Eastern Cape

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Tsitsikamma Forest Trail Part 3: Up the old pass

The first part of our walk through the Plaatbos Nature Reserve took us on various trails through the forest before taking a halfway break next to the Storms River by the old low water bridge.  This left us with the walk back up to the village on the Storms River Pass. In 1879 the famous pass builder Thomas Bain was busy surveying the area east of Plettenberg Bay and found it to consist of almost impenetrable forests and deep river gorges.  To get…

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06/12/2012
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Tsitsikamma Forest Trail Part 2: Old Storms River Bridge

After a couple of hours hiking through the Plaatbos Nature Reserve we emerged from the forest close to where the old pass road crosses the Storms River.  We headed straight down to the river, kicked off our shoes and soaked our feet in the cool, soothing water.  Just what we needed at the halfway mark of our hike.When the pass was originally built the road went through the river with the low water bridge only being build by soldiers during the Second…

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04/12/2012
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Tsitsikamma Forest Trail Part 1: Plaatbos Nature Reserve

I find forests to have some kind of therapeutic effect on me, hence the fact that I will find any excuse to go and spend some time around forests.  It's no surprise then that I found myself and Family Firefly on a family outing in Storms River Village in the Tsitsikamma.  Three days around the forest for me is probably comparable to somebody from Gauteng spending a week at the beach.  I did make it clear to the family that I wanted…

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03/12/2012
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Klein treintjies

Op die eerste Sondag van die maand stroom baie families met klein (en ander met nie so klein) kinders na die Port Elizabeth Model Locomotive Society se maandelikse oop dag.  Families staan al van vroeg af tou om op die treintjies te ry met veral die stoom lokomotiewe wat baie aftrek kry.  Die rit vat wel net 'n paar minute, maar sluit in 'n tonnel, die Groot Grasrivier brug en 'n paar draaie deur die gronde in. En die beste…

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03/12/2012
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Addo flowers

After the rains we had in the Eastern Cape this past winter the veld is looking really good.  Its no different in the Addo Elephant National Park with lots of yellow and purple flowers all over.

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01/12/2012
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Cape Recife WWII Forward Observation Post

Port Elizabeth has arguably the most complete collection of surviving coast artillery buildings and equipment dating from the Second World War (1939-45) of any port in South Africa. Before the Second World War the Port Elizabeth Harbour actually had no defence in place except for Fort Frederick which was built in 1799 to guard the original landing place in the early days long before a harbour was even built. In 1942 it was decided to put harbour defences in place…

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27/11/2012
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Paul Sauer Bridge

Most travellers on the N2 through the Tsitsikamma stop at the Petroport to fill up the one tank, empty the other or just grab a snack.  A lot of those travellers, specially those from afar, either take a walk across the Storms River Bridge or to the viewing platform.  The bridge spanning the Storms River is actually called the Paul Sauer Bridge.  The bridge was designed by Riccardo Morandi, an Italian architect, and completed in 1958.  At the time of its building it formed…

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14/11/2012
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Hippo at Lalibela

Some people get real excited by seeing lions and elephants or even something rare like an aardwolf in real life on a game drive.  The Damselfly had her moment when she saw real live hippos for the first time at Lalibela Game Reserve near Port Elizabeth. What made the sighting even better was that there were a number of this huge semi-aquatic mammals in the dam when we got there and the one then proceeded to get up so that we could…

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12/11/2012
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Stormsriviermond hangbrûe

Die Tsitsikamma Nasionalepark op die Tuinroete is een van die mooiste plekke in Suid-Afrika met sy inheemse woude, loodregte kranse en pragtige kuslyn.  Die 1 km lange mondwandelpad van die ruskamp tot by Stormsriviermond is die gewildste staproete in die park en die hoogtepunt is die drie hangbrûe by die riviermond self.  Die oudste een van die drie steek die rivier oor terwyl die twee mees onlangse toevoegings oorgesteek word soos mens die rivier met die paadjie langs nader.  Die enigste waarskuwing wat ek het…

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09/11/2012