Port Elizabeth: Missing Child in Pari Park

Update:

Firstly thank you for all who helped spread the word about Nikky. She has been found and is safely back at home. I spoke to Nikky’s mother Liz yesturday and is extrememly relieved and also thanked all who helped.

Liz & Jim Carpy’s 17 year old daughter Nikky from 8 Mendelson Ave left home yesterday Sunday 17th for a walk to the park at 16h45 saying she would be obout 10 minutes, Nikky did not return from her walk.She was wearing a turquoise T shirt, turquoise short jersey & navy blue shorts when she left home.

If you or anyone you know has any information at all, please contact me at: 082 782 8856 or mail me. The family has asked that I relay information recieved to them.

P.S. Missing person has been reported to police.

01/19/2010—-02:06:03 PM

Port Elizabeth: Dam Levels Alarmingly Low

The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality is urging all to step their efforts to conserve water. Currently the major caption areas are at a very worrying 45%, and if no major rains fall soon our reserves will be depleted within the next 10 months.

Major Storage Dam Levels suppling Nelson Mandela Bay (as at 11 January 2010):

• Kouga – 44,8%
• Churchill – 25,9%
• Impofu – 52,7%
• Loerie – 40,1%
• Groendal – 48,5%
• Combined Average – 45,3%

Residents can also assist with water consurvation by reporting water leaks to a 24 hour toll free line: 0800 20 5050 or by email : waterleaks[at]mandelametro.gov.za

Even though numerose efforts have been made to make residents aware of the water  shortage, some are still not LISTENING. Here is a note from the Editor of MyPe

Eds Note: Those guys who are still filling their pools up at 1:30 in the morning and watering their gardens will soon find themselves being added to the MyPE Rogues Gallery. Send your images of water miscreant wasters to alan[at]mype.co.za. You can also email your pics to edward[at]pe-blog.co.za.

Port Elizabeth ABYC scars healing slowly

On Monday night 26 October 2009 Mother Nature through her toys out the cot and for lack of better words completely wrecked the marina. The moorings were bent and broken, a total of 5 yachts sank and just about every other boat and yacht suffered some form of damage.

Yesturday 03 December 2009 I was invited down to the Algoa bay Yacht club to have a look at how things have progressed since the windy tantrum. The marina is looking allot better then it did thanks to some good old fashion hard work and planning. The first step was to clear the water of floating debris and establishing which yachts sank and where. Then came the retrieval of broken marine sections and divers sweeping the marine floor, marking equipment and sunken Yachts with buoys.

Twenty three yachts were identified to be taken out of the water, by the ABYC Disaster Management Committee under the guidance of Vice Commodore, Sean Wiseman. Protec made their 100 ton crane and staff available for the lifting of the yachts and Stu Davidson’s Load Bed assisted in taking the Yachts to land provided by the NPA.

The cost to repair the marine… R4.2 million, coupled with yacht owners now also having to contend with repairs, insurance excesses and increased insurance premiums.

The scars of this incident will still take a long time to heal, but, they will heal.

Port Elizabeth – The very last MK1 City Golf…SOLD!

I got an interesting mail from a friend today about the last MK1 VW City Golf that was sold for…wait for it… R300.100.00. Personally I think the oak that baught it is completely “mal”, but at the same time I must admit that if I had the cash I would have baught it to.

The MK1 was and always will be one of the best… In my eys at least. It is sad to see such a great legacy hit the end of it’s road, but as they say, “Life goes on”.

Click on the image to view a large version.

The final Winning bid on the VW MK1 Citi

Miss World 2009 Sport Event – Port Elizabeth

Every now and again something really cool happens in Port Elizabeth. Now being of male genetic form I find this event very cool indeed. The Miss World 2009 Sport Event is taking place today at the Nelson Mandela Bay 2010 Football Stadium.

Sadly the event is closed to the general puplic (shrugs) but the good man from, MyPe is going to cover it via a live blog. Simply visit the MyPe website and watch. You can also log and comment using your facebook or twitter details.

Potjiekos

Potjiekos is an age old South African tradition that started way before I was even a figment of my parents amagination. To be more specific Potjiekos originated with the Voortrekkers, evolving as a stew made of venison and vegetables (if available), cooked in the potjie.

As trekkers hunted wild game, it was added to the pot. The large bones were included to thicken the stew. Each day when the wagons stopped, the pot was placed over a fire to simmer. New bones replaced old and fresh meat replaced meat eaten. Game included venison, poultry such as guinea fowl, wart hog, bushpig, rabbit and hare.

Today there are numerous recipe books and potjiekos chefs, each with their own “secret” ingredients for potjiekos. Several annual potjiekos competitions are held. The pots come verious sizes ranging from something you can only fit an apple into to pots you could probably fit a whole cow into (yes I am exadurating, but truth be told I have seen some pretty big ones). Aside from the traditional heavyweight iron pots aluminium potjiekos pots seem to a growing in popularity very quickly. They are weather resistant and also retain heat very well.

Here are some nice recipes for you to have a look at: Lapa Cooking Recipes.

The Poetry Project

Yesterday 27 October 2009 I attended the 27 Dinner down at the ABYC where we discussed the advantages and disadvantages of social media sites like Facebook, Twitter etc. A really great upside to the 27 Dinners is that you meet some really interesting people and it also serves as a very good social tool to connect with other business owners.

One of the interesting people I met was a young lady that started a very interesting project called “The Poetry Project“. Personally I think it’s great initiative and a very effective way for new and unknown writers and photographers to get their work seen.

Here is a short excerpt from the site:

The Poetry Project is simple in concept. Tucked somewhere in boxes under our beds lie pages and pages of prose unshared with our fellow man; they remain forever hidden away under headings of falsely believed pointlessness. For some reason they don’t matter, simply because it is assumed so. The Poetry Project is asking you to share those pages. We would like to hear your voice and we would like to see through your eyes as you interpret your own words and the words of others from behind the camera. In a nutshell we’re all about forging an understanding and creating a louder voice for poetry by representing and interpreting it through the medium of photography. So far it seems to be working, but for it to continue to work I will need your help.

Port Elizabeth Gale winds

I was down at the ABYC today with Alan and saw how mother nature can show us whose boss.

Yesterday 26 October 2009 the winds clocked a confirmed 164 km/h and caused some major damage down at the yacht club. Almost every boat and yacht in the marina had some form of damage and it was also announced that 3 yachts sank. The moorings were so damaged that yacht owners could not even get to them today by foot.

The damage is estimated at millions and will take some time to repair. Mooring will be allowed alongside spare jetties in the harbour and at Coega Harbour.

For more images on damages caused by this tropical storm Visit this MyPe Gallery.

The Jonas Brothers for Port Elizabeth Petition

Now firstly I have to say that I am personally not a fan of the Jonas Brothers, I’m more into the whole metal and post grunge sceen, but it would be good to see more international music artists do shows in Port Elizabeth. A good friend of mine has a daughter that is a major fan of Jonas and has started a Petition to get the Jonas Brothers to perform in Port Elizabeth.

Sadly only a few people have signed so I have decided to help spread the word. So if you are a Jonas fan and you live in Port Elizabeth head over to Brittany’s site and sign the Petition.

Addo Elephant National Park

General Information

Addo Elephant National Park is located in an area that is free of malaria and just a one hour drive from Port Elizabeth city, which is located along the Garden Route. The Park as a whole is well known for its outstanding diversity – with a major variance of game viewing, adventures in the great outdoors, tourist accommodation and wonderful experiences of culture. A visit to the park gives the discerning visitor a unique insight into the wonderful flora and fauna of South Africa.

The Addo Park was originally set up in 1931 through the efforts of renowned naturalist Sydney Skaife, in response to the urgent need to provide sanctuary for the few remaining elephants in the Eastern Cape area here. Nowadays, there are over 450 elephants in the park, plus a large collection of wonderful native South African animals, from Cape Buffalo, Black Rhino, Antelopes such as the Springbok, and the unique flightless Dung Beetle that is to be found almost solely in the Addo National Park.

In recent years the original Addo Park has been expanded to include the Woody Cape Nature Reserve, which runs from the mouth of the Sundays River to Alexandria and a water reserve, which encompasses St Croix Island and Bird Island. The latter is an important breeding home to gannets and penguins. The planned expansion is part of the planning process to enlarge the present 1,640 km² Addo National Elephant Park into a 3,600 km² Greater Addo Elephant National Park.

This expansion will mean that the park will contain 5 of the 7 main vegetation zones of South Africa. More importantly, the park will probably be the only park in the world to contain the “Big Seven” of animal species: Elephants, Rhinos, Lion, Buffalo, Leopard, Whale and Great White Shark in their natural habitats. The park also has a rich heritage of sites of that are important in the archaeolgy world.

Animals at Addo

In total, the park is home to over 450 Elephants, nearly 50 Black Rhinos, and some wonderful species of Antelopes such as Red Hartebeest, Eland, Buschbuck, Gemsbok, Springbok, Buffalo and Black Wildebeest. Game species include Cape Mountain Sebras, Hyenas, Reedbucks, Baboons, Aardwolf and Red Rock Rabbits.

Very hot days at waterholes are best for viewing the elephants. The early evening is the best time to see Black Rhino. Lions and Hyena are best spotted early morning or early evening.

Pets are not allowed into the park, and you are not allowed to feed the animals.

Accommodation at Addo

It is possible to book accommodation at Park, similar to other National Parks around South Africa. There are two restcamps that are located within the park:

• Addo Main Camp – close to the entrance gate, and offering over 60 units of accommodation to reserve.
• Camp Matyholweni – located near the Eastern Cape town of Colchester, which is located along the N2, approximately under an hour’s drive from Main Camp.

It is also possible to reserve private Game Lodges at Addo National Park:

• The Gorah Elephant Camp located within the park and containing luxurious tent camps.
• Darlington Lake Lodge – positioned in the Darlington Dam area of the park.
• River Bend Lodge – this is locatred in the Nyathi area of the park, with 8 rooms.
• Nguni River Lodge – 8 luxurious suites with great views of the Zuurberg Mountains

There are other accommodation options available in the Great Addo Area, such as Private Game Reserves, B&Bs and Guesthouses.

Activities at the Park

It is possible to organize hiking, horse trails, and arrange organized bird watching at the park. The main game area of the park has nearly 200 bird species. You can also partake in Discovery Trails of the area. If you take the trail between Kabouga and Darlington, you will learn all about the major battles that happened in the area between the British and Boer forces during the Anglo-Boer War in the early 20th Century.

Camp Facilities

You can avail of the following facilities at the main rest camp:

• Fuel refilling station which is open between 7am and 5pm
• Restaurant and Shop
• Picnic area for visitors
• Public telephone and post box facilities
• Post office and banking facilities located at Addo town, which is around 15km from the park.
• Further facilities available at the town of Kirkwood (35km away) and Port Elizabeth (75km from the Park)

Opening and Closing Times of the Park

• The park entrance gate is open from 7am to 7pm and is manned by security from 7pm to 7am.
• Wildlife viewing area opens between 6am to 6pm in the summer and 7am to 5.30 in winter.
• Climate is very hot in summer at Addo National Park and has been known to reach over 40 degrees celsius.
• Winter days are generally mild but can be cold at night with some frost. Annual rainfalls is around 500mm. Rainfall peaks are in March/April and September/October.

• Directions to the National Park

There are 3 ways you can reach Addo from Port Elizabeth:

1. Take the N2 Highway to Grahamstown. Take the left turn that is signposted for the park. Go through Motherwell and this route is around 72km long and takes around an hour.
2. Take the N2 again to Grahamstown and continue forth until the N2 splits off to the left from the N10 road. Take the N10 then to Cookhouse. Then take the R342 to the left and follow the signs to the National Park.
3. Start off on the N2 to Grahamstown; pass by Coega Harbour on the right. Cross the Sunday River Bridge. Take a left at the signpost for “Camp Matyholweni” and follow for around 3km. At Camp Matyholweni follow the southern access road in the Park until you will get to the Main Camp. You will be travelling over a gravel public road, and it is around 40km from Port Elizabeth.

Find out more about the world famous Addo Elephant National Park.