Knysna’s got the chukka bug again
KNYSNA - We are officially halfway through the month of February, and we are two thirds of the way through the 2024 Oakhill Waterfront Chukka festivals. The U13 and U19 editions have already been held with great success, while the U15 festival is set to be held next week.
Oakhill School's annual series of water polo festivals has been a staple of the Knysna events calendar for the past 12 years, and every year 1 200 young water polo players from right around the country flock to Knysna for three weekends of scintillating action.
The festivals are held across three different age groups (U13, U15 and U19) and are spread throughout the month of February with the U13 and U19 editions being held on the first two weekends of the month. They then break for the third week of the month before the U15 event takes place on the fourth and final weekend to wrap things up.
For the festivals, Oakhill constructs temporary water polo pools at the Knysna Waterfront.
One is built at the 34° South dock, one opposite Drydock and a third is built only for the U19 festival across the harbour from the Drydock pool.
With all the hullabaloo comes a great fever for water polo action
and every weekend the Waterfront is flooded with players, family and friends who have all travelled to Knysna to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the beautiful town.
They also take time to enjoy the area by eating out at local restaurants and going on various tours, with boat tours on the
Knysna Estuary often the most popular.
Every year this proves to be a great boost for local tourism at an otherwise relatively quiet time of the year. The third and final festival, the U15 edition, will be held from Thursday to Saturday, 22 to 24 February.