Good vibes, scenic views, melodious sounds at concert in the park

December is a time of festivities and unwinding. But getting lost in woods, literally, isn’t quite what I had imagined would form part of my festive cheer let alone this happening not so far from Joburg’s concrete jungle.

In fact, I had come to accept that Joburg has nothing much to offer in December other than shopping and perhaps the usual staple of crime.

During this time, most of us look forward to leaving behind the mean streets of the city heading to the coast for some sea breeze and or to the rural provinces in search of tranquility and fresh air from nature. This we do because we spend most of the year working surrounded by the bustle of the city with its deafening noise of cars, taxi hooters and traffic jams.

But I was pleasantly surprised by what I discovered after driving less than 50km from the city.  I arrived at the Nirox Sculpture Park, a scenic nature park with valleys, forests, grassland, artists installations and birdlife located in the Cradle of Humankind.

The park played host to Corona Sunsets Summer Tour which promises revellers a mix of music, travel and lifestyle experiences to bring people closer to nature. It had been a while since I went to an outdoor music festival where there are no seating arrangements and drunk people impede your view of the stage falling over while trying to dance. As the hot Saturday sunshine beat down relentlessly, we sauntered into the park, walking past people in a picnic mood with paper cups hoisted in the air while others lay down on spread blankets under trees and umbrellas.

The view of the stage was magnificent with the forest behind amplifying the idea behind music connected with nature. The lineup of artists performing included Shekhinah, Manana and Langa Mavuso.

From the lengthening shadows of the trees and umbrellas, in small groups, the crowds emerged in rhythm and song edging closer to the stage to soak in the performances. The music and performances were enjoyable and the vibe was figuratively cooking at this moment. I enjoyed the ambiance, of course the drinks along with the live music, especially just before sunset as the heat eased off a bit.

There were a few things that I found disappointing like how long it took to order drinks from the bar and the waiting to use the ablution facilities, especially as the crowds grew a bit more later in the day.

When the music stopped playing at 8pm, we were shuttled to Farm 58 for an overnight stay in what is arguably one of the hidden gems in Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site. Here we enjoyed boma dinner of floating pizzas while listening to soothing sounds of music in the background.

The farm offers stable lofts with balconies that provide a majestic view of the hills, forest and garden. It is no surprise that I woke up having lost my sense of direction looking outside in the morning. I could only hear birds chirping as no cars were allowed to be parked on the property. There is a lot more on offer during one’s stay at the farm including guided nature walk and hiking.

The weekend was more than just attending a music concert in the park. It was an experience with nature, music and fun activities which I took a lot from.

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