I spotted this scene from the Sir Percy Fitzpatrick Lookout near Sunland between Addo and Kirkwood. While taking in the magnificent view I spotted a green patch in the middle of a couple of ploughed fields. On closer inspection I noticed that there was a farm worker's house and a couple of trees on it. Very peculiar to find a green island like this in the middle of a ploughed field.
So they say that wine is the "Nectar of the Gods". Personally I prefer fruit juice or a Crème Soda, but I'm not totally anti wine. I just never learned to drink it and even though I won't touch a red I wouldn't say no to a nice sweet Rose or late harvest. Even in saying all that I really enjoy wine tastings - see, trying to teach myself to appreciate wine as one probably should. A week or two ago…
I haven't spent much time in East London. Always in and out without much opportunity to explore. My last visit was no different but I made sure I had a couple of minutes to swing by the Esplanade and snapped this picture of the beach as the afternoon shadows started to stretch out to sea.
Very few people driving along the R72 coastal route between Port Elizabeth and East London have ever seen or even know of the Karel Landman monument about halfway between Nanaga and Alexandria. The only indication that there is a monument up the dirt road is a road sign at the turnoff. A couple of kilometers up the dirt road one stands in awe though of the magnitude of this monument in the shape of a globe. Its huge... and kinda in…
Every time I visit the Gamtoos Valley and drive through Hankey, I look up the cliffs on the western side of the town at the Bergvenster (Berg Window) thinking that I must really make a plan to climb up there one day. That opportunity came when we spent a Shot Left weekend in Hankey staying at the The Milk House. I told the Damselfly that I'm heading up there come hell or high water. She asked why and the answer was…
The East London beachfront has a very interesting looking statue which had me scratching my head when I saw it for the first time. Multicultural Man is a bronze sculpture created by Italian artist Francesco Perilli. It depicts a faceless man in the middle of the earth who is trying to unite two meridians, while the other meridians are lifted by doves, the universal symbols of peace. The bronze man himself is three meters high and has been designed to represent…
I had to make the 600 kilometer return trip from Port Elizabeth to East London twice this past week. Luckily for me I enjoy road trips for various reasons and other than my back complaining I really didn't mind going. Returning from the second trip it started to get late and the sun started to set as I was about 30 minutes east of Port Alfred on the R72. A quick sunset photo with my phone and I was on the…
When people talk about the Eastern Cape, Wild Coast and Transkei then the road are always one of the first things mentioned. "The road is bad." "The road is full of potholes." "The road this", "the road that" and "the road whatever". I've never been further than just past East London and got to fly to Durban every time I had to go to Indaba. The only time I drove to KwaZulu Natal I went via the Eastern Free State to…
Port St Johns. Scenic. Cultural. Rustic. Authentic. Rich experiences. Unspoiled beaches, Rugged coastline. Natural beauty. The backpackers' party town of the Wild Coast. Port St Johns at the mouth of the Mzimvubu River really is an iconic town and covers all of that and more. Looking at the picture of Second Beach you could easily mistake it for a tropical island somewhere. One word of warning though. If you want to swim at Second Beach, don't go too deep into the water. The beach…
The Gamtoos Valley west of Port Elizabeth is often just seen as the entrance to the Baviaanskloof yet its a tranquil and very scenic farming area. I visit the valley a couple of times a year to participate in the annual Gamtoos Tourism Adventure Drive, the Citrus festival and the Patensie Boere Basaar. This also means that I spend a lot of time in the Patensie area so when Carol Pearson of The Milk House contacted me to invite us…