My Port Elizabeth and Roundabouts (19/5/13)

[Gérrard]

I lived here all my life (OK, went to school in Despatch) and I love this town. I could probably have moved to one of the bigger cities years ago, if I had wanted to make more money, but I was not prepared to give up my serenity and quality of life.

Ride with me and come and enjoy what I hope to be an extended trip through my pretty town, where we live a real laid back life (and ride bike as much as possible).

I often just cruise around for the shear pleasure riding a bike gives me, taking the scenic routes to work and back,… or just riding. I see pretty things and now that I have a camera I take pictures (hoping also in the process to learn how to actually do it)

As usual when I ride there’s not much of a plan with this trip, just random pics as I go along. I hope you enjoy it with me.

PE lies on the Northern side of a peninsula engulfing Mandela Bay and capped by Cape Receife.

The light-house.



Interestingly(provided I remember my high school geography correctly) the same piece of rock that makes up Table Mountain, forms the cape.

Maitlands lies on the Southern side of the peninsula. Occasionally, when I get home from work, my head makes a noise and to clear it I take a ride around and cruise back through the Theesecombe hills. It’s about a 50km round trip and a real pleasure to do.

The view from the Mailand Hill towards Jeffrey’s.



Hobie Beach lies on the bay. I regularly cruise around Marine Drive, which circles the peninsula, and end up here for an ice-cream(there sits SWAMBO, on this occasion, enjoying a ride with me). You also see Sharkrock Pier.



On the same ride along Marine Drive you get to Schoenmakerkop, a little sea side hamlet. There is the Sacremento restaurant where I would get a cup of coffee and go sit by the see to ponder things.

Here though is Lyn again, gracing the picture. View to the South.



In Winter I come and sit here and watch the whales.

That's our ride for the day. Tomorrow I'll take you along the Bakens Valley and to Swartkops.

[Knucklhead]

hey jup, wow what a good idea..well done bud....good for pe

craig

[Gérrard]

hey jup, wow what a good idea..well done bud....good for pe

craig

Lets make it an album. If you have some nice or interesting pics, add them.

[Gérrard]

This afternoon I had to go to Amsterdamhoek, a little village on the Swartkops River, to collect some parts from Bikegear. On the way home I passed the old steel road and rail bridges over the river(Old grahamstown Rd) as well as the old coal powerstation.

[Gérrard]

A more enhanced view 

[Lem]

lyk meer soos die tipe ride report wat jy maar net met die Zen bike moes doen...

maar then again, as jy eers met hom 5de rat haak, bevind jy jouself seker in Oos-London binne 'n paar ure.

Baie mooi dorp daar, Jupiter. Ek was nog nooit daar nie, maar hoop om binne 12 maande daar uit te kom

[Gérrard]

Caleb is my surrogate grandson and the three and a half year old son of my best friend Innis, whom you might remember from our Baviaans excursions to Rietrivier.

Every Saturday morning we go for breakfast at the Wimpy in the Sunridge Mall. There is this beautiful Witstinkhout tree where I sit and have my coffee. You can see Caleb to the right in his Superman suit  

[Gérrard]

lyk meer soos die tipe ride report wat jy maar net met die Zen bike moes doen...

maar then again, as jy eers met hom 5de rat haak, bevind jy jouself seker in Oos-London binne 'n paar ure.

Baie mooi dorp daar, Jupiter. Ek was nog nooit daar nie, maar hoop om binne 12 maande daar uit te kom

Die Zen bike staan en stof opgaar. Ek kan my gat nie van die XT af hou nie. My seun kry een van die dae weer sy learners en het gesę dis sy bike. Ek wil so graag hę hy moet saam my ry en dis die rede hoekom ek die bike van 'for sale' afgehaal het.

[Manic]

Ek was vandag Port Alfred toe 

Nice pics, hou aan gooi Jupie, dit gee my idees waarheen om te ry 

[Ian in Great Brak River]

I spent a year in PE in '87 ... loved the place. Had a girlfriend who was a dolphin trainer and was from Kenton so we would take our dogs and an orphan seal pup there for weekends, all on the back of a bakkie. I also worked at the Spur, a Club Rump was R19.95.

Have very fond memories of PE.

 

[ShaunF]

Thanks for sharing, I love P.E 

[Gérrard]

The Bakens river cuts through PE in an East-West direction and mouths in the old habour. For the most part it flows through a narrow kloof with beautiful scenery, walks and parks. The lower reaches is on my daily scenic route to work. I would often stop here, have a smoke and ponder the day ahead. One needs to have these places.

In the first pic you look down on Setlars Park, a once popular family picnic spot. The second pic is taken to the north with Central on the other side of the valley, where we will vist some more later.

[DJ]

Wow Jupiter!! You are making me very home sick with these great shots of PE, grew up in PE and haven't been back there enough. 

My sister still lives in Kamma Park.  Must definitely plan a trip to visit "Die Baai" soon. 

[Gérrard]

Wow Jupiter!! You are making me very home sick with these great shots of PE, grew up in PE and haven't been back there enough. 

My sister still lives in Kamma Park.  Must definitely plan a trip to visit "Die Baai" soon. 

From Kamma Heights you get one of the best view spots in PE, where on a good day you can see the Hanekam. I'll pay a vist there one of these days.

[Gérrard]

Like many of the older towns PE had its gentleman's clubs which were popular in the day. Unfortunately the culture has not been preserved and many of them had to close down. Such was the fate of the ST Georges club,  which merged with the PE Club in an attempt to save them.

The PE Club has been around since 1866 and must be one of the oldest in the country. It is situated on Bird Street in Central in one of the most beatiful buildings. Unfortunately it also declined and the building fell in to serious disrepair. In stepped one of our more wealthy residents, bought and restored it, and today it is chambers to a group of us who, as a profession, separate fools from their money.  

The Club on Bird still operates and is open to the public. Give me a ring if you're around and we'll have a nic brekkie.

[Gérrard]

For the most part PE is built on a hill which gives you these views wherever you go. We stay for a while in Central, one of the oldest, and what must once have been a beautiful part of town. Unfortunately over the years it has deteriorated somewhat, but is getting cleaned up.

On the Northern side of the Bakens valley, on Belmont Terrace sits Fort Fredrick.



Looking over the harbour from the Terrace



A wider view over the bay



Typically what the streets look like. Very pretty.



And from the other side



A view from the other side looking up the Bakens valley



There are many beautiful old buildings in Cental, one of them is the old Athaeneum Club



Next we’ll go over to Richmond Hill as that’s where I have to meet the Guys for drinks this afternoon and I’ll get some pics along the way.

[Gérrard]

Lets make a quick stop on the Donkin Reserve on our way to Richmond Hill.

One of our grand old hotels… The King Edward



The Donkin Reserve. Keep an eye on that flag pole to the left.



The FLAG POLE. Its humungus and on a good day it flies one of the biggest flags in Africa, if I remember correctly 16m x 8m.( For the sake of rhetoric I might adapt the facts here and there, but its bleddie BIG… one of our claims to fame).



Today was one of those rare windy days, so the flag was unfortunately down.

The Donkin Memorial. Apparenly, a long time ago, there was this guy, Sir Rufane Donkin, who loved his wife a lot. When she died he built her this memorial. But that was not enough… he even went and named our town after her.  



Central has A LOT of churches, all beautiful, but this one for me is the prettiest… The Holy Trinity. This is the best pic I could get. There’s more to it , but with all the growth around you can’t get a cleaner pic.





We move across the more modernized side of Central and find ourselves on Parliament Street. This is a viby part of town where the majority of the population has there jol.



We then cross Russel Rd and find ourselves in Richmond Hill.

[Ian in Great Brak River]

Brings back great memories...

[Gérrard]

Richmond Hill lies next door to Central. Also an old part of town, but restored for the greater part and the place where The Set live and hang out.

It is here that J-dog always winges that we must go for Friday drinks. Stanley street. Its actually quite nice, continental style.



That’s the spot where we will have drinks later. First we browse around a bit.

From the Hill a view to the West over North end. In the distance you can see our stadium. Later I intend taking you there and show you a better view.



Typically what the streets look like. It really has become a pretty part of town



Finally drinks. Today we learned that J-dog really is the nut-case we thought he was not, but that’s another story for another thread.  



That’s it then for today. Off to home to face reality. Hope you enjoyed the trip as much as I did.

[Bosparra]

Lyk na `n great plek...sal eendag daar uitkom