ESSENWOOD resident and nature lover, Nikki Williamson is gearing up for the Philocaly Trail that takes place for the third time since its inception in 2019. Aptly named ‘Philocaly’ (love of beauty), the event aims to raise funds for the conservation of the KZN coastline.
The trail is set to take place on October 23 to 24 and funds raised will assist local NPOs, WildOceans, Breathe Ocean Conservation and Adopt-A-River.
The two-day trail runs from Beachwood Mangroves to eMdloti Main Beach and participants can opt to join in for one day or tackle both days. Participants are asked to park at Blue Lagoon and walk to the start as the parking outside the Beachwood Mangroves is not available.
“Should the Ohlanga River be open to the ocean we will turn back at this point, (due to the chemical spillage), on thee first day and end in Umhlanga. Day two starts from Umdloti Main Beach car park and ends at Salmon Bay, Ballito. Both days are approximately 17kms in length,” said Williamson.
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The Philocoly Trail has grown into a non-profit company since the first event, said Williamson.
“This trail was set up to raise awareness of the province’s pristine coastline – we have spectacular beaches in KZN, and we simply don’t explore them enough. The first event took place in 2019 and to date R250 000 has raised been for our beneficiaries. Thank you to the walkers, the crew who volunteer their time to make this happen, and to the amazing charities doing the work to keep our oceans alive,” said Williamson.
The original trail spans 140km of KZN coastline, she added.
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Participants who join this year’s Philocoly Trail are required to make a donation of R300 toward ocean conservation.
“It’s been a really exciting trip. I started this as a fun initiative with friends. When there were a lot of friends who wanted to join, we decided to raise money. It’s been a great journey. People really want to be a community. We’ve had a tough 18 months. People love this coastline but aren’t always exposed to it. People aren’t always sure exactly which sections they can walk or don’t feel safe to walk alone,” said Williamson.
For more information, visit the Philocaly Trail website: www.philocaly.co.za. Pre-booking is essential- there will be no entries allowed on the day. Bookings close on the October 21.
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