Author: fitravel

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Anton Momberg’s Route 67 sculpture

Route 67 on the Donkin Reserve in Port Elizabeth has some really interesting art pieces ranging from real taxi's mounted on a wall to the 470 square meter Piazza Mosaic next to the Pyramid.  Then there's also the Voting Line with Madiba's figure at the front standing under the tallest flag pole in South Africa sporting a 10 m x 15 m South African flag.   Looking across the reserve towards Algoa Bay stands a lone female figure on a pedestal. (Shouldn't men put all women on…

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11/06/2014
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The Goukamma River

On my way to Cape Town recently I decided to grab a couple of Geocaches, one of them a cache called Back Stab Bridge just west of Knysna.  The cache was situated close to the turnoff to Buffels Bay next to the old road and took me to this beautiful spot. And that is where the caching reference to this post stop.  While cars were flying by on the N2, I could stand on the old bridge and enjoy the beauty…

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10/06/2014
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Schreiner House in Cradock

Olive Schreiner (24 March 1855 – 11 December 1920) was a world renown South African writer and is best remembered for her novel The Story of an African Farm which has been highly acclaimed ever since its first publication in 1883.  She was born in Wittebergen and grew up Healdtown from the age of six.  Between 1868 and 1870 she lived in Cradock with her brother who was the headmaster of the local school and two other siblings.  Although Schreiner only lived in Cradock for…

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09/06/2014
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Addo’s Flightless Dungbeetle

The flightless dung beetle used to be found widespread in Southern Africa but these days is classified as a vulnerable species and only found in Addo Elephant National Park and a couple of other isolated spots.  The beetle is strictly dependent on a number of vertebrates (particularly elephant and buffalo) and when these animals were shot out at the end of the 1800's and beginning 1900's the poor dung beetle population took a huge knock.  These days things are slowly getting better…

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08/06/2014
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Web patterns

Some little web critter living in a hole has decided to decorate the outside of his home.  The pattern intrigued me as it takes the shape of a normal spiders web yet is flat on the pole with no linking strains.  Interesting indeed.  Found this while climbing up to The Point in Natures Valley.

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08/06/2014
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Cape Weaver in Addo

I got to lend somebody's camera on a trip to Addo a little while back.  I love my camera but having a DSLR in my hand with a proper zoom lens was awesome and it allowed me to snap this Cape Weaver without any blur and a nice DOF.  Oh how I wish I had a DSLR to take pics like this all the time. 

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07/06/2014
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Uitenhage on Pasella

https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/R6CGuUYeQsQ&source=udsUitenhage isn't really seen as a tourist destination yet it has a couple of fantastic attractions like the VW AutoPavilion, VW factory tour, Hinterveld Mohair Mill Tour, the NMB Science and Technology Centre, the Uitenhage Museums and a number of monuments and memorials.  Last year SABC 2 program Pasella visited Uitenhage and did this insert on the town.

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06/06/2014
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Gouritz Bridge – a ghost of its former bungee self

Gouritz Bridge became the first bungee jumping site in South Africa and operated bungee jumps and bridge swings before people were throwing themselves off the 214m Bloukrans Bridge bungee site further down the Garden Route.  I used to stop at the bridge on my Garden Route tours and with more than one company offering jumps it was always a busy spot.  After offering this thrill activity for 18 years, operations seized in 2008 after it was found that the parts of the old steel bridge was…

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06/06/2014
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Malachite Sunbird

People underestimate the Port Elizabeth area as a bird watching destination.  One example of excellent bird watching around the city is Addo Elephant National Park boats with over 450 different bird species making it not just great for elephant and game watching, but also for our feathered friends.  I caught this pic of a Malachite Sunbird on a game drive in the park a little while back.  The adult male is metallic green when breeding, with blackish-green wings.  In non-breeding plumage,…

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05/06/2014