The Hinterveld Mohair Mill Tour in Uitenhage is not your normal run of the mill (excuse the pun) tour, but visitors go there expecting one thing and leaving with a whole different impression. The factory is also heaven for photographers with so many interesting objects and angles like this one of all the colourful mohair yarn strands going into the weaving machine, turning it into exquisite blankets.
The historic Harbour Board Building (often referred to as the 'White Building') on the corner of Flemming Street and Strand Street was built in 1904 and used for 70 years for harbor administration by the South African Railways and Harbours. Most people pass it while on the Settlers Freeway and only get to see it's top, but the exterior of the building has massive and impressive stonework. The inside is even more spectacular with richly ornamented woodwork and stained glass windows. The…
The Old Cash Store on Sardinia Bay Road has been a popular spot over the years but since October last year something has changed. Well, for a start the name did. It's now called The New Cash Store. But a name change did just fall from the sky. It came with new owners Doug and Clair who have blown new life into an old favorite. Steak and burger night, pasta night, seafood night, pizza night, live music, an organic market once…
Sailing into Algoa Bay as one of the 1820 British Settlers, Reverend Francis McCleland would have been standing on deck looking out over the bay towards the beach, little knowing what awaited him in the Cape Colony and how he would influence what would become Port Elizabeth. Rev McCleland became the colonial chaplain in Port Elizabeth and oversaw the building of St Mary’s Anglican Church (later declared a cathedral) which was completed in 1834. Only a couple of years before,…
Approaching Port Elizabeth from the west you have to drive over the Van Stadens River Bridge about 40 kilometres outside of town. Looking down into the gorge you can just imagine what an effort it must have been getting through that back in the earlier days. The river was named after one of the area's pioneer farmers - Marthinus van Staden, who was the first person to plot a basic route through the gorge in the 1850's. In 1867 Thomas Bain rebuild the…
Did I stumble on a long lost valley filled with dinosaurs? Did somebody finally invent a time machine that allows one to go back to the time of the dinosaurs? Did I get invited to the set of Jurassic Park 4? No, no and... no. I visited Bayworld in Port Elizabeth. Bayworld has an very interesting section by the Snake Park that has life size moving dinosaurs. Every kid's dream.
The view of the Port Elizabeth beachfront from the top floor of the Radisson Blu Hotel is breathtaking. Don't think I need to say anymore.
On New Years Day we went looking for a quite beach to relax on, cool off and catch some sun. We discovered the ideal spot in Kini Bay. A gully right in front of Sea Otters Lodge. While Port Elizabeth's main beaches were packed to the brim, the Kini Bay beach was nice and quiet and the gully was a safe spot for the KidZ to swim and snorkel at their heart's delight. We will definitively come back to this spot…
The Memorable Order of the Tin Hats, or MOTH, was founded on 7 May 1927. The idea of the Order back then (and still today) is to help fellow comrades in need, either financially or physically and to also remember all servicemen who has answered the Sunset Call, both in war and during piece time. The emblem of the MOTH includes the crossed rifles of sacrifice, surrounded by 12 stars that signify Mutual Help, the whole within an unending circle,…