Children enjoy ‘rock hunting’ in Secunda
The purpose of Secunda Rocks is to get people to do something meaningful and to spend some time outdoors.
SECUNDA – Collecting, painting and hiding rocks is a new hobby that many residents in Secunda are already taking part in.
Ms Celeste Potgieter and her daughter, Ms Danelle van der Watt, began the Facebook group, Secunda Rocks about a year and a half ago.
The concept of the Secunda Rocks group is to paint rocks, hide it at a few hot spots in and around Secunda and to pick up rocks others painted and hid and then re-hide it or keep it.
Ms Potgieter pitched this idea to her daughter after she saw it in Cape Town while she was visiting her sister.
“There in Cape Town they have many nice parks and spots to hide it and Cape Town is so much bigger than Secunda, however, here, especially the children are enjoying it to go ‘treasure hunting’ at the duck pond,” said Ms Potgieter.
The group in Cape Town consists of about 7 000 members and Secunda Rocks currently has about 1 300 members.
The hot spots to hide or collect rocks in Secunda are at the Duck Pond and the 5km route of the Parkrun and Hammerkop Dam.
The purpose of Secunda Rocks is to get people to do something meaningful and to spend some time outdoors.
“It is to uplift the community, because you can even write an encouraging message on your rocks,” said Ms Potgieter.
Those who are interested in taking part in this hobby, should request to join the private Facebook group, Secunda Rocks, and download the stickers made available on the group and paste it on the rocks before hiding it.
If you find a rock, you are requested to take a photo and post it on the Facebook group so that others can see which rocks are found.
Ms Potgieter made a rock especially for Ms Rika Lamprecht who makes sure the grass on these routes are cut and kept need so that people can safely walk around the dam.
“If people post photos of when they find the rocks, it gives some recognition to the artists who painted on those rocks,” said Ms Potgieter.
People can hide their rocks behind bigger stones next to the road, in trees, or anywhere they feel is a good hiding place, but Ms Potgieter also urged people not to hide it so far away so that nobody can find it.
People who want to begin with this hobby, should get their own paint and rocks and begin hiding.
“You do not always have to buy rocks, it can be rocks that you pick up in your garden as well,” said Ms Potgieter.
“If you begin painting rocks, you see rocks in a different way.”
Ms Potgieter and others in the group paint rocks for special occasions such as Christmas and Easter and hide it as well.
“It is an activity that the whole family can enjoy, the grand parents search for rocks with their grand children.”
People can also hide rocks in other towns if they go away for a weekend.
Visit the Facebook group, Secunda Rocks, to join this initiative and begin rock painting and hunting.
