The felt sense that we are in fact an insignificant part of one big cosmic blob seems to be permeating wider and more deeply into our collective consciousness.
Human nature has always been to praise nature, to exist with it, in it - as one - with an inherent respect and admiration for our tiny, magnificent and singularly unified globe, floating... in black space.
Our home is on Diepklowe Nature Reserve - 550 acres of pristine nature in Elgin, Grabouw. The land is nestled between a great deal of commercial farmland, making it an important sanctuary for many types of fauna and flora who use the reserve for safe passage or permanent refuge.
In the valley we move in a direction of no-impact - always seeking new ways to lighten our step on the surrounding nature as well as the greater environment in which we live.
This year, we will work with Diepklowe to continue removing invasive species like wattles, Port Jackson, and pine trees in the valley. We will also be planting indigenous trees - to replace those lost to the floods in 2023 and to promote the expansion of riverine vegetation.
We are also looking to complete a set of composting toilets which will, over time, help grow a new forest over the camp ground.
The valley we call home holds many stories, from fossilised arrowheads - left behind by early settlers who used the valley as a highway during the time of Jan van Riebeek - to ancient carvings on Prayer Rock. If we could take a ride back to when the big boom went bang, who knows what eluded the pages of this ancient land’s history.
Beware! Kunda is really wild.
There are spiders, snakes, spiky bushes, steep drops and other hazardous things to look out for. Try your best to keep those wits about ya, won’t ya? :)
Etched into the very land on which we stomp is an old tale of seven energy points. Much like the human body, these points have been mapped out for many years and their presence can be felt as you move up the valley. From the grounding reception at the valley’s base to the divine expanse at its top - deep in the nature reserve, far beyond the festival area. At the centre lies the heart, found by the dam — a vital life source for all beings and the festival’s campground. The connection that this ancient land has to these energies inspired the name, Kunda Valley, derived from Kundalini - the one connecting them all.
