PETER GIDDY.: Peter Giddy Guided Tours May 2019 -- Shore Excursions -- Addo Elephant and other Wildlife Reserves -- Garden Route.

May 2019

Peter Giddy Guided Tours -- Shore Excursions -- Addo Elephant and other Wildlife Reserves -- Garden Route.

0027 (0) 82 55 03 714 Whatsup

peter.giddy@gmail.com

Addo Elephant Park
Kragga Kamma Wildlife Reserve
Daniel Cheetah Project
Pumba; Shamwari; Amakhala; Kariega -- Day trips Private Reserves.
City and Cultural Tours
Hikes and Walks around Port Elizabeth (2 hour Nature and Coastal walks)
Garden Route Adventure Tours (Zip Lines; Segway in the Forest; Adventure Quad Biking; Bridge Walks; Bungy Jump; Walking with Elephants; Monkey Land and Birds of Eden; Big Cats Sanctuary; Oudtshoorn Cango Caves and Ostrich farms)
Shore Excursions from Passengers ships
Airport; Hotel and Wildlife Reserve transfers.
Volkswagen Factory visits.
Golfing in Port Elizabeth -- where everything is supplied.
Flowers of Namaqualand. Seven days of adventure and exploring places and sights you never even knew existed. History and natural beauty of the South West of South Africa

Website -- petergiddyguidedtours.wordpress.com

For tours and bookings.. email me at. peter.giddy@gmail.com

Contact me on Whatsup.... +27 (0) 825503174

Wednesday 1st May. Workers Day. No difference for me though. I am still hobbling with a sore left knee.
Thursday and Friday. Trying to catch up with admin and Facebook Advertising for the Flower tours. Jessica returns to SA from three months in Israel and Cathy returns to NZ after a month in SA.

Friday evening. A group gathered together to meet a returning Jessica who has been with Jacqui and her family in Israel for the past three months. A huge "growing up" lesson for Jessica. Flying on her own and being away from home. Here is Ian; Barbara; Daniel; Joshua; Lene; Ria and Lene's sister with her child ___________

An emotional Jessica arrives home in Port Elizabeth.
Barbara and I make a final decision and confirm our flights to Israel for the end of the year. We will be spending Christmas and New Year in Israel with Jacqui and her family.

Barbara and I walk the Grassroof Parkrun. This is a big step for me as I have been completely out of it for a week. Hardly able to walk I am now at least able to walk relatively pain free for the first time. After the walk, Barbara and I stay for breakfast. Both of us have poached eggs which turn out to be so cold that it seems like they came out of a fridge.

Sardinia Bay parkrun results for event #108. Your time was 01:07:05.

Congratulations on completing your 64th parkrun and your 8th at Sardinia Bay parkrun today. You finished in 408th place and were the 220th male out of a field of 413 parkrunners and you came 9th in your age category VM65-69. Your PB at Sardinia Bay parkrun remains 00:32:32. Congratulations on your fastest time this year.

Saturday afternoon.... Barbara is working on her painting of a Morrocan Street scene and I am working on trying to reach as many people as possible for the September 2019 Namaqualand Flower Tour.
Sunday... Shopping and breakfast at Greenacres Woolworths. Visiting Delene and Matthew (And Liz) at their new farmhouse off the Draaifontein Road.

Chris shows me a pic of Kate North (Sephton) in the morning newspaper.

Mother and baby Zebra in Addo on Tuesday morning.

Dungbeetles everywhere. While we struggle to find Elephants.

Lunch at Jacks with Innes; Alex who is visiting from Germany. He was here a few years ago. Nico is Italian and Anna is also German.

The best part of a visit to Addo Elephant park is when we are able to get really close to these Giants of Nature.
Tuesday 7th. I have a group of 4 people for Addo. Alex and Innes from Germany. Recently graduated and going on to study for a Masters Degree. Nico is Italian working in France in the Tourism industry with Anna also a German.

The National Ballot Paper has the following 46 options:

African Security Congress
African Transformation Movement
Afrikan Alliance of Social Democrats (spelled with a K on the Ballot Paper)
African National Congress
Al Jama-ah
Alliance for Transformation for All
Azanian People's Organisation
African People's Convention
Better Residents Association
Black First Land First
Capitalist Party of South Africa
Christian Political Movement
Compatriots of South Africa
Congress of the People
Democratic Alliance
Democratic Liberal Congress
Economic Emancipation Forum
Economic Freedom Fighters
Forum 4 Service Delivery
Free Democrats
Front Nasionaal / Front National
GOOD
Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa
Inkatha Freedom Party
International Revelation Congress
Land Party
Minority Front
National Freedom Party
National Peoples Ambassadors
National People's Front
Pan African Congress of Azania
Patriotic Alliance
People's Revolutionary Movement
Power of Africans Unity
Socialist Revolutionary Workers Party
South African National Congress of Traditional Authorities
United Democratic Movement
Vryheidsfront Plus
Women Forward
African Christian Democratic Party
African Congress of Democrats
African Content Movement
African Covenant
African Democratic Change
African Independent Congress
African Renaissance Unity

The Eastern Cape Provincial Electoral Ballot Paper had the following options:

African Transformation Movement
African National Congress
Al Jama-ah
Alliance for Transformation for All
Azanian People's Organisation
African People's Convention
Christian Political Movement
Congress of the People
Democratic Alliance
Economic Freedom Fighters
Forum 4 Service Delivery
GOOD
Inkatha Freedom Party
International Revelation Congress
National Freedom Party
Pan Africanist Congress of Azania
People's Revolutionary Movement
Plaaslike Besorgde Inwoners
Socialist Revolutionary Workers Party
United Democratic Movement
Vryheidsfront Plus
African Change Academy
African Christian Democratic Party
African Content Movement
African Covenant
African Independent Congress

Wednesday 8th is Election day in South Africa. Barbara and I go to vote and are in and out in quick time. I see pics of long lines posted on Facebook. It is a cold raining day but that does not seem to have put people off. There are many pics of marked thumbs posted.

We find two huge male lions at Domkrag Dam lookout. They have a Kudu kill with them.

Sascha and Johanna at Domkrag Dam lookout.
Thursday 9th. Walking Grey x 2 with Mike and Chris. 5km.
Addo with Sascha (Retirement home inspector and Johanna a Nurse) from Leipsig Germany staying at Forest Hall with James Bolton who I recently saw at the end of 2 Oceans 21k. He had run with his daughter Victoria.
Friday 10th. Walking 5k twice around Grey with Megan; Chris; Lindi. The "real" walkers go off for a long walk through to Walmer.

A glorious morning on the Port Elizabeth beach front.
Saturday Morning. Barbara not at her best and decides to skip the walk this morning. Adrienne fetches me and we meet up with Kevin and Viv Mitchell; Liesl and Dorothy who has recently joined us.

Saturday afternoon Rugby at Grey. Vs Queens College from Queenstown. Unfortunately one sided as Grey run riot over Queens. The last two matches Grey scores over 70 points each.

Jessica comes to sit with me. Also John and Di as well as Gary and Joy. Behind us was Kate and Brendan. Also Bruce and ..... Clint, Headly and Jenny, Bob; Tremaine; Paul Wannenberg; Ian Pringle. Just in front of us -- a bit of a Celebrity... Siya Kolisi. An ex Grey boy -- 10 year reunion. Presently captain of the Springbok Rugby team.

This evening we put on a fire and enjoy the evening sunset.

Braai time with Lene; Jessica; Josh and Daniel.

This is a Horn Worm from the Hawk Moth.... Eats your Arum Lillies

This is an old Library Book of Michael. 1994. I have just finished reading it. Lovely stories of the author as well as Oom Schalk Lourens.
Sunday 12th Mothers Day and Josh Birthday. By chance, Barbara and I meet Lene for Breakfast at Walmer Park Shopping center. Later they come for tea and cake. This evening I go to church for the first time in many months.
Monday 13th. Start the day with a walk at 6th Ave. Barbara missed the lift with Gaynor, so when she passed me around Grey I decided to take her place....6km with Carol and Gaynor.
I take the Combi in for Service... A number of issues to be sorted out.
Visit Garth Slatem to arrange for the take over of the Swiss bank Account to Old Mutual.

Tuesday 14th. I visit the NP Swimming Pool to find that there is still a lot of cleaning up to be done. Twice shows me the progress and their plans to be completed before filling the pool again.
Megan and I join a group swimming at the Grey Pool. Liese; Liz and their coach Gershon. We swim for about 45 minutes. It is not easy to gauge the distance as it is just 25m.

Wednesday.... SAARP social... I talk to the members about coming on the Flower Tour. A number of people respond by taking pamphlets.

Livia is from Brazil. She was recommended to me by friends in Brazil.... .. And Jessica. Don is from Washington DC where he heads up the communications Department with something like 30 000 staff members. Lynne decides that she too should be a Tourist Guide at home. Alexander is an accountant in an aeronautics firm in Brazil.

Hapoor is looking great right now with green fields and flowers in blossom.
Thursday.... Addo with Livia and Alexader. Then we meet Don and Lynne at Addo South Gate and they decide to join our group. Our Safari is made special by the number of Elephants; Kudu and Zebra that we see .... close to the car... today.

Tammy's friend; Bernt and Tammy at the parkrun.

It was a warm morning at Grassroof with no breeze in the bushes -- Barbara was quite flushed when she finished. About 10 minutes faster than our last one where I had to stroll.

Sardinia Bay parkrun results for event #110. Barbara; your time was 00:55:43.

Congratulations, Barbara, on completing your 5th parkrun and your 2nd at Sardinia Bay parkrun today. You finished in 319th place and were the 139th female out of a field of 416 parkrunners and you came 6th in your age category VW65-69. Take a look at this week's full set of results on our website. Congratulations on setting a new Personal Best at this event! Congratulations on your fastest time this year.

Sardinia Bay parkrun results for event #110. Your time was 00:34:32.

Congratulations on completing your 65th parkrun and your 9th at Sardinia Bay parkrun today. You finished in 94th place and were the 75th male out of a field of 416 parkrunners and you came 3rd in your age category VM65-69. Take a look at this week's full set of results on our website. Your PB at Sardinia Bay parkrun remains 00:32:32.

Saturday 18th. Start the day with a Grassroof Parkrun and breakfast. Also on the run today is Andrew Porter at 25min ; Ursula Davidson 33min; Tammy and Bernt with Catherine doing the Photography. Catherine is training for Durban Ironman.
.

Our first stop is Coffee in Graaff Reinet

We find the Obesa Nursery which is run by Johan.

We walk around the confusion and mix up of the old part of the Nursery

The Euphorbia and huge -- some over 50 years old

This section of the Nursery seems organised and here you can make choices
Tuesday 21st May 2019
Chris; Gerald and I drive through to Graaff Reinet in Chris' Polo. They want to visit the succulent flower nursery.
We leave at about 4.30am and then to Jansenville and Graaff Reinet. In GR we stop for a coffee before trying to find the Nursery. Obesa is the name of a cactus looking plant.
Johan, a local man who was a practicing lawyer, is the owner of the town based nursery. It seems to be a mess and difficult to walk through. He has been here for nearly 50 years and some of his plants are clearly that old.
He is a self confessed hoarder and has all kinds of stuff and different plants in his nursery. We look around and find some small plants that we decide are worth taking home. Chris in particular is keen to build up his garden of succulent at home.
I buy a stone plant which must be watered on 15th October and then every month until 15th February when it must be left alone. There are two plant in the pot and they can be pollinated by brush.

Obesa Nursery. This is the newer and more organised operation which is run by Anton. Koos shows us around.

We stop at the Noorsveld shop where we buy a sandwich and coffee.
We leave GR and find the second Obesa Nursery which is run by Johan's son -- Anton. Koos shows us around. I purchase a strange looking "upside down" looking succulent pot plant. Chris is particularly interested in the Koker Boom or Quiver plant and will be back when he visits Neu Bethesda later in the year.

Chris points out the Tandtjies Berg. This is part of the Samara private reserve. The top of the mountain looks like gappy teeth. Chris says that on top of the mountain there is a vast plain and it was here that the peace treaty, for the district, was signed between the British Forces and the local Boers in 1901. I cannot find any reference to this.
Nearer to GR is the Spandau Koppie and the Valley of Desolation.

Gerald and Chris with the Dwarfs of the Noorsveld

EP Kings and Springboks guard over the Noorsveld. Die Dwergies hou dop oor die Noorsveld.
On our return we stop in Jansenville for a sandwich and coffee. And 15km on the PE side of Jansenville we find the Dwergies (Dwarves) En hulle hou dop oor die Noorsveld. At this time we also find a few mini samples of the Noors plant and Aloe which we are able to take home.

Barbara is part of a team of ladies who spend an hour with children of the Walmer Primary school teaching them literacy. In the middle is Karen Jack who leads this team. It is her birthday today.

DOFF -- I reverse into a lamp pole.

Barbara and I have the last of the Chicken Soup. It has lasted three days. And inspires me to invite some friends for a Soup Evening.
I am in Hospital emergency due to what I originally thought was my diaphram pushing on my Kidney but turned out to be a lung infection. Agony! But a really good doctor and good nursing at St Georges, I am able to get through the rest of the day.
I take a couple of days off everything and am soon back on my feet.

Susan; Viv; Liesl; Adrienne and Dorothy join me for a very easy morning beach front run.

I stay for the parkrun which I have not done at Hobie beach for a very long time.

I run most of the morning with Erica.
Friday -- First some Dole stuff; then dent my rear bumper. DOFF! Then some University Marking.
Saturday 25th... Start the morning with a 7kay training run firstly with Viv; Liesl; Adrienne and Susan and then Dorothy and I continue for another 3kay to make it 10. I stay at Hobie for the parkrun to end my morning with 15 interrupted kay running. I see Graham Nel; Warren and Lee; Erica who I run most of the way; Peter Duffel Canan who has had a number eye operations which has set him back; Andre and Val; Odette Vosloo; Andrew Dunn an ex Achillean with and many other familiar faces.
Running and keeping fit is such an important part of my life -- I know it will not last forever. But let me enjoy it while I can.

Michael in his last year (25 May 2013). Peter; Joshua; Daniel; Michael; Lene; Jessica; Ally and Barbara. At the Italian Club -- They organised a training run the following morning as a fund raiser. Charlo Runners who were doing Comrades.

Today I sit with Steve Mc Donald, his father in law (Tokkie) and Bob Stedman at Grey watching Daniel Pienaar. They have some really big boys but Grey is simply too strong. Scores for most games are in the 50's and 70's. I see that Kegan Cooke (or maybe Jarred) is a teacher and Coach at Grey. We talk about the word "TRY" and the meaning:
The term try comes from try at goal; signifying that originally, grounding of the ball only gave the opportunity to try to score points, with a kick at goal.

PE Hobie Beach parkrun results for event #287. Your time was 00:36:16.

Congratulations on completing your 66th parkrun and your 51st at PE Hobie Beach parkrun today. You finished in 285th place and were the 195th male out of a field of 660 parkrunners and you came 7th in your age category

Barbara assembled the greenhouse frame on her own

The poles all laid out to be assembled.
Sunday. I buy Barbara a Boom Box to play her music. And I start to download music to my phone so that I can play it in the car. It takes me most of the day but I end up with over 500 songs. Barbara assembles her Hot House for growing vegetables. And the wind picks up in the night. Just as well that she did not put the canvas cover over the frame.
Monday 27th. I am trying to get back into running. So there are none of the slower runners and I join the walkers for a 9km run down Mount Road and then up Dias to Tucker road.
Tuesday ... Some welcome Rain.
Wednesday 29th.... I start the morning with the walkers and do a 6k run with them and then go through to Walmer for a Send Off Run with Andrea. We run around 3k. Andrea is leaving for Durban this weekend for the Half Ironman. This is a really big event for her as she has never done anything quite like this before... And Ross's brother's wife; Kelly is critically ill with Cancer.

Doing the second half of v Stadens Flower Reserve hiking trail are Flo taking the pic; Danny; Maria; Val; Judy; Paul; Rob and myself.
Later this morning I meet up with the Wednesday walkers at van Stadens Flower Reserve. And braai with them after the walk.

Thursday 30th.... Meet Mike and we do about 5k walk. I then meet up with the Thursday SAARP walkers at Schoenmakerskop and we do the Sacramento Trail.

Barbara takes me along with her Rhino Watch at KK. As we get there it is already dark. Barbara's sharp eyes find the animals and we do a bit of Baby Sitting. As we leave we come across this small herd of buffalo. Here is a one of them right next to the car.

Oltania Gjata from Albania; Stuying in Italy for a Phd in Maths. Now in CT doing a research project.

We find a Kudu Kill with a Jackal eating on the carcas

Friday 31st. I take Oltiana (Olta) for an Addo Safari.

Jacqui takes her family to the fun fair

Emily; Jacqui and Anabelle

Cactus in the Obesa Nursery

A kookerboom in flower

Kooker Boom or Quiver Tree.

Noorsveld near to Jansenville. Jansenville is supported by the farming of Angora Goats which is the wool used to make Mohair products. In Jansenville there is a Museum, on Bridge Street, where you can see the Mohair making process. This house was originally owned by Syd Fourie who was mayor of Jansenville for 15 years to 1947 and was also editor of the Jansenville Chronicle for 45 years.
The Noors Plant is part of the Euphorbia family.