Flat Rocks is the area between Pollok Beach and Cape REcife where the rocks stretch out to see at low tide. The rocks are very accessible and very popular with fishermen. The younger crowd in PE wouldn't know that the spot where the Flat Rocks parking area is now (across from the Humewood Golf Course entrance) used to be where the Palm Beach (Flat Rocks) Roadhouse was located.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDzxivW5WnQ&w=500&h=400]The African Penguin used to be called the Jackass Penguin. A strange name for a penguin. But how did it get that name? It is because the African Penguin's call sounds like a braying donkey. Right, so now we have established that they sound like a donkey, but why were they called Jackass? Donkey's are also called Asses (the scientific name is Equus africanus Asinus) while a male donkey is called a Jack. Hence Jackass. Check out this video by…
I wish I had more time to go and explore Cape Recife Nature Reserve more often with my camera. It offers so many photo opportunities, one of these being the Cape Recife Lighthouse. The lighthouse was built in 1851 on the western point of Algoa Bay. Cape Recife is one of the major turning points on the South African coastline and the lighthouse warns ships of Thunderbolt Reef and other hazards which they have to give a wide berth. The tower stands 24 metres…
The Damselfly and I had our 15th anniversary two weeks ago and as it goes, posted about it on social media. A few days later I got a call from a reporter at the Herald asking me if they could do an article in the La Femme supplement to include in their regular page celebrating weddings and anniversaries. She emailed us a few questions and organised for a photographer to meet us for the picture. The Damselfly mentioned in her…
The West Coast and Namakwaland is famous for their spring flowers while a number of reserves in the southern Cape, one of these being the Baviaanskloof Wilderness Area, are UNESCO World Heritage Sites as it is where the Cape Floral Kingdom occurs. Living in Port Elizabeth it's not always possible to do the trek west to go and view flowers but a few weeks ago I realized that it's not necessary.About 40 kilometers west of Port Elizabeth is the Van Stadens Wildflower Reserve,…
One of the attractions for visitors at SAMREC is the "Must Touch Room". It allows interaction of the visitors, especially the kids, with different aspects of the marine environment. There are just too many things to mention here, but visitors can touch shark teeth, a dolphin skull, stuffed marine birds and mammals, play games and learn lots of interesting facts while doing this. Other than seeing the penguins, this must be the small visitors' favorite part of their visit to SAMREC.
I love to road trip, doesn't matter if it is for work or pleasure, solo, with friends or family. Road tripping takes me to places, allows me to sightsee, discover things, give me photo opportunities and... Geocache. It's amazing how one can actually plan your whole road trip and all your stops around Geocaching. It was no different on a recent Cape Town road trip with friends and fellow travel peeps and Geocachers Erenei and Shefetswe. On the way back we stopped at…
A drive through the Cape Recife Nature Reserve brought me to the Patti Beach parking area. This is the view from the beach along the coastline looking towards Noordhoek.
I just can't help but laugh every time I watch the penguins at SAMREC and one of them wants to jump off the diving board. They literally look like they are scanning the water for sharks before they dive in.
Pincushion Proteas in full bloom next to a dam in the Van Stadens Wildflower Reserve