Fun, sun, fresh air and food are the few words that paint a picture of what a good picnic is. World Picnic Day is celebrated each year on 18 June.
Here are a few places you can enjoy a picnic in Gauteng.
Zoo Lake in Parkview
Zoo Lake is a large park situated around a man-made lake that makes for perfect weekend ambles, only 15 minutes from the centre of Johannesburg.Zoo Lake is one of Johannesburg’s most popular outdoor spaces and certainly one of the safest, particularly over weekends. It takes roughly one to two hours to walk around the lake, depending on the route you take. Zoo Lake has been used for picnics, riding, hunting and a place to house wild animals since it began its life as a park.
What you need to know
Zoo Lake also offers boat ride picnics which cost: R10 per adult per hour; R7.50 per child (Under 14) per hour and a minimum charge of R15 per boat. There are designated braai spots at the park for a perfect picnic but no alcohol is allowed on the premises.
Johannesburg Botanical Gardens
Just 6km from Johannesburg’s city centre, Emmarentia Dam and the surrounding botanical gardens provide a beautiful green space and recreational area for Joburgers and visitors alike. A popular weekend picnicking site, the park is also one of the best places to visit in Johannesburg to walk your dog, jog or ride a bike.Visitors can enjoy its special gardens – the Shakespeare Garden, the Rose Garden, the Herb Garden, a Hedge Demonstration Garden and the main arboretum, which houses family groupings of plants and trees of South Africa and the rest of the world.
What you need to know
No alcohol is allowed at Botanical Gardens and entrance is free and there are designated picnic spots.
Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens
Serene natural area with picnic areas, birdwatching & trails amid indigenous plants & wildlife, Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens is situated in Roodeport.
What you need to know
Entrance tickets can be purchased online at Webtickets; at any Pick ‘n Pay Money Market or by card payment at the gate. The garden no longer accepts cash payments. Entrance fees cost; adult: R65, pensioner: R65 (Free entry on Tuesdays), student: R40 (valid student card required), scholar: R20 (grades 1 – 12), children under 6 years enter for free.
Johannesburg Zoo
Situated on Jan Smuts Avenue in Parkview, the Johannesburg Zoo is one of the city’s most popular haunts. Johannesburg’s zoo is home to 2070 animals and 365 different species, and without doubt the reason one visits this beautiful setting is the animals themselves. There are white lions (one of the few places in the world where you can see them), elephants, polar bears, chimpanzees, gorillas, bat-eared foxes, hippos and antelope.
What you need to know
Entrance for adults is R110, children (age 3-12), pensioners and students (student card required) enter with R65. There are no braai facilities at JHB Zoo as no fires are allowed. Visitors can also bring their own picnic baskets with food and beverages in plastic bottles only. Alcoholic beverages and drinks in glasses or cans are not allowed.
Enjoy a picnic at home
With the country on alert level 3 many people may not want to go out, consider staying home. A picnic at home can be enjoyed indoors; move a couple couches around, set up on the floor with a blanket, cushions and you are good to go.
If you have a beautiful garden you can set up outside and enjoy the winter sun, plus…it’s free! A speaker for music, drinks, a platter of your favourite finger foods and you can be creative and include painting and more.
