Van Stadens Narrow Gauge Railway Bridge

 

Geocaching is about so much more than using multi billion dollar spy satellite technology to find hidden Tupperware.  Its also about exploration, going to and discovering places you may not otherwise have gone to.  One of these is the highest narrow gauge railway bridge in the world spanning the Van Stadens Gorge outside Port Elizabeth.  Years ago when the Apple Express was still running it used to stop before the bridge and passengers could walk across and get a photograph of the train crossing with smoke billowing and steam blowing.  This time around I walked in from the closest road to find two containers placed on each side of the bridge.

 

This narrow gauge line from Port Elizabeth was authorised in 1899 and construction commenced in 1902, reaching the town of Avontuur in the Langkloof late in 1906. The line was built to connect the scenic Langkloof with its fruit growing industry to the port of Port Elizabeth. The official opening of the line was in 1907, with a main line track length of 284km (177 miles) from Port Elizabeth to Avontuur.  The 30km branch line from Gamtoos Junction to Patensie was completed in 1914 to serve this citrus producing area.  The establishment of the deciduous fruit industry in the Langkloof, and the use of the Narrow Gauge to transport fruit to the cooling sheds in the Port Elizabeth harbour for export, led to the popular name for the narrow gauge, namely the Apple Express.  It was also the name of the little tourist train that we so badly would like to have back running again.  

The Van Staden’s rail bridge is the second highest railway bridge in South Africa, and the highest narrow gauge bridge in the world.  Construction on the bridge was completed in 1905 with it being 156m long, 77m high and containing 1 112 cubic metres of concrete and 574 tons of steel.  I peeked through a gap down to the bottom of the gorge and snapped this last picture. Hectic to think what it must have been like building this.

Farmland island

I spotted this scene from the Sir Percy Fitzpatrick Lookout near Sunland between Addo and Kirkwood.  While taking in the magnificent view I spotted a green patch in the middle of a couple of ploughed fields.  On closer inspection I noticed that there was a farm worker's house and a couple of trees on it.  Very peculiar to find a green island like this in the middle of a ploughed field.

Kloof Nek cannons

Over the years the Cape has been occupied by different countries and there was always a threat of an invasion because of the Cape's strategic location.  Because of this a big number of defensive positions have been set up all around the Cape Peninsula from the time that the first European's colonised the area.  One of these can be seen at the top of Kloof Nek.  Two 12 Pounder Guns were placed on Kloof Nek in 1782 by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) to defend the settlement near the Castle from attack by a force which could land on the beach at Camps Bay.  The cannons would have been able to control the wagon track which led from Camps Bay to the Castle via Kloof Nek.

Food and wine paring presented by Shefetswe

So they say that wine is the "Nectar of the Gods".  Personally I prefer fruit juice or a Crème Soda, but I'm not totally anti wine.  I just never learned to drink it and even though I won't touch a red I wouldn't say no to a nice sweet Rose or late harvest.  Even in saying all that I really enjoy wine tastings - see, trying to teach myself to appreciate wine as one probably should.  A week or two ago I received a call from my very good friend Geoff Applewhite, also known in the Geocache and cooking world as Shefetswe.  Geoff manages the popular Gardenview Guesthouse in Port Elizabeth and along with well known radio personality and foodie Charl Leslie - Charl's Cooking - they host a monthly food and wine paring event at the guesthouse.  The first event featured bubbly from the House of JC le Roux while the second one involved Durbanville Hills wine.  This time around it was the turn of Paul Cluver Estate from the Elgin region in the Western Cape.

50 odd guests rocked up on the night in anticipation of good food, great wine and exceptional company.  Nobody left disappointed.  Charl's cooking has never let anybody down and once again his pairings were spot on.  The wine flowed and even though I struggled to get the red, down the people around me had their glasses filled not just a second but also a third time.  Company was excellent.  Geoff's witty remarks and the informal way he hosts and interacts with his guests is exactly what a function like this needs.  Everybody sits along long tables and your partner is across from you so you could have two strangers flanking you which helps to get to know everybody around you.  Have I mentioned the food and wine?  Yes I did, but its worth mentioning again.  The first wine we received on arrival, the second with the soup starter (my favorite dish of the evening), the third with tangy chicken and salad including litchi and winter melon (my second favorite dish of the evening), a palate cleanser, the next wine along with the main meal and a noble late harvest along with the very yummy dessert (with my diet I shouldn't have but I just couldn't help myself) followed by coffee.  A most remarkable evening and great to see the PE folk supporting such events.  Keep an eye on the Charl's Cooking Facebook page and make sure you don't miss the next one if you are in town.  

East London coastline

I haven't spent much time in East London. Always in and out without much opportunity to explore.  My last visit was no different but I made sure I had a couple of minutes to swing by the Esplanade and snapped this picture of the beach as the afternoon shadows started to stretch out to sea.  

 

Karel Landman Monument - the globe off the beaten track

Very few people driving along the R72 coastal route between Port Elizabeth and East London have ever seen or even know of the Karel Landman monument about halfway between Nanaga and Alexandria.  The only indication that there is a monument up the dirt road is a road sign at the turnoff.  A couple of kilometers up the dirt road one stands in awe though of the magnitude of this monument in the shape of a globe.  Its huge... and kinda in the middle of nowhere. 

 

At about the centenary of the Great Trek, the idea was initiated for a local monument to commemorate the centenary of the trek from the Eastern Cape by the Voortrekker party under leadership of Karel Landman.  Landman farmed in this area until 1837 and took a party of about 180 trekkers and their servants on a trek of 885 kilometres into Natal. He became prominent in several battles with the Zulus and was the second in command of the Boer forces at the pivotal battle of Blood River

 

Well known Afrikaans architect Gerard Moerdijk was approached for the design which was approved in May of 1939, although the granite plinth had been inaugurated on 16 December 1938 already.  The concrete and terrazzo monument was manufactured by the Lupini Brothers in Johannesburg at a cost of £470 (R940 back then).  The monument was unveiled later in the year on 16 December 1939 by WA Landman, a descendent of Karel Landman.

Dawn Jorgensen's favorite travel companion: Africa

Fellow travel blogger Dawn Jorgensen of The Incidental Tourist, entered this video into Southern Destinations' #SafariSoulmates competition and was selected as one of the finalists.  While all the other entrants chose to showcase their loved ones or best friends as the perfect travel companion, Dawn decided that it was Africa herself.  Really gooseflesh stuff making one want to travel.

 

Her dust under my feet, cool dark waters, endless landscapes, oceans, game and incredible people. Wherever I find myself, whatever I'm doing. Be it on the back of a bike in a capital city, hot air ballooning over Hartebeespoort, Gorilla Trekking in Uganda, Whale Watching off Gansbaai, Cheetah Trekking in the Eastern Cape, singing with children or getting soaked at Victoria Falls. It's my love affair with all things Africa that shines through. Africa is my Safari Soulmate.
- Dawn Jorgensen

The more you experience Africa 

the more you realize

the best companion isn't a person...

It's Africa itself