On visiting the Somerset East Museum recently, I discovered this old overgrown grave yard behind it on the slopes of the Boschberg Mountain. I have a thing for old cemeteries and had a look around. Unfortunately the guy who was going to show us through the museum arrived and cut short my exploration, but next time I'm in town I will definitively head back there for another look.
I used to go to the town of Grahamstown (about 120km east of Port Elizabeth) quite a lot during my tour guiding days. Just outside of town as you are heading towards Bathurst is a spot where fresh spring water flows out of a pipe into a little stream. Most of the times I passed there was somebody filling up containers of water which made me very curious.I asked around a bit and Oom Willem at the Grahamstown Tourism office…
The Gamtoos River Valley is a beautiful area just west of Port Elizabeth. It is a farming area producing mainly citrus and potatoes and an awesome option for a weekend or day getaway out of the city and into the scenic countryside. At the heart of the Gamtoos Valley is the town of Patensie and right at the entrance of the town is Tolbos Country and Coffee Shop.Tolbos is a real country shop and you will find everything from home…
The magnificent Victorian Gothic style old Main Library building is situated next to Market Square in Port Elizabeth's city centre. Constructed in 1902, the building's terracotta facade was manufactured in England, shipped to Port Elizabeth in numbered blocks and rebuilt piece by piece on the present site. The statue of Queen Victoria standing in front of the library building is made of Sicilian marble and was erected and unveiled in 1903 to celebrate the queen's Diamond Jubilee which took place…
The Bayworld Complex on the Port Elizabeth beachfront consist of the Port Elizabeth Museum, Snake Park and Oceanarium. I have done several posts about Bayworld on my blogs, most recently a series of 10 photos early in April on Port Elizabeth Daily Photo. I visited it quite often as a child and it lightens my heart that the Rugrats also enjoy going there. Unfortunately the complex is having financial problems and any exposure and assistance helps, hence this post.My interest…
In July 1829, Dr. William Gill was appointed District Surgeon of the newly founded town and district of Somerset. Upon his death in 1863, he left the main portion of his estate to found and maintain an institution for higher education in the Eastern Cape. His will stipulated that no portion of the estate was to be spend on the purchase or erection of buildings. Consequently, Somerset farmers and townsfolk pledged that they would erect the necessary buildings. Gill College…
The Great Fish River is one of the great rivers of the Eastern Cape. It originates east of the town of Graaff-Reinet and, 644 kilometers later, flows into the Indian Ocean about 30km east of Port Alfred. Even though the river originates in the arid Karoo, it generally runs all year around. It is possible to use water from the Orange River (diverted through the Orange / Fish River Pipeline) to keep up the flow during dry periods. At the…
This last weekend we needed to get away, so we dropped the Rugrats at the in-laws and headed out to Addo Elephant National Park. We drove through the park and spent the night at the four star Elephants Footprint Lodge in Colchester. The thatched lodge is ideally situated just outside the park's southern gate and a super spot to spend a couple of days while exploring the park and area. The lodge has 12 magnificent suites to relax in. The…
On our recent visit to Somerset East we stopped at Middleton between Port Elizabeth and Cradock. While the Damselfly and Rugrats were browsing through the farm stall, I had a closer look of the historic Methodist church that stands at the entrance to the village. The guy working in the shop asked me if I would like to see the inside of the church and unlocked it for me. The church, built in 1903, is what you would call quaint.…
Barrelling along the N10 between Port Elizabeth and Cradock, most people don't even notice the little historic one horse Karoo town of Middleton. Situated about 20 km before reaching Cookhouse, Middleton is a charming little village steeped in history dating back to 1879. The village is situated next to the Great Fish River and includes the Middleton Manor hotel, a restaurant, pub, general dealer, bottle store, post office and camping site.What makes the village unique is that its privately owned.…