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The Baviaanskloof – an UNESCO World Heritage Site

South Africa has eight UNESCO World Heritage sites.  These are places such as a forest, mountain, lake, island, desert, monument, building, complex, or city that is listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as of special cultural, natural or physical significance.  One of the South African World Heritage Sites is the Cape Floral Kingdom.  The Cape Floristic Region, the smallest of the six recognised floral kingdoms of the world, is home to more than 9 000 plant species of…

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02/06/2015
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Autumn on the beach

Its been cold and grey over the last two days with more to come.  Clearly this wasn't taken over the last few days.  I did take it last week though when we had one of PE's typical stunning autumn days.

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02/06/2015
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Madiba on the Donkin

I haven't been to the historic part of PE for a while and the pictures on PEDP probably shows that.  Between work and family I have just been so busy that I haven't been to try out my new camera in the old part of town.  A quick stop at the tourism visitor centre at the Donkin Reserve to drop off brochures gave me a chance to snap one or two pictures before I had to rush off again.  Just…

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01/06/2015
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Our own secluded Baviaans valley

One of the best parts of exploring while traveling is discovering hidden gems.  Some of these hides are figuratively, as in somewhere (either a place or establishment) off the beaten track that the hordes haven't discovered yet.  Sometimes you find places that are literally hidden though.  One of these I found on our weekend at Baviaans Lodge recently.  A walk along a stream up one of the valleys near the lodge brought us to a breathtaking spot with a river pool, sheer…

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01/06/2015
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Surf safe and avoid being hit

Usually the rules of surfing are unwritten rules as far as I understand.  Something you have to know before you hit the waves so that you don't get hit by another surfer's board... of fist.  But just in case you would like to read some of these they are posted along the beachfront like this one on the boardwalk at Lovers Lane.

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31/05/2015
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Geocaching Swag

One of the fun aspects of Geocaching, specially when you cache with children, is finding bigger caches containing SWAG.  SWAG is an acronym for "Stuff We All Get" and are small trade items.  The rule with SWAG is that if you want to take something you have to replace it with something of equal or greater value.  Drama Princess has a SWAG bag in her Geocaching bag with items to swop if she finds anything she likes.  This SWAG box…

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30/05/2015
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Addo Elephant National Park – well worth the visit

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zwZblA5UwA&w=500&h=400]Addo Elelphant National Park is on Port Elizabeth's doorstep.  Literally.  Matyholweni, or the south gate as most just refer to it, is located at Colchester on the Sundays River, just outside the boundary of Nelson Mandela Bay.  Up to just over a decade or so ago Addo was mostly all about elephants.  Today it is so much more than that.  The Greater Addo Park stretches from the southern Karoo around the Darlington Dam, across the Zuurberg Mountains through the main game area and…

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29/05/2015
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Gone fishing at Kabega Dump

Weekends are the time to do some work in the garden.  That is when the KidZ don't have sport or parties or whatever or the Damselfly doesn't drag me to the shops.  I'm curious where Port Elizabethans go to dump their garden refuge.  With the Kragga Kamma transfer station still closed the options in our area are Walmer (now that is a dump dump), Summerstrand (a little far), Arlington tip (there I will NEVER go again) and Kabega Park.  The Kabega Park…

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28/05/2015
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Mandela quote

One of the Mandela Quotes way markers along Route 67 on the Donkin Reserve.There is nothing as bad as a leader making a demand which you know can never succeedNelson Mandela (1992)

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27/05/2015
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Baviaans Lodge – a special oasis in the southern Baviaanskloof

The Baviaanskloof must be on the bucket list of a lot of South African travellers.  Stunning scenic beauty which, if she was a person, would put her in the top three of a Miss Universe competition.  Isolation, but not like just around the corner where you can't hear the traffic.  A true wilderness area.  UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Overnighting in caves or on a river beach next to sheer cliffs.  Challenging roads.  Unfortunately for us mere sedan drivers a big part…

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27/05/2015