can stick to the obvious trails, or enlist by tricky underfooting and lots of wet,
plastic in sight. It’s easygoing, one of the hiking companies for a more sloshy, slippery patches where it’s
in-depth exploration of what feels like a possible to sink knee-deep into the mud.
convivial, and run like an upmarket timeless jungle. Better yet, if you fancy Tropical conditions add immensely to
backpackers. It’s hard to imagine a exerting yourself before breakfast, lace up the sense of an against-the-elements
more unfettered, authentic island your running shoes and see just how crazy adventure, too, mixing steamy hot and
these near-vertical inclines can get. humid conditions with a good chance that
experience. Plus, it o ers such The favoured route for serious Mauritian rain might come bucketing down at any
activities as kitesur ng, canoeing trailrunners is the most direct one moment. It’s precisely the kind of wild,
and reef snorkelling. Taking the eco- straight to the top. It starts with a few raw counterpoint to the freshly-raked
concept to the next level, last year minutes of wading through an army resort beaches and manicured gardens
saw the opening of a mountainside of trees and densely tangled vines that turns obvious expectations about
annexe, up on the slopes of nearby and knotted roots that clench and twist Mauritius completely on their head.
Bambous Mountain – it’s totally o -
grid (solar power, sun-heated water,
no phone signal), with panoramic
sea views, a vegetarian menu, and
daily shuttles down to the original
riverside property where there’s a
swimming pool, a gorgeous little
kitchen in a repurposed container
serving traditional Creole meals
(including seafood and meat dishes),
and kayaks and SUPs standing by
so you can explore the river and
dri through the mangroves of the
nearby island, Ile aux Cerfs, where

there are gorgeous beaches.

otentic.mu

kulula.com DECEMBER 2019 155

EXPLORE MAURITIUS, BUT DIFFERENT

While ascending Little Black River Peak, Having worked There are plenty of easier trails, too.
you’ll use chains, ropes, and even a ladder through thick, On the island’s east coast, visitors to La
tied against one especially vertical section savage forest, Vallée de Ferney, a small nature reserve
to hoist yourself up. When you reach the you are suddenly tucked between sugarcane plantations,
summit, though, the views that await are standing on top are handed a map for a self-guided hike
simply sensational. Having worked through of the world, through a lush, jungly rainforest cut with
thick, savage forest, you’re suddenly surrounded by streams and waterfalls and a few irresistible
standing on top of the world, surrounded by rolling hills and stray pathways beneath a canopy of thick
rolling hills and plunging valleys, squinting plunging valleys. overhead branches.
across scenes of undulating green that
stretch towards the coast and the vast covered the entire island until European For another glimpse of Mauritius as it
ocean beyond. settlers arrived. might have been before the colonists
began harvesting the flora and decimating
That’s barely the start of it, though. You needn’t run up, through and over it, the animals, you can visit Ile aux Aigrettes,
Having reached the highest point, there’s to appreciate the wildness of Mauritius, 800 metres off the southeast coast.
a long, beautiful run along the mountain’s however. If hot-footing through the national A real trip back in time, the tiny coral isle
spine through forests and glades, and park doesn’t get your blood racing, then a is a protected reserve where guided walks
past various viewpoints all of which morning expedition to the Tamarind Falls reveal all kinds of rarities, including
will leave you in little doubt that you’ve should do the trick. This adventuresome pink pigeons
discovered the soul of the island, a living, three-hour hike through a verdant forest
breathing wilderness of the sort that takes you to a series of water-spewing
cataracts on the Rivière Tamarin, not far
from Mare aux Vacoas, a large lake on the
island’s central plateau. Cradled within
a spectacularly beautiful nature reserve,
the unspoiled canyon you reach comprises
waterfalls ranging between 10 and 55
metres in height. Also known as the ‘seven
cascades’, there are steep drop-offs and
deep pools where you can swim wild
beneath the plunging waters.

156 DECEMBER 2019 kulula.com

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ADVENTURES FOR THE LAZY DAYS

e beaches, of course, are still exquisite – powder-white stretches lapped by waters that
are almost entirely protected by a coral reef. For the most part, the sea’s as gentle as a lake
– plus it’s shark-free and warm enough to swim in year-round. Ocean-going adventures

abound – from kiteboarding o Le Morne to idyllic cruises that hop between various
tiny islands o the Mauritian mainland. From Tamarin Bay or Black River, you can join
a boat trip to snorkel with pods of spinner and bottlenose dolphins that spend time each
morning playing in the harbour – they’re there long enough for you to bond with them,
and by 8:30am, most dolphin swims are over. Tamarin Bay is also frequented by surfers,
and just south is Grande Rivière Noire, a shing village where anglers go to catch tuna,
bonito, and barracuda. Slightly north, the popular lagoon town of Flic-en-Flac attracts
snorkellers and divers wanting to see underwater caves and shipwrecks in water protected

by a large coral barrier.

158 DECEMBER 2019 kulula.com

MAURITIUS, BUT DIFFERENT EXPLORE

Pictures: CIEL Ferney Trail, Seth Wood and Mauritius kestrels if you missed them culminates just short of the summit which is
elsewhere, and there are Aldabra giant off-limits to hikers, but from the uppermost
tortoises introduced from the Seychelles viewpoint, there are scintillating vistas
and endangered Telfair’s skinks, which look across Le Morne’s tranquil bay where you’ll
like snakes with legs. spot kiteboarders being swept along by
the peninsula’s strong winds and surfers
And then there’s Le Morne Brabant, the tackling a gnarly spot known as ‘One Eye’.
majestic basalt monolith that rises to a
height of 556 metres and looms above the Pack bathing suits for a post-hike dip in
southwestern tip of the island at the edge the sea, then set off on a wild, winding drive
of a promontory that shares its name. Its along the south coast. At Souillac, there are
flattish summit covers an area of over breaks in the reef that otherwise encircles
12 hectares, making it the only true Mauritius, and these permit furious waves to
mountain plateau in Mauritius, and a roll up and hammer the mainland.
UNESCO World Heritage Site because,
during the early-1800s, the mountain Stop at windswept Gris Gris for the
became a refuge for runaway slaves. most dramatic view – walks along the cliff
Looming broodingly above a beautiful above the surf-sculpted volcanic black rock
lagoon, the craggy mountain is the scene shoreline are exhilarating. As you gaze out
of an exhilarating hike – as you follow your across this enchanted scene, you won’t
guide up, you’ll pass plants that grow spot pink pigeons, but do keep watch for
nowhere else on earth. white-tailed tropicbirds. Another of the
island’s beauties, known locally as paille-
The stiff climb, which requires some en-queue, they can often be seen gliding on
serious four-limb scrambling in sections, the thermals before diving into the sea to
swallow fish whole.
At Gris Gris,,
walks along the
cliff above the
surf-sculpted
volcanic black
rock shoreline
are exhilarating.

kulula.com DECEMBER 2019 159



SUMMER FOR INTROVERTS EXPLORE

I THINK I'M A

LONER NOW

Introvert
Bianca Coleman

faces the
summertime
crush and dispels
a few myths in
the process

kulula.com DECEMBER 2019 161

162 DECEMBER 2019 kulula.com

SUMMER FOR INTROVERTS EXPLORE

ecember is the most exciting month of the year.
It contains parties for all ages, it has sunshine, year-
end bonuses if you’re lucky, as well as Christmas and
New Year’s Eve, and many, many tourists and visitors
swarming all over the place. What’s not to love?
For an introvert, pretty much everything.
Extroverts, conversely, are in their element: it’s loud,
noisy, crowded, chaotic. Wide-eyed and fuelled by too
much sugar (children) and too much alcohol (hopefully not
children), they ping and bounce around like they’re inside a pinball
machine, ricocheting from one high-energy activity to another. It’s
bright, colourful, exciting and stimulating. Introverts, meanwhile, find
it draining and exhausting; an ‘introvert hangover’ is a real thing. It’s
what happens after too much ‘peopling’ because introverts revel in
the gentler side of life and need to ‘recharge’ after participating in the
extroverts’ world.
Let’s clear up a few myths here. Introverts and extroverts are often
viewed in terms of two extreme opposites, and it can frequently seem
that way, whichever side of the fence you’re on. Who hasn’t said to
someone ‘you’re so quiet!’? Who hasn’t groaned inwardly and muttered
‘use your inside voice, please!’?

12

Solo pursuits NOISES OFF JUST THE TWO OF US

Holiday activities for Joining a guided City Sightseeing Hop-On Up in the air is one of the best places to be
me-time enthusiasts Hop-Off citywide bus tour (of Cape Town or when you want a bit of peace and quiet; when
Joburg) is the perfect activity for an introvert you’re tandem paragliding (or tandem
– and it comes with one of our favourite skydiving for that matter) it’s just you and your
people-deterrents: headphones. When we’re pilot. Depending on where you take off, it can
wearing these, we’re sending out clear signals be a bit of a mission to get to that point (spoiler:
that we don’t want to be disturbed. Sadly, this it’s high and sometimes means hiking, although
doesn’t always work, but when someone does if you do it in Cape Town, you park at the take-
tap you on the shoulder to ask you some inane off point on Signal Hill), and you’ll probably
touch down in the middle of a horde, but the
question, you are not necessarily middle bit – hanging in the sky, lording it over
obliged to respond. Many people the earth at its most serenely silent – is well
on these tours are foreign, so worth the trouble. One of the best places
you can always feign language to do this is Wilderness on the Garden Route,
ignorance, which makes mingling with pioneering paraglider Jan Minaar.
with the masses completely cloudbase.co.za
optional. citysightseeing.co.za

kulula.com DECEMBER 2019 163



SUMMER FOR INTROVERTS EXPLORE

The truth is, most of us fall somewhere in the middle: ambiverts who
can be lively and animated – in the right environment – but who also like
a healthy dose of ‘me-time’.

Often it can be surprising who identifies as an introvert when they
choose careers you don’t expect. Like acting. Being an introvert who
avoids small talk and prefers observing rather than taking part in
the nightmare of ‘let’s go around the room and each say something
about ourselves’ doesn’t necessarily translate to being shy. In fact, we
introverts adore top-quality one-on-one conversations. But please,
please don’t put us on the spot in front of a bunch of strangers. ‘Sorry
I’m late, I didn’t want to come’ is an introvert’s refrain. It’s also the title
of a book by Jessica Pan, who decided to spend a year living like an
extrovert – going so far as to take up improv and stand-up comedy. It’s a
true horror story.

Three-time Academy Award winner (and 21-time Academy Award
nominee) Meryl Streep is a self-proclaimed introvert and uses
visualisation to push through situations out of her comfort zone. ‘I’m
much more of an introvert [than my mother],’ she says. ‘I’m much more
inclined to want to not say anything in public. When I have to be in the

34

OARSOME LONESOME STRINGS ATTACHED 5

If it’s not in the sky you want to be, may we More than tandem paragliding, more than kayaking, with GET OUTTA HERE!
suggest the middle of the ocean? Well, not quite zip lining you actually get to be completely alone! For a
– from your kayak you’ll still be able to see land, few seconds at a time, but still. We take what we can get. If you’re an introvert with a side order of
but there are far fewer humans out there, which There are locations dotted all over South Africa, mostly claustrophobia, then this one is not for you.
is a relief. Instead, depending on the coastline in relatively remote areas (including the KZN Midlands, Escape (or puzzle) rooms can be enjoyed by
you choose, you’re likely to spot seals, penguins, Ceres, Drakensberg, Magoebaskloof, and there’s also one only two people if necessary, but we recommend
dolphins, whales and sunfish, all well-known in eSwatini), but if your holiday is city-based, you can do you choose your partner carefully. It’s all well
for their habits of not shouting or making small this fun sport in Constantia, only 20 minutes from Cape and good to solve the mysteries and clues to get
talk. Popular starting points include Hout Bay Town’s CBD. canopytour.co.za, ceresadventures.co.za out the locked room, but at what cost to your
(kayakadventures.capetown), Mouille Point relationship? SA's first puzzle room is in Dunkeld
(kayak.co.za), Paternoster (facebook.com/ West, Joburg. escaperoom.co.za
kayakpaternoster), and Knysna (on the river and
estuary, but still; duneadventures.co.za). Pro tip: while everyone else is arguing, sit
quietly in the corner and they won’t even notice
you’re not participating.

kulula.com DECEMBER 2019 165

EXPLORE SUMMER FOR INTROVERTS

spotlight, I think to myself, Mary [Streep] could do it. It’s a good thing,
to imagine yourself doing something you think you can’t. I do that every
day because, if I had my way, I’d just stay home and think about what
I’m having for supper.’

As if we didn’t adore her enough already.
‘I love being by myself, love being outdoors, love taking a long walk
with my dogs and looking at the trees, flowers, the sky… I’d be perfectly
happy if I spent Saturday night until Monday morning alone.’
On the other hand, some introverts choose to pursue careers in
arts and sciences because jobs in those fields frequently promise nice
private environments. Writers, for example. JK Rowling is one of us, and
often comments on the fact that she was alone when she first thought
up Harry Potter on a train in 1990. This is an example of the great
things that can occur when you leave us the heck alone. If she’d been
interrupted by a talkative fellow passenger who couldn’t exist in silence
for a little bit, one of the greatest book-and-movie juggernauts in history
might not have been created.
Albert Einstein famously said: ‘The monotony and solitude of a quiet
life stimulates the creative mind’ and Elon Musk refers to himself as

6

YOUR PRIVATE PATCH OF SAND 7

UP WHERE YOU ALONE BELONG Noordhoek Beach is one of the most beautiful in
the Western Cape. It’s also one of the least populated,
Drifting above the earth – whether over the Cape Winelands or somewhere in mainly because there’s nothing else there besides a lot
Magaliesberg – at sunrise in a hot-air balloon will keep you far from the maddening of sand and sea, and a shipwreck. No umbrellas and
crowds (sic). You’re in a basket with limited standing room so not too much space for an deck chairs for hire, no ice-cream sellers, no showers or
extended group – plus it’s pretty expensive, so there won’t be a queue. In fact, with an toilet… it’s paradise. It’s also a bit of a walk
optional pick-up from your hotel well before dawn cracks, all but the most determined of from the road, but on horseback it’s a
travellers can be put off. balloonbookings.co.za doddle – until you’ve raced along
the edge of the waves, hanging
on for dear life, you have not
lived. Of course, quieter
beaches are to be found all
along the coast and it’s not
brain surgery seeking one
out. To avoid feeling like a
sardine, just aim your car
in the opposite direction to
where everyone else is going.

166 DECEMBER 2019 kulula.com





SUMMER FOR INTROVERTS EXPLORE

‘basically like an introverted engineer’. He admits it took a lot of practice
and effort to be able to go up on stage and not stammer.

Well, he wanted to be a CEO, so he can suck it up.
While we crave tranquillity, we don’t hate society, and people, in general.
Not really (mainly it’s the mouth-breathers who don’t respect our personal
space when we’re in the checkout at Pick n Pay). We’d simply rather not be
in their crushing midst during the holiday season, thank you very much.
This is an impossible dream, unless we’re going to elevate ourselves
to recluse status – which can sound highly appealing after doing a round
of shopping this month. You can be certain an introvert has most likely
already researched all the available delivery services and online retailers
as they consider not stepping out the front door until February.
It’s not unreasonable.

Coucnrtoewridnhtuaictkivse There will be people, yes.
But here’s how to trick yourself

into feeling alone

Pictures: freepix.com, JIT/istock.com, Gearstd/istock.com, Supplied THE CINEMA OUTDOOR CONCERTS MUSIC FESTIVALS

Hear us out: even if you go to a mall and have The suggestion of attending a live music concert along with 5 000 others Even less than an outdoor
to fight your way from the parking lot to the might send you screaming for the hills, but a bit of careful planning can concert, a music festival
movie house, selecting the first screening of result in a successful outing. In Cape Town, the Kirstenbosch Summer shouldn’t be on the introvert’s
the day will mean it will be less busy. Also, Sunset Concerts draw massive numbers so get there early and mark summer wish list. Up The
go on the hottest days. Everyone else will your territory at the edge of the lawns. Large structures are frowned upon, Creek, however, is a small
be sweating and sunburning at the beach but huge sighs and glares if anyone else puts their toe on your blanket can festival, limited to around 3 000
and you’ll be smiling in the cool, dark, air- keep the intruders at bay. souls max. Yes, there will be
conditioned cinema. other people – we’ve already
Pro tip: knowing the lyrics of every song sung by whoever is performing established it’s nigh on impossible
Pro tip: the front row. No one will walk will dramatically increase your chances of being left alone – just insist on to avoid them altogether – but
in front of you, trip over you, spill popcorn singing along (or mouthing the words) and people will let you enjoy your it’s manageable. The payoff is
on you… and with the rest of the audience special connection with the artist. that it’s one of the most intimate
at your back you can almost pretend you festivals on the calendar, and
are alone. there’s an excellent chance you’ll
bump into your favourite muso at
the bar (and, knowing your taste,
he or she will turn out to be an
introvert, too, and you will both
live happily ever after).

Pro tip: don’t ablute at
peak shower hours.

Mid-afternoon is better, or even
at 3am.

kulula.com DECEMBER 2019 169



PE’S TUXEDO CROWD EXPLORE

On a small island off the coast DECEMBER 2019 171
of the city they call warm, windy
and friendly, one woman is doing
everything in her power to save
some of the world’s last
African penguins

kulula.com

ach April and May – during penguin hatching season – biologist kulula.com
Lorien Pichegru spends up to two weeks at a time on the
island of St Croix. It’s just a big rock, bare and barren, she says,
pointing towards a nub of land vaguely visible through the
morning haze.
We’re sitting at a café at Port Elizabeth’s beachfront promenade where
joggers and walkers, surfers and early-morning swimmers are enjoying the
warm air and clear sky on a rare wind-free day.
Some 20 000 penguins live on St Croix, one of two colonies off PE’s
coast. That these are now also the two biggest African penguin colonies
isn’t cause for celebration, though. ‘It’s not that numbers here have swelled,
but because they’ve disappeared elsewhere,’ says Lorien. ‘Penguins on the
West Coast have been disappearing super-fast. Dassen Island, off
Yzerfontein, was the largest colony, but we lost 90 per cent
of them in 10 years.’
The reason for the West Coast’s population decline
is simple: there’s not enough food. ‘Even if the young
penguins go to Boulders, or Stony Point, where
there’s a bit more food, they get eaten by caracals
and dogs and leopards and mongooses because the
colonies are on the mainland. At least here they’re
on islands, so they have a bit more protection, but
they face so many threats.’
Which is why Lorien makes her treks out to St
Croix. ‘It’s quite tricky getting onto the island. A
boat drops you off and you have to jump on the rocks.
There’s a little house that was built by the guano scrapers
back in the early 20th century. It’s all falling apart. We have to
take everything we need – water, wood for cooking, and food that’ll
last without a fridge.’
Once, Lorien spent ten days on the island all alone. ‘Never again,’ she says.
‘It got a bit mad. I love being there, but I am also very happy to leave. It gets
really cold and there’s no way to warm up. You have to wash in the sea and if
it’s raining for three days, it’s miserable.’
Lorien has never been one to let a few hardships stand in her way. Coming
from Réunion, she says she grew up with annual cyclones that were a constant
reminder of nature’s dominion. It was that early connection with nature that
led to her studying biology in Strasbourg, and then specialising in seabirds and
specifically Cape gannets. ‘But the more I worked on them, the more I realised
they don’t need to be studied – they need to be saved.’ Lorien says many
seabirds are in the same predicament as rhinos.
Like rhinos, penguins are good for attracting attention: they’re cute
and people pay attention to them, which they don’t typically do with less
‘marketable’ seabirds. Lorien says she’s able to make the public aware

172 DECEMBER 2019

PE’S TUXEDO CROWD EXPLORE

‘ e thing with penguins,’ says
Lorien Pichegru, ‘is that there’s always

another threat. Our next battle is
plastic pollution. We’ve started a
four-year project to make PE the rst
city to eradicate the ow of plastic
into the sea. By the end of 2021 – with
the help of the municipality and some
big companies – we hope to have
achieved this. It’s the next big battle,
but ultimately it’s a simple issue of
will – and fostering co-operation. To
begin, we are monitoring where the
plastic is coming from, and then we
will block it from entering the sea. It’s
a matter of education, cleaning, and
coming down on those companies
that produce the plastic and the waste,
policing them. PE will be the rst
city and then we plan to move up the

entire east coast of Africa.’

kulula.com DECEMBER 2019 173



PE’S TUXEDO CROWD EXPLORE

of their plight and use that awareness to throw a spotlight on other PE’s sun-drenched beaches see a lot of
creatures. ‘The hope is that by saving penguins, you’re able to save the action, so start the day with a seaside
other birds that no-one cares about. Cape cormorants are in the same walk, commencing from McArthur
predicament, yet barely anyone has heard about them, and no one knows Baths, a pool complex on King’s
they’re in danger of disappearing. Because they’re just not as cute as penguins. Beach in Humewood. As you head
They’re all endangered, just like rhinos.’ south along paved promenades
and raised boardwalks, you’ll weave
African penguins were declared endangered in 2010, Cape cormorants in 2014, and between surfers, joggers and sun-
in 2017, gannets were added to the list. ‘It’s because the environment is changing. We
can throw blame at any number of factors, including climate change,’ Lorien says, worshippers, passing the Boardwalk
‘but we do know that all these factors impact the numbers of fish in the sea – Casino complex and Shark Rock Pier and
the sardines and anchovies that these birds eat. several beaches before eventually hitting Cape Recife
Nature Reserve, where you can stop at SAMREC to
‘We can’t change the temperature of the sea or what the fish are doing, gape at rescued penguins being nursed by volunteers.
but we can stop the fishing. Or at least get the fishermen to go fish e penguins are fed daily between 2:30 and 3pm.
somewhere else. So that’s what I work on.’
samrec.org.za
On St Croix, Lorien puts GPS trackers on adult penguins to monitor If you’d rather drive, you can also
the variability of their hunting patterns according to when the area is follow the circular Ibhayi Sunshine
open to human fishing and when it’s closed. Ongoing monthly surveys of Saunter, a scenic route continuing
fish movements are correlated with the penguins’ movements to assess past Cape Recife all the way to
the relationship between fishing and penguin activity. At the same time, she Schoenmakerskop and beyond,
monitors and weighs a certain number of chicks to see how they’re growing and draw into the countryside. e drive also
comparisons over time. She says that around 10, maybe 15, years ago, biologists takes you to the enormous dunes
like herself were already warning the fishing industry and government that declining of Sardinia Bay, a superb picnic
penguin and other seabird numbers were a forecast of a radical decline in ocean beach and also the start of the 8km
fish stock. She says that biologists understand better than most that penguins Sacramento Trail coastal walk.
are an indicator species – the health of their populations can serve as a
forecast of things to come. ‘Because they can’t go very far to fish when Back in town, opposite Humewood Beach
they breed, they’re the first to be hit when there’s a problem with fish (incidentally, a good choice if you’re looking to sprawl
numbers,’ Lorien explains. ‘So first the penguin population goes down, out for a dose of vitamin D) you’ll nd Bayworld,
then the cormorants, then the gannets, then – frankly – it’s us.’ incorporating a snake park, oceanarium (seal and
penguin shows at 11am and 3pm), and a museum
But Lorien says the early warnings were ignored. ‘Fishery scientists told
us we were wrong, that there was plenty of fish in the sea. But now the featuring a reconstruction of local dinosaur
Algoasaurus and bits of shipwrecked
galleons. bayworld.co.za
For a bit more adventure and to
see the city from the ocean, set o
with Raggy Charters to explore St
Croix Island marine reserve where
20 000 African penguins breed.
From June through early-January,
humpback whales – that mate and

kulula.com DECEMBER 2019 175

EXPLORE PE’S TUXEDO CROWD

calve in Nelson Mandela Bay – can be situation is so bad that they had to close the entire sardine fishing on the Words: Keith Bain, Pictures: Patrick Latimer, Supplied, lennjo/istock.com
spotted. raggycharters.co.za West Coast because there are no fish left.’
Lorien intends preventing similar disaster off PE’s coast. Armed with data
In the Baakens Valley, Werk_ collected on St Croix, her team can provide evidence to authorities – and to
(pronounced ‘werk space’) is local fishermen – about the impact their activities are having not only on seabird
pretty much an antimall set up numbers, but also on the impact that fishing is having on fish stock.
in a recon gured old industrial ‘We’ve basically spent 12 years gathering evidence to scientifically demonstrate
warehouse. ere are shops, places to that closing the area to fishing can help the penguins.’ The next step is getting an
eat and grab co ee – and you can even agreement with the fishermen. ‘Before, the fishermen would only listen to the
do a CrossFit session, settle in for locally department of fisheries, because they’re proper scientists and they refused to
made cra beer or visit the tiny rum distillery believe us biologists. We are getting there. Fishermen don’t want to take the
for a tasting of hard tack. blame for killing the penguins.’

ere are lounge-like nooks, a pottery studio, art Fishing isn’t the sole threat, though. St Croix sits between two major
galleries and a jeweller. One business is an indoor industrial harbours and, in 2015, Algoa Bay became South Africa’s first port to
climbing wall started by a former teacher, and offer ship-to-ship bunkering, a procedure that enables big ships to refuel at
– aside from a huge, airy Remo’s Italian sea rather than entering the harbour, which helps them save on huge taxes.
restaurant – there’s a smoothie bar. ‘But,’ says Lorien, ‘each time a ship arrives to be refuelled, there’s risk of an oil
It also hosts regular Baakens Food spill. Within six months, there was a spill and now authorities have expanded the
Truck Fundays that are hugely number of refuelling ships. We don’t wish to antagonise them, but we have started a
sociable. facebook.com/thewerk dialogue. We can’t stop them because they just say they’re creating jobs and increasing
the economy. And there’s that old argument that says, “We don’t really need penguins!”
If you crave a good sunset ‘No, we don’t need penguins. And we don’t need Cape gannets either, really. But the
view, head up to the Radisson idea is that we need to have the whole biodiversity to make the world go around. If
Blu’s ocean-facing pool deck, we lose that, we’re going to lose the fish that we need to eat, and we’ll lose the
which extends out of the hotel’s shrimp, because that fish needs that worm to feed on, and that worm needs
chic bar-lounge, Tabú. From here, that algae, and if the temperature increases too much, and the algae die,
you can witness sunset with a cocktail in the worms don’t exist and there’ll be no fish, and the fishermen lose their
hand and an eye on the surf – sometimes you jobs and we’ll have poverty as a result and human hunger. The image is
catch surfers cavorting with dolphins in the breakers. that biodiversity is a plane and we’re all in it. We can lose a screw and we
lose a few pieces here and there, and the plane can still fly, but if you start
radissonhotels.com to lose too many bits, we all die.’
Alternatively, head for iconic Shark Rock Pier
kulula.com
and prepare for crowds of beach-lovers, surfers,
sea-kayakers, runners, strollers and voyeurs
gathered on and o Hobie Beach, heart
and soul of the beachfront scene and
ideal for witnessing the sinking sun.
A great vantage is from Blue Waters
Café, right on the beachfront
promenade. It’s unpretentious and
incredibly welcoming – grab a table
on the sea-facing terrace, sink a few
cocktails, then summon the blackened
line sh and tuck in. bluewaterscafe.com

176 DECEMBER 2019



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UNDERSEA DREAMS EXPLORE

Mtearfollkes
From professional
mermen to a
Magaliesberg mermaid,
Carla Hüsselmann
dives into the depths of
‘mermania’

kulula.com DECEMBER 2019 179

EXPLORE UNDERSEA DREAMS

H is dream was met ago. The wise god had the upper body of career as a horror movie actor, O’Brocki
with scepticism, mirth, a man and the lower body of a fish – later found himself randomly YouTubing
homophobic slurs and one he was worshipped as Poseidon by the mermaids one day, watching clips from
distasteful joke that he should be hunted ancient Greeks and as Neptune by the his favourite 1980s movie, Splash, and
down with a harpoon. Chris O’Brocki knew Romans. But, unsurprisingly, the portrayal The Little Mermaid. ‘I was absolutely
though, that he needed to swim against of fishy femme fatales who lured sailors blown away when I came across a video
the tide, holding true to his dream of to their watery doom with their seductive of a “professional mermaid” with this
becoming a professional merman, because song held more of a sway over the popular beautifully sequinned, sparkly tail with
just beneath the choppy surface, a world (male) imagination as the ages passed. clear fringes on her fluke. And I was like,
of transformative magic and child-like “Whoa, wait, that’s a thing?!” I researched
wonder awaited him. Fast forward to 2011 when the more and found out there was actually an
mythological shape-shifting creatures entire community of people who did this
After all, despite gender-biased are back in vogue as pop culture’s ‘new for a living! The mermaid I’d seen was an
mythology, before there was ever mention vampires’ , thanks to Lady Gaga’s alter A-list mermaid called Mermaid Hannah
of mermaids, there are records of the ego, Yüyi the mermaid, and the popularity who did a lot for ocean conservation,’
first merman Ea, the Mesopotamian god of mermaid-themed young adult says the long-locked, blue-eyed aquatic
of water and culture, some 4 000 years books. Looking for a way to spice up his

180 DECEMBER 2019 kulula.com

UNDERSEA DREAMS EXPLORE

Living his Triton Life
The world is riding a wave of
Mermania currently with a
remake of The Little Mermaid
on the horizon, the hit TV series

Sirens, merpeople swimming
schools popping up worldwide,
endless merchandise, YouTube

rainbow hair tutorials, and a
rumour that Channing ‘Torso’

Tatum will be starring in a
gender-swapping remake of
Splash. ‘Merpeople culture has
exploded and making high-
quality tails is big business
now – they can go for anything

from $1 500 to $6 000,’
says Chris O’Brocki, aka

Mermaid Christian.
Many high-profile mermen and
mermaids are ‘eco-art’ activists,
swimming with dolphins and
whales and in fragile ecosystems
to raise awareness of the danger
of destroying our oceanic womb.
Merman Christian has dedicated
the last year to his ‘Reeformation’
awareness campaign. ‘I’m raising
awareness of the degradation and
bleaching of coral reefs because
coral reefs are dying on a massive
scale. As a merman, I want to do
something meaningful, that will
matter 10 years from now, and
not just what the latest merman
accessory is or how creative I can

get with a photoshoot.’
What is his advice for any
aspiring mermen? ‘Be unique,
because as the age-old saying
goes, “there are plenty of fish in
the sea!” Also, keep your fluke
held high and have thick skin. As
Finding Nemo’s Dory says: Just

keep swimming!’

kulula.com DECEMBER 2019 181



UNDERSEA DREAMS EXPLORE

performer from his apartment in
Baltimore, USA, after a day spent playing
the ‘Lord Chancellor, the queen’s right-
hand man’ at Medieval Times Dinner
Theatre, his day job.

‘But then I was like, “Okay, but where
are the guys with tails?” The only other
merman I could find was the great
mertailor, Eric Ducharme, who’s famous
worldwide for making really awesome
silicone tails, and a few more who just
posed for photoshoots. Like, nobody was
really taking charge and paving the way
for mermen and spreading the message of
conserving our oceans.’ As a boy, O’Brocki
had had ambitions of becoming a dolphin
trainer, but growing up he’d lost sight of his
deep connection to the ocean. Here,
finally, was an opportunity to open
himself up to the currents of life and
rekindle childhood dreams.

But unlike The Little Mermaid’s Ariel
who willingly relinquishes her voice to
gain human legs and love, O’Brocki says
his ‘number-one goal’ was ‘to become the
voice for all those guys who dreamt of
becoming mermen.’

Doingitfortheb s

Realising he had to become the role
model he himself sought, O’Brocki set
to work on his magical transformation
into Merman Christian. He made his very
first tail of neoprene and silicone from
scratch, thanks to YouTube tutorials and
his special effects friends in the film biz. ‘I
decided my merpersona was going to be a
tropical merman, so all his tails would be
tropical-fish coloured, and I adopted the
design of Daryl Hannah’s tail in Splash: the
fabulous flowy, feathery dorsal fins on
the back.’

kulula.com DECEMBER 2019 183

EXPLORE UNDERSEA DREAMS this year. Some merpeople suit up at the
pool or use wheelchairs.’
Thankfully learning the dolphin kick
that all self-respecting merpeople must His first gig was at the Baltimore
master came naturally, he says. ‘My Aquarium, and slowly but surely
maiden swim was a bit weird at first, he continued swimming upstream,
but after 20 minutes it just clicked. I was busting gender norms in the female-
lucky because a lot of people have panic dominated industry and performing at
attacks because it’s like your legs are in a merconventions, fantasy weekends,
vice. Because I don’t smoke and do cardio, private parties, ocean conservation drives
I discovered that my breath-hold is about and even founding the Maryland Mermaids
three minutes, so I can swim around all with seven mermaids.
kinds of corners and tight spaces. I also
learned how to blow bubbles and heart Trying to disprove the prevailing
rings underwater.’ ethos that only girls can pull off glittery
tails, seashell crowns and shimmering
The most difficult part of getting himself waterproof make-up did have its difficult
into character is putting his tail on, he moments, particularly when dealing with
laughs. ‘It’s never an attractive process! male critics, admits O’Brocki. ‘As mermen,
People love taking photos of us when we get questioned about our sexuality
we’re wriggling and squeezing into our and why we’re working with children,
tails! There’s also no mobility in the tail, especially by men. But this negativity
so most of the time I’ll have a mer-tender disappears every time I see a young
carry me to the water or a whole band of boy who lights up and wants to hug me
guys will do it, like I had at New York Pride because he didn’t realise that mer-boys
existed. They get such huge smiles on
184 DECEMBER 2019 their faces and they want to race me in the
pool and find out if my dad is King Triton or
Poseidon. I’ve also got some very personal
messages from men who’ve thanked me
for giving them the strength and courage
to follow their dreams.’

kulula.com





UNDERSEA DREAMS EXPLORE

#MermaidTheWorld beginnings of a whimsical idea that would By blending the art forms of ballet and
eventually transform into their eco-art photography with freediving, in service
She’s a ‘mythical sea ballerina’ from the conservation project, #MermaidTheWorld. of ocean conservation, they’re hoping to
Magaliesberg and she’s called Mermaid ‘As we’re both passionate about the inspire personal shifts to a sustainable
Dawn. She’s on a quest to find magical ocean, we’d wondered how we could lifestyle for the good of the ocean and for
slices of ocean and light and reflect them use our resources and skills all of humanity, says Wolhuter.
back in breathtaking photographs to to contribute
inspire others to conserve our life-giving to marine Their next ‘conservation through art
ocean. It’s challenging being an inland conservation,’ says and optimism’ adventure is a trip to the
mermaid when your heart belongs to Wolhuter. ‘Watching Maldives. ‘The Maldives is slowly sinking
the ocean, but 14-year-old Dawn – her Dawn so free and and also suffered a major coral bleaching
human name is Lucia Smit – sustains graceful in the incident in 2016,’ says Dawn. ‘We’re
salty memories of faraway seas and water, I realised that hoping to photograph the local coral
undertakes mermaid training that keeps mermaids connect us restoration projects and the Olive Ridley
her afloat. to a childhood space Project, which rehabilitates turtles caught
where hope is strong, in discarded fishing nets. I really believe
Earlier this year, she travelled with her people are kind mermaids are important in this day and
trusty sidekick, former press and dance and dreams may age, and – just maybe – magic and hope
photographer Mark Wolhuter, to Mauritius be just around the can inspire environmental change.’
on her first overseas conservation next corner. They’re
Pictures: Mark Wolhunter, Sarah Bryant, Travis Santar, Carol O’Brocki, Suzy Morris, Kartsen Shein, Melanie Portraits adventure. ‘One morning out at sea, we fairy-tale water
were suddenly surrounded by a herd of dancers that embody
Instagram influencers in bad bikinis who the possibilities in
were manhandling a turtle to show off “what may be”. The
their so-called environmental concern,’ current resurgence of interest
relates Wolhuter. ‘Dawn turned her back in mermaids is, I believe, driven
on the chaos and headed for the open by an increasing need for escapism in
ocean – and so did the turtle. I managed our everyday lives. As humans, we’ve
to capture her extraordinary swim with been so beaten by the crisis du jour and
the beautiful turtle.’ overwhelming arguments around news
events and disasters that we desperately
‘I’d never gone swimming so far from need to escape and to connect ourselves
the beach before,’ recalls Dawn, who’s to a world of possibility and hope.
also a keen ballerina, horse rider and We’re all trying to re-invent our souls
archer (@ballerinamermaid). ‘On the in the mayhem.
coral reef, it felt like a magical, peaceful
kingdom and that I belonged there.’ ‘Mermaiding provides this escape along
with a few other bonuses: general fitness,
A self-described waterholic whose a connection to water and, when you
sister taught her to swim like a mermaid learn to freedive, as we both have, you
when she was only eight, Dawn asked have to get into a very meditative state,
for a mermaid tail for her 13th birthday which has its own benefits. Being
last year and Wolhuter, her godfather, a mermaid is symbolic of a vulnerable
acquiesced by purchasing one from spiritual and environmental connection to
SA’s leading mertailor, Jane Brits from the ocean.’
Magical Mermaids.

This generous gift and its maiden
voyage in a chilly indoor pool sparked the

kulula.com DECEMBER 2019 187

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HOLIDAYS WITH CHILDREN EXPLORE

Looking for travel ideas to help your children thrive while you remain sane?
Lauren McShane gets the experts to weigh in and offers a few ideas for reimagining
technology-free holidays that immerse your offspring in nature and encourage family fun time,

bolster creativity and instil an altogether more wholesome outlook

kulula.com DECEMBER 2019 189

1 Let them go wild
Some hippie once said, ‘money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy a camper, which is kind of the same thing.’ There’s
something so alluring, grounding and restorative about pitching a tent in a forest, stargazing around a campfire and trailing barefoot
through sand or grass. Since capitalism, careers and the cities have stolen the stars, fresh air and wilderness from our lives, why not
get back to basics and dive into nature? ‘Nature offers so many opportunities to discover a multitude of things through our senses,
connections and inquiry,’ says Caryn Venter, founder of Grow Wild, which provides experiences for children to connect with and
explore the outdoors. ‘Every experience is a new adventure,’ she says. ‘There are endless benefits that include keeping active, being
creative, and being surrounded by beauty and stillness.’ These are all elements that automatically calm a child’s nervous system, she
says. ‘During Grow Wild walks in nature we have witnessed children who supposedly have ADHD or other behavioural issues focusing,
and their interest in their surroundings is totally clear. And we see very little or no conflict with others.’ facebook/growwildwalks

190 DECEMBER 2019 2 weLaearttnettrhhweemiirngs

While swimming in the ocean has been proven
to have huge benefits for mental health,
improving immunity, and muscle recovery
(read more about that on page 133), it also
provides the perfect playground for children
to build sandcastles, explore rock pools, dive
into waves, and discover life-changing water

sports like surfing that will increase their
confidence, co-ordination and
flexibility. Plus, there’s the pure
exhilaration and feeling of
accomplishment that
comes with learning
to stand up and ride a
wave. Matthew Hart,
founder of Durban’s
Living the Dream
Surf School, was
captivated by the ocean
from the age of nine and
always knew surfing would
be a part of his life’s path.
Thirty-four years later, he passes

on his knowledge and love of the sport
on Durban’s beachfront – you can sign up your
children on a surf holiday camp that includes
a surf lesson, light lunch and beach activities
that’ll keep them busy between 10am and
2pm. surflessonsdurban.co.za

kulula.com

HOLIDAYS WITH CHILDREN EXPLORE

whcreaoclricprseteokettattshpgotaeheoouwknororeBsecnwelpsoe’tstsclh,iufdataotaenhasasrtgehlcekiepnryherayogei.mlobaoadwuoltlirsguohes.chotapnotktienmcait,es WWOONNDDEERRDFUALL

3 Don’t discount the Cape
Winelands when considering
Let them take responsibility
places that will appeal to
‘Our children are the future custodians of our planet and getting them involved is crucial,’ youngsters. Many estates now
says Aaniyah Omardien, founder and director of The Beach Co-op, a nonprofit organisation o er playgrounds, dedicated
that gets people to rally together to clean beaches. ‘Playing beach games, marvelling at
the life in the rock pools, building sandcastles and snorkelling are all great activities to children’s menus, hands-
learn, share and grow together as a family.’ It’s worth teaching children to be involved on vegetable gardens and
in ocean conservation and fostering an interest in taking personal responsibility for interactions with farm animals
protecting our marine environment – it is their environment, too, after all. Encourage that enable them to better
them to collect litter each time they visit the beach and they’ll quickly take ownership understand our connection with
of these spaces. As a family, you can join a Beach Co-Op clean-up engendering an food. In Stellenbosch, young
awareness of the problems created by single-use plastic items. thebeachcoop.org children visiting Hazendal
Wine Estate are catered for
4 Let them play in the dirt at an immersive, experiential
Along with safety concerns, technology and modern urban living, messy outdoor play is no edutainment centre called
longer the norm for children. Gone are the days of dirt beneath the fingernails or children returning Wonderdal. Designed for
home with muddy limbs and clothing. But maybe it’s time to loosen the apron strings a bit and let children aged ve to 13, it uses
children touch the earth beneath their feet. Time to get barefoot, to let your little ones play in the modern technology to get
mud and spend more of their daylight hours in the outdoors. ‘Messy and sensory play is incredibly children to explore their creative
underrated, says Shiree Goldstein, owner of Rose House Play School. ‘I believe that our children learn imaginations while teaching
through their bodies up until the age of nine. If I teach my son spelling with shaving cream he will concepts and ideas drawn from
learn it far quicker, as he’s using all his senses and having more fun than just writing it.’ the school curriculum. But,
Goldstein says children need to explore and discover far more on their own, albeit within a guided don’t worry, they probably
environment. ‘Their little lives are far too dictated and their skills and talents come much later due to won’t notice the link with
lack of free exploration. I believe strongly in children being outdoors as much as possible and not limiting ordinary learning – they’ll be
their play. They learn resilience when they fall, they learn to get up and keep going – building their little absorbing ideas by playing
bodies to gear up for what’s coming. And, of course, playing outside allows them the freedom to express and discovering, having their
themselves. Exposure to the elements is crucial. They must be active and on the go.’ imaginations stimulated as they
solve problems, test their motor
skills, and meet Wonderdal’s
virtual reality characters, the
Amuki. ese ve otherworldly
beings – named Zylo, Timpa
(le ), Shekku, Gomma and
Vuvu – are the guardians of
sun, care, water, earth and air
respectively and they’re charged
with revealing the wonders of our
world to the children that visit.
at might involve collecting
crystals, growing imaginary
plants, cooking meals in a virtual
health kitchen, listening to stories
and reading books in the ‘story
cave’, or engaging in activities
that involve balancing, jumping,
climbing, and generating energy
by playing a hand-cycling game.

kulula.com DECEMBER 2019 191



HOLIDAYS WITH CHILDREN EXPLORE

5 Let them fall in
love with miracles
Steer clear of dolphins and other marine life in

captivity and opt instead for experiences that give

them an understanding of what ‘wild’ really means.

It needn’t be a traditional safari, though – young children

may not be up for the potential tedium of a four-hour

game drive that starts pre-dawn. Consider a visit to the

coastline of iSimangaliso Wetland Park between

December and March to witness the only nesting site

in Africa where loggerhead and leatherback turtles

still lay their eggs. Join a turtle tour with qualified

trackers and discover the ancient nesting ritual whereby

the female lays between 80 and 100 eggs in a one-

metre deep hole in the sand and then covers it for

safety. After 70 days, the hatchlings emerge at night

and make their way to the sea where only a miniscule

few will survive. isimangaliso.com

6 Lgreotwtthhemeirleoawrnn to can play and discover an authentic farm experience under the
guidance of professionals while you explore other aspects of the
Research has shown that gardening has a positive effect on our wine estate (it’s a free facility if you’re staying at Boschendal
mental health by lifting our moods and helping us to heal and or eating at The Werf Restaurant). Tree House manager Tracey
cope better with stress. Why not make space in the garden or in Van Wijk says the centre was established ‘to inspire kids to
a few pots on your balcony to grow indigenous plants with your develop a deep-seated nurturing of care for all people, animals
children, giving you time to reconnect outdoors and help instil and our land’. Children learn about sustainability while foraging
in them a sense of purpose and patience? Your kids will learn for eggs and vegetables, and are taught about the relationship
responsibility by keeping a plant alive and patiently watching it between the soil and our food – and they’ll discover the joys of
grow and they’ll have the opportunity to get some good, clean open-fire cooking and bread-making. They are also introduced
dirt under their fingernails. Planting edible wild foods will add to ideas around upcycling and recycling and shown how to use
an exciting element as together you can pick your herbs and objects from their natural environment to create artworks. With
vegetables to use in the kitchen.
gumboots on, they’ll hike through the wilder parts
In the Cape Winelands, Boschendal is of the estate, learning about plants and
one of the country’s oldest farms, with animals and identifying spoor. There’s
over 600 000 fruit trees and heritage also a ‘hideout’ cinema room where
vineyards. They practice regenerative there are books to read and
agriculture, raising grass-fed documentaries to watch – ideal
livestock, forest-fed pigs and free- if the weather beckons them
range chickens. And they also indoors. The Tree House is
have an incredible educational open daily from 10am and
play centre known as the Tree activities can be booked in
House, where ‘Free Range Kids’ advance (021 870 4210,
between the ages of 4 and reservations1@boschendal.
14 are welcomed. There, they co.za). boschendal.co.za

kulula.com DECEMBER 2019 193

EXPLORE HOLIDAYS WITH CHILDREN

AGAIN, ‘Character play allows children
PLEASE! to flex their all-important
A fantastic resource muscles of imagination and
7 Let them pause and for parents in Cape creativity,’ says Hanneke Mackie,
learn to breathe Town – or anyone founder of Buzz, which offers
with children who is performing arts workshops for
Children (and their parents) are (mostly in Cape Town and visiting the Mother children (buzzdrama.com). Pictures: monkeybusinessimages/istock.com, Stepanyda/istock.com, Supplied.
constantly darting back and forth Joburg) where yoga for City – is agaaain!,
between school and screens, but when children is on offer. YogaLife ‘If you’re willing to be silly,
last did they take the time to slow in De Waterkant has weekly a website that larger than life and free, you
down in nature, be mindful of their parent-and-child sessions on curates all kinds of set a positive example for
breath and learn how to regulate it Saturday mornings (yogalife. your children to free their own
to calm their emotions? ‘We live in co.za); Yogalini in Hout Bay activities, events imagination, creativity and
a world that’s moving at high-speed; specialises in children’s and immersive playfulness,’ Hanneke says. She
we are always doing and moving yoga, with weekly Monday experiences to believes that drama, aside from
with a sense of urgency,’ says Jani classes by a teacher trained stimulate young freeing up the imagination, builds
Shearer of Blissful Kids Holistic in ‘Kidding Around Yoga’ minds and keep confidence in young people,
Living. ‘Playing outdoors, being (yogalini.org.za); Earth Yoga their hands and and teaches them to work in
creative, physical movement, and Studio in Kyalami has ‘Kids other senses busy groups, listen and communicate
too. You’ll find art with compassion, and to solve
classes and yoga problems using out-the-box
sessions, live shows thinking. ‘Drama makes children
and movies and more compassionate, more
just about anything intelligent – using completely
and everything in different parts of their brains –
between, including and helps them self-reflect and
things for high- self-accept. It helps tremendously
energy youngsters to with listening, communication
do, too. The site also skills and confidence.’
has a curated list of
the best of just about Before signing them up for
everything – from drama classes, you might want
apps for children to to expose them to the thrill of
books, ice-cream what the action on a live stage
shops and games to can do. Take them to see one of
play on road trips. the pantomimes (this month,
agaaain.com
there’s Jack and the Beanstalk
breath awareness are all vital to Sky Yoga’ on Saturdays at Joburg Theatre, and Alice
in Wonderland in Durban),
our children’s wellbeing. And for us (earthyogastudio.co.za).
catch Peter Pan on Ice
adults, too!’ at Montecasino (or next
month in Cape Town),
Shearer says that the combination of 8 Dance Sing or check out one of the
yoga, art, music and creative expression and Act many children’s shows
can give youngsters (and us) the space happening in theatres and
shopping malls around
to be in the present moment – and When last have you put on music the country.

to pause for a while, escaping the and joined your children in

ceaseless rush. ‘The benefits of that dancing like a nutter in the

are immeasurable,’ she adds. ‘It’s not to car? Or put on a weird hat

say it takes the stress out of everyday and fashioned some sort

life, rather it gives us practical tools to of a costume to indulge

move through the stressful times with their imaginative desire

more ease.’ to believe in characters

Along with Blissful Kids (blissfulkids. and creatures sourced

co.za), there are now a number of studios from their imaginations?

194 DECEMBER 2019 kulula.com





TOMORROWLAND IN TOKYO DISCOVER

DISCOVER
People. Ideas. Things.

FUTURE SHOCK

While global movers and shakers will be meeting for COP25
in Madrid, where they’ll try to dig us out of the climate
change hole, at the recent Tokyo Motor Show, Toyota
showed off some of its plans to not only shake up the
automotive industry, but also step into the realm of
science fiction. It wasn’t all about real-world cars
sporting cutting-edge technology, either. Much of what
was shown derived from the realm of imaginations
set loose and included stabs at the imminent future of
AI, robotics, connectivity, electrification, automation,
sharing, and – wait for it – broomsticks. Toyota used the
opportunity to show off its all-new Yaris hatchback with
hybrid-electric power; the second generation of Mirai,
an electric fuel-cell concept sedan powered by
hydrogen; and an ultra-compact battery-electric
vehicle launching late next year. There was also
Toyota’s human support robot which can recognise
its surroundings and, with its omnidirectional wheels,
travel autonomously or by remote control. Capable of
grasping and carrying objects, the robot will be in action at
next year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo – it will
guide spectators to their seats and deliver light meals. As for
those purported flying e-broomsticks, the
show made it evident that they aren’t
going to be ready for lift-off any time
soon. The demonstration model
required the user to wear roller-
skates while the broom moved
forward, the rider’s feet firmly
on the ground.

Perfect beach bod in minutes 199 Angels on the beach 203 Unseen people 211
The ultimate gift 241

kulula.com DECEMBER 2019 197