The 7,5 kilometer Lower Guinea Fowl Trail stretches from the 3rd Avenue Dip to Settlers Park. Although there are several access points onto the trail, the official start is at a parking area right next to the low water bridge in the Dip.
As one drives through the 3rd Avenue Dip from Mangold Park side through towards Newton Park, there is a parking area to the right just after the bridge from where the Lower Guinea Fowl Trail starts. On the edge of this open space is a stone bench with plaque on it. The bench and plaque is a little "monument" to David Baillie Lovemore (1926 - 1994) who pioneered this crossing of the Baakens Valley in 1955. The road itself was built by…
During the recent heavy rains the 3rd Avenue Dip was closed a couple of times again. After it opened up Drama Princess asked if we could stop down at the bottom because she wanted to see the water. The Baakens River was still flowing strong and water was gushing through the pipes under the road.Looking down the river from the bridge
Have you ever wondered why the road at the bottom of Valley Road is always wet? Why there is water running over the road even if it hasn't been raining. Well, here is the answer why.Port Elizabeth isn't really know for it's earth quakes, but that doesn't mean that it's never happened.There are three ancient fault lines in Port Elizabeth where some slight movements can still occur. One of them, the Moregrove Fault, runs along the Port Elizabeth beachfront from…
We've had a fair amount of rain over the last couple of months... Ok, so maybe a bit more than a fair amount of rain. So much in fact that my backyard has become a swamp with water oozing up between my toes if I walk there barefoot. Last Thursday night and Friday morning it came down in buckets again with me spending part of the morning standing in that rain on the Donkin Reserve as part of an Amazing…
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTm1BURoJUg&w=500&h=400]July has been wet... and cold. Over the last few weeks we've had a lot of rain in Port Elizabeth and last weekend the Baakens River broke it's banks again in the lower valley as it often does after this kind of rain. Check out the video by the Herald showing the water right up to the buildings on Lower Valley Road.
After the flooding that took place in 2006, the old bridge at the bottom of Brickmakerskloof was washed away. After what felt like years (perhaps it was), work started on the new bridge. Visiting Bridge Street Brewery for the launch of Travel Massive last week I snapped this pic of the "new" bridge. Long not new anymore, one can see how the vegetation has established itself around it again.
A week or two ago we went for lunch at This is Eat at the Port Elizabeth harbor and I was watching a couple of fishermen fishing where the Baakens River (Mouth) and the harbor meets. Going back to the pre-1960's this whole area around the harbor was where the residents of the old South End used to fish and feed their families from. The guys didn't have any luck while we were there but I hope they pulled something out…
Craft beer has very much become an in thing with many patrons preferring it over the traditional beers. Bridge Street Brewery has brought craft beer to Port Elizabeth big time since opening in the Baakens Valley and the venue has become quite popular not just for its beer but also the excellent food they serve. If the brewer is available they will even do brewery tours and beer tastings for groups on request. Last week I visited Bridge Street on…
A short walk during lunch time along the Lower Baakens Valley on the Guinea Fowl Trail produced a guinea fowl feather floating on a little stream forming part of the Baakens River. A sign of wildlife and birds in the valley.