Travel Blog

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Big Cats

On my trip last week I visited two different private game reserves. Between the two reserves I got to see and photograph three species of big cats.Ok, so not indigenous to South Africa, but a very awesome cat. Kwantu Private Game Reserve has a predator centre where they breed with endangered animals. They have a pair of Bengal Tigers and the male was quite content with his picture being taken. He even posed and looked straight into the camera.This lion…

4 Comments
22/10/2008
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Eishkom blues…..

Another guest photographer today..... This stunning photo was sent to us by Jan de Wet, who has spectacular views of the bay from his home. He wrote:"I took the pic of the post office during a power outage in Richmond Hill(!) the owners of the building (South African Post Office) assured me that there were people working that night, however, I never told them that I have a 24-hour view of the building from my lounge and these lights have…

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22/10/2008
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Traditional Dancers at Kwantu

On my recent trip accompanying the Chinese Travel Services delegation around Cape Town and more importantly the Port Elizabeth area, one of our overnight stops was Kwantu Private Game Reserve. Kwantu is one of the only game reserves in our area that offers visitors a traditional dance performance as part of the stay at the reserve. The dance group comes from a nearby town and it is great to see the reserve owners supporting such a group. Here the group…

4 Comments
21/10/2008
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Sofa …. so good….

In response to the pic we posted the other day, of the PE Airshow, we received this delightful image from our regular contributor, Louise. You've gotta admit, if they wanted to be cheap and sit outside the airport, watching the show for free, at least they did it with a certain style!

11 Comments
21/10/2008
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Boardwalk’s Oriental Village at night

We went for dinner at the Chinese restaurant at the Boardwalk Casino and Entertainment Complex on the Port Elizabeth beachfront the other night. It was a gorgeous evening and the lights from the Oriental Village at the Boardwalk look specially appealing. I never go anywhere without my camera, so piep piep, click.I've done a post about the Boardwalk before. It can be seen here:http://fireflyafrica.blogspot.com/2008/07/boardwalk-casino-entertainment-complex.html

4 Comments
20/10/2008
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Move that dump!!!!

If the current online petition to get the Manganese Ore Dump moved is successful, scenes like this will become a thing of the past. This is the loading jetty for the ore, and the large red ship is a bulk ore carrier. Hopefully our harbour area will soon be free of the pall of black dust that flies around whenever the wind blows........ and need I remind you that we have the nickname "the windy city"!

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20/10/2008
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Pretty Flamingo

It is always a pleasure to see the flamingos, as they return to the salt pans at Swartkops in spring. This year the numbers are still fairly low but hopefully more will arrive in the weeks ahead.The flamingos are quite shy and do not let one get too close for photogrphs, so you have to take what you can get.

2 Comments
19/10/2008
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Township Smiley

What is a smiley? In this case its not the friendly little neighbour boy peeking over the wall or the little round smiley face you draw or comment with on some forums. It is a township delicacy. The head of a sheep provides for some sought after meat for tired and hungry workers going home after a long day's work. These images I got at Njoli Square in the heart of Port Elizabeth's townships. Here traders sell everything from traditional…

6 Comments
19/10/2008
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Parliament Street Upgrade

I strolled down to the bank in Rink Street this morning and took the opportunity to check out the upgrade of Parliament Street, which seems to be coming on quite nicely, with staff putting in extra time to get the job done. The street should be quite picturesque when complete, with the curved lamp poles and decorative balls along the pavement, though I suspect some unwary pedestrians may end up having bruised shins. Collin I hope you like what you…

7 Comments
18/10/2008
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Cape Point Critters

Although the Table Mountain National Park is not a game reserve, it does have some game in the Cape of Good Hope section of the park. Land mammals include zebra, eland and baboon, while dolphins and whales are often spotted along the coastline. Many bird species can be found there as well, from the world's biggest bird, the ostrich, to sometimes antarctic birds making land here. But for all the scenery and everything else there is, its the little things…

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18/10/2008