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Van Der Kemp Memorial Church

Bethelsdorp Village was established in 1803 by Dr Johannes Theodorus Van Der Kemp, a missionary working among the Khoikhoi. Many of the old buildings in Bethelsdorp Village are protected by the National Monuments Act. The Van Der Kemps Memorial Church in the village was first built in 1803 and is generally regarded as the first Congregational church in southern Africa. It was destroyed by fire in 1890, rebuilt in 1903 and again in 1926 and extended in 1985. Behind the…

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17/04/2009
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Kite surfing

The wind out at Cape St Francis was just right for the kite surfers to come out and play. The wind was on-shore and the guys were gunning it up and down the beach in the shallows. Chaos Boy was mesmerised by these guys being dragged around the sea by their big kites. I imagined him thinking something like: "One day when I'm big..." A close-up of one of the kite surfers as he came past usGo and visit Skywatch.…

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16/04/2009
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Ruins of St Peter’s Church

Part of the ruins of St Peter's Church in South End. Built in 1877, the church was partly demolished by the apartheid government to prevent members of the congregation to return after the community was forcibly removed in 1965. For more info and pictures, visit The Firefly Photo Files. Why not pop over to Skywatch to see some more photos from all over the world.

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16/04/2009
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Evening lighthouse moods

We camped out at Cape St Francis over Easter weekend for three nights and one of the missions that I set for myself was to get a nice Seal Point Lighthouse picture at sunset.I missed sunset on the first evening to say the least. We got busy and by the time I realised the sun was down... well, it was too late. So I ambled over the dunes with my camera and tripod and set up for an evening shot…

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15/04/2009
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Cape St Francis Wreck

We went to camp at Cape St Francis over the Easter weekend. On Sunday morning I decided to take the trail westward along the coast as indicated on the resort's info sheet to see if I could find the wreck (apparently what is left of The Osprey which ran aground in 1855) and the blow hole marked on it. Unfortunately the tide was too low to find the blow hole and, well, there wasn't much left of the wreck to…

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14/04/2009
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Van Stadens River Bridge

On our way back yesterday from our weekend in Cape St Francis I decided to see if the Van Stadens Pass is open for traffic since the road has been fixed. What a delight it was to see that after several years of being closed to traffic the pass was open again. Driving down the vegetation changes from fynbos and bush to indigenous forest. Stopping at the old bridge at the bottom, one can get out and look up at…

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14/04/2009
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Fishing at Humewood

A couple of recreational fishermen fishing off the rocks at Humewood Beach. In South Africa you need a fishing license to fish in the ocean or any public (anything not in private ownership) fresh water dams and rivers. A license can be obtained from the Port Office at a nominal fee.

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13/04/2009
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Slow paddle up the Sundays River

A local fisherman paddling up the calm Sundays River at Colchester. It is funny how many people think the river is named for the fact that a lot of people go out to Sundays River over weekends and specially on Sundays to go and enjoy the river and its environs. The name actually comes from the Zondagh family that farmed higher up in the river in the 1800's.

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12/04/2009
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No 7 Castle Hill Courtyard

No 7 Castle Hill must be the most beautifully preserved historical house in Port Elizabeth and was built in 1830 by the Rev Francis McCleland who was the first Colonial Chaplain in the city. Today it is an historical museum furnished in the style of the mid-Victorian era. The original charming cobblestone in the backyard was retained and the hand pumped well was restored and is in running order.

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11/04/2009