The Prester John Cross – a monument to a mythical King-priest

The story of Prester John is a mysterious one. In some circles he was believed to be a descendant of the Three Wise Men, some believed he was a crusader-era Christian king based in Ethiopia or possibly a high-born Mongol from the time of Genghis Khan. Then there were those who said that he watched over Holy Grail, never … Continue reading The Prester John Cross – a monument to a mythical King-priest →

The Gariep Dam – South Africa’s biggest dam

Returning from Gauteng on a recent road trip I decided to make a little detour via the Gariep Dam and take the Steynsburg and Hofmeyr road through the Karoo to Cradock. I made a lunch and leg stretch stop at the lookout overlooking the Gariep Dam wall. The Gariep Dam was opened in 1071 and initially called … Continue reading The Gariep Dam – South Africa’s biggest dam →

The 2014 Gamtoos Tourism Adventure Drive – undignified fun

On Saturday we headed into the Gamtoos Valley for the annual Gamtoos Tourism Adventure Drive. This year the event took place around the towns of Loerie and Hankey and it was a heck of a lot of fun, to say the least. The Adventure Drive takes the form of a 60km round trip which gets … Continue reading The 2014 Gamtoos Tourism Adventure Drive – undignified fun →

Happy 14th birthday to the Boardwalk

This weekend the Boardwalk complex celebrates it's 14th birthday. The Boardwalk started out as a casino and entertainment complex and now also features a 5 star hotel, international convention centre and a spa. When the Boardwalk was built a fair amount of eyebrows lifted and people gave it 18 months before nobody would go there and the shops would … Continue reading Happy 14th birthday to the Boardwalk →

Stadium view

Last weekend on a Geocaching outing with the KidZ we swung through the Parsons Hill area to pick up a couple of caches and I snapped this photo looking down on North End with the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in the middle and Algoa Bay in the back. Yes I know it's skew but I uploaded straight … Continue reading Stadium view →

Spending a weekend at the 150 year old Ann’s Villa

Its a hot day in the southern Karoo just north of the Zuurberg in the Eastern Cape. Not a breath of air moving. Cicadas are chirping away in the surrounding veld. Its been four days since you left the small port town of Port Elizabeth and after struggling up the rough Zuurberg Pass the previous day … Continue reading Spending a weekend at the 150 year old Ann’s Villa →

Double ziplining in the Addo area – video

Not having a GoPro means that travel videos have never been part of my arsenal as a blogger, but I recently realized that even though the quality may not be perfect, there is no reason not to take videos with my little ol' superzoom digital camera. So I tried it out last week while experiencing … Continue reading Double ziplining in the Addo area – video →

I am an African

Under the Settlers Freeway on the flyover pillars between the Campanile and the bus station there are a series of 10 art pieces that form part of Route 67. The paintings, called "Identities" by Lubhi Mtathi, is a series of colourful and evocative portraits that depict young South Africans from a range of cultural backgrounds. Its … Continue reading I am an African →

Air plant flowers

I think the one thing in my mother's garden that always fascinated me was her air plants. They used to hang in a rubber tree close to the front gate and once a year these grey spikey looking plants that doesn't grow from the ground got the most beautiful pink and blue flowers. When my mom … Continue reading Air plant flowers →

Waterfall reflection

The Tsitsikamma is a world of indigenous forests bordered by mountains and a rugged coastline. One of the most beautiful places there is. At the heart of it lies the Tsitsikamma National Park. The Mouth Trail takes visitors from the park's restaurant area to the Storms River Mouth with its three suspension bridges. Just after … Continue reading Waterfall reflection →