Playing in the park
Even though its been a wet winter so far we've also had some beautifully warm and sunny winters days in between. Ideal to take the kids to play in St Georges Park.
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19/07/2012
Conservatory
I took the Kidz and their friends on a trip around Port Elizabeth the other day to discover and explore a couple of historical attractions. It was a lovely warm winters day so I decided to make St Georges Park one of our stops with a quick look at the Pearson Conservatory before spending some time on the play equipment. The Conservatory (originally opened in 1886) reopened last year after extensive renovations and I still can't get over how stunning it looks. …
05/07/2012
Riding a hoop jumping dolphin
The little girl riding the hoop jumping dolphin is probably the best known Happy Valley character seeing that it can be found in the pond right next to the big grassy area on the way to the beach. Most people would think of Happy Valley as a place to go to in the evenings during summer when all the colourful lights are on, but I have found that it can be just as rewarding during the day when you can see lots of…
04/07/2012
Buildings along the Company Gardens
As I have mentioned in my previous post, several Cape Town's most significant historical buildings can be found along the Company Gardens as one walks down Government Avenue.At the bottom entrance to the Gardens are Church Square and the Slave Lodge. The Slave Lodge was built in 1679 by the Dutch East India Company and housed thousands of slaves during the time when slavery meant big business for the Cape Colony. In 1810, after the British had taken over, the building became the Supreme Court and in 1914…
29/05/2012
Looking into St Georges Park
Looking into St Georges Park through the trees towards the gardens beyond
25/05/2012
The Company Gardens
The greenbelt that is the Company Gardens, stretching through urban downtown Cape Town, attracts both locals and visitors in their droves. People go there to admire the historic buildings, sight see, play in the park, feed the squirrels, read a book, sit in the shade and relax or just to get from the one end to the other. The Company Gardens were established in 1652 and takes its name from the Dutch East India Company who first started the garden to supply…
23/05/2012
Montagu Nature Garden
While exploring the town of Montagu in the Western Cape I discovered the Montagu Nature Garden on the outskirts of town. I wouldn't really call it a garden, but rather a nature reserve as it covers quite a big area. The Montagu Nature Garden was established in 1954, the year that Montagu celebrated its centenary. Montagu Nature garden is situated in the most southerly part of the succulent Karoo “biome.” It has the distinction therefore of having flora of 3 regions of…
27/02/2012
Zebra at university
After yesterday's post on the Grysbok Nature Reserve tour, Peter Betts made a comment on my Facebook page regarding the reserve. Peter, who has a deep found love for nature, lives right on the edge of the reserve in the suburb of Summerstrand and commented on how interesting a trip it is. He highlighted something that I didn't mention which are the Khoisan shell middens in the reserve. He also mentioned how he loves hearing the zebras calling in the…
17/01/2012
Aloe along the Lower Guinea Fowl Trail
This time of the year most people head down to the beach during the holidays, but what if you're not into crowds, screaming kids, girls in bikini's who will never go in the water and are just there to catch the boys' eyes or just sand between your toes? Why not do one of the many short hiking trails that can be found around the city? The Lower Guinea Fowl Trail is one of the main very good trail there is to…
02/01/2012
Carols by candlelight
Saturday afternoon we bundled the family into the car, packed a picnic basket, grabbed the camping chairs and headed down to Settlers Park for the second annual Carols by Candlelight in Settlers Park. The day was a bit of a windy one, but the location for the event was down in the valley and very well sheltered.The event was organised by the Wildlife and Environment Society of SA (WESSA) and Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism and forms part of the Baakens…
07/12/2010