History of St Georges Park

Last weekend I was part of the most informative walking tour of St Georges Park.  Photographer and journalist Ivor Markman has done some tremendous research on the park and it's history over the years and in the process not just collected tons of interesting information, but also some very rare photographs.  Here he is showing off one of the oldest known pictures of the park while standing on the same spot it was taken way back then.

Old railway shed roof

While visiting the Nelson Mandela Bay Science and Technology Centre in Uitenhage the other day I took a walk through the adjacent old railway sheds.  There are future plans to turn them into a shopping centre but at the moment they're standing empty.  The sheds are a photographer's dream though for both urban photographs as well as to photograph models.

Picnic in St Georges Park

Last Sunday I was on a guided walk through St Georges Park learning more about the park's history.  The walk was organised by Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism and led by local photographer, journalist and historian Ivor Markman.  I've always believed that Port Elizabeth's parks and nature reserves are amongst our biggest assets and that locals should make an effort to utilise them more.  It was fantastic to see two groups of people busy with kiddies parties and family picnics in the park and shows that people are starting to realise and appreciate what we have in the city.

Happy end of the week

Its the end of the week and the last Friday in September which means another month has seen its backside.  Its been a rough month work wise and I'm glad it's over and to celebrate it I would love to have been sitting at Bridge Street Brewery on the deck overlooking the Baakens Valley with one of their own Pilsners in my hand.  That is if two things weren't happening. Firstly the wind is howling in the Bay today and secondly I'm not officially off duty yet as I still need take an visiting international journalist out to dinner tonight. Yeah, yeah, its a hard life but somebody has to do it. 

Close encounters of the ellie kind

I always say that Addo is probably the best place in the world to watch wild African elephants in their natural environment and to get fairly up close sightings.  Its not because these elephants are tame, not by a long shot.  Over the years they have just gotten used to vehicles and as long as you don't intrude on their space and they don't feel threatened,  the chances are often good that they would walk right by your vehicle.  I visited Addo twice during SA National Parks week and snapped this shot of them walking past a small bus at Hapoor waterhole.  

Wading flamingo's

I was very fortunate to go on a guided walk along the Flamingo Trail next to the Swartkops Estuary the other day and got some great flamingo sightings along the way.  After posting the view of the flamingo's from the top of the hill I thought I'll follow it up with a picture taken from the side of the river of the flamingo's wading along. 

Fishing on Heritage Day

Today is National Heritage Day, an official public holiday instituted by the government for everybody in this Rainbow Nation to celebrate their own heritage.  This day is also informally known as National Braai Day as a braai (barbecue) is an important part of most cultures in South Africa and thus closely linked to our collective heritages.  And here I am without a braai picture.  To most people fishing is part of their heritage as well so I'm posting a picture of a couple of guys fishing from a skiboat on the Sundays River.

Tiger photography

A visitor to the Seaview Preditor Park getting some close-up shots of one of the park's tiger cubs

The best spot to watch some elephants

Watching elephants doesn't always have to be done from a back of a game viewing vehicle or your own car.  Addo Elephant National Park has a waterhole with a nice viewing area at its main rest camp and often visitors arriving at the park gets to see elephant here before they even drive into the game viewing area.

Flamingo's on the Swartkops River

Walking on the Flamingo Trail a week or so ago we did one of the loops up onto the escarpment next to the Swartkops River and this was one of the views down.  The pink specs are flamingo's on the Swartkops Estuary.