Finding art among the rocks in Richards Bay

The latest craze of treasure hunting rock art has taken off in Richards Bay – and not only among the children.

Inspired by a friend’s trip to Cape Town and being exposed to Cape Town Rocks, Leonie Scully started to encourage outdoorsiness, creativity, and community involvement.

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Having launched the initiative only mid-February and hoping for 100 people join the group, Leonie was pleasantly surprised this week to have reached 900 members on the Rocking Richards Bay Facebook group.

‘It was something I started while recuperating from surgery, and thought it would be good to help while away the time and give me something to focus on,’ said Leonie.

‘What I and so many others have found is that the painting of the rocks is incredibly therapeutic, and the hiding and hunting for painted rocks is also a stress relief.’

Those involved in Rocking Richards Bay decorate pebbles and stones, and hide them in various locations around the town’s nature areas.

This latest craze has got families outdoors, soaking up the fresh air as they latch onto clues to find the decorated rocks.

‘It has also helped to encourage family time,’ said Leonie.

Once found and photographed – usually a selfie with the person and their rock – the stone is
re-hidden for the next person to find.

While children have all the technology at their fingertips, with apps that can do almost anything, this exercise has proven that there is nothing quite like a rock and the good old outdoors to get a child’s spirit up.

When asked how long she plans on running Rocking Richards Bay, Leonie said she has no plans to stop it, and is thoroughly enjoying the creativity, fresh air and stress relief it brings.

How the concept works

Join the Rocking Richards Bay Facebook group

When you find a decorated rock, take a photo and share it on the group. Re-hide the rock in another public location for someone else to find, or keep it and hide one of your own creations

Pebbles must be hidden on public land only – private land is off-limits

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