As our round trip day outing via the Swartberg Pass to Prince Albert and back through Meiringspoort was coming to an end, we made a quick stop in the town of De Rust. Named such as it was a place to outspan the oxen to rest before or after a journey through Meiringspoort, the town is quaint place with a couple of interesting shops and eateries along its main drag. As we were coming into town I noticed a donkey…
As everybody should know by now, South Africa will be hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup in June and July this year. Port Elizabeth is one of the proud host cities and matches will be played in the new Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. The final draw for the tournament was done early in December and we found out that Germany, England and Portugal will all be playing in PE in the first round. Another one of the teams that will…
The world's biggest bird walking down a fence in the Klein Karoo near the town of Oudtshoorn at sunset..For more awe inspiring pictures from all over the globe featuring the sky, visit Skywatch.
There are two ways to get from the Karoo into the Klein Karoo over / through the Swartberg and both are very scenic. The Swartberg Pass is for those with lots of time and Meiringspoort for those in a hurry. The Meiringspoort road features soaring cliff walls with spectacular rock formations along the 25 km tarred road which winds along the floor of the gorge and crosses the Groot River 25 times. Each crossing, or drift, has its own name…
A vygie growing between the sandstone rocks on top of the Maitlands dune field
Driving towards De Rust and Oudtshoorn from Prince Albert takes one through Meiringspoort. Just before you enter the poort the road passes the little hamlet of Klaarstroom which has remained virtually unchanged since the days of Queen Victoria. As we were passing the turnoff into Klaarstroom my eye caught a peculiar sight and I nearly left the road as I spun my head around. A number of man sized dolls were sitting on benches, on bikes and just standing around…
Fort Frederick was built by the British in 1799 to protect Algoa Bay from possible French invasion. Ironically the fort never got to fire a shot in anger in all the time it was in commission.
After driving through the Swartberg Pass (from here to here), we entered the village of Prince Albert. The first farmers in this area started farming in this fertile valley from 1762. The area soon attracted other farmers and church services were held on the market square and by 1844 an Dutch Reformed Church had been built and a thriving community established. In 1845 some parishioners suggested that the village be named Albertsburg after "Naar zijne Hoogheid" - his Royal Highness,…
We popped into the Schoenmakerskop Flea Market this morning for a quick squize. Its not one of those big markets but something a little bit more intimate. This one particular stall had a huge range of jams, preserves and pickled items at the most unbelievable prices. Usually you would pay about R20 or R25 for a bottle of jam. This guy was selling them for about R12 (not even $2 US) each. Needles to say, my mom who was visiting…