Travel Blog - Firefly the Travel Guy

Sir Frederic Bridge in Nieu-Bethesda

The Sir Frederic Bridge (also called Jubileum Bridge) creates a quick shortcut over the Gats River between the two sides of the village. The bridge is accessible via Parsonage Street and Pienaar Street and are a great lookout spot. The footbridge was proposed in 1897 and finally approved by the Administrator of the Cape, Sir Frederic de Waal, nearly 20 years later, in 1914. The local blacksmith, Fredrick Lehman, constructed it. In the late 1990s, the two bridges were redesigned…

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05/03/2026

Firefly the Travel Guy

The Middelburg Cultural History Museum in the Karoo

If you want to learn more about the history of a small town, then the best thing to do is to look up the town museum. They're usually a virtual cyclopaedia containing everything you want to know about the town and the region. I've been reading a little about some of the exhibits in the Middelburg Cultural History Museum, so when I had a chance to visit the town, I headed straight over to the museum The town's Museum Association…

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17/02/2026

Firefly the Travel Guy

The monuments in Middelburg Karoo’s Mayoral Garden

I was really surprised at how many monuments and historic buildings Middelburg Karoo has. The town was founded in 1852 as a midway point between Graaff-Reinet and Colesberg. A site for Middelburg was chosen, as its name implies, in the very centre of a circle of other platteland towns – thus providing a hub for the secular and spiritual life of a pioneer farming community that was, till then, very far from anywhere. After doing my rounds visiting all the…

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31/01/2026

Firefly the Travel Guy

Historic Cemeteries of Middelburg Karoo

I have this fascinating interest in old graveyards and cemeteries. There is a calmness and peacefulness to them, and it's often one of the best ways to learn more about a place's history. A roadtrip to Middelburg Karoo has a checklist of places I wanted to see and historic cemeteries were at the top of the list. The more I read, the more intrigued I got. There's not a lot that I found written about the cemeteries, but picking up…

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20/01/2026

Firefly the Travel Guy

Meander through the Jeffreys Bay Spekboom Labyrinth

We spent the week between Christmas and New Year in Jeffreys Bay, most of the time on the beach. I did try to break away to visit one or two attractions and do a few Geocaches. One of the places I made sure to pop in was the Spekbook Labyrinth. Opened in 2022, the labyrinth was a project driven by the "Jeffreys Bay Dorp van Drome" movement. It was designed by landscape architect Pieter Kok, while the four columns were…

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13/01/2026

Firefly the Travel Guy

Jeffreys Bay Historical Fishermen Cemetery

Jeffreys Bay's history is made up of surfers, fishermen, seashells and holiday makers. The town doesn't really have a lot of historical sites or monuments, but between the Kouga Municipality and the Jeffreysbaai Dorp van Drome project, a lot of stories are starting to be told through heritage sites being created. One of these is the Historical Fishermen Cemetery, tucked away on Duine Street in Pellsrus. The little cemetery is one of the oldest graveyards in Jeffreys Bay and is…

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05/01/2026

Firefly the Travel Guy

The Dassiedeur Tunnel – a railway tunnel with no tracks

I only discovered the Dassiedeur Tunnel near Cradock because there is a Geocache hidden halfway through the tunnel. For some reason, only Geocachers know, all my focus was on the cache and I never took any pictures while I was there. Fast-forward about a decade, and I'm on my way to Cradock, with the tunnel at the top of a long list of things to do on the trip. I was just hoping that the road to get to it…

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05/01/2026

Firefly the Travel Guy / Port Elizabeth Daily Photo

Groendal Nature Reserve – Fernkloof Trail

A couple of weeks ago the Damselfly and I joined Start Hiking Gqeberha for a hike along the Fernkloof Trail in the Groendal Nature Reserve. I'm embarrassed to say that even though Groendal is just around the corner, I've never been, so I was really happy to finally get a chance to go. Surrounding the Groendal Dam and protecting the important water catchment area of the Swartkops River is the 30,000 ha unspoiled Groendal Nature Reserve. Characterised by rugged terrain,…

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30/10/2025

Firefly the Travel Guy

Cape St Francis Anchor Garden and Shipwreck Display

I've been itching to get out to Cape St Francis to have a look at the new Cape St Francis Anchor Garden and Shipwreck Display at the entrance to the Irma Booysen Flora Reserve next to the R330 as you enter the village. It's all a case of time and money. Petrol isn't cheap, and the Firefly Polo does not run on love and stress. A little birthday outing a couple of weeks ago was the perfect excuse for a…

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24/09/2025

Firefly the Travel Guy

Tafelberg – The Table Mountain of the Karoo Heartland

Tafelberg is one of the best-known landmarks in the Middelburg (Karoo) district. The flat-topped mountain is a striking mesa‑like mountain rising above the flat plains 21km south of Middelburg along the N10 in the direction of Cradock. Its name literally means "Table Mountain" in Afrikaans. There's just no Devil's Peak or Lion's Head flanking it, nor is there a cable car to get to the top. The flat-topped Karoo Koppies are one of the icons of the Karoo region, so…

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17/08/2025