Gamtoos Valley

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Queen Elizabeth Profile

Driving east through the Gamtoos River Valley from the Baviaanskloof side towards the town of Patensie, the road wounds along a section between the river and Enon conglomerate cliffs. If you keep one eye on the cliffs above while watching the road with the other, you may just spot one of the valley's landmarks. The profile of Queen Victoria. I'm not sure who would have been the first person to recognise her, but with a bit of imagination you can…

5 Comments
18/07/2010
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Tolbos Country and Coffee Shop

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…

6 Comments
06/06/2010
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Gamtoos River

Late afternoon next to the Gamtoos River. The Gamtoos River can be found west of Port Elizabeth just before you get to Jeffery's Bay. The river flows through the Gamtoos Valley which is one of the main agricultural areas supplying fruit and vegetables to the city. The valley is also where you will find the Kouga Dam, one of the metro's main water supply dams.For more awesome pictures from around the world featuring a bit of sky, visit Skywatch.

14 Comments
10/12/2009
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Kouga Sunset

Sunset over the Gamtoos River Valley to the west of Port Elizabeth. The Gamtoos River Valley is prime farming area. This lower part of the valley is ideal for dairy farming while higher up in the valley they farm with citrus (mostly oranges) and vegetables (mostly potatoes). The Kouga Dam, one of Port Elizabeth's main water supply dams, are also situated higher up in the river.For more breathtaking pictures of the sky, visit Skywatch.

27 Comments
03/12/2009
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Melon

Ever heard of a place called Melon? No? Well, the other day I discovered such a place. Melon is a siding on the narrow gauge line between the Gamtoos Valley and the Langkloof. Its basically a farming area and Melon itself is nothing more than two small buildings next to the railway line, a general dealer and two houses.

5 Comments
02/12/2009
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Fishermen or Anglers?

What are the difference between fishermen and anglers? In my book, fishermen are the guys who actually catch fish and anglers are those who ... well, get home and tell you about the big one that got away. Here my Boet (sitting) and his buddy Phil is fishing angling on the banks of the Gamtoos River. The previous day they went out with the boat for about 3 hours and got nothing. On this morning they got about 6 tiny…

8 Comments
01/11/2009
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Morning and evening clouds

This last weekend we went camping next to the Gamtoos River. The camp site is situated between the river and a hill side covered in River euphorbia. The first picture was taken early morning (facing south) before the sun came over the ridge and the second photo was taken just after sunset (looking north). I like the way the Euphorbia made silhouettes against the sky.For more super shots and views of the sky, visit Skywatch.

16 Comments
29/10/2009
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Gamtoos Valley Farm House

The Gamtoos River Valley around Hankey and Patensie is an absolutely stunning area. This last weekend we went camping next to the bottom section of the Gamtoos River at a camp site called Wackey Woods. Saturday morning we drove to Loerie and Melon, but unfortunately not all the way up the valley to Patensie. The area is mainly a farming area and I couldn't help but to stop next to the road leading to Loerie to take a photo of…

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27/10/2009
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Kouga Dam

At the top of the Gamtoos Valley one would find the Kouga Dam, one of Port Elizabeth's three main water supply dams. The Kouga Dam was the first double arch dam to be built in South Africa. Other than for urban use, the dam is also the main supplier of irrigation water to the Gamtoos Valley. The pic was taken a little while ago when the dam last overflowed.More information on the dam can be found here.

8 Comments
20/06/2009