Uncategorized

Uncategorized

Port Elizabeth Concentration Camp Memorial

Today's post basically is a report of a post I did in 2014.  It's one of those little pieces of Port Elizabeth information that very few know about and is worth reposting.When you mention the word concentration camp most people would probably associate it with the Germans during the second World War.  Few know that concentration camps were first implemented in South Africa by the British to hold Boer women and children during the Anglo Boer War (1899 and 1902).There…

6 Comments
20/07/2017
Uncategorized

Queen Victoria and the library

It's really sad that the magnificent historic Public Library in the city centre is still closed with no indication on when the necessary work will be done or at what stage budget will be available to do it.  The building was built in 1901 with the façade constructed in England and shipped to Port Elizabeth in numbered blocks to be reassembled in front of the building.  The statue of Queen Victoria was added in 1903 to celebrate the queen's Diamond Jubilee that took…

1 Comment
19/07/2017
Uncategorized

“Lost” in an antique store

Getting lost somewhere doesn't always have to mean you don't know where you are.  Sometimes you are so in awe of where you are that you lose track of time and literally get lost in your own mind.  While exploring Ira's Antique Shop in Graaff-Reinet while looking for the oldest cake in South Africa, I spotted this guy down the passage looking totally lost in himself.

Comments Off on “Lost” in an antique store
19/07/2017
Uncategorized

Sunrise on the N2

I had to go to East London for a SA Tourism workshop today and hit the road before sunrise and only returning well after sunset.  Which means that I enjoyed both whiles on the road today with the sun rising as I was barrelling down the N2 this morning.

1 Comment
17/07/2017
Uncategorized

My Geocaching family

This morning I attended a Geocaching event to kick off the Friend League challenge over the next few weeks.  The challenge is pirate themed and involved finding the Lost Treasure of Mary Hyde.  We're not really sure ourselves how exactly the challenge is going to go, but the reason for this post is to show you my Geocaching family.  Now this is a really special bunch of people.  Young and old, singles and families, students and retired people, some more well…

1 Comment
15/07/2017
Uncategorized

2018 70.3 Ironman World Champs host city video

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYhdYCsOiiA&w=500&h=400]On the 1st and 2nd of September 2018, Nelson Mandela Bay is playing host to the 70.3 Ironman World Championship here in Port Elizabeth. Check out this stunning host city video that has just been posted by Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism.  Not just is Port Elizabeth one of the best Ironman venues in the world, it also boasts fantastic scenery, history, culture, wildlife and food for visiting competitors and their families and supporters.

1 Comment
14/07/2017
Uncategorized

Russell Road Cemetery

The Russell Road Cemetery is another of Port Elizabeth's historic grave yards dating back to the early days of Port Elizabeth.  As the town grew the increased demands on the St Mary's Cemetery next to the Baakens River became too much and a solution had to be found, not just for another cemetery but also to accommodate the different religious affiliations.  Small pieces of land was allocated to the various Christian denominations on the town margins in the late 1830's…

6 Comments
13/07/2017
Uncategorized

The Lollipop beacon

In 1829 two stone beacons were erected near the beach that had to be aligned by ships sailing into Algoa Bay from the west so that they could avoid the very dangerous Roman Rock.  In 1858 they were replaced by two new stone beacons.  These were painted red and white with a black ball on top.  The one beacon is located in the Cape Recife Nature Reserve near the lighthouse while the other one, usually referred to as the Lolipop…

3 Comments
12/07/2017
Uncategorized

Rest-a-While on Kragga Kamma Road

When was the last time you drove down Kragga Kamma Road to Coleen Glen? Been a while?  Have you ever noticed the little building on the right hand side not far from Cow's Corner?  Well that little building has a new tenant, a new jacket and a new purpose.  Rest-a-While (Pebble Springs) is the biggest little farm stall around.  Not so much a farm stall as in the traditional sense of the word, but who knows what it can develop into…

3 Comments
11/07/2017
Uncategorized

St Mary’s and St Peter’s

St Mary's Cemetery at the bottom of the Baakens Valley dates back to as early as 1799 when it was a military cemetery.  This changed with the arrival of the 1820 British Settlers and you can still find graves of some of the original Settlers in the grave yard.  On the hill above the cemetery stands the ruins of the St Peter's Church.  The church was built in 1877 and after the people of South End were forcibly removed in…

1 Comment
09/07/2017