THIS festive season will see visitors enjoy Jeffreys Bay’s newest tourist attraction – the town’s spekboom labyrinth.
Located on the corner of Noorsekloof and Dogwood roads, the feature which boasts 1 000 spekboom, has become a firm favourite among locals and visitors since its launch in July this year.
Very rarely unoccupied, the labyrinth attracts young and old of all fitness levels. Depending on pace, it could take anything from 10 minutes to complete.
Young kids are often found trying to establish how quickly they can zip through the labyrinth, while others take a gentle stroll to reset after a busy day.
The labyrinth is a collaborative effort between Kouga Municipality and “Dorp van Drome” and not only adds to the 124 labyrinths across South African municipal areas, but also does its part to tackle climate change.
The labyrinth is surrounded by the spekboom plants which have been described as the most efficient carbon guzzlers in the world and can absorb 8.5kg of CO2 a year over their 200-year lifespan. Just a few months after being planted, the spekboom plants have already grown and are expected to cocoon the labyrinth in the future.
Adding to that, only water from private boreholes – provided by residents – and grey water from the municipality’s wastewater treatment works were used to build the labyrinth.
What makes a labyrinth alluring is that unlike a maze, you can’t get lost – the paths in and out are clear. It has no blind alleys or dead ends as mazes have. The path twists and turns back on itself a multitude of times before reaching the centre.
Walking a labyrinth requires you to merely follow the pattern, with no puzzle to figure out. It is designed to encourage mindfulness and symbolise the inward journey.
