This is the last of the posts in the bridges of Port Elizabeth series. It shows the N2 where it crosses over the Swartkops River at Amsterdamhoek just before Bluewater Bay. Very busy on top, nice and peaceful underneath.
This is post #5 in the series about bridges around Port Elizabeth. There are several bridges across the Swartkops River with the oldest road bridge in use being the Wylde Bridge at Swartkops which was built in 1879. The road bridge is a one lane bridge that is regulated with a traffic light. This is the railway bridge right next to the road bridge. Looks very similar to the Mackay Bridge in Colchester, doesn't it?
The Swartkops River has huge pollution problems which emanates mainly from polluted water that flows into the system from storms water canals containing raw sewerage and many tons of litter and waste. One of these are the Motherwell storm water canal which can be seen close to the start of the Flamingo Trail. Its truly sad to see such an important wetlands area polluted in this way and although there are plans in place to counter it, there are a lot…
Even though it has an urban setting, the Swartkops Estuary with its adjacent salt pans, is one of the most important wetlands areas in South Africa. It is seen as an Important Bird Area playing host to over 10 000 water birds in summer and is one of the best places in the country to see the less common estuarine waders and terns. All in all its one of the premier birding venues in Port Elizabeth with about 200 species found there regularly. Big parts…
Have aloe, will photograph. That is the case with me when I find a flowering aloe somewhere in the wild. With the aloes' flowering season something of the past I will run out of pics soon, but seeing that I still have one or two, I'm posting one today. This aloe is from the Flamingo Trail in the Zwartkops Nature Reserve and the little smudges above it isn't from a dirty lens but thousands of little muggies (midges) swarming around us at one stage.
I was very fortunate to go on a guided walk along the Flamingo Trail next to the Swartkops Estuary the other day and got some great flamingo sightings along the way. After posting the view of the flamingo's from the top of the hill I thought I'll follow it up with a picture taken from the side of the river of the flamingo's wading along.
Walking on the Flamingo Trail a week or so ago we did one of the loops up onto the escarpment next to the Swartkops River and this was one of the views down. The pink specs are flamingo's on the Swartkops Estuary.
A team of rowers practising on the Swartkops River close to Redhouse with their coach going along in a little motorboat
Everybody knows the big blue factory next to the N2 just after you passed over the Swartkops River on the way into Port Elizabeth. The factory is Algorax and is a carbon black factory. Carbon black is mainly used as a reinforcing filler in tires and other rubber products. With three of South Africa's biggest tyre manufacturers situated in the Nelson Mandela Bay metro the factory is situated within close range of all of these. This is the view of the factory…
This is the view towards town from the Forward Observation Post in Bluewater Bay with the N2 bridge over the Swartkops River in the foreground.