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Donkin Street houses renovation

When the first Settlers arrived in Algoa Bay they found an array of hills, streams, rivers and kloofs, making habitation of the area a problem.  Donkin Street as it stands today was originally a "kloof" (steep valley) with a stream.  The water it carried was channelled into the then Main Street.  This kloof was eventually filled using convict labour and Donkin Street was established in 1851.  The row of 18 terraced houses was built in the 1850's.  Over the last few years the houses have…

3 Comments
04/04/2012
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Fish on the Rocks

Everybody loves fish and chips and every city or town has a good fish and chips shop on a corner somewhere.  But good isn't always best and for the best fish and chips around one has to head past the harbour at Hout Bay and down to Fish on the Rocks.  Africa's favorite (as they put it) fish and chips shop was started by the Brodericks 23 years ago and has become a very popular stop for both locals as well…

5 Comments
04/04/2012
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Looking down on Govan Mbeki Road

The Sky Deck in the Port Elizabeth city centre gives one some stunning views of the downtown area.  This is looking down onto Govan Mbeki Road (formerly Main Street) which was redeveloped by the Mandela Bay Development Agency just before the 2010 FIFA World Cup.  The Sky Deck itself really didn't impress me much.  The least you can do when you have an attraction like that is to keep it clean.  Its a good example of something with a lot of potential…

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03/04/2012
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Cruising to Seal Island in Hout Bay

Every morning hundreds of tourists head out on a tour of the Cape Peninsula with most of them making one of their first stops of the day at the Hout Bay harbour for a cruise around the Sentinel Mountain to Duiker Island, more commonly known as Seal Island.  Standing on quay side you have a choice of boats to make the 45 odd minute trip to the island and back with several operators offering tours.  Our choice for the day was…

3 Comments
03/04/2012
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Cafe Ruwach

Richmond Hill has truly become one of the "in" places around Port Elizabeth and looking at the restaurants, cafes and pubs in the area it isn't hard to understand why.  A week or so ago a friend asked me if I've ever been to Cafe Ruwach and on answering no we headed over there straight away for a look.  Cafe Ruwach isn't just an ordinary... Well, it isn't ordinary.  As you enter they have a sign stating the following: "We are not a…

4 Comments
02/04/2012
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Hout Bay Harbour

Mention the word "waterfront" in South Africa and everybody would immediately think of the V&A Waterfront on the Cape Town harbour.  What few people know is that the first harbour front emporium in South Africa (actually in Africa) was developed in Hout Bay on the Cape Peninsula.  Fourth generation Hout Bay resident, Stanley Dorman, designed and developed Mariner's Wharf in the Hout Bay Harbour after visiting similar developments all over the world.  Mariner's Wharf opened in 1984 and today is…

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02/04/2012
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A throne with a view

Today may well be April Fool's day, but this is no joke.  Visitors to Amakhala Game Reserve situated about 75km outside Port Elizabeth have the option of booking a boat trip on the Bushmans River which, depending on the time of the cruise, can coincide with high tea.  This toilet with a view is the pit stop you can use when nature calls while down by the boat's jetty.  Guests just have to make sure that they use a coordinated queueing system…

2 Comments
01/04/2012
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Slangkop

Looking up Slangkop Lighthouse in Kommetjie on the Cape PeninsulaVisit Skywatch for some more neck cranking pictures of the sky from all over the world

7 Comments
30/03/2012
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Slangkop Lighthouse in Kommetjie

I hope to one day have the opportunity tick off all the lighthouses on the South African coast on my list of places visited.  A lighthouse is just such a powerful symbol and the fact that each one is unique means that when you visit one its not a case of saying "just another lighthouse".  In January I had the opportunity to tick the Slangkop Lighthouse in Kommetjie on the Cape Peninsula off my constantly growing list of places to visit.  The…

3 Comments
29/03/2012