Author: fitravel

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Beachfront seen from the top of the Donkin Lighthouse

The top of the Donkin Lighthouse must be one of the best view point in Port Elizabeth.  My favorite actually.  Looking south this is the view of the beachfront beyond the harbor area.  The Kings Beach parking area is in the foreground, then the Humewood slipway and Shark Rock Pier just beyond.  In the back Something Good at Pollok Beach is visible and the tall building in the skyline is the Radisson Blu Hotel.  It wasn't the clearest day when I was…

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05/11/2014
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Beer tasting at Bridge Street Brewery

Craft beer has very much become an in thing with many patrons preferring it over the traditional beers.  Bridge Street Brewery has brought craft beer to Port Elizabeth big time since opening in the Baakens Valley and the venue has become quite popular not just for its beer but also the excellent food they serve.  If the brewer is available they will even do brewery tours and beer tastings for groups on request.  Last week I visited Bridge Street on…

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04/11/2014
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I miss my ellie friends

Way back when I started working in the tourism industry I worked as a freelance tourist guide and one of the companies that used me had tours going to Addo Elephant National Park just about every day.  That means that I got to go to the park 5 or 6 times a week and I never got tired of it.  These days I don't get to visit Addo nearly as much as I would like to and when I had…

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04/11/2014
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The South End Museum

 South End, as a suburb, was once a cosmopolitan community. Men, women, children and families lived harmonious lives in the epicentre of cultural diversity.  Blacks, whites, coloureds, Indians, Chinese, Jews, Greeks and many more were united in their attitude towards family values, faith and morals, despite the diversity of religion, language and race.  This all changed with the Group Areas Act coming into being in the 1950's.  South End was classified as a "whites only area" and everybody of colour…

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03/11/2014
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Forest scenes and senses from the Tsitsikamma

The Tsitsikamma is famous for its stunning scenery, magnificent forests and exciting adventures.  I often wonder how many people visit here and marvel at the big things but totally miss the little ones.  Ferns with new leaves opening up, soft moss growing on a rock, bracket fungus on the side of a log, the sound of a forest stream slowly flowing through the underbrush and over a little waterfall and the call of baboons in the distance.  What about the sound of the…

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03/11/2014
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Red, white and blue fishing boats

Last week I got to attend an event at the Algoa Bay Yacht Club to celebrate a couple of awards won by Port Elizabeth's marine tour and whale watching operator  Raggy Charters.  I noticed these three red, white and blue fishing boats tied up to each other and just had to snap a pic.  Oh, say! can you see by the dawn's early light....

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02/11/2014
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Penguin Island Cruise with Raggy Charters video

https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/qXCbY-KcHyY&source=udsAt the recent 2nd annual South African Tourism Lilizela Awards Raggy Charters of Port Elizabeth won the Marine Experience category in the customer experience section.  It is a huge accomplishment not just for Lloyd Edwards and his team but also a feather in the cap of Port Elizabeth and Algoa Bay.  It proves that this area can compete with the best the rest of South Africa has to offer as far as marine experiences   I came across this video by Ellie Bottomley on YouTube that…

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31/10/2014
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Pine forests in the Tsitsikamma

The Tsitsikamma's three biggest industries are tourism, dairy and forestry.  So by the last one you can gather that the area is more than just indigenous forests.  The Tsitsikamma also has a huge amount of commercial pine plantations.  Pine trees were first planted early in the 20th century to replace indigenous forests that were cut out due to extensive logging.  The exotic trees were a bad replacement for the indigenous trees but the fact that they grow quickly meant that…

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30/10/2014
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New beachfront wall

The retaining wall all the beachfront walkway between McArthurs Pool and Humewood Beach have had a complete renovation and makeover after it was found to have some structural problems that have developed over time.  The work was finally completed a couple of weeks ago and the walkway is now fully accessible once again.

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30/10/2014