A couple of months ago I spent a night at Ganora Guest Farm outside Nieu Bethesda. What an amazing place! Although I didn't have a lot of time but did get to do a tour of JP's Fossil Museum. Unfortunately I didn't get to go and see the rock drawings on the farm. Before heading into the village for the meeting I was there for I took a walk down to the river just below the homestead. If it wasn't for…
Fly fishing - An angling method in which an artificial "fly" is used to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. Casting a nearly weightless fly or "lure" requires casting techniques significantly different from other forms of casting.Karoo - The Karoo (from the KhoiSan word which means Place of Thirst) is a semi-desert region of South Africa. The Karoo covers nearly 400 000km2 of South Africa and is mostly defined partly by its topography, partly its…
A little while ago I stopped by Fort Peddie on my way from Port Elizabeth to East London and discovered this historic site while hunting for a Geocache. The thing with most travelers is that they are so focused on the big things that they often miss the little ones. In this case the big things were the old tower and the cavalry barracks which I both went to have a look at. The former to find the cache and the latter…
The Anglo Boer War (1899 - 1902) is one of the big turning points in South Africa's history along with the arrival of Europeans in the country, the Great Trek, the Apartheid years and a new democratic South Africa. Okay, so the history is about more than just those five turning points but that is what came to my mind just now. One of the most significant things that happened during the Anglo Boar War was that it was the first time ever that…
The Tsitsikamma is famous for its stunning scenery, magnificent forests and exciting adventures. I often wonder how many people visit here and marvel at the big things but totally miss the little ones. Ferns with new leaves opening up, soft moss growing on a rock, bracket fungus on the side of a log, the sound of a forest stream slowly flowing through the underbrush and over a little waterfall and the call of baboons in the distance. What about the sound of the…
The Tsitsikamma's three biggest industries are tourism, dairy and forestry. So by the last one you can gather that the area is more than just indigenous forests. The Tsitsikamma also has a huge amount of commercial pine plantations. Pine trees were first planted early in the 20th century to replace indigenous forests that were cut out due to extensive logging. The exotic trees were a bad replacement for the indigenous trees but the fact that they grow quickly meant that…
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, its Firefly and the Famdamily. Well, that is what you would have said if you were on a walk in the Tsitsikamma forest the other day. I'm in the very fortunate position that I have had the wonderful privilege to go on the Tsitsikamma Canopy Tour in Storms River a couple of times before, but I've always wanted to take the family for them to experience it as well. I'm not…
The Tsitsikamma is more than just indigenous forests, rugged coastlines and adrenalin filled adventure activities. I'm going to lie if I say I didn't know it, but its always great to spread the word. Our Sho't Left in the Tsitsikamma and Eersterivier area included a visit to Regyne, the biggest commercial protea farm in the world. Tours of the farm is organised by Oudebosch Farm Stall who does a tour and lunch as well as a tour and afternoon tea and cake option…
Sir Percy FitzPatrick, (24 July 1862 – 24 January 1931) is probably best known for writing the book Jock of the Bushveld, but also played a big role in the early development of the Sundays River Valley. In his younger years he was involved in gold and diamond prospecting in Mpumalanga where Jock of the Bushveld also plays off. In 1895 FitzPatrick became the secretary of the Reform Committee in Johannesburg which conspired to overthrow Paul Kruger's South African Republic. At the outbreak…
There are some really tranquil spots along the Jeffreys Bay and St Francis coastline where one can sit and take in a view of the ocean. Passing through St Francis Bay I had an hour or so before a meeting and decided to grab a couple of Geocaches. One of the caches was located close to the legendary surf spot, Bruce's Beauties where I found this young lady taking a break on a bench overlooking Bruce's. The sea was fairly calm so…