Framed African Sunset

For some people a sunset is a sunset is a sunset.  Just something to end the day with.  Then there are others which include photographers and travel writers (and I say writers because that goes for both print media and bloggers).  Those who grab their cameras when the sun starts to dip towards the horizon, the clouds start to colour and the most ordinary things become objects to silhouette against the changing sky.  Some photographers go on recces to find the best spot to set up their camera long before the day even thinks of ending while other do it in the spur of the moment.  But it doesn't matter which one of these you are, there is few things that get close to photographing a beautiful African sunset.  Spending the weekend at Willows Resort outside Port Elizabeth I had taken a couple of pictures of the coastline framed through the chalet's veranda window earlier in the day.  Sitting by the braai as the sun started to dip I suddenly had the perfect framed sunset.  Luckily the camera is never far away and I caught it just before the sun disappeared.  

Dusk in the Gamtoos Valley

Dusk in the beautiful Gamtoos Valley with the Cockscomb Mountains on the horizon.

Wilgewandel - something for the whole family

 

In all the years working as a tourist guide I drove past Wilgewandel near the Cango Caves countless times and never stopped.  It wasn't that I didn't want to, but there was just never time on a busy itinerary.  I often just referred to it as the place with the camel rides.  That was until a visit to the Cango Caves with the family while on holiday.  Drama Princess really wanted to ride a camel and the nagging started when we passed Wilgewandel on our way to the caves already.  Leaving the caves the tone of nagging became more consistent and there was no way I could drive past without having a major meltdown on the back seat.  And   that I stopped is quite evident in the fact that Drama Princess is sitting on the first camel in the top picture. Camel ride ticked off her very young bucket list.

 

What I did find out from my visit was that Wilgewandel is so much more than just the camel ride place between Oudtshoorn and the Cango Caves.  They have a host activities suitable for both big and small and all at very reasonable rates.  When we arrived I was afraid what the stop may end up costing me but I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't have to sacrifice an arm and a leg for the KidZ's pleasure.  The one thing I tried myself was the little paddle boats where you use your arms and not your legs to propel yourself.  Even the Damselfly ventured onto the water for this one.

Chaos Boy wasn't interested in the camel ride and rather preferred to do the foofy slide across the dam.  I was kinda worried that he may end up in the dam but then I remembered that he is half monkey anyway.  The foofy slide is just one of many other activities that the kids can do while their parents sit down for a bite to eat or something to drink.  There are also go-carts, an obstacle course, donkey cart rides and, for the littlies, a touch farm where you can feed bunnies and other farm animals. 

After the KidZ had their fill of activities we sat down to have our fill of hamburgers on the outside veranda overlooking the dam.  I would show you what our yummy burgers looked like but I was so focused on it that I forgot to take a pic.  It was good, to say the least. Very good.  As for Wilgewandel, I now get it.  Its a great family attractions and well worth the stop if you have kids or if you don't, just stop for the burgers.

Kings Protea in Van Stadens Wildflower Reserve

The Van Stadens Wildflower Reserve west of Port Elizabeth is one of the best and easiest accessible areas around to see proteas and other species in the Cape Floral Kingdom.  Flowers like the King Protea, South Africa's national flower, and the Pin Cushion Protea is found in abundance and when in flower is a real treat to see along one of the reserve's two trails.  I try to visit the reserve at least once or twice a year, even if its just for a quick stop while driving past on the N2, and there is always something to be seen and photographed.  Even better when I found this King Protea in such a position that I could show the Van Stadens Bridge in the background. 

Donkin mosaic

Route 67 around the Donkin Reserve in Port Elizabeth has brought a new angle and attraction to urban tourism in the city.  The numbers 67 relate to the 67 years that Nelson Mandela spent in public and the whole project consists of 67 art pieces.  Most of these are public art pieces centred around the Donkin Reserve in the hearty of the city and forms an important part of urban renewal in the city.  One of the art pieces is a 470 square meter mosaic next to the Donkin Pyramid which celebrates the city and province's many cumtures, heritages, diverse histories and abundant fauna and flora.

Antelope skull

A game drive through a reserve with predators are all about watching live game but more often than not one would encounter the remains of not so live game.  During our sundowner stop on a game drive at Kuzuko Lodge I found this lone skull out in the open very interesting.  Probably a kudu skull as there was a kudu horn lying close by, I can only imagine how he came about his end.  Must have been quite a sight out in the open like this.

Riding PE's miniature trains

Ketik ketik... ketik ketik... ketik ketik... The sound of the train's wheels on the tracks.  A sound which so many kids these days have never heard before.  Everybody loves to ride on a train doesn't matter if its a luxurious tourist train, a cross country train, a day trip tourist train, a commuter train or, in the case of this post, little miniature trains.  

On the first Sunday of the month Port Elizabeth parents gather their kids, pack picnic baskets and head down to Fernglen to ride the city's little trains.  The Port Elizabeth Model Locomotive Society was established in 1963 and offers young and old the opportunity to experience the golden age of train travel, even if its only a couple of loops around the park.  The route includes a dinkum tunnel and crosses over the Great Grass River Bridge before the engines steam back into the station.

There are both diesels and steam locomotives although most adults prefer to wait for the latter.  Kids really don't care much about this and will hop onto the first one available.  Rides were R6 a go the last time I was there and at that price people can afford to go again and again and again which means there is about a 10 minute wait to get on when it gets busy.  Not much so the wait is no excuse not to go.  Actually, if you even just remotely like trains this is something you just can't miss.  And believe me, once people get on those trains, everybody becomes a kid again.