15
Dec
2014
Dec
2014
Christmas – that gorgeous time of year that does incredible things to almost everyone’s blood pressure as they strive to achieve that “perfect” holiday spirit, the attempts of which usually degenerating into the family feuds that entertain me to no end every time I watch the Christmas movie special. I mean, very simply put – stop trying to be perfect. The world is full of imperfections, and those imperfections add to its beauty. The fact that we try and control every aspect of our lives, in terms of how things are “supposed” to work out is, quite honestly, ludicrous, and not a little stressful. Take a break, have a Kit-Kat, no in fact go to Woolworths and buy a tub of their caramel chocolate ice cream, kick back and relax. Taking a break from the stress and stressors of everyday life is so important that, ironically, it cannot be stressed enough. Or even better, once the ice cream is bought (seriously you have to try it), get in your car and drive the amazingly short distance to what lies adjacent to the Houses in Boardwalk Manor Estate.
The resort that is Nkwe cannot be oversold, given that I have never seen anything quite like it. The sheer and utter magnificence of the area is seen in the deep, dark, depthless waters that seem to call to out to all who lay eyes on it, to join in its never-ending dance with stream and waterfall that sit on either side, one taking the life-giving waters to the far distant reaches of the park, the other replacing what is lost. As for the water itself? Stunning. Clear, crisp, refreshes like nothing on earth – yes, including Hunters – the way that it envelops the body as you enter it, a feeling that cannot be completely described through type or text or spoken word, but only experienced as part of the natural amenities of Boardwalk Manor.
The process of entering said refreshing waters you ask? Well, simply getting in is certainly one way to do it. But why settle for the mundane, the tried and trusted, especially in this place of magic and mayhem? The cliffs that surround the lake stand as a tribute to mankind’s never-ending search for the ultimate adrenalin rush, and gives to it in spectacular fashion. Why get it, when you can dislodge from the land, high above the surface of the lake, and enter the water at speed, crashing through and being absolutely contained in what I’m pretty sure is a great example of a sensory deprivation chamber – for the moment you enter said water, all sound, all sight is lost, and for a few brief seconds, you are the only living, sentient being on the face of the earth. It a moment of pure magic, one that cannot be replicated by any man-made attempt in the fabrication of happiness, Christmas season or not.
The sheer joy that is to be experienced, void of the ills of the behaviours of tantrum-throwing mothers and cash-strapped stressed out fathers, is definitely something to be enjoyed at least once a week, every summer. And should you call home to the enclosed neighbourhoods of the east, the commute time to this particular slice of heaven will take you about the same amount of time that it takes me to brush my teeth (okay, no, that’s a lie – I’d be able to brush my teeth and clean the sink – but I’m pretty confident that, by that time, you will have reached your destination – yes, it’s that close).
Why wouldn’t you want to embrace the natural world at its finest? For here exists an opportunity to exchange stress for stress-relief as it has never before been known. The way that these waters, these lands replenish the depleted batteries of the soul is certainly hitherto unknown, and the beautiful thing is - it stands available to all who seek it, all who would use the life giving waters as a way to push through the silly season and come out the other side with a smile and a wave and a very merry Christmas. The fact that we do not abuse this privilege at every opportunity we get – the fact that I’m sitting here typing about it instead of in the water, living it – is mind-boggling (well, I guess someone has to spread the word. And if it opens your eyes to pleasures that await, then I don’t mind one bit).
As for the safety of your vehicle, while you enjoy said pleasures? Fear not, for the utter solitude of the area in question is so beautifully absolute that it stands to rival the very security at Boardwalk Manor itself. This is indeed the place you’ve been searching for in your quest to take that aforementioned break. The only question that remains is: Will you?
