Author: fitravel

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Splash Festival entertainment

The annual 4 day long Splash Festival started at Hobie Beach yesterday and even though the organisers were only officially appointed about three weeks ago the first day was a huge success.  Thousands of festival goers flocked to Hobie Beach to enjoy the fabulous weather as well as the tons of entertainment on offer.  I did a three hour shift at our church's pancake stall and by 3pm when I went off duty we had sold over 900 pancakes already. …

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07/04/2012
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William Savage stained glass window

One of the stained glass windows in the historic Public Library in the Port Elizabeth city centre shows the picture of Mr WH Savage.  I Googled the name but couldn't find much and then turned to Margaret Harradine's Port Elizabeth, A social chronicle to the end of 1945.  William Savage was born in Kent in 1824 and came to Port Elizabeth in 1849.  He had a business selling stationary and hardware and was a generous benefactor of several good causes both in Port…

3 Comments
06/04/2012
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Historic Public Library

One of my favorite places as a child was the Public Library in the city centre.  We used to go to work with my mom during school holidays every now and then and would spend just about the whole day in the library.  Its such an amazing place with its rows and tows of books on various levels and magnificent stained glass windows.The history of the library is quite interesting.  A small reading society, known as the Port Elizabeth News Society,…

7 Comments
05/04/2012
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Donkin Street houses renovation

When the first Settlers arrived in Algoa Bay they found an array of hills, streams, rivers and kloofs, making habitation of the area a problem.  Donkin Street as it stands today was originally a "kloof" (steep valley) with a stream.  The water it carried was channelled into the then Main Street.  This kloof was eventually filled using convict labour and Donkin Street was established in 1851.  The row of 18 terraced houses was built in the 1850's.  Over the last few years the houses have…

3 Comments
04/04/2012
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Fish on the Rocks

Everybody loves fish and chips and every city or town has a good fish and chips shop on a corner somewhere.  But good isn't always best and for the best fish and chips around one has to head past the harbour at Hout Bay and down to Fish on the Rocks.  Africa's favorite (as they put it) fish and chips shop was started by the Brodericks 23 years ago and has become a very popular stop for both locals as well…

5 Comments
04/04/2012
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Looking down on Govan Mbeki Road

The Sky Deck in the Port Elizabeth city centre gives one some stunning views of the downtown area.  This is looking down onto Govan Mbeki Road (formerly Main Street) which was redeveloped by the Mandela Bay Development Agency just before the 2010 FIFA World Cup.  The Sky Deck itself really didn't impress me much.  The least you can do when you have an attraction like that is to keep it clean.  Its a good example of something with a lot of potential…

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03/04/2012
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Cruising to Seal Island in Hout Bay

Every morning hundreds of tourists head out on a tour of the Cape Peninsula with most of them making one of their first stops of the day at the Hout Bay harbour for a cruise around the Sentinel Mountain to Duiker Island, more commonly known as Seal Island.  Standing on quay side you have a choice of boats to make the 45 odd minute trip to the island and back with several operators offering tours.  Our choice for the day was…

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03/04/2012
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Cafe Ruwach

Richmond Hill has truly become one of the "in" places around Port Elizabeth and looking at the restaurants, cafes and pubs in the area it isn't hard to understand why.  A week or so ago a friend asked me if I've ever been to Cafe Ruwach and on answering no we headed over there straight away for a look.  Cafe Ruwach isn't just an ordinary... Well, it isn't ordinary.  As you enter they have a sign stating the following: "We are not a…

4 Comments
02/04/2012
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Hout Bay Harbour

Mention the word "waterfront" in South Africa and everybody would immediately think of the V&A Waterfront on the Cape Town harbour.  What few people know is that the first harbour front emporium in South Africa (actually in Africa) was developed in Hout Bay on the Cape Peninsula.  Fourth generation Hout Bay resident, Stanley Dorman, designed and developed Mariner's Wharf in the Hout Bay Harbour after visiting similar developments all over the world.  Mariner's Wharf opened in 1984 and today is…

4 Comments
02/04/2012