EP Indoor Cricket trials

Drama Princess started playing Indoor Cricket at the Hunters Retreat Indoor Cricket Arena about two months ago and over the last two Sundays played in the EP junior trials.  The SA junior champs take place right here in Port Elizabeth in April next year with teams being selected to represent the province in the u10, u12, u14, u16 and u18 age groups.  For the junior teams there are no girls teams and the girls have to compete to get into the boys teams.  The advantage that the girls have though is that they are allowed to play in an age group team two years younger than they are which meant that Drama Princess was playing in the under 10 age group in the trials. 

Although we really hoped and believed she would make the team, we didn't really want to put our hearts on it just in case she didn't so huge was our surprise when her name was called second when the EP Elephants A team was announced.  WOW, we are really proud of her.  Now to save up for the entrance fees and kit that needs to be bought.

CON.ECT geek convention

This weekend the 3rd annual CON.ECT geek convention took place at the NMMU Indoor Sports Centre.  The expo covers everything geeky from books, games and figurines to craft, technology displays and movie memorabilia.  Except for the stalls on display there were various activities taking place over both days with both table top games (board and card games) and video gaming (PC, console and LAN play) being played.  The highlight of the weekend was definitely the cosplay.  Cosplay is a contraction of the words costume play and is a performance art in which participants called cos-players wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character from movies, games, comics or any other pop culture.  Cos-players often interact to create a subculture and a broader use of the term "cosplay" applies to any costumed role-playing in venues apart from the stage.

Although there were a lot of cos-players representing a wide variety of pop culture characters, Chaos Boy's two favorites were Deathpool...

...and Freddy Kruger from Nightmare on Elm Street.

A Kragga Kamma photo safari with Chasing the Rainbow

I'm still working my way through Chasing the Rainbow's videos featuring Port Elizabeth and the surrounding areas as I find them excellent material for my Video Friday posts and at the same time (hopefully) getting more of my followers to follow them as well.  Today's video features Kragga Kamma Game Park and shows how awesome an attraction it is to 1: take kids; 2: take photos and 3: take kids and encourage them to take photos.

Snake interaction at Animals in Wonderland

Over the last couple of days I have done a few posts about the PE Geocaching community's visit to Animals in Wonderland.  The main reason for our visit was an event celebrating World Snake Day and that was also the reason Animals in Wonderland was selected as the venue for the event.  Juan and Jeru has an extensive collection of snakes and other reptiles which they use as part of their educational visits (both at their premises or yours) and parties.  We were a fairly biggish group but with enough snakes to go around, we all - or most of us as some hid in the back - got the opportunity to handle at least one of their slithering pets. 

Wallace the pig dog

We have a couple of Daxies at home who think they are people and I have a friend who has a African Grey who barks like a dog and then says "I'm not a dog".  But have you ever seen a warthog who thinks he's a dog?  Spending an afternoon at Animals in Wonderland I met Wallace the warthog... I mean Wallace the dog... No wait, Wallace the pig dog... Wallace.   

Wallace is an orphan warthog who came to Animals in Wonderland as a tiny little piglet and was hand-raised to give him a shot in life.  Now Wallace runs around with the resident dogs, sleeps on a mat in front of the bed and sits when he's told so.  He also like to have his belly rubbed like his doggy siblings. But who doesn't? 

Wild seas at Bird Rock

On my way to work this morning I noticed how the waves were washing over the Port Elizabeth harbour wall.  I decided to take a drive down the beachfront before going to the office and stood pulled over on Lovers' Lane across from Bird Rock.  The waves were washing right over it.  The sea she is an angry.

Just for those who are unsure which rock Bird Rock is, it's the one in the background of this photo with the birds sitting on it.

Interesting tit bits at Animals in Wonderland

Part of the experience at Animals in Wonderland is a room full of interesting tit bits where both kids and adults can discover new and fascinating things.  Among them there is a tank with a platanna frog and one with mudskippers.  Yes, mudskippers.  Those fish that walk  (or more like hop or skip - hence the name) out onto land.  I could not believe my eyes when two of them hopped out the water and onto the adjacent mud inside their tank. In the photo the Damselfly and Mrs Blaster are discussing how much the platanna frog grosses them out.

Animals in Wonderland

Last weekend I got to visit Animals in Wonderland for the first time during a Geocaching event we had there to celebrate World Snake Day.  Animals in Wonderland is an environmental education facility located out in Greenbushes.  They're not a rescue and rehabilitation facility but rather take in animals and birds that cannot be released again although they have and will continue to rehabilitate and release any animals that can be done so.  Animals in Wonderland caters mostly for school groups and kids parties, but also offer tours on request, but this must be booked in advance.  Not just is there a range of raptors and other birds, but also a few different mammals and reptiles. And snakes. Lots of snakes.  You'll also meet Wallace the Warthog who thinks he's a dog but I'll post about him in a day or so.

The facility has three Spotted Eagle Owls.  One of them, Mia, was hand reared and forms part of the education program.  The highlight of the Damselfly's visit was having Mia sit on her arm.  

Geocaching at Falcon Rock

On Thursday I posted a picture of Falcon Rock where I mentioned that while there I went to look for the Geocache hidden at the rock.  As we were climbing up to the top I gave my camera to Drama Princess to hold and afterwards noticed that she took this picture as I was climbing up.  I know the picture doesn't show much of the area, but it shows how much fin can be had when out Geocaching and discovering Port Elizabeth and it's attractions.

Ziplining in Addo with Chasing the Rainbow

Follow the guys of Chasing the Raibow as they go zipling along the longest duel zipline in Africa. Right here in the Sundays River Valley at Sunland near Addo.

The real Falcon Rock

We stopped by Falcon Rock Country Restaurant for the first time on Saturday and discovered a really nice and affordable spot. Just after we got there I headed off along the trails to go and find a Geocacher and along the way discovered the actual Falcon Rock.  If it wasn't for all the gum trees growing around it the rock would have been quite a prominent feature.  Afterwards I went to have a look at the establishment's website and found a bit of history linked to it.  Falcon Rock is located on the old wagon route west of Port Elizabeth and used as an overnight and watering stop for travelers. The distinctive Lady' Slipper rock formation against the mountain side acted as a beacon for these travelers. This rock was called Falcon Rock because of its perchy lookout spot.

Team building at Falcon Rock

After a morning coffee at Crossroads Country Kitchen we headed to Falcon Rock for lunch (it was all about checking these places out as options for the Damselfly's office Christmas lunch at the end of the year).  There was a youth group busy with team building activities and I enjoyed watching them for a bit trying to do a bag jumping race with groups of about six kids in a bag.  It was so funny and I wasn't the only one who thought so.  Those not in the bags actually cracked themselves... till they had to do it as well.

Veggie garden at Crossroads Country Kitchen

Behind the Crossroads Country Kitchen next to the kiddies play area is a veggie garden.  Not just a veggie patch with a few things growing there but a proper dincum vegetable garden from where they get a lot of the veggies and salad used in the restaurant.  Not just is it a veggie garden, it's also the scratch patch for a couple of residents chickens.  The other thing I really liked was the fact that visitors can take a walk through the garden.  Now I want a garden like this.  If only I wasn't so allergic to gardening. 

Crossways pies

Who doesn't love a pie?  I don't mean those heartburn for hours garage pies but rather a proper "home made" farm stall type pie with real meat.  Like the ones that caught my eye at Crossways Country Kitchen on Saturday.  Beef or Venison. Take your pick.

Mountain biking at Crossways

An activity I would really like to take up if I had the time and the money for a proper bike, is mountain biking.  We have some great mountain bike tracks around Port Elizabeth at places like Norm Hundlin, the Baakens Valley, Hopewell Reserve and then out at Crossways where I stopped by on Saturday morning.  Crossways has various trail options ranging from easy and moderate to hard.  Some of the Crossways trails link up with the Jbay Bike Park on the other side of Thornhill as well as the rest of the Three Rivers Trails in the area.

Early morning at Crossways

We went out to Crossways Country Kitchen for coffee with friends this morning but I probably spent more time walking around outside on a crisp winters morning than inside.  And when it looked like this outside, how couldn't I?

Beachfront fun by Chasing the Rainbow

As I mentioned yesterday, although it's winter, we've had a few gloriously nice summery days which goes great with the fact that it is school holidays at the moment as well.  So in the spirit of nice weather and fun times, today's Video Friday post is one from Chasing Rainbow showing fun activities they got to do on the beachfront with the family.

Isn't it supposed to be winter?

I took a walk down to the Pier over lunch time as it is a beautiful day outside.  Not just a typical beautiful winters day, but a warm one to boot as well.  Plus it is still school holidays so there are lots of people around strolling along the boardwalk, on the pier and even sitting on the beach.  There were even people having a swim.  Pffft, what winter?

North End Lake picnic spot

I found myself in North End today, driving on the road adjacent to the North End Lake.  I haven't been here for a while and stopped for a look around before heading off again.  I realised that where I was standing was an angle you don't see that often.  It's always either looking across the lake to the stadium or looking at the lake from the stadium.  So here is an angle from the side of the lake.

Humble Ways Road

This afternoon I went for a drive up to Humble Ways private nature reserve on Lovemore Heights.  It wasn't that I wanted to go for a walk, I just wanted to drive down the track to the gate through the vegetation tunnel around the track.

Honeymoon suite at Plantation

It feels weird to be married for 15 years and then to say you're staying in the honeymoon suite.  That's what happened to us a little while ago when we spent an evening at the Plantation courtesy of a prize I won at the #ECMeetup bloggers event.  If you think the room looks cool you should have seen the picnic dinner we got.  

Plantation chapel

I won a night at The Plantation at the #ECMeetup recently and a few weeks ago the Damselfly and I made use of my prize (which I still need to post about).  The afternoon after checking in we took a walk around the property and I snapped this pic of the chapel entrance - seeing that they're a wedding venue and all..

Pollok to Hobie

I took this picture looking from the rocks at Pollok Beach back towards Hobie Beach the other day just as the little army chopper came flying past.  Was wondering if I should post the picture when I saw somebody with a similar pic as their masthead pic on Facebook.  At least I'm not the only one who likes the view so here it is for your enjoyment.

Learning to surf in PE with the guys from Chasing the Rainbow

I love the fact that the family from Chasing the Rainbow also do video posts in addition to their general travel blogs and today I feature one of their videos as my Video Friday post again.  With non of them having surfed before they decided to go for a surfing lesson at Oceanside Surf Store at Kings Beach using the Nelson Mandela Bay 5 in 1 Pass.

Aloes along the beachfront boardwalk

Aloes flowering next to the beachfront boardwalk just beyond the lollipop beacon on the corner of Marine Drive and Admiralty Way.

Pollok Beach in reverse

We all know where Pollok Beach is and what it looks like.  We normally look at it from the side of the parking area at Something Good.  Have you ever walked down to the far side and looked back along Pollock Beach?  Ok, so you're not allowed to answer this question if you take part in Parkrun because then you would run along this beach from this side every Saturday anyway.

Splash pool at low tide

Yesterday afternoon I had a workshop to attend at the Summerstand Hotel and on the way realised I was slightly early. I pulled over at the Pollok Beach parking area and took a walk down to the natural tidal pool by the hole in the rock. We spent many Sunday afternoons swimming in this pool when I was small and I just realised again that I should have brought my KidZ here more often when they were smaller. Perhaps when winter is over we'll come and cool down here again and my teens would have a win with their ol' dad. LOL! For now I'll just enjoy the view of the waves crashing through.

Sunrise at Shark Rock Pier

I was early getting to work this morning so I kept going past my normal turnoff and pulled into the parking at Hobie Beach to see if I can snap a nice sunrise picture at the pier...

Aloes in flower

One of the things I love most about winter is the fact that the aloes are in bloom.  Here is Port Elizabeth we are very fortunate that we are surrounded by areas where aloes grow in abundance.  Areas like the Gamtoos Valley, Baviaanskloof, Addo region, the Karoo Heartland and the Grahamstown district.

Up above

Sometimes you've just got to look up every now and then

Vintage Port Elizabeth

For this week's Video Friday post I'm posting a video made up of vintage Port Elizabeth pictures I found on YouTube.  I'm sure it will bring back fond memories for a lot of people while the younger readers of the blog will probably barely be able to recognise some of the places featured.