On Saturday, we were invited by the beautiful Mandy Brennan to go to the Love Paws 2 Concert, a benefit concert for animals held in the Nirox Sculpture Garden. The location is in the Cradle of Humankind (for real – a UNESCO National Heritage Site), just under an hour outside Johannesburg. It is a private park owned by a Swedish/ South African organization who open the park for concerts and special events. The rest of the time it is an artists’ colony and has studios and workshops for creative pursuits. It is an absolutely beautiful park with outdoor sculptures strategically placed to catch the best light. The stage is at the bottom of a natural amphitheater and is separated from the audience by a beautiful stream. Apparently, it used to be a trout farm before it turned into a creative space. My friends talked about it as one of Johannesburg’s best kept secrets.

There were some great bands playing – Prime Circle, Jesse Clegg (Johnny’s kid), Arno Carstens, Nariska and Craig Lucas. I haven’t listened to South African music for a while so it was great to hear these awesome bands. The audience were all sitting on picnic blankets and many were drinking champagne bought from the outdoor bar. The food was great. Halloumi seems to on every menu here and I couldn’t resist Soul Souvlaki’s halloumi wrap. The whole thing was a real family event with kids running around everywhere and splashing in the stream. It was perfect for Genevieve and I – she got to play and I got to hang out with my amazing friends Mandy, Tina, and Leigh. The cherry on top was also seeing my cousin Caroline and her gorgeous daughter Drew.