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Malachite Sunbird in Addo

Addo Elephant National Park boats with over 450 different bird species making it not just great for elephant and game watching, but also bird watching.  I'm not always too bothered with trying to photograph birds with my superzoom as it isn't really fast enough to take proper pictures of them, but on my last visit I had a borrowed SLR with a long lens and snapped away at anything that moved.  One of those was this Malachite Sunbird.  The adult…

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27/02/2014
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Lighthouse Mosaic Moments

Everybody who visits the Donkin Reserve is in awe of the huge 470 m2 mosaic next to the pyramid.  Very few actually notice the frame of mosaic blocks surrounding the base of the lighthouse.  The mosaic blocks is a celebration of symbols and icons within Port Elizabeth and its surrounds referencing various stories, personal ideas and journeys.  One actually have to spend some time and look at each one individually to really see what they are about and to appreciate…

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26/02/2014
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Passing the Fish-Bird

Visitors to the Donkin Reserve may think the aliens have landed when they walk past the Fish-Bird art piece on the Donkin Reserve.  The Fish-Bird is one of the art pieces forming part of Route 67 and was done by artist Mxolisi Dolla Sapeta.  The sculpture represent the fish found in Algoa Bay which is visible from Donkin and the birds found on the Reserve itself.  The Fish-Bird has "landed" here to take ownership of this transforming site, making itself at home…

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25/02/2014
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Fold Mountains

Somewhere in primary school all South African kids learn about the Cape Fold Mountains but one never really understands it until actually seeing it in person.  The Cape Fold Mountains are found along South Africa's south coast from Cape Town to the Port Elizabeth area.  The actual folds are seen in many places where you find valley and gorges through the mountains, usually while driving a pass somewhere.  About 450 million years ago  the rocks found in the Cape Fold Mountains were laid down as…

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24/02/2014
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Cannon Hill

The best view point in Uitenhage is probably Cannon Hill with view both to the south and east.  The park on Cannon Hill has to coronation memorials, one for Queen Elizabeth II and one for King George V.  There is also a cannon on the hill pointing south and this along with the name makes me think that the hill was used as a lookout and potential defense point for the town at some stage in its history.

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24/02/2014
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Splash Waterworld Super Tube

The Super Tube at Kings Beach has become one of the Port Elizabeth beachfront landmarks a long time ago and is still as popular as possible.  Drama Princess turned nine last week and yesterday (Saturday) we had her birthday party at the Super Tube.  It's even more fun as I remember and things have changed a little bit with extra slides being added since I was a kid.  When I say kid I mean kid in age cause yesterday I…

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23/02/2014
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Bushbound Girl getting some penguin training

Blogger Rachel Lang of Bush-bound Girl's first love is nature and conservation and with her bubbly personality and  inquisitiveness she made for a fantastic travelling partner during the #PERocks blogger visit to Nelson Mandela Bay and surrounds.  When there was a need for a volunteer to try something out she was always first to stick her hand up.  This is how all bloggers should be as it gives them the opportunity to really experience things and then be able to describe it…

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21/02/2014
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King Protea – South Africa’s National Flower

South Africa's national flower is the King Protea.  The King Protea (Protea cynaroides) is the biggest flowering protea specie and forms part of the Cape Floral Kingdom (Fynbos). Protea cynaroides is a species of protea in the huge family Proteaceae which comprises about 80 genera with about 1600 species.  The name of the plant family Proteaceae as well as the genus Protea, both to which Protea cynaroides belongs to, derive from the name of the Greek god Proteus, a deity that was able…

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21/02/2014
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Penguin photography, blogger style

One of the things I loved the most about the #PERocks bloggers visit to Port Elizabeth was the fact that the bloggers always had their cameras close by and took photo of everything and from every angle.  Like here at the South African Marine Rehabilitation and Education Centre (SAMREC) in Cape Recife. Penguin photography at its best.

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20/02/2014