Celebrating Gauteng’s jacaranda spring with a programme of walks, tours and photography competition

By CityLife Arts Writer

Johannesburg in Your Pocket launches its annual photo competition to celebrateGauteng at its best–in the purple haze of jacaranda season–with an experience series in partnership with The Gautrain, and prizes worth close to R40 000.This is the fifth year of the annual photo competition #JacarandaInYourPocket2022 and it is accompanied by an event series that includes three photo walks, two bicycle rides, a bus experience, and a dedicated photographer journey between Joburg and Pretoria, in partnership with Gautrain #YourJourneyStartsWithGautrain

BACKGROUND

Every year in October and November the streets of Johannesburg and Pretoria fill with purple blooms from thousands of jacaranda trees. While there appears to be official disagreement over their “alien status”, no one can dispute the beauty they add to Gauteng’s two most populous urban landscapes. Marking the annual season, local city guide publication Johannesburg In Your Pocket runs a jacarandaphotography competition on Instagram, a tradition started in 2018.

The aim is to encourage locals and visitors to celebrate this naturally occurring attraction. As Johannesburg In Your Pocket publisher Laurice Taitz explains; “People travel to Tokyo for cherry blossoms. Why not travel between Joburg and Pretoria to see the jacarandas bloom? ”The fifth edition of the photo competition is hosted in partnership with Gautrain, and encourages locals and visitors to hop on the Gautrain and travel north (or south) to Joburg and Pretoria to capture the purple spring.

PARTNERS

Gautrain: The best way to travel between Gauteng’s jacaranda cities, Johannesburg and Pretoria.

PRIZE PARTNERS: The Tyrwhitt Pronounced “Tirrit”, this luxury block in the heart of Rosebank offers apartments to investors and professionals in Joburg’s most desirable ‘work, live and play neighbourhood”, Rosebank.

About The Tyrwhittvoco Johannesburg Rosebank: An IHG Hotel, Voco was built on the site of a bank that first opened in the 1970s. Located at 24Cradock Avenue, the art-filled building houses a hotel, Workshop 17 workspace, and a statement restaurant, Proud Mary. Rosebank Hotel in Johannesburg-Voco.

Radisson RED Rosebank: The second Radisson RED brand hotel in South Africa, Radisson RED Rosebank opened in2021 at the newly established Oxford Parks Precinct, with a rooftop bar offering awe-inspiring views of Joburg’s jacaranda trees.

The Playground Market: This Saturday market in Braamfontein, created by Play Braamfontein, is the city’s Saturday heartbeat and a space for creative entrepreneurs. The Playground showcases a multitude of food vendors, offers a morning kids programme, live music and DJs, and a curated selection of clothing labels. T

he Playground Veldskoen:  Calling their brand “The Sole of Africa”, Veldskoen now has a purple-sole edition perfect for exploring Jacaranda season.

The Veldskoen StoryCOMPETITION RULES: To enter the photo competition, a photo  must be shared on a public Instagram feed (stories and entries from private accounts are not eligible) of the 2022 jacaranda spring in Gauteng using the hashtags:#jacarandainyourpocket2022 and #YourJourneyStartswithGautrain Entrants must follow@johannesburginyourpocket

●Entrants must be 18 years or older.

●The photo(s) submitted must have been shot in 2022 inGauteng and submitted between October13, 2022 and November 14, 2022.

●Photos entered into the competition may be shared on Johannesburg In Your Pocket social mediaaccounts with the photographer’s name credited, and used to promote the#JacarandaInYourPocket2022campaign.

●Winning photos may be used byJohannesburg In Your Pocket to promote the#JacarandaInYourPocket2022 campaignswith the photographer’s name credited

●The judge’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.Ten finalists will be selected and the photos put to a public vote, from November 14, 2022. The public vote closes on November 22 at midnight, and this year’s top jacaranda photos will be announced on November 24, 2022.

COMPETITION PRIZES: Prizes are courtesy of top Rosebank accommodation establishments: The Tyrwhitt, vocoJohannesburg Rosebank, Radisson RED Rosebank, and The Playground by Play Braamfontein. Each establishment is a destination point for the experience programme.

First place photography prize: A two-night midweek stay in a three-bedroom penthouse apartment at The Tyrwhitt in Rosebank. Value: R17 000.

Runners-up prizes●A two-night stay for two in a superior room at voco Johannesburg Rosebank,including breakfast, valued at R6 740.

●A one-night stay for two at Radisson RED Rosebank, including breakfast, a sharingplatter on the RED Roof, and arrival drink, valued at R4050

●Lunch for a runner-up prize-winner and five friends at The Playground Market, valued at R4000.All voters will be entered into a prize draw that includes restaurant vouchers and Veldskoen shoes. A season of walks and tours–#JacarandaInYourPocket2022. This year’s competition is complemented by a programme of unique jacaranda experiences curated by Johannesburg In Your Pocket and led by local photographers and professional tour guides taking in Joburg’s most scenic jacaranda viewpoints. Booking is essential. For tickets see bit.ly/JohannesburgInYourPocket-QuicketGauteng’s jacarandas–a local tourist attraction. For some inspiration on where to go to snap the best shots of Gauteng’s blooming jacarandas, checkout In Your Pocket’s guide to Joburg and Pretoria jacaranda views here.

 Events Programme

1. 4Sat Oct 22, 07:00–09:00Jacarandaphoto walk with travel writer Ryan Enslin (@mylimeboots) and Veldskoen ShoesStarting at voco Johannesburg Rosebank, ending at Radisson RED RosebankTickets R75, available here:qkt.io/8HhV5h
2. Sat Oct 22,09:30–11:30Biking Bandits Social Ride in association with #JacarandaInYourPocket2022Starting at voco Johannesburg Rosebank, cycling through Saxonwold and Houghton Initiated by Biking Bandits, find out more:instagram.com/bikingbandits/
3. Sat Oct 22,13:30–18:00Bloom-Spotting Experience with Johannesburg In Your Pocket and Micro Adventures Tours in collaboration with the City Sightseeing Bus Starting in Rosebank, travelling to Munro Drive and The Playground, ending at Radisson RED Rosebank. Tickets R850 (including bubbly, cocktail and lunch), available here:qkt.io/yQte9z
4. Sat Oct 29, 16:00–17:30Jacaranda cycling experience with Micro Adventure Tours Starting at voco Johannesburg Rosebank, ending at The Tyrwhitt in Rosebank Tickets R250 (including coffee, snacks and bubbly), available here:qkt.io/DWmsLZ
5. Sat Oct 29, 16:00–18:00Jacaranda photo walk with blogger and photographer Heather Mason (2Summers)Starting at voco Johannesburg Rosebank, ending at The Tyrwhitt in Rosebank Tickets R75 (including coffee, snacks and bubbly), available here:qkt.io/z9MHna
6. Sat Oct 29,09:00–13:00Vespa Ride in association with #JacarandaInYourPocket2022Starting at voco Johannesburg Rosebank, riding to Braamfontein, ending in Rosebank. Initiated by Vesparados Joburg,find out more:facebook.com/vesparadosjhb
7. Sat Nov 5, 16:00–18:00Jacaranda photo walk with documentary photographer Andile Bhala: Starting at voco Johannesburg Rosebank, ending at The Tyrwhitt in Rosebank: Tickets R75 (including coffee, snacks and bubbly), available here:qkt.io/YXMdUj
8. 5Sat Nov 5, 16:00–17:30Jacaranda cycling experience with Micro Adventure Tours: Starting at voco Johannesburg Rosebank, ending at The Tyrwhitt in Rosebank. Tickets R250 (including coffee, snacks and bubbly), available here:qkt.io/AoFYO