Uncategorized

Uncategorized

Ultimate Braaimaster inspired steak

To braai or not to braai? What a stupid question to ask most South African men.  Braai of cause.  South Africans' love for braai has led to a reality outdoor cooking (on coals) show called The Ultimate Braaimaster that airs on SABC 3.  Their motto is, Come rain or shine or wind or snow... we braai.  Enough said really.  Even though I haven't got the cooking skills to enter it myself the show is a source of inspiration for my own braais.  One…

1 Comment
15/12/2013
Uncategorized

The Great South African Flag

Over the last ten days since the death of Nelson Mandela, all South African flags, including the Great Flag on the Donkin Reserve, have been flying at half mast.  Today (Sunday 15 Dec) Madiba was buried in his home town of Qunu in the Eastern Cape which means all flags will be fully hoisted from tomorrow on again.  The Great Flag forms part of Route 67 and flies on top of the tallest flag pole in South Africa.  At 65…

4 Comments
15/12/2013
Uncategorized

Science Centre bridge

The Nelson Mandela Bay Science and Technology Centre in Uitenhage is a treasure trove waiting to be discovered by young and old.  Since its opening many schools and individuals have enjoyed the different activities and scientific experiments visitors can participate in but this has really only been a drop in the ocean compared to the potential the centre has.

1 Comment
14/12/2013
Uncategorized

Bridge Street’s bar

I've never been a very big drinker.  Never have been and never will be.  Doesn't mean I don't enjoy a nice cold one every now and then.  Particularly one of Bridge Street Brewery's Celtic Cross Pilsners which comes out of one of those taps on the left hand side. *smiley face*

Comments Off on Bridge Street’s bar
13/12/2013
Uncategorized

Sailing to the dunes

With the onset of the summer holidays the Sundays River around Colchester is about to become a very busy place.  Fishing, paddling, boating, relaxing, water skiing, floating, swimming, you name it.  The last time I went down the Sundays River on the Sundays River Ferry was a nice quiet weekday while it was school so there were only one or two other boats on the river that day.  Here the ferry stops at it's turning point to give visitors the…

1 Comment
12/12/2013
Uncategorized

Shisa Nyama at Chilleks

The word shisa nyama means burned meat in Zulu and a Shisa Nyama refers to a township restaurant or tavern where they serve mainly braaivleis (barbequed meat for those who don't know what a braai is).  In most case the Shisa Nyama will have a butchery attached to it so you have a choice of ordering whatever off the menu or choose your meat from the fridge before it gets braai'd by the establishment's braaimaster for you. Everybody knows Shisa Nyamas like Mzoli's Place in Cape…

3 Comments
11/12/2013
Uncategorized

Death on the beach

Maybe its just me, but its always sad when I find a dead marine bird, shark or something on the beach.  I went for a walk along the Sacramento Trail at Schoenmakerskop and spotted this departed Cape Gannet from some distance away already.  The rest of my group walked by without even a glance while I felt I just had to stop to reflect on its former beauty (and of cause snap a picture).   Bird Island (part of the Greater Addo Elephant…

4 Comments
10/12/2013
Uncategorized

Discovering PE’s oldest dam – Frames Dam

Its always nice to discover something or somewhere new.  In this case it was something old.  A quick geocache outing during lunch time took me into the Shark River Valley in Humewood and to the old Frames Reservoir.  In the mid 1800's the fledgling town of Port Elizabeth was having water problems.  As a stop-gap measure, a Mr Pinchin and Mr Clement Wall Frames, nephew of William Brooksby Frames, negotiated with the Town Council to supply water to the lower parts…

2 Comments
09/12/2013
Uncategorized

You can’t help but smile when you watch a penguin

One of the things that Libby Sharwood at the South African Marine Rehabilitation and Education Centre (SAMREC) in Port Elizabeth always say is, "You can help but to smile when you watch a penguin."   The African Penguin is highly endangered with only just over 20 000 breeding pairs left in the world, most of these right on my doorstep on St Croix Island in Algoa Bay.  SAMREC does an amazing job both in the care and rehabilitation of birds that…

1 Comment
09/12/2013