Sunrise @ Shark Rock Pier

Beautiful Sunday morning sunrise!  Taken at 6h33

Shark Rock Pier, Port Elizabeth

Progress @ Something Good Roadhouse

Photo's taken on 17 March 2013


Renovations at Something Good, also known as Bird Rock Road House many years ago, is progressing well.  The new roof looks great!


According to an article in the PE Express, the building will be divided into four separate outlets.

The proposal is to create a roadhouse and take-away restaurant to largely cater for the general public who already use this part of the beachfront.

This part I like... "It will operate on a similar basis to the original Something Good Roadhouse where customers will be served in their car or at the sit-down counter."  Yay!!

There will also be an Ice Cream Parlour (an ‘old school’ ice cream shop) operating on a similar basis to the Roadhouse.

The Sports Gear Rentals Shop will offer bicycles for hire, as well as a range of beach equipment, including kayaks, umbrellas, beach chairs, etc.

An artist’s impression of the inside of the new Something Good roadhouse, which will consist of a restaurant, ice cream parlour and sports gear rental shop

Bringing you more updates soon!


Source : Read article - PE Express

Work underway @ Something Good

Photos taken:  1 March 2013

Work is already underway at the old Something Good Roadhouse - the roof is almost done!

Side view of Something Good Roadhouse

Beachfront view of Something Good Roadhouse

In a view months time, this place will be buzzing!  Can't wait :-)

Sardinia Bay Parking Area

Carpark as seen from the top of the dunes

The entrance to the carpark at Sardinia Bay, seems to get smaller and narrower every time we visit. We go there on a weekly basis and one can literally "see" the sand dunes moving.  I guess they will have to make a new entrance soon to accommodate the visitors who come here.

Sand dunes between the beach and the carpark.... what awaits you on the other side is totally worth the climb :-)  There is also a boardwalk leading to the beach, but of course it is a longer walk.

For seafood lovers

We had lunch at the Ocean Fresh Deli today.  The yellowtale, served with rice/salad or chips was really tasty and we had all smiles service!

They are situated at the Lower Valley Road entrance to the Harbor (through the gate, sharp left).  They serve all types of seafood, take aways or sit down.  What I like about the setup here, is that you can take your own wine/beer or other drinks, and they provide the glasses and ice, how awesome is that!

We were entertained by a red-winged starling couple while we waited for our food.  A few grey headed seagulls were waiting a bit further away for  snippets... but unfortunately for them, the food was so awesome, there was nothing left on the plate when we were done haha!

You can call them ahead of time to place your order if you dont want to wait.  So you arrive, sit and eat almost immediately - or pick up your take away to enjoy at the beach :-)  On weekends they have a jumping castle and/or trampline for the kids.

They are open Monday to Thursday 8h30 - 17h00, Friday 8h30 - 18h00 and from 8h30 to 15h00 on a Saturday and Sunday.  They alos have platters available - must be ordered 24hrs before collection.

You can call them on 041 582 1106

(business hours and contact numbers were correct at the time of publishing)

Shark Rock Pier

Shark Rock Pier as seen from the far end of Hobie Beach, walking towards Pollock Beach.

This was a windy day with a few veld fires going on in the Schoenmakerskop area, hence the smokey background.

Jester cruising the Bay

The Jester :  Taken from Shark Rock Pier

New in Port Elizabeth!  Jester Cruises started operating in December 2012 and were a daily sight along the beachfront over the festive season.

Jester is a catamaran, 25m long and 7.3m wide and is made up of 3 decks. There is a fully licensed bar on each of the upper decks.  There are also braai facilities for more casual entertaining.

Jester Cruises operate from the Port Elizabeth Harbour. They offer Bay Cruises, Braai Cruises and Weddings to mention a few. The route for their Bay cruises, is from the Harbour along the beachfront past the Shark Rock Pier and back.

Looking forward to do the Sunset Cruise soon and will give feedback then! Tickets for the bay cruises are sold on Jester and no pre-booking is required.  The duration of the cruise is approximately and hour and a half.

Kids under 16 pay less and toddlers under 3 cruise free.

For other cruises and private functions, visit their website for more information.
Jester Cruises Port Elizabeth or call them on 041 582 1615

For more up to date information, find them on Facebook

Source: Jester Cruises Port Elizabeth

Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium

Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium as seen from Neil Boss Street

Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is a 48,459-seater stadium in Port Elizabeth. The stadium hosted 8 games during the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament and will also host 8 games during the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations tournament.

Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was built overlooking the North End Lake, at the heart of the city. The stadium has also been used as a concert venue. Neil Diamond performed at the stadium on April 8, 2011. The concert was part of his four date, first time to South Africa tour.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela_Bay_Stadium (Read more...)

Seaview Road is open

The Seaview Road, which was completely submerged in water due to the heavy rains in August 2012, is open again for traffic.

Photos taken on 4 November 2012

 The last two years the Seaview road has been closed frequently. Cacadu district road engineer Marius Keyser said: "There is a natural lake which forms there when there is heavy rain. There is no simple solution to solving the problem. The only option would be to level the road but it would be very costly – costing around R5-million. It is not viable at the moment because there is an alternative road,” Keyser said.

Van Stadens Bridge

The N2 concrete arch bridge over the Van Stadens River

The Van Stadens Bridge is a concrete arch bridge over the Van Stadens River in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. It carries road traffic for the N2 national highway.

The Van Stadens Bridge has a reputation as the Bridge of Death. Today, 27th of December 2012 @19h30, the bridge claimed its 87th victim, a 35year old man, since it opened on November 11, 1971. Family asked for his name to be withheld. The number of lives lost for 2012 stands at 5. Since it’s completion it has earned itself the reputation for being one of the world’s most frequented suicide spots.


Bridge details:

Height 140 metres (460 ft)

Longest span 198.10 metres (649.9 ft)

It was the longest concrete arch bridge in South Africa and the sixth longest in the world at that time.

The N2 concrete arch bridge over the Van Stadens River in the background with the old R102 Van Stadens Pass bridge in the foreground.  

The river was named after a pioneer farmer, Marthinus van Staden, and the gorge was a major road obstacle for many years.  A road was built in 1867 but was repeatedly destroyed by floods and the descent was hazardous.  In 1971, the modern bridge was built.

If you are feeling depressed or are considering suicide, contact Lifeline in Port Elizabeth on 041-3738666 or on their national number 0861322322.

Something Good Roadhouse

Date taken:  15 December 2012

The Something Good Roadhouse in Summerstrand brings back many childhood memories. Apparently it close its doors in 2008 and I was sad to see it in this state on my return to Port Elizabeth.

Today I read in the newspaper about the "Making Something Bad Good" project plans and I was delighted! There will be an upgrade and redevelopment of the iconic Something Good roadhouse building at a cost of R3m!

According to The Herald, "the roadhouse was a pivotal part of the beachfront experience for locals and tourists for decades, but degenerated into a rundown and graffiti-covered eyesore before it was shut down in 2008.  Nelson Mandela Bay-based Shimda, which recently concluded a five-year lease agreement with the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, said it would be investing R3.17-million in the project, which was expected to take between four and six months to complete.

Now that is good news!  Isn't it!
Will watch the progress of the project and post updates.

Source: http://www.peherald.com/news/article/10988

ROUTE 67 on 12-12-12

12 December 2012  (12-12-12)

Today we did a guided walk of Route 67 in Port Elizabeth Central. It is so named to commemorate the 67 years that Nelson Mandela contributed to South African politics and the struggle to abolish apartheid.

The walk started off at the The old Hill Lighthouse (commissioned in 1861), also known as the Donkin Lighthouse on the Donkin Reserve.  We followed the route along Western Road, across Govan Mbeki, past the city hall and Vuyisile Mini Square and the Main library, past the old Harbour Board building to the Campenile Tower and then back up the steps to the Donkin.

The tallest flagpole in Africa towers over the park, and at the top, the largest South African flag in the world.

When complete, Route 67 will comprise of 67 different pieces of art that represent each year of Madiba's contribution to public life and each piece will represent a specific period during these 67 years eg certain quotes, media articles and historic events that helped shape SA into what it has become today will be on
display.





Donkin Reserve, Pyramid and Lighthouse

Position:
Latitude : -33° 57' 43.92" S
Longitude : 25° 37' 13.94" E

Situated on the corner of Donkin & Belmont Terrace, Port Elizabeth (Central)

Email: donkin@nmbt.co.za

The new Boardwalk Hotel

New 5-star Boardwalk hotel (click for bigger view)

This is the new 5-star Boardwalk hotel, as seen from Kingsbeach, Port Elizabeth. The Hotel and Convention Centre, owned by Sun International, is scheduled to open its doors December 14th, 2012.

Prior to the official commencement of construction on the new 5-star Boardwalk hotel, over seventy trees had to be uprooted and moved to make way for construction work.  The trees have been successfully transplanted in a temporary location, and  will  be  replanted  on  The  Boardwalk  premises  once  construction  is completed.

One of the new attractions at The Boardwalk Casino and Entertainment World is a Las Vegas style multi-million rand musical lake extravaganza, featuring dancing fountains that will dominate the lake-side of the complex. 

These fountains are designed to shoot the water up to 60 meters high, entertaining visitors with day and evening shows.

Wow! Can't wait to see that!

The Fountain Spectacular at the Silverstar Casino, situated in Muldersdrift, Gauteng," is the BIGGEST water show ever built in Africa and THIRD BIGGEST IN THE WORLD." 

Silverstar Casino Fountain Spectacular: Read more here  

Is that about to change?  Will have to wait and see...

Source: wikivillage.co.za

Cape Recife Lighthouse

Date visited: 2 December 2012
(click photo for a bigger view)

I was pleasantly suprised to see the Lighthouse, freshly painted, and it's immediate surroundings at low tide on Sunday.   I have seen so many photo's and heard of it's beauty before, so I had go and find out for myself!  With all the rocks and reef exposed by the low tide, we could take long walks and view the Lighthouse from a "different" angle.

You will find the 161 years old (2012) Lighthouse in the Cape Recife Nature Reserve, located off Marine Drive in Schoenmakerskop.

The 24 meter high octagonal shaped tower striped in broad black and white bands, was commissioned on 1 April 1851 (April's Fool Day!)  Lots of information about this lighthouse are available on the web, but just in short:-

• The Cape Recife Lighthouse is built on a rock foundation, known as D’Urban, and it situated on a headland in the midst of a large expanse of sandy beach.
• It warns mariners of a large spine of rocks, known as Thunderbolt reef. Thunderbolt Reef is the graveyard of numerous ships, the last being the Kapodistrias on 29th July 1985.
• The initial range of the light was 12 miles, however with the development of technology it is now 29 sea miles. 
• The warning system is equipped with a fog signal, radio beacon, a red light (28º) and a flashing white light (332º) that shines every 30 seconds at a focal plane height of 28 meters above the high water mark. The current sighting range is 29 nautical miles with a light power of 4 000 000 Candelas.
• It'sPosition: 34 01 43.97 South, 25 42 03.90 East

More information @ www.lighthouses.co.za

Good to know:
Entrance permits (annual or weekly) are available from Pine Lodge Resort located at entrance to Cape Recife Nature Reserve. Entrance only with permit!
There is visible security in the reserve during daylight hours. Picnicking is allowed and also dogs but they must be on a lease at all times.
www.pinelodge.co.za
Tel: +27 41 583-4004

Contact information and links to websites were correct at the time of blogging.