monuments

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Dias Statue in Cape Town

Bartholomew Dias was the first European to discover South Africa.  On an expedition looking for a sea way to the East he sailed around the Cape in a storm without knowing it.  On 3 February 1488 he landed in Mossel Bay which he called the Bay of Saint Blaise.  On 12 March they reached the furthest point of the expedition when he anchored at Kwaaihoek near the Bushmans River mouth.  It was here that Dias planted a stone cross (padrao) before…

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24/07/2014
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The Slagtersnek Monument near Cookhouse

Driving along the N10 between Port Elizabeth and Cradock there is a memorial next to the road near the town of Cookhouse.  Driving back from Cradock the other day I decided to stop and have a closer look.  The Slagtersnek Monument remembers the Slagtersnek Rebellion and the subsequent hanging of 5 of the rebels, an event that changed the area forever and possibly had a big role to play in the start of the Great Trek.  The museum in Somerset East has…

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30/05/2014
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Phillip’s Tunnel in Hankey

Every little town has its interesting sites to visit, being it historic, natural or man-made.  Often visitors pass through without ever knowing about these places and in most cases they slowly become forgotten to all but a few.  One such site in my opinion is the Phillip's Tunnel in Hankey in the Gamtoos Valley.  There is a sign on the main drag through town but in most cases visitors are heading towards the Baviaanskloof and doesn't even notice it.  The road to the…

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27/11/2013
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My Old Fort adventure in Durban

I get to visit Durban once a year during the annual Tourism Indaba but other than stopping in Umhlanga and taking walks on the beachfront, I've never really had an opportunity to explore the city much.  This year I decided to pinch off an hour to explore and discover at least one new place and the choice fell on The Old Fort.  From outside the place didn't look like much but I pressed on and in and was pleasantly surprised by what…

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07/10/2013
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Perdemonument

Port Elizabeth is die tuiste van een van net twee monumente in die wêreld wat spesifiek opgesit is vir perde.  Derduisende perde is na die Kaapkolonie gebring vir die Britse troepe wat in die Anglo Boereoorlog tussen 1899 en 1902 teen die Boeremagte geveg het.  Die meeste van hierdie perde is deur Algoabaai ingebring en geskiedenis wys dat meer as 300,000 perde van siektes, uitputting en hongerte gesterf asook doodgeskiet is. Daar was reeds in 1901 'n besluit geneem om 'n monument vir die perde op te rig…

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16/10/2012
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Uitenhage War Memorial

I'm fascinated by a lot of things so I won't say that war memorials fascinate me, although I find it very interesting how the war memorial in every town - because yes, just every town has some kind of war memorial - looks different.  Ranging from cenotaphs to historic cannons and massive monuments to small simple objects.  This is the war memorial in Uitenhage containing a list of men from the town who died during the two World Wars.

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18/09/2012
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Karel Landman monument

Mens is so gewoond om monumente in dorpe en stede asook langs groot paaie te sien, maar daar is wel monumente wat min mense te sien kry weens waar hulle gelee is.  Die Karel Landman Monument is een van dié en kan gesien word op 'n grondpad so 'n entjie van R72 tussen Port Elizabeth en Alexandria af.  Karel Landman het in die omgewing geboer tot 1837 voor hy een van die prominente Voortrekker leiers geword het.  Landman het 'n groep van omtrent…

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14/08/2012
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Kidz Adventures – Exploring PE’s history

During the school holidays its always a bit of a challenge to keep bored children busy.  Most parents end up taking them to the movies, for ice cream at Micky D's, playing putt putt and games or one of the party places with jungle gyms and trampolines.  Me? Well, I try to spend at least a day with the Kidz exploring Port Elizabeth or surrounding area for them to get to know the city better.  During the past holiday we headed out to discover some…

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01/08/2012
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Nelson Mandela Square

Nelson Mandela Square is geleë in die hartjie van Sandton, Johannesburg en die fokuspunt van Nelson Mandela Square is 'n ses meter hoë brons standbeeld van die bekende staatsman homself.  Die standbeeld is in 2004 onthul om nie net die tiende verjaardag van Sandton City winkelsentrum te vier nie, maar ook 10 jaar van demokrasie.Die standbeeld self staan nie net ses meter hoog nie, maar weeg ook 2,5 ton.  Ek wonder of Kobus Hatting en Jacob Maponyane, die kunstenaars verantwoordelik…

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29/06/2012
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Voortrekkermonument

Die monument wat seker die naaste aan die hart van meeste Afrikaners in Suid-Afrika is is die Voortrekker Monument net buite Pretoria.  Die veertig meter hoë monument is in 1949 voltooi en is gebou ter ere van die Voortrekkers wat die Kaapkolonie vanaf 1838 verlaat het en noord na die Vrystaat, die ou Transvaal (vandag Gauteng) en Natal (KwaZulu Natal) met al hulle besittings op ossewaens getrek het. 

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18/06/2012