Sometimes nature invites us to play before we’ve even realised we’ve accepted the invitation.
On a recent roadtrip, we called into South Valla Beach, just below Coffs Harbour. It wasn’t a classic white-sand beach that features in travel magazines. Instead, it was a yellow sandy beach scattered with wave- and wind-smoothed pebbles and piles of shells.
At one end of the beach, piles of seaweed in various stages of decomposition matted the entrance to a sandstone cave. The other end featured green-tinged rocky flats, dotted with tidal pools, alongside a lone sandstone outcrop – its ridges carved by years of wind and ocean.
It wasn’t spectacular in the way some beaches are, but it was alluring. From the lookout above, something about it drew us to the beach.
At first we were drawn to the pebbles, looking for the perfect flat rock to skim. My husband and kids soon found their way to the sandstone rock, bouldering on the overhangs, over the soft sand below.
Meanwhile I was attracted to the tidal flats, looking for sea-life in the rock pools, noticing the interplay of water between the tides. The more features we noticed on the beach, the more time we spent interacting and playing – with the natural elements and with each other.
After a while I looked up and noticed other people were also drawn to the beach. Two ladies rounded the bend onto this stretch of shore, obviously on a walk. They too slowed down, and I noticed them stop by the pile of shells, combing for a special treasure.
Another lady walked down to the beach, and she headed down to explore the seaweed-fronted cave.
As I watched people arrive, I realised something. As soon as they reached this stretch of beach, it became a magnet for play.
Without fail, just as we had not long before, every person – young or old – was drawn to explore, to play, to notice.
It wasn’t a beach that anyone would write home about (ironic, really, as here I am writing a blog about it!). The smells of rotting seaweed were potent. Yet, this little patch of nature had the power to snap each and every one of us out of our busy minds to be present, to touch, explore and notice what was around us.
It made me wonder how often we put ourselves in situations where wonder takes over. Where the invitation for play is so compelling that we aren’t even conscious that we’ve accepted this invitation.
This experience on the beach wasn’t something we manufactured or planned. We had simply stopped by the beach to break up a road trip. But I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that when we left the beach, we weren’t the same people. We hadn’t fundamentally changed, but we were lighter. We were more joyful. More connected – to ourselves, to each other, and the world around us.
Research into the Attention Restoration Theory suggests that natural environments gently capture our attention, giving our minds a chance to rest. Looking back, I wonder if that was only part of what was happening. This little stretch of beach didn’t just hold our attention – it seemed to awaken our curiosity.
It wasn’t just calming us.
It was inviting us to play.
Reflection
What places help you become more curious, playful or present?
How might you spend a little more time in them?
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Connection Compass acknowledges the Turrbal and Jagara people, the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work, live, and gather. We pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging, and draw inspiration from their connection to Country, community and spirit.
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