Author: fitravel

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Finding nice big Geocache containers

Geocache containers come in all shapes and sizes.  Usually the majority of urban caches range from nano to micro and small so its always fun to find a regular sized container.  This one was found in one of the nature reserves just outside town and the KidZ loved finding it.  Drama Princess actually has a container just like it that she still wants to put out there as soon as she finds a suitable place.

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21/02/2015
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The St Georges Park Brass Band

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k87wyxb9fs&w=500&h=400]The St Georges Brass Band has become an institution at the St Georges Park Cricket Ground over the years.  Some people join in with them singing their lungs out while others despise the noise. Regardless of this it is hard to deny that the band has given St Georges a very unique atmosphere and once the local team gets their tails up and the band gets involved, its hard to stop the wave washing over the opposition.  

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20/02/2015
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Black Oystercatcher

The African Oystercatcher or African Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus moquini), is only found along the coast of South Africa and Namibia.  They mostly live on rocky shores and feed mainly on mussels and limpets.  Those who live on sandy shores eat sand mussels and the Estuarine Oystercatchers typically eat cockles and pencil-bait.  They mate for life and it is known of pairs that lived together for up to 20 years.  They breed once a year and can get very loud if you venture too close…

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19/02/2015
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Bashoto War Memorial in Uitenhage

In Magennis Park just off Church Road (Graaff-Reinet Road) in Uitenhage is a monument that seems kinda out of place in this part of the province.  It's a memorial commemorating those who died in the  Morosi Mountain and Basuto Campaigns of 1879 and 1880-1882. Morosi's Mountain was the name given to a fortified mountain in the Drakensberg mountain range on the banks of the Orange River in southern Basutoland (modern day Lesotho).  This was the site of a siege during the Gun War, also known…

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17/02/2015
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Angulate Tortoise

Its always nice to encounter different critters and interesting things while out on a walk.  Ok, not quite all critters.  Nobody is keen on stumbling on a snake.  A walk near Kini Bay a couple of weekend's ago delivered not a snake but a Angulate Tortoise.  The Angulate Tortoise (Chersina angulata) is quite common in South Africa and found in dry areas and scrub forests.  According to Wikipedia they are called a Rooipens Skilpad in Afrikaans, although I'm not sure that I've…

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16/02/2015
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Holy Trinity Church fence

Port Elizabeth has some truly beautiful old historic stone churches around Central.  One of them is the Holy Trinity Church next to Havelock Square.  The Holy Trinity Church was established in 1854 when a group broke away from St Mary’s church and started having for services in a small room in Kemp Street.  They later moving to a church at the bottom of Military Road with the first church on the present site opening for worship in 1866.  The original church was gutted when a deranged woman set…

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15/02/2015
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Caching up a tree…again

Geocachers seem to find themselves up trees quite often.  Just looking back at the last year I've been a good 8 meters up a huge old Pine Tree, out on a limb of a Coral Tree in near gale force winds and crawling along branches in Wild Fig Trees.  Heck, Wild Fig and Coral Trees are very popular cache locations and a little while ago I received a PAF (that's when one cacher Phones a Friend who has already found…

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14/02/2015
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Shamwari Game Reserve promotional video

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZi08gPyuQ8&w=500&h=400]The Shamwari Private Game Reserve is world famous and everybody knows about it, but have you ever been there?  I used to go there quite often with guests when I was still a tourist guide and they still did day visits.  Perhaps by posting this and asking very nicely somebody will pop me an invite... *wink*  Anyhow, Shamwari is a stunning place and you can at least get a taste of it in this promotional video I picked up on YouTube.

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13/02/2015
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Uitenhage has some seriously big ants

A little caching adventure in Uitenhage brought us to Cannon Hill overlooking the town.  Walking back down the path Drama Princess gave a bit of a scream and jumped onto the grass.  There on the path was a couple of seriously big ants making their way up the hill.  I tried to get a close up but wasn't going to mess with this guys.

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12/02/2015
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Happy Valley – wish I was happy

Today was one of those days.  You know, those where you just want to disappear off the radar for a while so nobody can find you.  I feel tired and stressed and its all thanks to having my car stolen last week.  Not just my car but also my backpack that was in the boot with my whole life in it.  Except for the fact that we're going to have to make debt to buy a new car.  The car…

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11/02/2015