Friday, May 31, 2019

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:

  1. African Security Congress
  2. African Transformation Movement
  3. Afrikan Alliance of Social Democrats (spelled with a K on the Ballot Paper)
  4. African National Congress
  5. Al Jama-ah
  6. Alliance for Transformation for All
  7. Azanian People's Organisation
  8. African People's Convention
  9. Better Residents Association
  10. Black First Land First
  11. Capitalist Party of South Africa
  12. Christian Political Movement
  13. Compatriots of South Africa
  14. Congress of the People
  15. Democratic Alliance
  16. Democratic Liberal Congress
  17. Economic Emancipation Forum
  18. Economic Freedom Fighters
  19. Forum 4 Service Delivery
  20. Free Democrats
  21. Front Nasionaal / Front National
  22. GOOD
  23. Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa
  24. Inkatha Freedom Party
  25. International Revelation Congress
  26. Land Party
  27. Minority Front
  28. National Freedom Party
  29. National Peoples Ambassadors 
  30. National People's Front
  31. Pan African Congress of Azania
  32. Patriotic Alliance
  33. People's Revolutionary Movement
  34. Power of Africans Unity
  35. Socialist Revolutionary Workers Party
  36. South African National Congress of Traditional Authorities
  37. United Democratic Movement
  38. Vryheidsfront Plus
  39. Women Forward
  40. African Christian Democratic Party
  41. African Congress of Democrats
  42. African Content Movement
  43. African Covenant
  44. African Democratic Change
  45. African Independent Congress
  46. African Renaissance Unity

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

  1. African Transformation Movement
  2. African National Congress
  3. Al Jama-ah
  4. Alliance for Transformation for All
  5. Azanian People's Organisation
  6. African People's Convention
  7. Christian Political Movement
  8. Congress of the People
  9. Democratic Alliance
  10. Economic Freedom Fighters
  11. Forum 4 Service Delivery
  12. GOOD
  13. Inkatha Freedom Party
  14. International Revelation Congress
  15. National Freedom Party
  16. Pan Africanist Congress of Azania
  17. People's Revolutionary Movement
  18. Plaaslike Besorgde Inwoners
  19. Socialist Revolutionary Workers Party
  20. United Democratic Movement
  21. Vryheidsfront Plus
  22. African Change Academy
  23. African Christian Democratic Party
  24. African Content Movement
  25. African Covenant
  26. 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.
This is an Obesa Euphorbia.  Protected by law.
The Obesa Nursery.
Entrance to the Town Obesa Nursery.
Not sure it applies to everyone?
A huge variety of succulents in Obesa
This Obesa is run by Johan Bouwer
Plenty to choose from if you are buying







Thursday, May 30, 2019

Sacramento Hiking Trail with Peter Giddy Guided Tours -- May 2019



Sacramento Hiking Trail with Peter Giddy Guided Tours -- May 2019

 The well known Sacramento Trail at Schoenmakerskop
The familiar Canon salvaged from the wreck of the Sacramento.

On Holiday in Port Elizabeth? -- To be part of this or other hikes in Port Elizabeth -- Contact Peter as below. 

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

Thursday 30th May 2019
Today I walk with the SAARP Group.  This group has two distances for the walk -- A short or a long walk... The long walk is about 2 to 2.5 hours and it is this that I choose today.
About 20 of us set out from the Canon at Schoenmakerskop.  On a Thursday we start walking at 9am.  Karen is our group leader this morning and she sets off at a good pace which, in the end, means that some of the back markers are not able to keep up and they meet up with the Short Walkers.

Karen chooses the Lower pathway -- this is a first for me as we normally return on the pathway that is close to the beach. We get to the half way mark well within an hour. Here I meet up with some of the walkers: Fedorer;  Alta;  Jenny;  Helmut; Etienne; Shelia; and Karen our leader.
I hear that Alan is no longer walking with the group.  He used to be a Hike Leader.

Our return is up the slippery boardwalk and then back along the top pathway through the dunes and with views which I am not used to.  We normally would walk in a Westerly direction on the top pathway so now I have views from the West looking East.

 We finish the walk in 2 hours and while some of the group continue on for a Braai; I head straight home. 

 The walk is in a Westerly direction from the Canon on the lower pathway.
 We pass the Sacramento information area.
 The walk had started off quite chilly with a cold Easterly -- But soon we are sheltered against the wind and the sun and exercise warms us up.
                                         
Gladiolus on the pathway.

We stop for a short break at the place where the old Lifeguard House used to be.
 After the break we climb the boardwalk to the top of the dunes
 Down hill and then undulating all the way back to the start
 Helmut strides ahead.
 There were 15 hikers on this section.
 A lovely blue flower on Ground Cover type of plant
Coastal Daisies.
 Final Regroup before tackling the last bit of the walk.











Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Hiking the Van Stadens Flower Reserve with Peter Giddy Guided Tours. May 2019




Hiking the Van Stadens Flower Reserve with Peter Giddy Guided Tours.  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


The Wednesday Walkers is a group of people who love the outdoors and who enjoy the company of others in walking / hiking a variety of trails around Port Elizabeth.
Wednesday 29.5.2019 -- I start the morning with a 6k run with the MPRG walkers.  There are no slow runners so I kind of jog with the walking group.  And then I meet up with Andrea who is doing Ironman Durban this weekend.  She is doing her last short run before tackling this major event which is a first for her.

At 8.30 I am at Van Stadens Flower Reserve and meet the group there for an 8km hike through this reserve.  It is a beautiful sunny morning and a perfect day for this.  There is not much to say about this morning except that I feel incredibly blessed to be able to have done all three activities with these wonderful people.


This sign welcomes visitors to the reserve.
At this time of year the Aloes are at their best.
Walking the contour path in the valley is a real treat -- Cycads have recovered after the fires of two years ago.
Cape Gorse.  A 2m high bush with yellow flowers on the River Trail Pathway.
The path is clear but one still has a sense of being in the outdoors.


Peter and Danny are just ahead of me.
This is the group walking today:  Peter; Danny;  Maria;  Rob; Val;  Lucy; Magriet and Ina;  Dave;  Judy;  Paul;  Flo and Dennis.
Regular regrouping means we are never split on the walk.
Lobelia.  A grass or Restio with purple flowers
 
Lobelia on the River Walking trail
King Protea in bloom
The King Protea bush.
We stop for a short break before continuing on the second half.  Some of the group will split and walk back to the start while 8 of us will complete the second half.
The break is normally a time to relax with a bite to eat.
We continue towards the van Staden River bridge.
This is the bridge spanning the van Stadens River gorge.  There is an old road R102 which winds its way down to the river below.  The bridge is part of the N2 which is the road that connects Cape Town to Port Elizabeth.
Under the bridge we scramble to reach the pathway on the west side.
A kind of Aloe.


The second half of the walk takes us through a section of indigenous forest and with plenty of hills and narrow pathways that can be quite slippery as they do not have much sunshine.
This group reached the top and now have a short flat walk back to the start.  Taking the pic is Flo;  Maria; Danny; Val; Judy;  Paul; Rob and myself in my demure yellow T Shirt.
The group has a braai after the walk.  Most have a beer and a delicious selection of meats and salads.
Dave and Ralf stayed back to make the fire.  Dave is very generous and shares his Sosaties and salads with me.
We feel like we are being treated to a fine meal with the selection of salads -- Dave also shares his Milk Tart with the group.


Cape Gorse.  A yellow flowers bush on the walk.














Monday, May 6, 2019

FLOWERS OF NAMAQUALAND TOUR -- AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER 2020


FLOWERS OF NAMAQUALAND TOUR -- AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER 2020

Peter Giddy Guided Tours

0825503174 (Whatsup)

peter.giddy@gmail.com

Contact me before 31st December 2019. Make a booking for the 2020 tour and pay the 2019 price.  



 Flowering Noorsveld
2018 Touring group had a special time exploring and discovering the most amazing sights. 


Departing 18th and 25th August 2020
Departing 1st and 8th September 2020

This is a seven day tour of Adventure;  Discovery;  Breathtaking sights; Historical and interesting places; And to top it all we will be explore the very best Flowers of Namaqualand 

7 days of exploring the West Coast and Namaqualand Areas. 
We visit Flower Reserves such as 

  • Niewoudville Botanical Gardens
  • Niewoudville Wildflower Reserve
  • Namaqualand Wildflower Reserve
  • West Coast Flower Reserve and Postberg flower Reserve. 
  • Goegab Nature Reserve
  • Ramskop Wildflower Reserve. 


We visit little known places such as 

  • Loxton where the road sign distances reflect Miles
  • Kokerboomwoud at Gannabos
  • Garies where we will visit the Letterklip
  • Nababeeb disused mine sight and museum. 
  • Clanwilliam and the unforgettable Pakhuis pass
  • Walk the Rock Art trail to see the Bushmen Paintings. 
  • Attend the Evita Bezuidenhout show in Darling. 
  • Maatjiesfontein where we may see the Shosholoza Express; Rovos Rail and the Blue Train. 

You end the tour with a sense of having discovered parts of your country that few people know exist.  You will be richer for the experiences you have enjoyed over the past 7 days. 

Contact Peter to find out more and to make a booking for August and September 2020

peter.giddy@gmail.com  or phone me 082 550 3174