Travel Blog

Port Elizabeth Daily Photo

A white December in PE?

December is the start of summer which means that, obviously, we celebrate a beach Christmas rather than a white one like in some parts of the Northern Hemisphere. Today is anything but a early summers day though. The south-easterly is pumping properly, the sea looks lank angry and foam is being washed and blown onto the beach. I took a drive down to Pollok Beach and found the beach by the gap in the rock covered in snow... Well, not…

Comments Off on A white December in PE?
07/12/2020
Read more about the article A hike up Lady’s Slipper outside Port Elizabeth
Firefly the Travel Guy / Port Elizabeth Daily Photo

A hike up Lady’s Slipper outside Port Elizabeth

In a way, walking up Lady's Slipper has become for Port Elizabeth what walking up Lion's Head is for Cape Town. At one stage only a few people did it, but lately it has become a very popular outing. Not very far distance-wise, but a tough cookie as far as terrain. It has been on my "To Do" list for so long and the other day I decided to tackle it with the family in tow. As the trail and…

Comments Off on A hike up Lady’s Slipper outside Port Elizabeth
04/12/2020
Read more about the article The Lady’s Slipper
Port Elizabeth Daily Photo

The Lady’s Slipper

For years I would drive along the N2 past Lady's Slipper mountain looking at it and wondering where the actual slipper was. At one stage I thought it may be the peak standing out over the mountain, but I just could not see it. That was until I heard that the slipper isn't visible from the N2 at 90 degrees side on, but rather that you have to be on the old road between the Falcon Rock turnoff and the…

Comments Off on The Lady’s Slipper
01/12/2020
Read more about the article Maitland River mouth
Firefly the Travel Guy / Port Elizabeth Daily Photo

Maitland River mouth

The view of Maitland River mouth as you come down the road from Beachview side The Maitland River west of Port Elizabeth really isn't much to write home about. It originates somewhere between the N2 and the sea so isn't very long. Probably not even close to 20km in length. It flows down through Sleepy Hollow farm and then the Maitland Nature Reserve before the last little bit past the famous Maitland sand dune to the sea. The small lagoon…

Comments Off on Maitland River mouth
01/12/2020
Read more about the article A Karoo view from Dam se Kop
Firefly the Travel Guy

A Karoo view from Dam se Kop

Today's post isn't one of a well-known or even public spot, but I do want to show you the expanse of the Karoo in the Jansenville / Darlington Dam district. A couple of months ago we spent a weekend with our church cell group on the farm Wortelkuil of Willie de Wet. Willie farms with goats and sheep, but also offers a bit of hunting on the farm On Sunday morning we all piled onto his bakkie and off-road buggy…

Comments Off on A Karoo view from Dam se Kop
23/11/2020
Read more about the article Chokka Boats and the source of calamari
Firefly the Travel Guy

Chokka Boats and the source of calamari

Chokka boats in Algoa Bay Fishing boats out in Algoa Bay and St Francis Bay are regular sights to residents and visitors of Port Elizabeth, Jeffrey's Bay and St Francis. These boats can often be seen taking shelter in the bays when bad weather is forecasted and at night it looks like a town out on the water with all the bright lights out there. The majority of these boats are chokka boats with the region being home to the…

Comments Off on Chokka Boats and the source of calamari
19/11/2020
Read more about the article Penguins at SANCCOB
Firefly the Travel Guy

Penguins at SANCCOB

The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds or SANCCOB centre at Cape Recife in Port Elizabeth does an amazing job as part of the conservation of the African Penguin, especially here in Algoa Bay. The centre was previously known as SAMREC and doesn't just play a huge role in conservation, but also in educating locals and visitors alike. Because of this the centre has become one of Port Elizabeth's main tourist attractions. The activities SANCCOB do include…

Comments Off on Penguins at SANCCOB
18/11/2020
Firefly the Travel Guy

Orca in Algoa Bay

Over the last couple of weeks local whale watching outfit Raggy Charters has spotted two different pods of orcas on two occasions while out cruising in Algoa Bay. Owner Lloyd Edwards also saw the one pod cruise by Seaview a little less than a week ago. Yesterday there was excitement in St Francis Bay when a pod was encountered in the bay. We are fortunate to have these visitors to the area every once in a while, but I haven't…

1 Comment
17/11/2020