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Sea monsters off Port Elizabeth

 Is there such a thing as sea monsters?  Huge tentacled beasts dragging ships in under the waves, long necked dinosaur like animals who survived millions of years in the deep or scaly monsters with huge teeth so terrifying that Great White Sharks flee in fear?  A morning's hiking around the Cape Recife Nature Reserve in Port Elizabeth nearly had me thinking twice that I have found proof.Walking along the Algoa Bay side of the reserve I spotted a spiky spine visible amongst the waves.  I started to…

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27/09/2012
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Old cars under threat

The St Croix Motor Museum in Port Elizabeth has one of the most magnificent private collections of classic and vintage cars in South Africa.  Unfortunately this museum is under threat of closing due to the fact that the government department that owns the property doesn't want to renew the museum's lease.  The owner of the museum, Eben de Vos, is a very worried man right now as there isn't another suitable site for him to move his collection of over 60 cars to with enough space…

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27/09/2012
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Humewood 18th tee

Standing on the 18th tee of the Humewood Golf Course looking down the fairway towards the clubhouse in the distance.  Humewood is a links courses and is consistently ranked as one of South Africa's top golf courses.  The late Bobby Locke considered Humewood Golf Course to be the best in South Africa and said that it compared favourably with the top links courses in the British Isles.  I don't play much golf myself having never done a proper 18 hole course…

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26/09/2012
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Up the dune

The sand dunes at Colchester outside Port Elizabeth are the western reaches of the Alexandria dune field, the largest coastal dune field in the Southern Hemisphere.  Although it is there for anybody to see, the only way to really get to them is by boat as you have to cross the Sundays River to get there.  The Sundays River Ferry is one of my favorite attractions in Port Elizabeth and thanks to the ferry I have had the opportunity to…

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25/09/2012
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Beetles galore

If you are into cars then the VW AutoPavilion is just the place for you.  The museum is state of the art and a superb representation of everything Volswagen.  On display is everything from actual cars to driver simulators, engine parts right through to the detailed history of VW.  Visitor can also book tours through the VW factory next door to the museum, but I have to be honest here.  I've never been on the factory tour so I can't really comment in it.  I…

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25/09/2012
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Chill by the fire

Today is Heritage Day and a national holiday in South Africa.  It is also Braai Day which is closely linked to most cultures in the country.  I had to work today so made up for it by having a braai on Saturday night.  I am exhausted though and can really do with a bit of just sitting next to a fire at a game lodge with a drink on hand like this guy is doing at Pumba Game Reserve close to…

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24/09/2012
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A thorny meal

I am always amazed to see some wild animals like elephants and giraffes eat off thorn trees.  Elephants take the whole branch while giraffes curl their tongues around the branch and pull the leaves off.  How come the thorns don't prick them?  The thorns are angled slightly towards the end of the branch and bends over as the giraffe pulls the leaves off.  Amazing isn't it?

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23/09/2012
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Flapjacks for breakfast

I stayed over at Pumba Game Reserve with a group of journalists a week or so ago.  Returning to the lodge after our morning game drive I didn't really feel like a big breakfast so ordered the flapjacks with bacon, banana and maple syrup. Mmmmmmmmmmm............

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22/09/2012
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World Rhino Day

Today we celebrate the third annual World Rhino Day not just here in South Africa, but world wide.  World Rhino Day highlight the plight of the rhino which is targeted by ruthless poachers all over the world for their horns which are thought to have medicinal properties by the people in most countries in the Far East.  Part of World Rhino Day is to debunk the myths and diminish the demand for rhino horn.  Up to 12 September rhino poaching in…

3 Comments
22/09/2012
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Mathilda’s Pasella shoot

Last week the crew from the SABC 2 Afrikaans magazine program Pasella was in Port Elizabeth to shoot a couple of stories.  The one story involved vintage cars and a bit of history of Port Elizabeth.  I needed to organise them somebody to interview regarding the Donkin Reserve and as I have been on Pasella before with regards to this same subject I needed to get them somebody else.  I asked my colleague Mathilda and she hesitantly accepted, although getting a…

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21/09/2012