A Belated Kensington Jacaranda Walk Post

2Summers | 23 November 2023
johannesburg jacarandas kensington

I’m suffering from a creative block this week and couldn’t think of anything to blog about. Then I remembered I have a set of pictures and sketches from my jacaranda walk in Kensington, which I hosted with Johannesburg in Your Pocket a few weeks ago. I never got around to writing about that walk due to the Rugby World Cup madness that happened on the same day, so I’m doing it now.

Heather with jacarandas in Kensington
Photo shot from the overlook in front of the Fishbird Villa in Kensington on the day of our walk. Endless thanks to Grey Loerie for this jacaranda t-shirt that has become my favorite article of clothing. (Photo: Thorsten Deckler)

Joburg’s 2023 jacaranda season already feels like a distant memory, and the world is a giant dumpster fire. So let’s hearken back to another time, just under a month ago, as the Springboks balanced on the cusp of victory…before the heat wave hit and the last few stubborn lavender blossoms fell to the ground and got washed away by a crazy hail storm.

Johannesburg In Your Pocket already published a wonderful and very comprehensive story about the walk and all the places we stopped along the way. Please read that post for a full account of the day; I’m just posting images and captions.

Kensington jacaranda views
Jacaranda views in Kensington.
Thorsten jacaranda sketch
I say this all the time, but this time it’s seriously true: Thorsten’s sketches from the walk are much better than my photos. See more of his work at @theThinking_Hand.
Thorsten jacaranda sketch
Thorsten jacaranda walk
The tiny person on the left is me.
Jacaranda walkers
Our hardy group of walkers. We walked about five kilometers, mostly uphill.
Walkers walking uphill
One of the steepest hills of the walk.
Joburg skyline view
We climbed to the Scottish Horse Memorial at the top of Caledonia Hill, which has great views of the Joburg city skyline and the suburb’s thousands of jacaranda trees. The clouds and lightning were dramatic but it never actually rained.
Scottish Horse memorial Kensington
The Scottish Horse Memorial. Thorsten is on the left, sketching.
Thorsten jacaranda sketch
What he sketched.
View from Fish Bird Villa
View from the Fishbird Villa, where our walk ended.
Sketch from Fishbird Villa
Sketch from Fishbird.
The Fishbird Villa boasts one of the prettiest jacaranda trees in Joburg.
Heather in jacaranda shirt
One more photo of me and my shirt.

Okay, I have no more 2023 jacaranda imagery to share so that’s really it until 2024. (Sob.) Next week I’ll move on – I promise.

Last one.