The Hill

The area of Central just about the Port Elizabeth CBD used to be called The Hill in the early day. It was because the area is situated at the top of quite a steep hill and it was a struggle to get horse carts, ox wagons and even the tram up the steep bit to … Continue reading The Hill →

Donkin Reserve

Today we are back home after our "trip" covering all the towns surrounding Port Elizabeth. So just to start off on the home front again, I am featuring one of Port Elizabeth's iconic landmarks. The Donkin Reserve. On the Donkin Reserve visitors will find the Donkin Lighthouse as well as the Donkin Memorial Pyramid. The … Continue reading Donkin Reserve →

Donkin Reserve view

The view from the Donkin Reserve looking towards the Port Elizabeth harbour. The building in the left bottom is the Opera House. There are three towers visible. From left to right they are the City Hall, the Old Post Office and St Augustine's Catholic Cathedral. The building with the little pointy bits along its edge … Continue reading Donkin Reserve view →

Donkin Lighthouse view

The view towards the Edward Hotel (left) and Grey Institute (right) from the top of the Donkin Lighthouse.

Donkin Reserve tree aloe

This picture was taken facing away from the Donkin Pyramid and lighthouse towards Donkin Street. The church in the background is The Hill Prespetarian Church with the Donkin Street Houses from the middle to the right of the picture. The tree in the foreground is a Tree Aloe (Aloe barberiae), which is normally found in … Continue reading Donkin Reserve tree aloe →

Looking down from the top of the cliff

This is White's Road, from the edge of the cliffs in Donkin Reserve, just before sunrise. The jungle -like gardens along the side of the road give it a wonderful mysterious quality (warning to potential tourists... do not do this without your can of pepper spray handy!)

sunrise? what sunrise?

This is especially for those of you in chilly Northern Climes who have been accusing us of rubbing salt in the wound with all our sunny beach pix! Taken at 5am yesterday. When we do the last shift of neighbourhood watch patrol, we like to end it by checking out the sunrise, so we went … Continue reading sunrise? what sunrise? →

rusty relics

Last week I went with a bunch of artist friends to the old Apple Express Depot which overlooks the harbour and "tank farm" along the beachfront. We had a ball rumaging around the steam train graveyard, and I could probably bore you into a coma for WEEKS with the pix I took of rusty old … Continue reading rusty relics →

Then and now….

Our friend Gaston from France sent this photo of his son at the Donkin Reserve in 1960. I don't know what the occasion was but it looks interesting, can you just hear the skirling of the pipes?and now, somewhat quieter recently, as the sun rose behind the monument.........

Church on the Hill

The Hill Presbytarian Church, as seen from the Donkin Reserve, is one of the iconic symbols of Port Elizabeth. It features in many pictures of the city that have been taken from below the hill or from the sea, from the 19th century to current times.