Enthralled by the waves

This is one of my favourite photos taken of my kids. It is of my son standing on the rocks in the Tsitsikamma National Park totally enthralled by the waves hitting the rocks. I wanted him to pose like that and struggled to get him to stand just the way I wanted to. I think after a while he got bored with me and started concentrating on the waves. Just what I wanted.

Garden Route

The area between Port Elizabeth and Cape Town is known as the Garden Route. The specific area stretches from Mossel Bay to the Tsitsikamma, but PE and CT are seen as the two gateways to the area. The reason it is called the Garden Route is not because of fancy manicured gardens but because the area truely is nature's garden. The area consist of beautiful coastlines, mountains, forests, lakes and popular holiday towns. The Garden Route is seen as one of South Africa's main tourist routes and destinations.
The Tsitsikamma is probably one of the most beautiful areas in the whole of South Africa. Most of the area is covered in indigenous forests wedged between the Indian Ocean and the Tsitsikamma mountains. The main attraction of the area is the Tsitsikamma National Park.


Plettenberg Bay is seen as a millionares' playground and is a very upmarket town on one of the most beautifull bays on our coastline. The town is flanked on the one side by the Keurbooms lagoon and on the other side by Robberg peninsula. One of the main landmarks of Plett is the Beacon Isle Hotel.

Twice voted South Africa's favourite town, Knysna is the most popular town on the Garden Route. Wedged between the lagoon and the forests, Knysna has a big population of artists and hence loads of galleries, studios and curio shops. The Knysna lagoon is the main feature of the town and one of the most popular activites to do is to take a ferry ride from the Knysna Waterfront to the Knysna Heads.
Wilderness is a quiet spot situated on a long stretch of beach. I have always said that if my boat had to come in, I would like to retire on the hillside overlooking Wilderness. The town is a good central spot to use as a base to explore the area.

Mossel Bay is the last town you get as you go west before hitting the farming areas of the Overberg. It was voted South Africa's favourite Town in the last competition is has just about any activity possible in a 100 kilometre radius. You can do everything from Shark cage diving to quad biking on a game reserve in the area. One of the main attractions of the town is the Dias Museum complex pictured above. Amongst others it houses a lifesize replica of the boat Bartholomew Diaz sailed around the Cape with in 1488.

Croak, croak

This little guy was sitting in a shallow pool in the Tsitsikamma National Park. All the streams are coloured brown because of the tannin in the water so I nearly missed him if it wasn't for a splash.

Sweet nectar

Greater Double Collared Sunbird on an aloe taken in the Tsitsikamma National Park

Dune Vygie

A vygie succulent growing between the sandstone on the Maitlands Dunes

PE Monuments 2

Today I want to continue showing off some of better known monuments and historic buildings in Port Elizabeth.

Situated on Market Square in the historic heart of the city is the Port Elizabeth City Hall. Completed in the 1862 and with the clock tower added on in 1883, the building burned down in 1977 and was restored to its former glory shortly after. The tower sticking out behind belongs to the Old Post Office, opened in 1900, while the cross in the front is a replica of the cross planted by Bartholomeu Dias in 1488.

Probably one of the best known monuments in the city, the Horse Memorial was erected in 1905 in rememberance of the horses and mules that died during the Anglo Boer War (1899 - 1902). Port Elizabeth was the main port of entry for the British forces and the thousands of horses that were used by the British during the war.


The Prince Alfred's Guard Memorial is a monument to the memorary of men from the guard that died during four different wars around South Africa. It is situated in St Georges Park and is actually a large ornament on top of a water reservoir.

The Cenotaph in front of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Gallery (previously known as the King George VI Art Gallery) was put up to commemorate those men from Port Elizabeth that died during the First World War. The men who fell during the Second World War was also later added to the list.

PE Monuments 1

Port Elizabeth is a city with a rich historical and cultural background. It has many monuments going back to the colonial days as well as some more recent ones. Todays I want to show of a couple of our better known monuments.


Fort Frederick is the oldest building in the city. It was built by the British in 1799 to defend the Bay from French invasion and still overlooks the Port Elizabeth harbour.


The Pyramid or Donkin Memorial is situated on the Donkin Reserve and was commissioned by Sir Rufane Donkin in the memory of his wife Lady Elizabeth Donkin after whom he also named the town. The Lighthouse was built in 1861.

The Main Public Library was constructed in 1901. The interesting fact of the building was that the stone facade was constructed in England and shipped down to Port Elizabeth in numbered crates. The statue of Queen Victoria was erected in 1903.

The Campanile was built in 1921 on the landing beach where the 1820 British Settlers landed. It has 203 steps to the top and a collection of 23 bells.

The salmon coloured building is the Feather Market Centre and was built in the 1880's. Today it is one of PE's premier conference centres and exhibit venues. It also has a great concert hall with a pipe organ. The cross is the only monument in the world dedicated to the the mythical king-priest Prester John. It is a relatively new monument and was only erected in 1986.