Cape Recife

This pic was taken on the beach at Cape Recife on the Algoa Bay side looking south at the Cape Recife lighthouse (right) and one of the shipping beacons (left). I specially liked the cloud formation in the background.

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The Donkin Reserve

Just prior to the arrival of the British Settlers in Algoa Bay in 1820, Sir Rufane Donkin took up an acting position in the Cape Colony as Governor. He travelled to Algoa Bay to welcome the Settlers. Sir Rufane lost his wife, Lady Elizabeth Donkin, to the fever in India two years previously and was still mourning her loss when he took up his position at the Cape.When he arrived in Algoa Bay he found a small settlement without a…

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Seal Point Lighthouse

The highest masonry tower (28 metre high) on the South African coast can be found in the coastal holiday town of Cape St Francis.The Seal Point Lighthouse was built in 1878 and is situated about 100km west of Port Elizabeth. The Bay itself was named St Francis Bay after the patron saint of sailors and travellers by the the first Portuguese explorers who came into the area in the late 1400's.The village of Cape St Francis started out as a…

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Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope

At the tip of the Cape Peninsula, about 50km from Cape Town, you will find two of South Africa's best known points or capes.The first one is The Cape of Good Hope, the most South-Western point of the African continent. Just over 2km away is the second, and more spectacular point, Cape Point. Both the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point offer spectacular scenery. Indeed, the whole of the southernmost portion of the Cape Peninsula is a wild, rugged,…

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Donkin Reserve lit up

When I went to visit my sister in hospital the other night to see my new niece, I drove by the Donkin Reserve and had to stop to take this pic. The moon was beautiful in the sky and the floodlights on the lighthouse made it a pretty sight. I have posted a day pic of the Donkin Reserve before here: http://fireflyafrica.blogspot.com/2008/07/pe-monuments-1.htmlI found that the pic wasn't exactly what I wanted it to be. I also tried to take one…

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donkin sunrise

The flagpole in front of the Donkin Lighthouse and Pyramid, at sunrise. To the left in the distance is the Brick Campanile, erected in honour of the 1820 settlers.

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The mermaids purse on Cape St Francis beach

In yesterday's post I showed the Seal Point lighthouse in Cape St Francis. I decided to stick to the little village for today's post, and sommer post two totally different pic for the measure. Cape St Francis started out as a little fishing village in the 1950's. Today its still small and charming and a very popular holiday and surfing spot. A couple of months ago we went to camp in Cape St Francis for the weekend and it was…

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Storm front moving in

The area about 65 - 120km west of Port Elizabeth is known as the Kouga (Place of many fat animals). The coastal towns of the Kouga is situated around the Bay of St Francis. Included in the area is the surfing and shell town of Jeffreys Bay, the very upmarket marina canal village of St Francis Bay and then the western point of the Cape St Francis. At the point is the Seal Point Lighthouse built in 1878. It used…

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PE Monuments 1

Port Elizabeth is a city with a rich historical and cultural background. It has many monuments going back to the colonial days as well as some more recent ones. Todays I want to show of a couple of our better known monuments.Fort Frederick is the oldest building in the city. It was built by the British in 1799 to defend the Bay from French invasion and still overlooks the Port Elizabeth harbour.The Pyramid or Donkin Memorial is situated on the…

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