I have always enjoyed an occasional, relaxing soak in the bath and I love being outdoors in nature. One of the biggest benefits of moving out of the city is the amazing night sky, which seems to light up the countryside, illuminating everything in a silvery glow.
After a wonderful outdoor bath experience at the Numbi Valley Guest House in De Rust, I was inspired to create my own outdoor bathroom and combine all the elements that make me come alive.

I had an old cast-iron bath on my property that my ducks were swimming in. After serious negotiation with my ducks, I cleaned it out and carted it off to its new spot in my garden under an old apple tree. That seemed symbolic to me and also had a good view of the mountain.

I wanted privacy but did not want a closed, boxed-in feel. My son-in-law suggested a “living wall” which excited me. So Vuyo, my gardener & right-hand man, transplanted bamboo, taken from another part of our garden, to create our living wall! Every season it will become denser…

I did not want to mow lawn in my ‘bathroom’, so I decided to create a stone floor. We live in an area where there is an abundance of rocks, so we went into the veld and collected rocks that were suitable. Vuyo did a fantastic job.

I wanted to be able to see our mountain from the bath, so I designed a window from dead branches off an old tree and directed Vuyo on how high to make it from the position of sitting in the bath.

Vuyo welded two stands for the bath to rest on, on either end. Taking our wheelbarrow to a nearby building rubble site, we chose the best old bricks to build with. We enclosed the bath with bricks and covered the bricks with stones to create the desired stone look.

We attached a drainage hose to the plug hole to drain the bath water. We fill the bath with borehole water and light a fire under the bath, with offcut wood, to heat it up. The coals keep the cast-iron bath warm, and the water stays hot for hours.

In the morning, when the water is cool, we drain it onto our veggies and fruit trees. We only use biodegradable soaps and shampoos, so that they don’t harm our garden.

With a glass of our favourite drink and some snacks under the starry skies, our outdoor bath has become our Friday night fun activity! It is a most welcome, relaxing experience after a week of work and it is a wonderful way to herald the weekend in.

My husband and I often say that this was one of the best things we ever did! It just goes to show that life’s simple pleasures make life worthwhile.

Innovative/Sustainable
Used Recycled Items
Uses No Electricity
Drain Bath Water onto Veggies
Uses Offcut Wood
Biodegradable Soap
Borehole Water