This week 20 years ago, then president FW de Klerk made the speech in which he announced the planned unbanning of parties like the African National Congress (ANC) as well as the intended release of Nelson Mandela from prison. By chance a bit earlier in the week I discovered a paved path in South End fairly close to where I work. It was built by a local family who formed their business here in Port Elizabeth 100 years ago and…
Today was the annual kite flying day of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University's School of Architecture. A couple of hundred architecture, technology and interior design students take part in this ice breaker event at the start of a new year. Unfortunately the Windy City didn't live up to its reputation and the kite fliers struggled a bit to get their creations into the sky. This guy with his kite on a fishing rod was one of the successful fliers who…
I was down on the beach at Cannon Rocks to take some shipwreck pictures (here and here) at sunset when these two guys came by jogging into the setting sun..For more pictures by photographers from around the world involving the sky, visit Skywatch..GPS: 33°44'41.59"S, 26°33'39.99"E
When the first Catholic priest set foot in Port Elizabeth in 1840 (after being shipwrecked in Cape St Francis and having to travel the last 100km to town on horseback), there were only 42 Catholics in the town. In the coming years the Catholic community grew and flourished and in 1861 construction started on St Augustines on land purchased on Castle Hill. The project took place under the watchful eye of Father Thomas Murphy. St.Augustine’s was opened and solemnly consecrated…
Drama Princess loves being outside and would swim every day if she could. As long as its in a pool. She's still very wary of the sea and would rather play in the sand than go in the water.
Following on yesterday's post on (what's left of) the wreck at Cannon Rocks, I decided to show off some closeup shots of the wreck today. .GPS: 33°44'41.59"S, 26°33'39.99"E
There are lots of construction going on in and around town. Some of the projects (mostly infrastructure) are related to the 2010 FIFA World Cup while others are part of the growth of Port Elizabeth. There is a new hotel going up on the beachfront across the road from Humewood Beach on what used to be the City Lodge's parking area. For a long time it looked like there was very little going on as they were excavating, but since…
I just absolutely love the Addo Elephant National Park just outside Port Elizabeth. When I used to tour guide I got to visit the park at least once a week (at one stage I went there up to 5 or 6 times a week) and never got tired of it. Driving through the park looking for elephants I always got just as excited when we found them as the tourists got. I haven't had much opportunity to go to the…
During December we spent a week at Cannon Rocks on the Sunshine Coast in the Eastern Cape (about 120km east of my home town of Port Elizabeth). We stayed there the previous year as well and I just loved photographing the wreck of a fishing boat rusting away on the beach close to the resort where we stayed. Last year the wreck looked like this (photo above) and some of the photos I took then can be seen here and…
The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, through the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA) is busy with a upgrade of the Donkin Reserve and the historic buildings on it. Part of the project is the restoration and upgrading of the lighthouse and the old lighthouse keeper's building which acts as a tourist information office managed by Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism. Work started on the project last week and is expected to be finished before the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup…