On the way up the hill to Fort Klapperkop and the SA National Defence Force Memorial outside Pretoria stand an old steam locomotive. This specific locomotive was amongst others used over 100 years ago during the Anglo Boer War (1899 - 1902) to carry British troops and supplies from the coast to where the war was taking place in the interior of South Africa.
Grave Search #3 is a request I received from Jenny in Australia via a comment on the blog. Unfortunately She never left an e-mail address, so I haven't been able to send them to her directly. I hope you are seeing this Jenny. Jenny asked: "Hi, was wondering if you are ever back at St Mary's Cemetery if you could take a photograph for me of one of my ancestor's resting places. The location is - Plot: CD/M4 - the…
The display hut at the Van Stadens Wildflower Reserve west of Port Elizabeth has fresh cuttings on display of all the fynbos species and flowers that can be found in the reserve. The display is situated very close to the gate, so a quick stop there is recommended to have a look for what is currently in flower throughout the reserve.
The Van Stadens Wild Flower Reserve is situated about 40 kilometers west of Port Elizabeth. The reserve is 450 hectares in size and includes both pristine fynbos along the plateau and coastal forest in the gorge. There are several hiking trails through the reserve and one of them will take you to the spot from where the Van Stadens Bridge is visible. One of the magnificent flowers that grow in the reserve is the King Protea, South Africa's national flower.
Early morning sunshine by the old slipway at Humewood Beach. Humewood is the oldest Blue Flag beach in South Africa and has just been re awarded its Blue Flag status for the coming summer season. Visit Skywatch for more photos of the sky
The silhouette of the South African Nation Defence Force Memorial at Fort Klapperkop outside PretoriaVisit Skywatch for more pictures of the sky
The promenade along the Port Elizabeth beachfront starts down at the Kings Beach parking area and runs all the way up to and past the beacon at the bottom of Admiralty Way. The most popular section is that between the McArthur's Pool and Polock Beach with lots of people jogging and walking along it, specially in the mornings and late afternoons.
The South African Defence Force Memorial is situated just outside the entrance to Fort Klapperkop in Pretoria. The memorial was unveiled on May 31 1979 and includes a statue of a soldier holding a R1 rifle, in memory of all members of the South African Defence Force who lost their lives serving their country. The individuals who have lost their lives are honored with an inscription on a number of marble plaques mounted around the statue.
Another of the new developments going on along the Port Elizabeth beachfront is the new Town Lodge Hotel. The hotel is being built right next door to the City Lodge while the Courtyard Suites Hotel and Road Lodge is just beyond that, making PE the first place in South Africa to have all four of the hotels in the group situated next to each other. The 203 room, R133-million development is starting to near completion and will add much needed…
Sitting on top of the koppies (hills) overlooking Pretoria is a number of forts that was built prior to the Anglo Boer War in the late 1800's. After the abortive Jameson Raid in 1895, the South African Republic (also known as the Transvaal Republic) had a number of forts built to protect their capital in case of a foreign invasion. The Pretoria Forts consisted mainly of four forts, three of which was constructed by a German company. I have on a previous visit…