The South End Museum has struggled with parking space at the museum since they opened. They recently secured funding to have a parking area developed on the corner between the museum and the busy Beach Road / Walmer Boulevard intersection. The centre piece of the parking area is a granite "soccer ball" which was one of the legacy projects that was part of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Driving along the highways and byways of this beautiful country of ours, somewhere you will have to pull over, stretch you legs and fill up body, soul and perhaps even your car (if you don't want to get stuck without fuel along those same roads). These places are normally one of the following three:Roadside picnic spots Farm and country shopsand the boring (as far as exploring travellers goes) but very effective and well stocked 1-stop service stations
On the way up the hill to Fort Klapperkop and the SA National Defence Force Memorial outside Pretoria stand an old steam locomotive. This specific locomotive was amongst others used over 100 years ago during the Anglo Boer War (1899 - 1902) to carry British troops and supplies from the coast to where the war was taking place in the interior of South Africa.
The Cuyler Manor Museum just outside Uitenhage is housed in the original homestead built for General Jacob Glen Cuyler. Cuyler was Landdrost of Uitenhage from 1806 to 1827. This Cape Dutch style house has been restored and furnished in the style of its day and along with the surrounding grounds and buildings act as a living museum. Demonstrations of traditional activities such as soap and candle making, baking and weaving can be arranged. Part of the exhibits at the museum…
I decided to start the week off with a nice varied Random ... theme post. The chosen Random ... theme is Ox Wagons. Ox wagons played an important roll in the early history of South Africa, in particular the Great Trek, and forms part of just about every museum exhibit throughout the country. They are specially evident around small towns and farms with ox wagon wheels often found at farm entrances. This ox wagon is on display outside the museum…
To avoid too much traffic congestion around the stadium (as well as the fact that there isn't too much parking available), the city has implemented a Park & Ride system during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. There are three designated and secure Park & Ride areas around Port Elizabeth where soccer fans can leave their vehicles and take the shuttles to the stadium. This is the Park & Ride on the beachfront that are used mostly by those fans staying…
Port Elizabeth (through the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality) has been using the "Feel it in the Air" campaign in the run up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The campaign involved "cloud men" playing soccer. I took this pic of the 2010 branding featuring "Feel it in the Air" from the Humewood train bridge. The bus in the pic is one of the new buses that is used on the new Bus Rapid Transport system (BRT) routes and is ferrying…
The narrow gauge Humewood Station has been in the news lately because of its rundown state. Although it always have had a bit of "character", it has deteriorated of late and fell into disrepair. Spoornet has now decided to demolish all the old structures on the property and to clean it up. I don't know if they have any plans to redevelop another station (for the Apple Express to use), but anything will look beter than what its been like.…
You associate the Tsitsikamma with indigenous forests, deep gorges, a rugged coastline and heart stopping adventures. Just about everything but Elvis. From 30 April to 2 May 2010 the Protea Hotel Tsitsikamma Village in Storms River on the Garden Route will be hosting the first The Elvis Festival Africa. Owners Jan and Ann du Rand are huge Elvis fans and also proud owners of the Cadillac Shack next door to the hotel. Most of the activities during the festival will…
Wendy Isaacs-Martin e-mailed me over the weekend with some pics she had taken at Friday night's Pro20 final at St Georges. Seeing that my camera is in for repairs and I couldn't take any pics at the match, I decided to post one Wendy's pics from the night. The on field umpires were flown into St Georges Park by helicopter and dropped off right on the field. I must say that it was quite a spectacle and very different from…