I've posted a couple of Dodds Farm photos lately and have a couple more to come, but somebody asked in a comment how to get to Dodds Farm. So to accompany today's picture looking down at Dodds Farm from the top of the steps on the Lower Guinea Fowl Trail are the directions to get there. Its quite straightforward really. Driving from the beachfront side one has to get to Main Road Walmer via Walmer Boulevard which becomes Heugh Road.…
Mountain biking seems to be getting more and more popular alongside trail running. This means that more people are also starting to get out there and back to nature, returning to places like the Baakens Valley where there are some awesome trails for both running and cycling. This guy was one of three cycling together on the trails through Dodds Farm.
Most people associate the Baakens River only with the 3rd Avenue Dip and the narrow canal the flows into the harbour along Valley Road and don't always think what it looks like in-between. During its meandering flow along the Baakens Valley it passes through Dodds Farm and Settlers Park, amongst others. This section is just above a weir at Dodds Farm and forms a nice little dam which is ideal to attract birds.
The first thing I noticed on my timeline when I opened Facebook this morning was a picture by my friend Cheryl Witte along with her daily Gratitude Journal. I don't often feature other people's pictures on PEDP, but I immediately called her to ask if I could. She took the picture on her way to work looking towards the harbour from Upper Valley Road just before the sunrise. Pictures like this is exactly why one should always carry your camera with…
The Baakens Valley is crawling deeper and deeper into my heart. I really wish more people realised what an amazing place we have running right through the city. The Damselfly packed a picnic basket the other day and we headed into the Baakens Valley for a spot of geocaching, ending up at Dodds Farm with a picnic under the trees. There were a couple of other people having a picnic and painting while a number of joggers and mountain bikers passed us on…
I explored a bit of the Baakens Valley along Lower Guinea Fowl Trail on a geocaching outing with the family and as always my camera went along for the walk. This spot is looking east towards Dodds Farm and down at the Baakens Valley from the mountain bike trail.
I don't think all Port Elizabethans realise how fortunate we are to have the Baakens River flow through the city, creating a green belt all the way from the suburbs towards the city centre and the Port Elizabeth Harbour. The Baakens Valley is great for walks (or hikes), mountain biking, trail running, bird watching and so many other activities. On the day I took the photo I was out geocaching with Chaos Boy, looking for one of quite a few…
I had to pop down to Settlers Park for a quick visit the other day and just couldn't help to take a couple of moments to enjoy the view up the Baakens Valley. The valley truly is Port Elizabeth's green lung.
The Baakens River cuts through the middle of Port Elizabeth from its origin to the west of the city and on its way to Algoa Bay where it mouths out into the Port Elizabeth harbour. Most of the Baakens River Valley can be explored via the Guinea Fowl Trail, the trails through Settlers Park and a couple of mountain bike trails. The Baakens River has a number of tributaries, one of which originates around Overbaakens and flows part Upper Walmer before…
The Lower Guinea Fowl Trail starts at the 3rd Avenue Dip and ends down in Settlers Park. I didn't really take the picture to show the start of the trail, but rather the houses overlooking the Baakens Valley.