Donkin lights and structures

All along the Mosaic Steps up onto the Donkin Reserve from Chapel Street there is a series of light structures cut out of metal.  Forming part of the public art along Route 67, the project was a collaboration between student and school pupils with 34 of these telling stories of our past, present and future.  I was looking for a way to take a photo of some of the structures without just photographing them with the Donkin as background and…

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Ghostly ghost tour in Port Elizabeth

Over the weekend the local Geocaching community went on a Ghost Walk through Central led by Rose Trehaeven.  The walk was organised by fellow cacher Graham Chrich (better known in caching circles as Plainoldgraham) and he kept those of us who couldn't make it updated via our WhatsApp group with pictures to show us what we were missing.  He took this picture in front of the Grey Institute and as soon as he had posted it one of the other…

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Unusual monuments

At the end of August I took a road trip to Johannesburg and on my travels discovered two slightly unusual monuments.  Discovered by the way, as there were Geocaches hidden close to both. The first one was a monument just outside of Middelburg in the Eastern Cape.  The stone monument has a picture of a chair on it and the sign says "Stoel Monument" (Chair Monument).  So what is the story behind the Stoel Monument?  There's a long and a short so…

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Fynbos Ramble

The Fynbos Ramble is one of several trails through the Van Stadens Wildflower Reserve.  They're all easy, manageable trails and well worth doing, specially this time of the year with all the proteas in flower. 

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Going on an Adventure Drive in the Gamtoos Valley

Beautiful scenery, rolling hills covered in fynbos, citrus orchids, farmlands, white frothing streams, mountains on the horizon, forested valleys, interesting back roads, friendly people and countryside hospitality.  These are all things you will find in the Gamtoos Valley.  The best way to explore and get to know the Gamtoos Valley is to spend a weekend and see for yourself what this valley on the eastern doorstep of the Baviaanskloof has to offer.  One of the quick fire ways to do this…

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King Protea outside PE

Living in Port Elizabeth and wanting to see South Africa's national flower, the King Protea, growing somewhere in the wild? Then head out to Van Stadens Wildflower Reserve.  These beauties are in full bloom and stunning.

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Karoo koppies – Koffiebus and Teebus

The flat top koppies (mountains) of the Karoo is as part of this arid region of the country as windpompe, Angora goats, Karoo lamb, flowering aloes and big open skies.  Two of the best known Karoo koppies are the Koffiebus and Teebus south of the town of Steynsburg. The word "Bus" means pot in old Dutch as the hills are said to look like the old teapots and coffee pots of the early Dutch Settlers.  This means that if you had to translate, let's say,…

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Closing the Voting Line chain

Drama Princess closing (or at least trying to) the link between the kids at the end of the Voting Line and the Madiba figure on the Donkin Reserve.  The Voting Line, an art piece by Anthony Harris and Konrad Geel, consist of life-size laser-cut figures simbolising voters as they were seen in the country's first democratic elections in 1994 and forms part of Rouet 67.

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Urban Run 2015 highlights

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykJYUVqX2XU&w=500&h=400]Last weekend the annual Urban Run took place from the Donkin Reserve.  Runners got to tackle a 10 km course through the inner city, Central area, St Georges Park and Baakens Valley with 15 obstacles along the way.  We missed this year's event and if you did as well, join me in enjoying this highlights packages and hopefully I will see you on the course next year.

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