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fireflyafrica

Tourism marketer, Geocacher, wannabe traveller and cricket dad

One of the public art pieces along the Sea Point P One of the public art pieces along the Sea Point Promenade in Cape Town that always catches my eye is the "Rhinosaur". When you approach it, it looks like a couple of random pieces of metal on poles, and it totally doesn't make sense. At the far end of the installation is a viewfinder with crosshairs, and when you look through it the pieces fit together in the form of a rhino. The installation is part of the City of Cape Town’s art54 public art programme and is the brainchild of André Carl van der Merwe. First shown at Afrikaburn in timber sculpture, the piece makes visitors aware of the problem around rhino poaching.When you look through the crosshairs, the installation becomes a one-dimensional image and reminds us that the three-dimensional rhino could be lost to poaching and that we will only be left with one-dimensional images.At the time of being put up, the sculpture was bought by Woolworth as it had not been completely funded by the art54 project. In a message at the site, Woolworths encourage viewers to support The Endangered Wildlife Trust-MyPlanet Rhino Fund and visit myplanet.co.za.#capetown #capetowntourism #westerncape #westerncapetourism #publicart #rhinopoaching
We can finally break the news that we've been sitt We can finally break the news that we've been sitting on for two weeks.  @miggie_fourie is officially a fully fledged @wp_cobras_women player. Western Province Cricket has offered her a professional contract for the season and she joined the squad from the start of this month. We are so proud of her reaching this goal and can't wait to see her get her chance on the field.
The Breakwater Prison (or Breakwater Goal) within The Breakwater Prison (or Breakwater Goal) within the V&A Waterfront precinct, was one of the prominent features along the early Cape Town coastline. In the 1840s, a need arose for a breakwater to be built, and it was suggested to make use of convict labour to do so.Construction of the first Breakwater Lodge (by convict labour) was completed in 1859 and work on the harbour breakwater itself started in 1860.  During the later part of the 19th century other prisoners were accommodated at the Breakwater prison. In 1902 white prisoners were moved into a new building, called the Industrial Breakwater Prison, which remains today. Since 1991 the Breakwater Lodge has served as the Graduate School of Business of the University of Cape Town and a hotel run by the Protea chain.A Geocache brought me to the Breakwater Lodge on my last visit to Cape Town. The cache brought me to the prison's treadmill, used to punish prisoners. The first treadmill was installed in the 1870s and could take two prisoners at a time. The larger one, which remains today was capable of holding six men at once and was built in the 1890s.The treadmill is something like a revolving staircase made up of a series of rotating wooden planks. Prisoners would be tied to the bar at the top and had to keep a steady pace. If they slowed down, the rotating planks could lacerate or even smash their shins. A man could spend an entire day from 9.00am to 5.00pm climbing these endless steps with only five minutes rest every half hour. Around the corner from the treadmill are the special cells that were built in the prison in 1891 to hold repeat offenders in solitary confinement. At the end of the line of cells are the two old death cells that used to hold prisoners sentenced to death. The wall in front of the cells is the prison's original rock wall. Graffiti carved into the hard rock by inmates is still visible and marked with white painted arrows. Many scratchings are hard to decipher and are merely names and dates; others depict flags and imagined coats of arms.#capetown #capetowntourism #westerncape #breakwaterprison #breakwaterlodge
This is more a bit of a "Did you know" post rather This is more a bit of a "Did you know" post rather than a "Look at the nice photos" one.If you take a walk along the Sea Point Promenade in Cape Town you will reach a spot in Bantry Bay with an information board and a white beacon on the rocks. This is where you will find the so-called Sea Point Contact.The Sea Point intrusive contact is a site of historical significance that continues to be useful for studying the details of granite–wall rock relationships, some of which have not been properly evaluated yet.In 1836, at a time when the origin of granites was still controversial and the concept of contact metamorphism was not yet properly developed, Charles Darwin visited the Sea Point contact to make some geologically important observations. He concluded that the granite originated as a magma deep in the Earth, intruded a country rock of sedimentary origin and changed this country rock's appearance owing to the thermal action of the hot granite magma. He also contemplated the long periods of time required to expose the rocks by erosion. Besides its historic value, the Sea Point heritage site exposes unique features, giving rare insights into the physical and chemical interaction between intruding granitic magma and a regionally low-grade metamorphosed sedimentary sequence.It sounds very complicated and most people pass it without even knowing it is there. I got to visit it on this day, as it has a @geocaching Earth Cache located here. An Earth Cache doesn't involve finding a physical container, but rather involves an earth science lesson about how geological processes shaped the landscape.#capetown #westerncape #capetowntourism #geocaching #earthcache
Dry sand sledding with Addo Cruises and Sand Sledd Dry sand sledding with Addo Cruises and Sand Sledding on the Colchester sand dunes outside Port Elizabeth.#portelizabeth #gqeberha #nelsonmandelabay #sharethebay #easterncape #encountereastcape#addocruisesandsandsledding
The iconic Storms River Mouth suspension bridge in The iconic Storms River Mouth suspension bridge in the Garden Route National Park truly is one of the must see attractions if you're visiting the Tsitsikamma or traveling on the Garden Route. #tsitsikamma #gardenroute #encountereastcape #easterncape #tsitsikammanationalpark #stormsriver
South Africa has some truly beautiful city halls, South Africa has some truly beautiful city halls, and the one in the Mother City is no exception. After visiting the Castle of Good Hope, we took a walk over the huge parking lot (the Grand Parade) in front of the Cape Town City Hall for a closer look.The city hall was completed in 1900 and opened in 1905 after a public competition to find the best design. Much of the building material, including fixtures and fittings, was imported from Europe, with the honey-coloured limestone that the façade is made of being imported from Bath in England. The concert hall has a pipe organ with  3165 pipes, while the bell tower's carillon was installed as a World War I war memorial, with 22 additional bells being added in 1925 with the visit of the Prince of Wales.Just hours after his release from prison in 1990, Nelson Mandela made his first public speech from the balcony of the city hall. His speech started with the words: "Comrades and fellow South Africans, I greet you all in the name of peace, democracy and freedom. I stand here before you not as a prophet, but as a humble servant of you the people." A life-sized statue of Madiba was unveiled on the balcony in 2018, which has become a very popular stop for tourists. Tourists like us.#capetown #capetowntourism #westerncape #nelsonmandela #madiba
I still have a bunch of photos from my (not even t I still have a bunch of photos from my (not even that) recent (anymore) trip to Cape Town, and I promise I will make an effort to play catch-up and work through them as quickly as I can.I'm not your typical content creator.  My job is doing content creation and social media for tourism clients. It means that I am busy in front of a screen just about all day, most days, and at the end of the day I don't always have the time or urge to still do my own generic travel posts. It means that I do create a lot of content; just not on my own platforms. Screen fatigue is real.Unlike "influencer" content creators, I also don't get paid to visit places and write about them (I wouldn't mind doing that as well); otherwise, I would probably post a lot more on my own platforms.  It doesn't stop me from promoting the heck out of a place and all its attractions if I do visit. In fact, I share that content in various ways across all my different platforms. It's not just a case of visit, post and move on. That content will probably crop up on Encounter the Eastern Cape with Firefly the Travel Guy (if it's Eastern Cape content), Karoo Heartland (if it's Eastern Cape Karoo content as well as my personal profile.Growing a platform is hard. Growing three of my own platforms is even harder. Now add growing 15 odd other platforms at the same time. But I'm digressing. What I'm trying to say is I have a bit of catch-up to do before I fall even further behind.Cheers vir eers#capetown #capetowntourism #westerncape #westercapetourism #tablemountain
I haven't been to the Castle of Good Hope since I I haven't been to the Castle of Good Hope since I was in school. Not that I was never interested in going again, but it was a case of "been there, done that", and there is so much more to see around Cape Town.I was in Cape Town recently with my history-mad son and the Castle was on the list of places he wanted to visit.The Castle of Good Hope is the oldest surviving colonial building in South Africa. Built by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) between 1666 and 1679, the imposing five-pointed fortress was constructed to protect the growing settlement and the VOC's valuable sea route between Europe and Asia.The Castle replaced the original earth-and-timber fort, Fort de Goede Hoop, built soon after Jan van Riebeeck arrived in 1652.Today, the Castle has been transformed from a military stronghold into a place where the many layers of Cape history can be explored. Its museums and exhibitions tell stories involving Khoisan communities, Dutch and British colonialism, slavery, military history and the diverse peoples who shaped the Cape. Walking through the Castle you get to explore the bastions, old military quarters, dungeons, former slave quarters, courtyard, moat, bell tower and the famous De Kat Balcony.We decided not to join one of the guided tours. Site guides can drone on just a little too much for me. Especially if they do the same tour a couple of times every day. So we just did our own thing.Not much has changed from what I can remember.  The only change I can put my finger on are the Heritage Figures that was added in front of the De Kat Balcony.One of the highlights when I was there as a kid was having the door closed and lights switched off in the torture chamber called Donker Gat (the Dark Hole). Visiting it again we got there along with a grandfather and his four grandsons. We had some fun with them showing how the shackles in the chamber worked. Kids will always be kids.You can probably spend at least half a day exploring the whole building and all the museums and exhibitions, but like I said, Cape Town has so much more to see, and we had attractions on a list to tick off.#capetown #castleofgoodhope #westerncape #capetowntourism
Spectacular wave crashing action in the Tsitsikamm Spectacular wave crashing action in the Tsitsikamma section of the Garden Route National Park#tsitsikamma #gardenroute #encountereastcape #easterncape #tsitsikammanationalpark
I really enjoy looking up historic churches when v I really enjoy looking up historic churches when visiting small towns. Sometimes a church building may not be that historic, but the congregation has a bit of history behind it.One of these is the Tsitsikamma Dutch Reformed Church. Strange enough, in all the years of going to the Tsitsikamma, I've never actually been to this church in Sanddrift, but on my last trip I made sure this changed.The Dutch Reformed presence in the region goes back considerably further than the present church building. The Uitenhage Dutch Reformed congregation was established 1817, and the western part of the Uitenhage Division stretched from the Gamtoos River westwards as far as the Bloukrans River. This large rural area was served spiritually from Uitenhage, with Rev. Alexander Smith ministering to the district for about 40 years from 1821.This is important because it shows that Dutch Reformed families in the Tsitsikamma and Kareedouw area were part of a much wider rural church network long before Storms River became the village we know today.The new Humansdorp congregation was approved/constituted in 1848 and formally separated from Uitenhage a year later.The congregation in Kareedouw was established in 1906, when it separated from the Humansdorp congregation and the Tsitsikamma congregation separated from Kareedouw in 1944.The cornerstone of the Tsitsikamma church building was laid in 1955. This was at the same time as the development of the N2 route and the construction of Storms River Bridge. This was an important period in the Tsitsikamma's history when it transitioned from an isolated forestry and farming district into a much more accessible community.The church building was designed by Louw & Louw, with Wouter de Wet (Wollie) Bronkhorst associated with the project.The church can be found in Sanddrift along the R102 route.#tsitsikamma #easterncape #encountereastcape #gardenroute #gardenofthegardenroute
Heading to the Tsitsikamma for the first time this Heading to the Tsitsikamma for the first time this year, I took the old R102 from the R62 Langkloof turnoff like I usually do when I'm not in a hurry. It gives me a chance to check up on my Geocaches along that road and just to slow down a little.As I was approaching Clarkson, I made the decision to take a sharp right into the village to see what the remains of the church look like at the moment.Clarkson is a former mission station of the Moravian Mission Society and was founded in 1839. The mission station was started by Bishop H.P. Hallbeck with five coloured families from Enon and a Fingo chief with his entourage of farmers.  The first church building was consecrated in December 1840.Sadly, on 26 November last year (2025), an out-of-control veld fire got too close to the church and embers caught in the wind landed on the thatch roof. The church was destroyed.Coming up the road to the church, the devastation of the fire became clear. The old church is all but gone. Luckily the fire didn't reach the adjacent thatched church hall, which was a blessing.I parked at the gate and took a slow walk to what remains, which are basically three walls. The back wall has collapsed and there is absolutely no sign of any wood remaining. Everything gone. At least the mission bell next to the church wasn't damaged.I don't know what the situation with the church is, but I know that the minister did say that they will definitely rebuild. I'm hoping the insurance process is still ongoing and that news will emerge from the village soon that the rebuilding has commenced. Heaven knows, the congregation and the community need to see this church rise from the ashes again. Literally.#tsitsikamma #clarkson #easterncape #encountereastcape #gardenroute #gardenofthegardenroute #moravianchurch
Exploring Cape Town's Company Gardens with so much Exploring Cape Town's Company Gardens with so much history and heritage.#capetown #westerncape #capetowntourism #capetownsouthafrica
The last time I was at the Castle of Good Hope in The last time I was at the Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town, I was on a primary school tour, and it was in the late 1980s. It's been a while, but I don't think much would have changed over the years.I was back at the Castle entrance during the school holiday with my history teacher son and a fellow Port Elizabethan who happened to be in Cape Town at the same time as us.The Castle is the oldest existing building in South Africa and was built by the Dutch East India Company between 1666 and 1679.  It replaced an older fort called the Fort de Goede Hoop, which was built by Jan van Riebeeck upon his arrival at the Cape of Good Hope in 1652.The fortress with its five bastions housed a church, bakery, various workshops, living quarters, shops, and cells, among other facilities.  A wall, built to protect citizens in case of an attack, divides the inner courtyard.The inside of the Castle is exactly as I remember it. The only difference I could spot is the “Kings of the Castle” statues in front of the De Kat Balcony. The original balcony was built in 1695, but rebuilt in its current form between 1786 and 1790. From the balcony, announcements were made to soldiers, slaves and burghers (town inhabitants) of the Cape.We didn't join one of the guided tours and just strolled through the Castle looking at everything at our own speed. And there's a lot to be seen.  It feels like there's a different exhibit around every corner and behind every door.My favourite is still the Donker Gat, or Dark Hole. This windowless dungeon was used as a cell and torture chamber. If you close the door and switch off the light, you can see where it got its name. We were in there at the same time as a grandfather and his four grandsons, and we had so much fun showing them how the torture equipment worked.If you visit, you will notice that the Castle's inside walls are painted yellow.  The yellow paint was originally chosen because it lessened the effect of heat and the sun.The Castle is definitely worth a visit and the entrance fee isn't exorbitant as with many other attractions around Cape Town. #capetown #castleofgoodhope #westerncape #capetowntourism
The Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town is the oldest The Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town is the oldest surviving colonial building in South Africa, built by the Dutch East India Company between 1666 and 1679. It features a unique pentagonal star shape with five bastions and serves as a major military and cultural heritage site.#capetown #westerncape #castleofgoodhope #capetownsouthafrica #capetowntourism
We took a shortcut through Addo Elephant National We took a shortcut through Addo Elephant National Park along the Addo Heights road after the Addo Tourism meeting and the park just proved once again why it is the best place in the world to see wild Africa elephants in their natural habitat from the comfort of your own car.#addoelephantnationalpark #addo #nelsonmandelabay #encountereastcape #elephant
If it wasn't for Geocaching I would never have kno If it wasn't for Geocaching I would never have known there was a piece of the Berlin Wall in Cape Town. After a walk though the Company Gardens I found the wall fragment just around the corner right in front of the St George's Cathedral. The Berlin Wall was a guarded concrete barrier that encircled West Berlin of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) from 1961 to 1989, separating it from East Berlin and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). Construction of the Berlin Wall was commenced by the government of the German Democratic Republic on 13 August 1961. It included guard towers placed along large concrete walls, accompanied by a wide area (later known as the "death strip") that contained anti-vehicle trenches, beds of nails and other defenses. The primary intention for the Wall's construction was to prevent East German citizens from fleeing to the West.Official demolition of the Wall began on 13 June 1990 and was completed in 1994. The fall of the Berlin Wall paved the way for German reunification, which formally took place on 3 October 1990.
The Overberg is a visual wonderland of green field The Overberg is a visual wonderland of green fields and gold canola this time of year. What a feast for the eye#overberg #easterncape #canola #canolafields #gardenroute
Port Elizabeth has several well-known war memorial Port Elizabeth has several well-known war memorials commemorating the lives lost during the two World Wars. The Cenotaph at St George's Park and the Walmer War Memorial are probably the two main ones. One that very few people know about is the war memorial located on the Walmer Golf Course.  It was here that I was heading to on a beautiful sunny Saturday morning to get a photo of one of the few historic attractions in town I haven't actually been to.When the township of Walmer was laid out in 1852, it was surrounded by a “green belt” referred to as the commonage.  It was on this commonage, where the locals were entitled to graze their animals, that the Walmer Golf Course was first laid out in 1897 and the Walmer Golf Club formed.Even before the armistice ending the First World War was signed on 11 November 1918, the locals formed a peace celebrations committee which was responsible for the construction of the obelisk and the brushwood fortress that surrounded it. The fortress measured 106 feet in diameter and the brushwood was stacked up to 12 feet in height. In the centre, reaching 27 feet total height was a brushwood effigy of a German soldier holding a sword in one hand and a torch in the other. On either side was a brushwood long-range gun and behind was a large howitzer. The whole complex was the brainchild of William John McWilliams.The peace treaty was finally signed and on the evening of Saturday, 19 July 1919, a crowd gathered around the brushwood fortress. The Mayor of Walmer, John Syme Neave, addressed the crowd and the fortress was set alight. The only writing on the obelisk is the word PAX (the Latin noun for "peace") and the year the war ended: 1918. As I walked along watching golfers tee off and putt on the greens, I actually wondered how many of them know what the monument stands for, or even notice it. And yes, I did a corny putting my finger on the top of the monument selfie.  #portelizabeth #gqeberha #nelsonmandelabay #sharethebay #easterncape #encountereastcape
With the cost of petrol and business being tough, With the cost of petrol and business being tough, I haven't had much chance to travel lately. It means I'm very quickly running out of new stuff to post. While going through photo folders tonight, I came across something I haven't shared with you yet.Being Port Elizabeth-based means that the majority of my posts feature the Eastern Cape.  It's nice though to show off something from a little further away every now and then.On our last visit to my daughter in Cape Town, we popped down to Camps Bay to have a look around and I was very surprised to find a war memorial.The Camps Bay War Memorial is a World War I monument located at the junction of Victoria Road and Link Street close to the beach. The stone memorial was erected in 1920, and the central stone plaque reads: "1914 – Great War – 1918Erected by the Residents – Camps Bay – In Honour of their Comrades Who Answered The Call of Duty". Alongside are two plaques listing the names of fallen local residents. Interestingly, in April 1990, the Desert Shellhole of the Memorable Order of Tin Hats (MOTH) Camps Bay added a "Tin hat and Light of Remembrance" to wooden beams at the top of the memorial. #capetown #campsbay #westerncape #warmemorial
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