Eastern Cape

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Roadside gnomes in the Karoo

I always go on about all the treasures one get to discover when road tripping.  Well known landmarks, inadequately marked but well worth taking turnoffs, interesting attractions, beautiful views, fascination people, lekker food, unusual sights and so much more.  Driving back to Port Elizabeth from Graaff-Reinet the other day I passed through the town of Jansenville and a few kilometers outside of town spotted something from the corner of my eye.  My head swung to the right and I had…

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26/07/2016
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Sunrise at Shark Rock Pier

I was early getting to work this morning so I kept going past my normal turnoff and pulled into the parking at Hobie Beach to see if I can snap a nice sunrise picture at the pier...

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04/07/2016
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Aloes in flower

One of the things I love most about winter is the fact that the aloes are in bloom.  Here is Port Elizabeth we are very fortunate that we are surrounded by areas where aloes grow in abundance.  Areas like the Gamtoos Valley, Baviaanskloof, Addo region, the Karoo Heartland and the Grahamstown district.

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03/07/2016
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Sunset at the Qora River Mouth

Don't let the name of the Wild Coast put you under a wrong impression.  The Wild Coast isn't all rough and tumble with storms and shipwrecks.  It's also a place of beauty, untouched pieces of coastline, stunning river mouths, beautiful beaches, villages on rolling hills overlooking the sea and Nguni cattle on the beach.  I really wish I had the opportunity and time to go and visit it more often to see more of it than the two or three…

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30/06/2016
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Roadtrip gems – The sun setting in the Karoo

Road tripping bring you the possibility of many memorable things. Beautiful destinations, interesting people, scrumptious food, fascinating places and, in this case, a beautiful Karoo Heartland sunset.  Although it was probably still another hour before sunset, the sun heading for the distant mountains through hazy skies made for a sight beautiful enough to make me pull over on my drive to Cradock.  This is why I go nowhere without my camera. 

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23/06/2016
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The Aloes are in bloom

One of my favorite things about this time of the year (early winter) is the fact that the aloes are in bloom.  A little road trip through the Karoo Heartland had me stop once or twice to snap a few pictures, but mostly I just enjoyed the sight of them next to the road. A lot of the flowers are just starting to open up so give it another week or two three and they will be blooming in all their…

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09/06/2016
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Qora River at Kob Inn

The Wild Coast is famous for it's beautiful and rugged coastline and one of my favorite aspects of it is all the rivers that flow through the area and into the sea.  I got to discover another one for myself when I stayed at Kob Inn recently.  The Qora River Mouth is located only two or three hundred meters south of the hotel.  To cross the river you have to make use of a local in his boat and unfortunately…

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02/06/2016
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The little things on the Wild Coast

I'm a big advocate of keeping one's eyes open for the little things as much as the big stuff.  Spending a night at Kob Inn on the Wild Coast I went for an afternoon stroll down to the Qora River and while the coastline and river held my attention, I still spotted this little scene.  The more delicate side of the Wild Coast.

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19/05/2016
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Looking down the Langkloof from the Potjiesberg Pass

If you drive through the Langkloof from East to West you enter the valley just past Humansdorp and pass towns like Kareedouw, Jobertina, Krakeel, Louterwater, Misgund, Haarlem and Avontuur.  The valley is about 160 km long and the R62 (the road running through the Langkloof) then meets up with the N9 near the town of Uniondale.  Between this intersection and Uniondale travelers will find the Potjiesberg Pass.  The name of the Potjiesberg, directly translated, means little pot and refers to…

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09/05/2016
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Off the off the beaten track in the Langkloof

Most tourists and holiday makers traveling from the Western Cape to the Eastern Cape (or vice versa) do so along the world famous Garden Route.  It means that they miss out on the very scenic Route 62 through the Langkloof which runs parallel to the Garden Route on the other side of the mountain.  You could say traveling through the Langkloof is travelling off the beaten track.  On my last trip up the Langkloof I detoured off onto a dirt…

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03/05/2016