An outer wilderness journey becomes an inner wilderness experience. Form an intimate relationship with nature. Gain insights into your life by connecting with your full wild self. Remember your ancient human belonging with all life.
Saturday, 29 March 2025
Cape Point National Park
07:30am - 05:30pm
7km Round-trip nature walk
10 Participants
R1450 per person
ITINERARY
A 7km round-trip migration from Buffelsfontein Visitor's Centre to Venus Pools and back again.
Our focus for the day is on slowing down, paying close attention to all our senses and what draws them, and allowing newness and discomfort as a form of intimacy with the land and with our own wild hearts.
Morning
Meet at the Buffelsfontein Visitor's Centre to explore the Human Origins exhibition, curated by Petro Keene and Craig Foster (My Octopus Teacher).
Gather under a 100 year old Cedar Tree to create our group container, vitalise our senses for the day, and explore themes like personal origins, first peoples and strandlopers, and human belonging with the ocean landscape.
Set off on foot for a 1km silent wander down to the ocean, breaking our silence for tea at the Bordjiesdrif Tidal Pool. Here we reflect in a group on our insights and challenges before making our way along a 2km seaside path to Venus Pools.
At Venus Pools, we begin a wild solo, spending time alone on the land and in the pool. We connect with species, geology and elements, millions of years older than our species, and receive the dreams and wisdom they offer us for how to be alive.
Afternoon
Enjoy a relaxed lunch, before creating a communal ocean honouring using natural objects.
Beginning our return, we make the 3km journey back to the Visitor's Center.
Evening
Under the shade of the Cedar Tree, we debrief and share the wisdom, dreams and visions that emerged during our solo time. In closing, we name what we claim for ourselves from the day, and what we offer to the earth in turn.
Closing of the group and check out.
NOTE: Timing and acitivies will change and evolve over the course of the day according to group needs and natural cycles.
WHAT TO BRING
South African ID document (for local entrance rates)
Wild Card (if you have one, for free access to the park)
R100 for entrance fee (card or cash is accepted)
Sensible walking shoes
Walking stick
Good day pack (preferably with hip support)
Sun hat, sunscreen, glasses, any other protective clothing (the entire hike is sun exposed, please plan accordingly)
Sarong
Swimsuit
Towel
Warm top (even if hot weather is forecast)
Rain jacket (the entire hike is exposed, please plan accordingly)
Beanie
Packed Lunch
Snacks
4L of water
Any personal and/or allergy medications
Journal and pen (optional)
Small musical percussion instrument that is easy to carry (optional)
A song to share (optional)
We recommend that you leave all expensive jewellery and technology at home.
YOUR FACILITATORS
MA Modernity and Literature
Psychology Honours (B.Psych Equivalent)
Registered South African Counsellor
My 4 month long 1000km journey on foot through the wilderness of the Pacific Crest Trail evoked a special interest in ecotherapy, and how our connection with nature shapes our wholeness and healing. When we peer long enough into our depths, we find the same magic and resilience that we see in undisturbed wilderness. And when we journey far enough outside of our civilised lives, far enough into nature, we see reflected back to us the very wonder and wholeness of the human spirit. I have been training and guiding peer support groups with Women for Afrika (sister project of the Mankind Project) since 2016. I'm in private practice under the supervision of Jeffrey Rink (Clin. Psych), founder of Ecopsychology Africa. I look forward to joining you as a fellow curious and searching journeywoman along the coastline that shaped our very species.
PhD Anthropology
I am an environmental anthropologist by training, and a nature lover by birth. My work and my personal endeavours centre on a fascination with human-nature connection. This has led me to dig deep into exploring how we humans think about ourselves in relation to what we think of as nature. The natural world has since childhood been a great teacher of mine and continues to show me how important our connection with the non-human world is to our health and well-being. This ongoing quest for healing and connection with self and the land has led me on deep pilgrimages over a year long up the length of Amazon River, across the Atacama Desert to the crest of the Andes and the shores of Lake Titicaca, as well as the forests of South Africa, extensively exploring my interest in traditional healing and shamanism. Marrying the questions of the intellect with the light of intuition, I join you as a pilgrim to explore the heart of our nature on this day-long immersion at the Southern Tip of Africa.
