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.

North End view from Parsons Hill

I stopped in Parsons Hill to do a Geocache last week and ended up spending time enjoying the view across North End towards Algoa Bay.  

Yes, I always have my camera with me so I can share the view with you.

Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium time lapse

Last week I posted Duncan Noakes' Sunrise at Shark Rock Pier time lapse after discovering his breathtaking time lapse videos on YouTube.  I decided to run through all of them in the regular Video Friday posts.  This week's one shows the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in lights as the day turns to night.

Stadium view from the beach

You know how it can happen that you see something every day without registering that you've actually seen it.  A good example is a fading sign outside a building.  You don't always realise its faded until somebody points it out to you and you have a proper look.  Well, I think the view of the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium from the beachfront is one of those.  How many people actually notice the stadium beyond the harbour when they are walking along the beachfront walkway? Next time you do, stop for a second and have a look.  I bet you didn't quite remember that its visible from there. 

Empty Stadium

A little while ago I got to go on an Instawalk around the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium and was looking for something a little different than just a straight forward stadium photo.  Just holding the camera at an angle did the trick for me.  What do you think?

The Nelson Mandela Bay Sevens

This weekend is a huge sporting weekend in Port Elizabeth.  The Nelson Mandela Bay Sevens is taking place at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.  The NMB 7's is part of the International Sevens World Series and the only leg taking place in Africa.  I took the KidZ for day 1 yesterday and we had an awesome time.  The weather was superb.  The turnout was good (better than last year). The vibe was great and people were having a ball.  Today is day 2 and at the time of posting this the BlitzBokke has already qualified for the semi-finals against Australia after beating England.  Go Bokke!

After this year's event the contract to host the event is up for grabs again and I'm really hoping with all my heart that it will come back to Port Elizabeth.  It really has become one of the city's flagship events and sending it to Cape Town will make it just another event hosted in the Mother City.  PE really benefits a lot more from it with exposure, the economic spin-offs and just giving great entertainment to top notch sports hungry fans.

Singing the South African National Anthem at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium

The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is getting the reputation of being one of the best stadiums in the country when it comes to singing the South African National Anthem before a rugby test match.  In 2011 before the All Blacks test we (and I say we as in Port Elizabethans) knocked over the proverbial cricket middle stump with a rendition of the anthem that is still talked about and followed it up with another cracker during the England test in 2012.  This week's Friday video goes back to that England test on 23 June 2012 with Coleske leading the way and the Springboks and their supporters carrying it through.  I specially like the fact that the broadcasters used some footage of the Great Flag on the Donkin Reserve as part of the anthem's broadcast.

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 from my phone so I didn't get a chance to edit the photo.  Just tilt your head slightly and it will be fine. *wink and smile*  

The Kings playing at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium

The Damselfly has no interest in rugby and in a lesser degree neither has Chaos Boy.  Drama Princess on the other hand just loves it and would go to the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium for every Kings game if she could.  After missing the last few while out of town, Friday night's Kings vs Bulls game came around and I had to take her to make up for missing the others.

Stadium view

I was in the North End area a week or so ago with a visitor who has never seen the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium before and drove around the North End lake to show them the view.  Just in case you haven't seen this view, here it is.  If you have seen it, just a reminder of how beautiful the stadium and view of it is.

The Scots are in town

The Scots are in town for Saturday's rugby Test match against the Springboks.  As the week goes on the atmosphere in town will build up more and more until kickoff on Saturday afternoon at 5pm.

Go Bokke!

Sell out crowd

The Southern Kings are back in town after their four match New Zealand and Australia Super Rugby away leg and on Saturday (20 April) evening takes on the three time champions Bulls in front of a sell out Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.  The picture was taken at their second home game against the Sharks which was also in front a sell out crowd. 

Stadium view

With the completion of the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in 2009 it immediately became one of Port Elizabeth's most recognisable landmarks.  This is the view of the stadium and North End Lake from the Mount Croix area.

Night time stadium

Today is a historic day in Port Elizabeth.  The Southern Kings are making their (very controversial)Super Rugby debut against the Western Force in the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium tonight.  A capacity crowd is expected and let's hope the boys don't disappoint in front of their home supporters.

Stadium pest control

Did you know that the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth  is the only poison free stadium in the world?  From the outset the stadium has worked hand in hand with the Urban Raptor Project to fight the potential problems of feral pigeons, crows, rats and insects in a natural way.  Trained falcons have been brought in from time to time to chase and hunt the pigeons that try to move into the stadium.  A while ago I attended a rugby tournament at the stadium when one of my friends pointed out the raptor nest box on top of the stadium roof.  The boxes were put up to attract rock kestrels with the hope that they would move in and also keep the potential pigeon and rodent problems under control.  

Looking up at the box I noticed a kestrel come out of it and fly off, later circling above the stadium just to return to the box. What an awesome and innovative way to fight pests without poison.  I read on the Stadium's website that they also had plans to introduce a pair of captive bred Spotted Eagle owls into the gardens around the stadium.  I'm not sure if that has happened but I really commend them for the fantastic initiative.

Night time in the stadium

Attending The Wine Show at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium I had the opportunity to peek inside the stadium at the field without the flood lights being on.  Calm before the Springboks take on England in a rugby test on 23 June.

Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium

I have seen stunning photos of the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium with some of the best interior ones being taken from the top tow of seats right in the very corner.  So late last year during the IRB 7's I decided to venture up into the nose bleed section and get my own photo.  Mmmmm.... Quite clearly the stunning pics I've seen were taken with a SLR with wide angle lens.  Both of which I don't have.  So for now I have to be happy with the pic I got. Maybe one day...

Celebrations

Celebrations as the All Blacks receive the trophee as winners of the South African leg of the IRB 7's World Series in Port Elizabeth.

Another reason to celebrate is the fact that today is Port Elizabeth Daily Photo's 1500th post and thus my 1000th post since taking over the blog from Max and Sue.  This comes shortly after I recently did post number 1000 on The Firefly Photo Files as well.  Thank you to all the loyal followers of PEDP for your regular visits as well as to those who only get an opportunity to pop in every now and then and please know that I always appreciate the comments, e-mails and requests I receive.  It's these that make the blog worth doing every day.

Running out for the final

The Blitzbokke (South Africa) and the All Blacks (New Zealand) takes the field for the start of the final of the South African leg of the IRB 7's World Series in Port Elizabeth.  The crowd went mad every time the Boks touched the ball and I think most people were on their feet for just about the whole game.  Unfortunately for us the All Blacks got the ball seconds before the end of the game and went over for the winning try.

IRB 7's action

On Friday and Saturday (9 and 10 December 2011) the South African leg of the IRB 7's World Series took place at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium for the first time.  Getting the 7's to the city was a big scoop and the action on and off the field didn't disappoint.  The event truly lived up to it's billing as "Rugby's Biggest Party".  Below are a couple of snaps I took from both next to the field as well as the media tribune at the top of the stadium.  In the main picture the Blitzbokke (South Africa in green) is playing France in the quarter finals.  New Zealand eventually beat South Africa in the last couple of seconds of the final.