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Washing the Mohair – Mohair series 2 of 7

The washing, or scouring, process of the mohair is straight forward yet seemingly very complicated.  The machine doing the washing looks like a bunch of spider or crab legs combing the mohair through the water before it gets blown dry.  The reason for the washing is to remove all excess dirt and oils..The founding of the mohair industry in South Africa came by a stroke of good fortune.  A farmer ordered Angora goats from Turkey in 1838 to try and establish a…

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29/05/2012
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Buildings along the Company Gardens

As I have mentioned in my previous post, several Cape Town's most significant historical buildings can be found along the Company Gardens as one walks down Government Avenue.At the bottom entrance to the Gardens are Church Square and the Slave Lodge.  The Slave Lodge was built in 1679 by the Dutch East India Company and housed thousands of slaves during the time when slavery meant big business for the Cape Colony.   In 1810, after the British had taken over, the building became the Supreme Court and in 1914…

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29/05/2012
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Bales of Mohair – Mohair series 1 of 7

Nelson Mandela Bay is the mohair capital of the world as it is the city where the most mohair moves through on its way to either being graded, auctioned, processed or exported.  I was very fortunate recently to get the opportunity to visit the three mohair related factories in Uitenhage that belong to the Stucken Group, namely Gubb & Inggs where the mohair gets washed and turned into tops, Mohair Spinners South Africa where the mohair is turned into yarn and lastly Hinterveld where some…

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28/05/2012
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Golden Gate Hoogland-Nasionale Park

Een van Suid-Afrika se bekendste nasionale park landmerke is die Brandberg in die Golden Gate Hoogland-Nasionale Park in die Oos-Vrystaat.  Maak nie saak of dit wit gesneeu is in die winter of gras groen is in die vroeë somer nie, dis altyd 'n welkom gesig vir reisigers oppad uit die Vrystaat na KwaZulu Natal se kant toe.  Maar moenie net deurry nie, stop vir 'n dag of twee en verken die area. 

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25/05/2012
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The Company Gardens

The greenbelt that is the Company Gardens, stretching through urban downtown Cape Town, attracts both locals and visitors in their droves.  People go there to admire the historic buildings, sight see, play in the park, feed the squirrels, read a book, sit in the shade and relax or just to get from the one end to the other.  The Company Gardens were established in 1652 and takes its name from the Dutch East India Company who first started the garden to supply…

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23/05/2012
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Durban Sonopkoms

Die begin van nog 'n pragtige dag in Afrika.  Ek het hierdie foto van die son wat oor Suidstrand opkom geneem uit my 9de verdieping hotelkamer gedurende die onlangse Indaba uitstalling in Durban . 

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22/05/2012