donkin

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Route 67 mosaic blogger selfie

In November I hosted the #PERocks blogger visit to Port Elizabeth when I was still with Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism and I had the most amazing time with bloggers Rachel Lang (Bushbound Girl), Heather Mason (2Summers), Dianne Tipping-Woods (SA Tourism blog and more), Theresa Lozier (Fine Places) and Meruschka Govender (Mzansi Girl).  I just couldn't get enough how how they did things differently from regular media.  A lot more informal, a lot more fun and a lot more insightful.  Here Heather…

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16/02/2014
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Route 67 Election Queue and Votes of the Future

There are two ways to walk up the Donkin Reserve from Chapel Street.  The first is up the Mosaic Stairs and the second along a winding path that snakes it's way up to the lighthouse and pyramid.  The path is called the Election Queue as it represents the winding queues on election day during the first democratic elections in 1994.  It's the same walkway that skateboarders have discovered to be the ideal downhill run making it very much a multi purpose walkway.…

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23/01/2014
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Then and Now – Donkin Reserve

The Donkin Reserve is truly one of Port Elizabeth's iconic attractions.  The pyramid (Donkin Memorial) was commissioned by Sir Rufane Donkin in August 1820 as a monument to his wife Lady Elizabeth after whom he named the town.  Sit Rufane was the Acting Governor of the Cape Colony and came to Algoa Bay to oversee the landing of the British Settlers  The Hill Lighthouse was brought into use on 1 June 1861 with Charles Hammond as the first lighthouse keeper.  The cottage adjoining…

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20/01/2014
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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…

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15/12/2013
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Goodbye Madiba

This morning the world woke up to the news that the father of a democratic South Africa, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela has passed away.  I don't want to write a whole long post about him because every newspaper, magazine and news website there is will have his whole life story.  I just want to say that on this day we shouldn't just mourn this great man, but also celebrate his life and what he did for peace in South Africa.  May his memory…

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06/12/2013
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34 Lights on Route 67

 The Mosaic Stairs from the bottom of the Donkin Reserve up towards the Great Flag at the top is lined with 34 Lights.  Each light has a different object on top of it.  The 34 lights represent the journey along the Voting Queue and Mosaic Stairs, telling a story about past, present and future.  The lights form part of Route 67 and was a collaborative project.

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29/11/2013
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PE landmarks

The Donkin Reserve with Route 67 is my favorite photographic location in Port Elizabeth.  There is so many different subjects to photograph and so many different angles to use.  Over the years the Donkin Memorial (Pyramid) and the Hill Lighthouse has become iconic landmarks in Port Elizabeth and is well worth snapping a picture of.

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24/11/2013
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The Donkin Mosaic Steps

Approaching the Donkin Reserve and Route 67 from the City Centre side, visitors can either walk up the Mosaic Steps or the winding Voting Queue path.  The Mosaic Steps by a group of mosaic artists are quite interesting as it starts with dark colours at the bottom and the higher you climb the lighter and more vibrant the colours get.  The steps with the different colours represents a journey that starts in the darkness and turbulence of the past, progressing to…

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19/11/2013
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Sunset from the lighthouse

The view from the top of the Donkin Lighthouse is my absolute favorite view in Port Elizabeth.  Combine it with a setting sun over Central and you get an even better one.

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17/11/2013
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Taking the flag down

The Great Flag on the Donkin Reserve measures about 10 meters x 15 meters yet while its flying 65 meters up on the second tallest flag pole in Africa it doesn't quite look that size.  That is until it gets taken down in the evening by the Prince Alfred Guard and needs six soldiers to catch, control and return to its container.

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24/10/2013