Walk your way to mindfulness at Jeffreys Bay’s spekboom labyrinth

Posted by Ilhaam Hoosain on 6 July 2022

The Kouga Municipality and the ‘Dorp van Drome’ (town of dreams) have built a spekboom labyrinth for residents and visitors to enjoy. At the entrance of the labyrinth, there are four columns representing the four natural elements: earth (green), water (blue), air (white), and fire (red).

The four columns representing the four natural elements.

The four columns represent the four natural elements.

‘It has been a dream of “Dorp van Drome” to construct a labyrinth in Kouga and, in doing so, put Jeffreys Bay firmly on the international labyrinth map,’ says Kouga Executive Mayor, Horatio Hendricks.

‘Drop van drome’ is a residential movement where everyone has the same goal – to keep Jeffreys Bay clean and beautiful. A well-known landscape architect and member of ‘Dorp van Drome’, Pieter Kok designed and planned the labyrinth, while artist Zuanda Badenhorst designed the four columns and builder Hannes Bekker oversaw the construction of the project.

Spekboom is an indigenous South African succulent, and was chosen because it is easily propagated, is water efficient and is very good at capturing carbon. One spekboom plant has a lifespan of 200 years and can absorb 8,5 kg of CO2 in a single year.

The spekboom labyrinth.

The spekboom labyrinth.

‘In earlier years it was believed that these elements are life-sustaining forces. To put it simply, the human body is a physical construct that exists in the material world and earth, water, air, and fire are vital aspects of the physical universe and matter. Adding one more labyrinth to the existing 124 labyrinths across South Africa in municipal areas, while addressing climate change – thus the reason for using over 1 000 spekbome,’ says Hendricks.

Most of the construction of the spekboom labyrinth came from direct donations from the community.

‘The only direct expense incurred by the municipality was to purchase cement and residents will assist the municipality with the ongoing maintenance of the labyrinth,’ says Hendricks.

You can find the labyrinth on the corner of Noorsekloof and Dogwood roads in Jeffreys Bay.

Pictures: Kouga Local Municipality

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