A couple of weeks ago we walked to the Lower Van Stadens Dam and got a side view of the narrow-gauge bridge over the gorge from the northern side. The Van Stadens rail bridge is the second highest railway bridge in South Africa and the highest narrow-gauge bridge in the world. Construction on the bridge … Continue reading Van Stadens Narrow Gauge Bridge
Van Standen's Groge with the arch bridge crossing it The Van Staden's River west of Port Elizabeth is the boundary of the Nelson Mandela Bay metro and a major landmark in the area. Most people cross the gorge on the N2 in a couple of seconds using the arch bridge while others take their time … Continue reading The Van Staden’s River gorge road bridges
It's a weird feeling standing under the Van Stadens bridge. It's not an angle many see it from and you get a much better idea of the size and magnitude of the bridge when you are underneath it. Then add the "kadoef kadoef" as the cars and trucks pass overhead. Definitely a weird feeling. It's … Continue reading Under Van Stadens bridge
Last Saturday we went for a walk at the Van Stadens Wildflower Reserve and followed the River Walk up to the point where you walk under the Van Stadens Bridge. It truly is a sight from below, but I think I'll keep that photo for a second post. The bridge was completed on 12 October … Continue reading The Van Stadens Bridge
One of my favorite views around Nelson Mandela Bay. The view of the Van Stadens Bridge from the picnic spot lookout in the Van Stadens Wildflower Reserve
The Van Stadens River is about 35km west of Port Elizabeth and you can either go over or through it to get to the other side. The river and original pass was named after one of the area’s pioneer farmers, Marthinus van Staden, who was the first person to plot a basic route through the Van … Continue reading The Van Stadens Bridges
My normal route through the Karoo Heartland of the Eastern Cape when heading up north is over Cradock and Steynsburg towards Venterstad and then a short left to the Gariep Dam before hitting the N1 for Bloemfontein. Before my last trip to Johannesburg I had a closer look at the Geocaching map to see if … Continue reading The (second) longest bridge in South Africa
Road tripping means discovering new places, often places you will never see otherwise. This was once again the case when I had to drive to Bedford for a meeting and decided to take the scenic route via Grahamstown. About halfway between the two towns I passed over the mighty Fish River and pulled over to have … Continue reading Carlisle Bridge and the Fish River
I have a special connection with the Tsitsikamma forest. It is where I go to plug in my soul for a bit of a recharge. It doesn't even have to be an extended recharge. Just a couple of minutes sitting in the forest next to a stream taking in the forest with all my senses is … Continue reading Exploring the old Storms River Pass
Driving along the N2 through the Tsitsikamma you have to pass over the Storms River Bridge with most visitors stopping at the Petroport for a view of the bridge from the view site or into the gorge from the bridge itself. To get to the walkway on the southern side of the bridge you have to first go under … Continue reading Under the Storms River Bridge
Firefly the Travel Guy 