Travel Blog - Firefly the Travel Guy

Meander through the Jeffreys Bay Spekbook 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

Firefly the Travel Guy

Storms River Mouth walk to the suspension bridge

The Tsitsikamma National Park, these days called the Tsitsikamma section of the Garden Route National Park, must be one of the most scenic places in South Africa. I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder and some people are going to say, "But what about the Wild Coast or the West Coast?" So let's just say, the Tsitsikamma coastline is right up there. And the easiest way to see and experience it is on the Storms River Mouth…

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10/08/2025

Firefly the Travel Guy

Woodlands Dairy – milk production stats that will blow your mind

A grandfather asked his granddaughter where milk came from and she said, "From the shops grandpa." Is she wrong? Well, technically not, but you know what I mean. On the other hand, it's also not as easy and clear cut as most people think. Definitely not just a case of "Have cows, milk cows, bottle milk, sell milk". This I learned on a recent media visit to Woodlands Dairy in Humansdorp as part of the 30 year anniversary of their…

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15/07/2025

Firefly the Travel Guy

Tarkastad’s White Hope Masonic Lodge

The first time we visited Tarkastad I knew it was going to be a very small town and I was expecting to see a beautiful historic church or two, hopefully a war memorial, lots of history and even more charm. One of the things I didn't expect to find was a Masonic Lodge. Driving through the town while doing some sightseeing, I noticed a small stone building. I pulled over to see what the sign on the door said and…

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11/07/2025

Firefly the Travel Guy

Commandant William Comley Memorial in Somerset East

Two of the lesser-known monuments in Somerset East are both memorials to military men from the area who died in the late 1800s. I don't think many people even know these memorials exist. Definitely very few, if any, from outside of Somerset East. It's monuments like this that I like to find, do a little research on and share with you about. Memorials that people don't know about or have forgotten. Memorials worth discovering. One of these is a monument…

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25/06/2025