St Francis Daily Photo

The sun sets on St Francis DP.

2008-05-12T17:13:00.003+02:00

When we decided to share a bit of the beauty just down the Eastern Cape coast from our hometown, we were travelling there regularly and able to take new pictures. But we are unlikely to find time to go back for a while, and although we still have tons of photos, they are really variations of what we have already shown you. So for now we plan to take a hiatus from this blog. Hopefully anyone who visits here for the first time will enjoy scrolling back over old posts and enjoying the glimpse we have given you of this breathtaking part of the planet!

We do look forward to welcoming you to Port Elizabeth Daily Photo, which we will be continuing to update daily.

travelling

2008-05-11T16:54:00.000+02:00

We recently went to Lesotho ( aptly nicknamed "the Mountain Kingdom") for 9 days, and have been posting photos of the journey on our personal blogs, as we took SOOOOOOOO many! It is such a stunning place, so if you are interested in joining the journey, check out the last few posts.......Arty Fartying Around and the maX files

A rare sight - Oyster catcher

2008-05-11T05:45:00.007+02:00

The African black oystercatcher can often be seen in the Cape St Francis area. This is really special, because sadly these birds are in danger of extinction, as their habitat is increasingly being threatened by man.

There are apparently less than 5 000 birds left in the world and it is the only oystercatcher that breeds in Africa.

Oyster catchers mate for life and may live for 35 years. The name is a misnomer, as the birds eat limpets and mussels and not oysters. They do not breed until they are three years old.

A perfect landing

2008-05-10T05:39:00.000+02:00

A sea gull coming in to land at the Port

Candelabra plant in full bloom

2008-05-09T06:15:00.003+02:00

This fascinating indigenous plant looks like nothing at all for most of the year, then it blooms and puts on a spectacular show.

Winter is on the way....

2008-05-08T09:28:00.001+02:00

But St Francis has such a temperate climate that these chimneys are not for fires to keep the homes warm, but for outdoor braais (barbeques)!!

Hanging out

2008-05-07T09:40:00.003+02:00

A while ago I featured a cormorant, and mentioned that they like to hang their wings out to dry, but as I could not find the picture I wanted to show you, I included a painting I did of it instead. Well going through my archives this morning, I came across it, so here you have it, not the greatest shot (taken on a video camera which has poor quality stills) but at least you can get the idea!

the resort

2008-05-06T20:39:00.002+02:00

Cape St Francis Holiday Resort started out several years ago as a Caravan park, and had a few chalets too. It has grown over the years, and now has many chalets, a conference centre, and its own restaurant, Joe Fish.

fencing

2008-05-05T06:21:00.000+02:00

Poles in the carpark overlooking the Full stop surf spot at Seal Point.

Reflections

2008-05-04T06:13:00.000+02:00

A new development at the port.

windswept waves

2008-05-03T06:07:00.000+02:00

The sea at otters landing can be very beautiful when the waves smash onto the rocky shore.

lookout tower

2008-05-02T06:42:00.002+02:00

One enterprising property owner, who wants to sell his plot, built a tower so the prospective buyers could see the lovely 360 degree views that they would have from a 2nd storey window. The plot overlooks the port.

Monthly Theme Day, Numbers

2008-05-01T06:08:00.000+02:00

Many of the old buildings in South Africa had the date of completion displayed in some way on the building, which is helpful for historians. This is the lighthouse at Seal Point, completed in 1878. Many other City blogs are participating in this month's theme...

lighting up the harbour wall

2008-04-30T06:02:00.000+02:00

These lights are set into the harbour wall at intervals, but they have seen better days, with beads of condensation and rust taking their toll.

are you kidding?

2008-04-29T06:10:00.000+02:00

Right next to the new industrial area in St Francis Bay is the suburb of Sea Vista, which is traditionally a non-white area, and home to many of the labourers who work around the Village. They keep livestock where possible, so you are often treated to unlikely sights such as this, goats wondering along the road past some of the industrial buildings in the area!

drydock

2008-04-28T06:43:00.000+02:00

Because Port St Francis is a relatively small harbour for small vessels, a crane is not necessary to take boats out to drydock. A metal cradle is lowered into the water, and runs on rails to pull the boat out of the water.

Anchor

2008-04-27T06:07:00.000+02:00

I have always liked the traditional shaped anchor with the centre shaft and curved base, but these days the fishing boats all have ones that look like this... they may be more efficient but they are definitely not as pretty!

Dredging

2008-04-26T06:31:00.000+02:00

The entrance to the Port is kept clear by a somewhat primitive looking dredger. You can see the sand being pumped out of the long metal pipe at the front of the boat.

The Kromme River

2008-04-25T06:24:00.001+02:00

Looking upriver, the Kromme forms a floodplain that has wonderful wetland flowers at certain times of the year. As available property gets scarcer in St Francis (which is built on the bank of the Kromme) more people are starting to build along the banks upriver. Given the chequered history of South African rivers when it comes to flooding, these guys are taking quite a chance!

The Airpark

2008-04-24T14:01:00.003+02:00

One of the Prime properties in St Francis is the Airpark. There is a grass runway for light aircraft on the crest of the point leading to Shark Point. The land surrounding the runway was sold off as large plots, with the idea that each owner could fly in to St Francis, and taxi right up to their home. They also have wonderful views of both St Francis Bay, looking back across the coast to Jeffreys Bay, and also across the curve of beach and Seal Point where the lighthouse stands.

It is also on the border of a nature reserve which runs between the two settlements, so there is no fear of someone building in front and blocking their spectacular views.

Hello, who are you?

2008-04-23T09:01:00.001+02:00

Boy meets penguin, at the Ajubatus marine rescue centre.

Look....it's me!

2008-04-22T13:34:00.002+02:00

Don't you just love it when you can see kids making discoveries about the world? The pool at the Port Hotel was like a mirror after sunset, and little Ethan was intruiged by his reflection!

mural

2008-04-21T21:27:00.001+02:00

this seagull has been painted onto a wall on someone's driveway, to greet visitors

Food hygiene

2008-04-20T20:03:00.003+02:00

This sign was spotted on a calamari fishing boat. It is nice to know that someone is concerned about the health of the customers, but it does not say much about the habits of the staff.

St Francis Architecture #4

2008-04-19T20:22:00.002+02:00

In recent years a craze for mock Tuscan has swept through South Africa. All over Johannesburg you will see townhouse complexes in this style. Sadly, (In my opinion anyway, I hate MOCK anything when we have so much potential for South African style and don't need to do tacky fake versions of other styles) it has found its way to St Francis too.

Cape St Francis Wildlife - Sea Gulls

2008-04-18T20:28:00.000+02:00

Sea Gulls are a common site in and around the Port. This one was being very benevolent - allowing me to get quite close for this pictures.

St Francis Architecture #3

2008-04-17T10:08:00.004+02:00

A new trend has emerged in recent years to stick with the thatch, but move away from the traditional rounded sculpted form, and towards a more modern angular look.

St Francis Architecture #2

2008-04-16T09:46:00.003+02:00

In the early days of development in St Francis, this was a very popular style of thatch roof, and is very typical of many houses (and even shops) in the area.

St Francis Architecture 1

2008-04-15T07:32:00.000+02:00

People who live in glass houses.............

.....better remember their dressing gowns when going to make coffee in the morning! This house is on a dune overlooking the main road through Cape St Francis, and you can see right through it from one side to the other. Wonderful for views but lousy for privacy!

viewpoint

2008-04-14T22:32:00.002+02:00

There is a high point with a bench overlooking the beach at Cape St Francis, a stunning place to sit and take in the view.

lighthouse doing its job..........

2008-04-13T21:08:00.002+02:00

We just love spending time on the rocks below the lighthouse, it is beautiful at all times of the day, and in all types of weather.

Santareme

2008-04-12T20:52:00.002+02:00

There is a path that runs along the coast from the Port around St Francis Bay, past Santareme. It is a combination of rocks, sand, wild flowers and waves, with great views across the bay.

??????

2008-04-11T07:00:00.002+02:00

The Port Hotel has been undergoing a bit of a hiatus ever since the hotel management pulled out, and a new plan is currently being made for the running of the hotel. The restaurant on the ground floor was independantly owned, but depended on the hotel for its clients. There are all sorts of moves afoot to restructure, and at the moment it remains a bit of a mystery! Watch this space, we'll let you know how it turns out.

Taking chances!

2008-04-10T11:03:00.001+02:00

Wanting to continue fishing as long as possible, but the spring tide has other plans!

The Holiday Resort

2008-04-09T18:12:00.002+02:00

At Cape St Francis, there is a holiday resort which started out as a caravan park, and then grew over the years, at first these delightful thatched cottages were added, then a conference centre and dining hall, and it now has a whole range of accomodation. (Personally, I find the newer units much less attractive than these original thatched units, which have a lot more character, and are well laid out.)

......and while we are taking bows.....

2008-04-08T06:03:00.002+02:00

...the strong lines of boats contrasted with the soft reflections in the water have always attracted me as a subject.

The Blues take a bow..............

2008-04-07T13:32:00.002+02:00

Ok, ok I know, groan..............very punny!

Boat Charters

2008-04-06T16:32:00.002+02:00

From the Port, you can charter a boat, to go whale watching, fishing, looking for dolphins or, as in our case a short sightseeing trip to the point. St Francis Safaris has a good selection of boats, which are kept pretty busy during the holiday season.

Here is the owner Justin who took us out (he always trails a fishing line, just in case he gets lucky....).

food!

2008-04-05T20:56:00.002+02:00

And here is the reason for all the animal activity shown in the past few posts.... a knot of fish swirling around, fighting over some bits of fish thrown off a fishing boat as it tied up at the jetty. The fish came for the scraps, the cormorant and seal came for the fish, and we came for the photographs!

Cormorant

2008-04-04T06:40:00.004+02:00

Continuing with the assortment of creatures we saw in the clear water on the same day as the moth and the seal, here is a cormorant.

Aside from the ever present seagull, which is to coastal cities what pigeons are to inland ones, (only their droppings are bigger and stink of fish!) the other common bird is the cormorant, who is often seen bobbing on the waves and snaking its sleek neck into the water to grab a fish.

It also has the habit of standing around with its wings out, to dry the feathers. We don't have a digital shot of this, so here is a painting I did based on a photo we took in Knysna several years ago, with 4 cormorants sitting on poles that protruded from the water at different heights, all in a line.

Aerial View of the Canals

2008-04-03T07:17:00.000+02:00

This isn't the greatest photo, it was taken through the window of a Cessna light aircraft a few years ago, when our son was busy getting his pilot's licence, and took me for a flip to St Francis. But I thought it might be interesting to show you the canals in their context. The dark strip that runs diagonally up the picture with a road on either side is the Kromme River. The white area to the top of the picture is a continuation of the dunes of the sand River system, which extends far to the left off the picture.

There has been a lot of development since this was taken, and a whole new section of canal has been made. Sadly it is unlikely I will be going back for more aerial pix anytime soon..... our son now lives on the other end of Africa and just after this photo was taken I lost my breakfast, I suffer from terrible airsickness!

on the same day......

2008-04-02T08:01:00.002+02:00

Yesterday we mentioned that on the day that photo was taken, there were other interesting creatures keeping the moth company in the yacht basin of the Port. The water is usually a murky green but on this particular day, it was clearer, and because the sky was brilliant blue, it was reflecting a wondeful turquoise colour. The resident seal was having a ball gliding about amongst the yachts.

April Theme Day: Water

2008-04-01T06:22:00.007+02:00

Making Waves:
This unfortunate moth landed in the crystal clear water of the Port. (Nearby there were other interesting occupants in the water, a seal was chasing after a whirling school of fish, and seagulls swooped down on them.... we will post some of those pix in due course!)

There will be lots of interesting interpretaions on this month's theme, here are links to help you pay these participants a visit.

Adelaide, Australia by Gordon, Albuquerque (NM), USA by Helen, American Fork (UT), USA by Annie, Anderson (SC), USA by Lessie, Ararat, Australia by Digger, Arradon, France by Alice, Ashton under Lyne, UK by Pennine, Athens, Greece by Debbie, Auckland, New Zealand by Lachezar, Austin (TX), USA by LB, Bandung, Indonesia by Guntur Purwanto, Barton (VT), USA by Andree, Belgrade, Serbia & Montenegro by Paja, Belgrade, Serbia & Montenegro by Bibi, Bellefonte (PA), USA by Barb-n-PA, Bicheno, Australia by Greg, Bogor, Indonesia by Gagah, Boston (MA), USA by Fenix - Bostonscapes, Boston (MA), USA by Sarah, Whit, & Leyre, Boston (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Brighton, UK by Harvey, Brookville (OH), USA by Abraham, Budapest, Hungary by Zannnie and Zsolt, Budapest, Hungary by Isadora, Canterbury, UK by Rose, Cape Town, South Africa by Kerry-Anne, Chandler (AZ), USA by Melindaduff, Chateaubriant, France by Bergson, Cheltenham, UK by Marley, Chicago (IL), USA by b.c., Christchurch, New Zealand by Michelle, Clearwater (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Clearwater Beach (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Cleveland (OH), USA by iBlowfish, Coral Gables (FL), USA by Jnstropic, Cypress (TX), USA by Riniroo, Dallas/Fort Worth (TX), USA by A Wandering Soul, Dunedin (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Durban, South Africa by CrazyCow, East Gwillimbury, Canada by Your EG Tour Guide, Evry, France by Olivier, Glasgow, Scotland by Jackie, Greenville (SC), USA by Denton, Grenoble, France by Bleeding Orange, Guelph, Canada by Pat, Gun Barrel City (TX), USA by Lake Lady, Hamilton, New Zealand by Sakiwi, Hampton (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Haninge, Sweden by Steffe, Helsinki, Finland by Kaa, Hobart, Australia by Greg, Hyde, UK by Old Hyde, Inverness (IL), USA by Neva, Jackson (MS), USA by Halcyon, Jakarta, Indonesia by Santy, Jefferson City (MO), USA by Chinamom2005, Jogjakarta, Indonesia by Jogja Portrait, Joplin (MO), USA by Victoria, Juneau (AK), USA by Gwyn, Katonah (NY), USA by Inkster1, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by Edwin, Kyoto, Japan by Tadamine, Lake Forest Park (WA), USA by Azure, Larchmont (NY), USA by Marie-Noyale, Las Vegas (NV), USA by Mo, Lisbon, Portugal by Sailor Girl, Lisbon, Portugal by Maria João, Lodz, Poland by ritalounge, London, UK by Mo, London, UK by Ham, Mainz, Germany by JB, Maple Ridge, Canada by Susan, Marseille, France by Alex, Mazatlan, Mexico by Kate, Melbourne, Australia by John, Melbourne, Australia by Mblamo, Memphis (TN), USA by SouthernHeart, Menton, France by Jilly, Mexico City, Mexico by Carraol, Mexico City, Mexico by Poly, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Greg, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Mitch, Minsk, Belarus by Olga, Monrovia (CA), USA by Keith, Monte Carlo, Monaco by Jilly, Montego Bay, Jamaica by Ann, Monterrey, Mexico by rafa, Moscow, Russia by Irina, Mumbai, India by Magiceye, Mumbai, India by MumbaiiteAnu, Mumbai, India by Kunalbhatia, Nancy, France by yoshi, Naples (FL), USA by Isabella, Nashville (TN), USA by Chris, Nelson, New Zealand by Meg and Ben, New Orleans (LA), USA by steve buser, New York City (NY), USA by Ming the Merciless, Niamey, Niger by Dinabee, Norfolk (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Norman (OK), USA by Chad & LaCresha, Norwich, UK by Goddess888, Nottingham, UK by Gail's Man, Odense, Denmark by ania odense, Omsk, Russia by Nataly, Orlando (FL), USA by OrlFla, Oslo, Norway by Lothiane, Paderborn, Germany by Soemchen, Paris, France by Eric, Paris, France by Gordio, Pasadena (CA), USA by Can8ianben, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia by Murphy_jay, Pilisvörösvár, Hungary by Elise, Pont-à-Mousson, France by Tintin-j, Port Angeles (WA), USA by Jelvistar, Port Elizabeth, South Africa by Sam, Port Townsend (WA), USA by raf, Port Vila, Vanuatu by Mblamo, Portland (ME), USA by Corey, Portland (OR), USA by NWgal, Portsmouth (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Prague, Czech Republic by Honza03, Quincy (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Riga, Latvia by Prokur, Rotterdam, Netherlands by Ineke, Saarbrücken, Germany by LadyDemeter, Saigon, Vietnam by Simon, Saint Louis (MO), USA by Strangetastes, Saint Paul (MN), USA by Kate, Salem (OR), USA by jill, Salt Lake City (UT), USA by Eric, Salt Lake City (UT), USA by atc, San Diego (CA), USA by Felicia, San Francisco (CA), USA by PFranson, Seattle (WA), USA by Chuck, Seattle (WA), USA by Kim, Seguin (TX), USA by Thien, Selma (AL), USA by RamblingRound, Sequim (WA), USA by Eponabri, Sesimbra, Portugal by Aldeia, Setúbal, Portugal by Maria Elisa, Shanghai, China by Jing, Sharon (CT), USA by Jenny, Singapore, Singapore by Keropok, Sofia, Bulgaria by Antonia, St Francis, South Africa by Sam, Stavanger, Norway by Tanty, Stayton (OR), USA by Celine, Stockholm, Sweden by Stromsjo, Stouffville, Canada by Ken, Subang Jaya, Malaysia by JC, Suffolk (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Sunshine Coast, Australia by bitingmidge, Sydney, Australia by Nathalie, Sydney, Australia by Sally, Székesfehérvár, Hungary by Teomo, Tacloban City, Philippines by agnesdv, Terrell (TX), USA by Bstexas, Terrell (TX), USA by Jim K, The Hague, Netherlands by Lezard, Tokyo, Japan by Tadamine, Toruń, Poland by Torun Observer, Toulouse, France by Julia, Turin, Italy by Livio, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina by Jazzy, Twin Cities (MN), USA by Slinger, Victoria, Canada by Benjamin Madison, Vienna, Austria by G_mirage2, Virginia Beach (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Wailea (HI), USA by Kuanyin, Washington (DC), USA by Rachel, Wassenaar, Netherlands by Rich, Wellington, New Zealand by Jeremyb, West Paris (ME), USA by crittoria, West Sacramento (CA), USA by Barbara, Weston (FL), USA by WestonDailyPhoto, Williamsburg (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Willits (CA), USA by Elaine, Yardley (PA), USA by Mrlynn,

The Ice Tower

2008-03-31T19:32:00.003+02:00

This 4 storey tall structure on the edge of the harbour is an ice making plant, which

provides ice for the chokka fishing boats. When the chokka is caught at sea, it is processed and packaged right there, and the packages stored in refrigerated holds until they return to Port.

Historic Monument

2008-03-30T09:19:00.002+02:00

The lighthouse at Seal Point was built in 1878, and has been declared a National Monument. The brass plaque you see on the gatepost is placed on all buildings with this status.

The honour brings with it responsibilities for those who own or administer a national monument, to maintain and preserve it in its original condition. No alterations may be made without specific permission from the Heritage Board, who will make very sure that any changes do not intefere with the historic nature of the place. (Sadly in many places, like Port Elizabeth, this is being ignored, and wonderful heritage sites are being lost as businesses have no problem paying a paltry fine for demolishing a building on a site that will bring a fat profit from a new development.)

But the good news is that there are many others, like this one, which are lovingly cared for and open to the public, so that an interest in the heritage of our nation can be passed on from generation to generation.

The Port on a quiet day

2008-03-29T16:14:00.000+02:00

It was quiet on Easter morning at Port St Francis with many boats in the harbour for the long weekend. Looking out over St Francis Bay the Cockscomb Mountain is visible in the distance - it dominates the skyline for many miles from all directions.

N.S.R.I.

2008-03-28T12:30:00.003+02:00

The National Sea Rescue Institute is active all along our coastline, and consists mainly of volunteers, who train hard and give up a lot of their free time to rescue people in distress on the sea. They do an amazing job, because they not only have to keep up professional standards as far as sea rescue skills and equipment goes, but have to use a lot of time and energy in raising funds to keep the whole thing going. This is the NSRI station at the Port, and from here the rescue boats are launched to go and help those in difficulties. Hats off to all of you!!!!

Looking through the windows of the boathouse, you can see the rescue craft Spirit of St Francis ready for action, and if you really look carefully, also a reflection of yours truly with camera!

Reflections again

2008-03-27T09:09:00.005+02:00

The full moon was on its way down as the sun was rising across the bay, on Easter monday. There was not a breath of wind, and the rim flow swimming pool at the Port Hotel was like glass , which gave a great opportunity for this shot.......

Shark Point again

2008-03-26T09:13:00.004+02:00

Over Easter we took our 3 year old grandson to St Francis for a night. The little guy was fascinated by all the boats so we chartered a power boat to go down to Shark point.

The top picture shows the warning beacon on the point, erected there after it had claimed a few wrecks, including this one of the yacht Genesis.

And at the end of the point, in the distance you can see the Seal Point Lighthouse peeping over the rocks . Unfortunately the sea was pretty rough so it was not safe to venture round the point into the bay at Cape St Francis.

The Lighthouse tours and Gift shop

2008-03-25T12:26:00.001+02:00

Yesterday we showed you the coffee shop near the lighthouse, where the proceeds go towards Penguin Rehab. Other ways that the enterprising group of people who help preserve our marine life raise funds are through tours of the lighthouse...........

here you see Andelo waiting to sign up the next group... note the two metre thick walls behind him.

....and the gift shop, which has a wide range of penguin and lighthouse related goods on sale. One of the helpers is Marie, who was a good sport about having her photo taken for the blog!

Easter at Ajubatus

2008-03-24T13:57:00.005+02:00

This morning we had breakfast at the Lighthouse. The little restaurant there has been set up to raise funds for the penguin rescue centre next door. Our grandson is enjoying reading the little booklet of laminated photos attached to the salt and pepper holder, with pictures of various seabirds that have been rescued here recently. Next to it is a tin for donations of coins, also to be used for penguin rescue. In the background behind the waitress, the sign on the blackboard reads Happy Easter from all at Ajubatus, and shows a penguin popping out of an egg.

Friendly Mongoose

2008-03-23T20:45:00.004+02:00

Not quite St Francis.... on our way here today we stopped off in nearby Jeffreys Bay, and went to the world famous Supertubes Beach (home of the perfect wave as far as surfers are concerned!)

In the carpark we came across these two friendly ~~mongooses~~..... ~~mongi~~..... ~~mongeese~~... we saw a mongoose, and then we saw another mongoose! They were surprisingly friendly and willing to pose, usually they are shy creatures and you get brief glimpses of them streaking into the bush.

Happy Easter everyone.

2008-03-22T07:32:00.002+02:00

On a quiet day at the Port St Francis marina even the sea gulls chill out and take in the view

Primary Colours

2008-03-21T09:28:00.000+02:00

A cheerful picture to wish you all a very Happy Easter.

Inside the Port Hole

2008-03-20T07:08:00.004+02:00

A while ago we featured the exterior of the Port Hole with its unusual design, and promised to show you inside the restaurant sometime. Well here it is, this view is along the side, looking towards the pub, and through the windows you see all along the extreme right, is a great view looking down on the Harbour and beyond that, the bay. On a clear day you can see beyond Jeffreys Bay.

Inside the restaurant the decor reflects the fact that this is a busy fishing port, and that thay specialise in seafood. The windows on this side overlook Otters Landing and Shark Point, looking south to the open sea.

How's this for wall art?!

2008-03-19T18:49:00.002+02:00

This was another possible contender for this month's theme day.... This is the side wall of the Adjubatus marine rehabilitation centre where we showed you the King Penguin recently. Clever way to draw attention away from a really ugly building, and educate visitors at the same time!

The Village

2008-03-18T09:50:00.003+02:00

For many years St Francis was a holiday resort, with only a handful of permanent residents. If they needed anything, the closest shops were in Humansdorp, 25 km away. Slowly little businesses started to open to meet their needs, a cafe, a hardware, and in the last decade it has suddenly grown into a self sustaining community with many permanent residents, earning a living with businesses which serve the rest of the community.

This is the main shopping centre in the village. It used to stand alone next to the golf course, but is now surrounded by more and more development and everywhere you look, you seem to see more complexes going up. There is now a wide choice of places to eat out, as well as shops catering for most needs, even some galleries and interior design places.

Another view of the Canals

2008-03-17T16:32:00.003+02:00

The other day we told you about the canals. Here is another view. They look so serene in these pix, taken out of season, but at Christmas they are abuzz with boats, canoes, etc and people on the decks of the houses. Although they are very popular and upmarket, I personally find it a bit of a goldfishbowl place, with very little privacy as houses look across the narrow waterways at each other, and boaters gaze in as they go past.

Stone

2008-03-16T20:06:00.001+02:00

A water rounded pebble makes a nest in the sand at Cape St Francis.

"the bay" and Santareme

2008-03-15T08:56:00.001+02:00

In this shot, you can clearly see the boundary between the thatched houses of St Francis Bay (also known as 'the village') and Santareme, which was developed later, and again given a uniform look, in this case red roofed pseudo Spanish houses with sand coloured walls.

The Canals

2008-03-14T20:37:00.002+02:00

50 years ago, Leighton and Ann Hulett flew from their home in Natal to Port Elizabeth in Leighton’s old Tiger Moth and travelled to Cape St Francis in an old ex-army jeep. They fell in love with the area with its magnificent stretch of beach, the sheltered bay with its blue waters, rolling dunes and verdant growth. So they bought it. It was the Leightons whose vision to create a village resulted in the uniform style of thatch houses which make the place so picturesque and distinctive. He also had the vision to establish a system of canals between the beach and the mouth of the Kromme river. These are now bordered by luxurious thatched homes, and are considered prime property.

Tranquil morning

2008-03-13T09:30:00.003+02:00

A tranquil moring at Port St Francis, viewed from the walkway in front of the Port Hotel.

YAY Poachers Arrested

2008-03-12T19:15:00.002+02:00

On our last two visits to the Port, we have been up before sunrise to take photos, and on both occasions saw a bunch of divers leave the harbour in two high powered rubber ducks. On the first occasion, I wasn't sure what it was all about, but because they were behaving suspiciously, I took some photos of them. Sure enough, in the newspaper the following day, there was a report about how the Perlemoen (Abalone) poachers had moved to St Francis and were brazenly plunder our coast of these endangered shellfish.

In Asia they are considered to be aphrodisiacs, and some twisted apologies for human beings feel nothing about bringing a species to extinction for a few moments of personal pleasure, so they pay ludicrous prices for the illegal shellfish. This means that there is enough money in poaching them to make it seem worthwhile to risk being imprisoned.

Again on our last visit we saw them, and this time were sure what we were seeing, so we took photos os they left the port, and also of their cars and trailers in the car park.

I am delighted to say that some of them were arrested yesterday, and the two rubber ducks, trailers and diving gear siezed. We are meeting the Marine Task Force tomorrow to give them copies of our photos. I really hope they throw the book at these selfish and greedy characters and send a message to others that the quick bucks they are making are not worth it!

You can read more on our personal blogs here and here.

private beach

2008-03-11T20:16:00.002+02:00

At the Port, the coastline is rocky, and the Port complex has huge rocks and dolosse as a breakwater. At the junction of these two is a small private beach, for use by those within the Port area. It is a nice place to chill on a hot day.

sunrise and fishing boat

2008-03-10T08:52:00.004+02:00

Since we featured this morning's sunrise in PE today, we thought we might as well start the week off with a sunrise in St Francis too, taken the Saturday before last, from Otters landing.

Shark Point

2008-03-09T10:52:00.001+02:00

When you stroll along the path from the Port, past Otters Landing you will get to Shark Point, which is one of the two promontories off Cape St Francis. The other is Seal Point where the lighthouse is situated. The area around Shark Point has been preserved as a nature reserve, which means that no development can take place there.

Early morning stroll

2008-03-08T08:24:00.000+02:00

Footprints left by the couple who can be seen in the distance, out on an early morning stroll on the Cape St Francis beach. When you get there early enough you can have the whole beach to yourself, well almost - you may have to share it with some sea gulls or oyster catchers.

This is greek to us.............

2008-03-07T14:41:00.000+02:00

Sometimes the sign writers can be very creative. This one was spotted on the way to the canals at St Francis Bay.

Pathway

2008-03-06T07:33:00.005+02:00

The morning sun on the pathway leading from Otters Landing to the Port St Francis complex. This path runs all the way to Shark Point and if you carry on around the pennisular you eventually get to Seal Point at Cape St Francis.

The shrub in the foreground gives off an aromatic in rainy weather and features in the foreground of the earlier sunrise post.

Close up of the flowers.

Resident penguin

2008-03-05T20:20:00.007+02:00

The resident penguin at Port St Francis is anything but cooperative when it comes to being photographed. It was extremely busy on Sunday afternoon, chasing fish and zipping though the water like a high speed submarine. These photos are the result of following this bird around for about an hour.

Sunrise at Otters Landing

2008-03-04T08:31:00.000+02:00

Yesterday we mentioned Otters Landing , between the Port and Shark Point. There is a path that runs through the indigenous bush along the coast, below the houses and above the rocks. It is a wonderful place to be at sunrise, it gives you a grandstand view as the sun comes up over the sea. We were there this weekend, and woke up in time to go for a walk just before the sun popped up. The first thing we saw was a couple of dolphins cruising past, what a brilliant way to start our weekend! Sadly it was still too dark for a fast enough shutter speed. But as usual, there is no shortage of sunrise photos!

Otters Landing

2008-03-03T19:16:00.000+02:00

To the south of the Port, towards Shark Point, is a series of houses perched on the rocks overlooking the bay, with panoramic views of the village and the coast back towards Jeffreys bay. It is called Otters Landing, and all the homes are in a similar style. It is a great place to hike along the rocks to the point, or to fish, or watch the waves, and it is quite common to see Cape Clawless Otters around there at night, and dolphins and whales cruising past during the day.

Seal Point

2008-03-02T09:39:00.003+02:00

Seal Point, Cape St Francis seen from the lookout point, with the lighthouse in the background. The area is characterised by a wide sweaping beach in the bay and a rocky shoreline on the "wild side". The area off the point is a popular surfing spot, but it is not without its hazards, as many an unwary surfer has found out, when connecting with the rock aptly known as "full stop".

March 2008 Theme Day: Graffiti or street mural

2008-03-01T13:22:00.004+02:00

Bruces is a surf shop in the Village, named after a well known surf spot nearby. This used to be their wall, but although they have moved to another shop the mural remains. It was done by Reuel, (pronounced similar to full) who we first met when he was just starting out as a young guy in Jeffreys Bay, airbrushing designs onto surfboards. He has now become a very successful airbrush artist, often doing huge canvasses of nudes in monotones, and also African wildlife.

The mural really is a reflection of the culture here in St Francis, which, being essentially a seaside holiday resort, is all about sea surf and sun.

Many other cities around the world are participating in this theme day, here are links so you can pop in and visit them too.

Adelaide, Australia by Gordon, Albuquerque (NM), USA by Helen, Aliso Viejo (CA), USA by Rodney, American Fork (UT), USA by Annie, Anderson (SC), USA by Lessie, Arradon, France by Alice, Ashton under Lyne, UK by Pennine, Athens, Greece by Debbie, Auckland, New Zealand by Lachezar, Austin (TX), USA by LB, Bandung, Indonesia by Guntur Purwanto, Baziège, France by PaB, Belgrade, Serbia by BgdPic, Bellefonte (PA), USA by Barb-n-PA, Bicheno, Australia by Greg, Boston (MA), USA by Fenix, Boston (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Boston (MA), USA by Sarah, Whit, & Leyre, Brighton, UK by Harvey, Bucaramanga, Colombia by Fernando, Budapest, Hungary by Zannnie and Zsolt, Budapest, Hungary by Isadora, Buenos Aires, Argentina by Karine, Canterbury, UK by Rose, Cape Town, South Africa by Kerry-Anne, Chandler (AZ), USA by Melindaduff, Chateaubriant, France by Bergson, Cheltenham, UK by Marley, Chicago (IL), USA by U R us, Chicago (IL), USA by b.c., Christchurch, New Zealand by Michelle, Clearwater (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Clearwater Beach (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Cleveland (OH), USA by iBlowfish, Cologne, Germany by April11, Coral Gables (FL), USA by Jnstropic, Detroit (MI), USA by Taittems, Dunedin (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Durban, South Africa by CrazyCow, Evry, France by Olivier, Forks (WA), USA by Corinne, Glasgow, Scotland by Jackie, Greenville (SC), USA by Denton, Grenoble, France by Bleeding Orange, Guelph, Canada by Pat, Helsinki, Finland by Kaa, Hobart, Australia by Greg, Hyde, UK by Gerald, Inverness (IL), USA by Neva, Jackson (MS), USA by Halcyon, Jefferson City (MO), USA by Chinamom2005, Joplin (MO), USA by Victoria, Juneau (AK), USA by Gwyn, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by Edwin, Kyoto, Japan by Tadamine, Larchmont (NY), USA by Marie-Noyale, Le Guilvinec, France by ds2944, Lisbon, Portugal by Sailor Girl, Lisbon, Portugal by Jsaltao, Lodz, Poland by ritalounge, London, UK by Ham, London, UK by Mo, Mainz, Germany by JB, Maple Ridge, Canada by Susan, Mazatlan, Mexico by Kate, Melbourne, Australia by Mblamo, Melbourne, Australia by John, Memphis (TN), USA by SouthernHeart, Menton, France by Jilly, Mexico, Mexico by Poly, Mexico City, Mexico by Carraol, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Mitch, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Greg, Monte Carlo, Monaco by Jilly, Montréal, Canada by Douber, Moscow, Russia by Irina, Mumbai, India by Kunalbhatia, Mumbai, India by MumbaiIteanu, Naples (FL), USA by Isabella, Nashville (TN), USA by Chris, Nelson, New Zealand by Meg and Ben, New Orleans (LA), USA by steve buser, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK by Cassie & Chris, Niamey, Niger by Dinabee, Norwich, UK by Goddess888, Nottingham, UK by Gail's Man, Ocean Township (NJ), USA by Josy, Paris, France by Eric, Pasadena (CA), USA by Can8ianben, Pasadena (CA), USA by Petrea, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia by Murphy_jay, Pilisvörösvár, Hungary by Elise, Port Angeles (WA), USA by Jelvistar, Port Elizabeth, South Africa by Sam, Port Vila, Vanuatu by Mblamo, Prague, Czech Republic by Honza03, Quincy (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Radonvilliers, France by Deslilas, Riga, Latvia by Prokur, Rome, Italy by Giovanni, Rotterdam, Netherlands by Ineke, Saarbrücken, Germany by LadyDemeter, Saint Louis (MO), USA by Strangetastes, Saint Paul (MN), USA by Kate, Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation by Lark, San Antonio (TX), USA by Kramer, San Diego (CA), USA by Felicia, San Diego (CA), USA by Zentmrs, Santa Fe (NM), USA by Randem, Seattle (WA), USA by Kim, Seattle (WA), USA by Chuck, Seguin (TX), USA by Thien, Selma (AL), USA by RamblingRound, Sesimbra, Portugal by Aldeia, Setúbal, Portugal by Maria Elisa, Sharon (CT), USA by Jenny, Silver Spring (MD), USA by John, Singapore, Singapore by Keropok, Sofia, Bulgaria by Antonia, St Francis, South Africa by Sam, Stavanger, Norway by Tanty, Stayton (OR), USA by Celine, Stockholm, Sweden by Stromsjo, Subang Jaya, Malaysia by JC, Sydney, Australia by Sally, Székesfehérvár, Hungary by Teomo, Terre Haute (IN), USA by Zann, Terrell (TX), USA by Bstexas, Terrell (TX), USA by Jim K, The Hague, Netherlands by Lezard, Tokyo, Japan by Tadamine, Torun, Poland by Torun Observer, Toulouse, France by Julia, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina by Jazzy, Twin Cities (MN), USA by Slinger, Vienna, Austria by G_mirage2, Wailea (HI), USA by Kuanyin, Wassenaar, Netherlands by Rich, Wellington, New Zealand by Jeremyb, West Paris (ME), USA by crittoria, West Sacramento (CA), USA by Barbara, Weston (FL), USA by WestonDailyPhoto, Wrocław, Poland by Loompi, Yardley (PA), USA by Mrlynn,

lamp post at the port

2008-02-29T10:54:00.004+02:00

Puffy clouds and a lamp post on the paving in front of the restaurants at the edge of the yacht basin...... a great place to sit with a cold drink after a warm day and watch the sun go down.

Kromme River

2008-02-28T11:53:00.001+02:00

Just before you get to St Francis Bay, you cross the Kromme River and get a beautiful view of the river and adjacent wetlands. The river has become a popular holiday area, with many new built homes along the river bank. The white buildings in the distance are the houses on the canals, at the river mouth.

Shipwreck

2008-02-27T07:28:00.001+02:00

There are quite a few shipwrecks along this trecherous part of the coast, where a reef runs 10km out to sea beyond Seal Point, and gales that had their birth in the Antarctic can sweep past with surprising fierceness. This is part of the remains of the President Steyn, which ran aground next to the lighthouse at Seal Point. It is hard to spot, as it is so eroded, and only visible at very low tide, but has a strange beauty of its own.

Wild Seas

2008-02-26T01:04:00.000+02:00

One of my favourite photos taken the morning after the storm, shown in yesterday's movie post, is this one of the waves pounding the beach. It was September 2006.

Anyone care to go to the movies?

2008-02-25T01:10:00.000+02:00

Today, instead of a photo, we are posting a movie that we put together. It is a combination of video and stills captured on the beach at sunrise after a big storm and Spring Tide. It was wild and windy, so there are times when the image stabilizer couldn't cope, but we hope the movie can convey to you how invigorating and stunning it was on the beach that morning. The background music is 'why worry' by Dire Straits.... which pretty much sums up St Francis, who can worry for long in such surroundings?!!

Tsitsikamma River Mouth #2

2008-02-24T12:05:00.000+02:00

Another view of the rugged part of the coast, its jagged dark rocks contrasting with the soft pastel shades of sea and coastline.

Tsitsikamma River Mouth

2008-02-23T08:25:00.000+02:00

Yesterday we showed you a view looking Westwards from Seal Point, and told you about Thyspunt. 25km along the coast from St Francis is the mouth of the Tsitsikamma river, a wonderful wild inaccesible spot. Well, except for 4x4s that is. This compacting of the delicate coastal dune ecosystem is a perfect example of why our Department of Environmental Affairs has clamped down on vehicles on beaches. To the left as we look at this picture, there is a fascinating cave which the sea rushes through, which we will show you soon.

Imagine a nuclear power station here....

2008-02-22T01:33:00.000+02:00

This is the view from the 'wild side', near the lighthouse, looking up the coast towards the west, and the second peninsula is Thyspunt. It is about 12 km from St Francis, and has been earmarked for construction of a Nuclear Power plant, despite vigorous public opposition.

There is a farcical pretense that a process of consultation is taking place, but it is apparent that in reality, the decision to build an experimental pebble bed Nuclear reactor at Thyspunt is being steamrolled through. This is due to the power crisis that has been precipitated by the complete ineptitude of the powers that be.

Naturally a nuclear power plant so close to a prime built up area is cause for great concern, but there are many vested interests behind the scenes in this project, as both USA and Japan want a chance to test this technology, but are unable to do so on their own territory, so they have made it worth the while for our Government to push it through. I just wonder if the country as a whole will benefit, or if it will be the usual scenario of one or two key individuals having newly bulging bank accounts?

Looking up

2008-02-21T11:49:00.003+02:00

A different view of the Lighthouse at Seal Point, built in 1878.

Bonus behind the scenes shot:
Our grandson looks on in amazement as granny lies on the ground in the doorway to get the angle she is after, while his parents pretend they don't know this person, and wish they were somewhere else !

Wave watching

2008-02-20T02:22:00.000+02:00

We love sitting watching the waves smashing on the rocks near the lighthouse, and on a windy day when the water is whipped back again, it is even better! A group of Cape Gannets does a fly-by and gets a birds eye view.

lighting up our lives

2008-02-19T20:04:00.003+02:00

Not sure if this is a rainbow, or just the base of the clouds refracing light, but either way it is a cool backdrop for the lighthouse!

Alien sunset

2008-02-18T08:25:00.000+02:00

As with many places along South African coast, the Cape St Francis area was characterised by large dune fields. When it was first developed as a tourist area, the large amounts of sand that were blown by the wind made life quite unpleasant at times. It was decided to stabilise the dunes by planting port Jackson Willows from Australia.

The alien vegetation flourished and did its "job" very effetively, but at a cost. It has totally smothered much of the unique indigenous vegetation of the area, it has become a major fire hazard and has also reduced the level of the water table.

This sunset photo was taken shortly after a fire had swept through the area last year and the stark trees serve as a reminder of the constant threat of devastating fires. The alien invaders burn much hotter and faster than the indigenous vegetation and as a result also destroy a lot of wildlife that would otherwise have survived.

Major projects are now underway to remove the alien invaders. The moral of the story is don't mess with nature.

Lighthouse

2008-02-18T08:19:00.003+02:00

View of the lighthouse at seal point.

Wave over Sunset

2008-02-16T00:09:00.000+02:00

This is one of my favourite photos that we have taken at St Francis over the years. We sat on the rocks at the 'wild side', beyond the lighthouse, and watched the waves pounding on the rocks as the sun went down.

Cape St Francis Sunrise

2008-02-15T09:09:00.002+02:00

The wide sweep of pristine beach, lit by the sun rising over Shark Point. Paradise on earth!

Coastal Erosion

2008-02-14T08:21:00.002+02:00

Since we discussed coastal erosion on the PE blog today, and St Francis is in the midst of a bit of a crisis because of this, we thought it apt to feature it here too. This shot was taken in January 2007, from the beach car park at St Francis Bay. Since then it has got worse, and in a recent storm, some of the roads leading to the beachfront properties were washed away, as well as the ablution block here and the foundations of some houses are beginning to be undemined.

When we went there for the first time in the mid 90s, we went for a walk along the 2 km wide sandy beach all the way to the Kromme River Mouth and back. Now it is impassable in many places, as the sand has been eroded away by currents, and due to the development and cutting off of the migratory sand river dunes from the rest of the coast, it is not being replaced. All sorts of expensive and controversial plans have been put forward to fix it, but as there are not enough funds, nothing has been done. At last, there may be light at the end of the tunnel, and a cost effective scheme which has been successful along the North Sea coast is being looked at. Let's hope something comes of it soon, as this situation can't be left to continue as it is for much longer.

Beach Cottage

2008-02-13T12:32:00.003+02:00

This beach house is wonderfully positioned on a rise overlooking the surf spot at Seal Point. I adore the Cape Cod architecture, and the way the colours were so cleverly selected to blend with the surroundings. On this rainy day it has a lonely look about it that is very reminiscent of some of Andrew Wyeth's paintings.

spring tide #5 After the storm

2008-02-12T07:54:00.000+02:00

The sun rises on a beautiful new day. The swells are high but the storm has passed.

spring tide # 4

2008-02-11T09:04:00.000+02:00

Riding out the storm

The day before the spring high, a storm came through, and the bay was just crammed with fishing boats who had come into the relatively sheltered spot to ride out the storm. If you look at the big map on the sidebar, the westerly winds go tearing past shark point and across the bay, leaving a sheltered spot near the harbour mouth. Beyond the point there was a visible difference in the sea and the swells were huge.

Spring Tide #3 Pounding the Breakwater

2008-02-10T08:22:00.000+02:00

on a normal day

spring high

Here you see the harbour wall that we posted 2 days ago, being pounded by waves at Spring High, this time from the outside of the wall.

By the way, if you followed the drive we did down the Elands River Valley last week on the Port Elizabeth Daily Photo, and on our personal blogs, the mountains in the background that you see here are part of the Winterhoek Mountain Range that we were travelling through on that trip.

And if you are interested in how this breakwater is constructed to withstand these assaults from the sea, I did a post on the dolosse here.

Spring Tide #2

2008-02-09T07:53:00.001+02:00

Yesterday we spoke about the effect of spring tides at the Port. Here is a series taken the day before the spring tide. It was not at the extreme high and low because low was about 2 hours after the first set was taken, but even so you can see how much the water level changed in the yacht basin.

Spring Tide #1

2008-02-08T06:57:00.000+02:00

Last March, St Francis experienced a combination of Spring Tide and a severe storm. It was great watching the wild seas. It is the fullest we have ever seen the port, as all the fishing boats huddled together for shelter. The following morning was misty and an eerie post-storm calm settled over the bay. In the next few days we'll show you some of the pictures from that weekend.

The waves were so huge that they were breaking right over the harbour wall, too forcefully to walk there. It is hard to give you a idea of how large they were, but the wall on the right is too high for even a tall person to look over, and normally there is still about the equivalent of 3 stories of breakwater below the wall on the outside.

A different kind of road....

2008-02-07T09:00:00.000+02:00

Since we are talking about roads on the PE blog today, I thought it would be an idea to do the same here. This sign is on the road to the Seal Point Lighthouse. The R5 coin is about 30mm in diameter. The "Kimberley se gat" is a colloquial reference to the great hole of Kimberley, an enormous abandoned diamond mine.

What they fail to mention is certain other less cute creatures that can be found there, like this mean looking Puffadder! Most snakes will get out of your way if they hear you coming, but Puffadders are lazy and would rather wait till you are close enough to bite, so you have to be very alert when walking through the bush, and particularly in dead leaves, where they are very hard to spot.

rusty bits

2008-02-06T00:02:00.000+02:00

When the breakwater for the harbour wall was constructed at the Port, tons of rocks that had been blasted from the yacht basin were moved to build it up. To make it easier to move these huge rocks, large metal hooks were drilled into them, so that they could be picked up by cranes. These have now rusted to become a picturesque part of the breakwater.

In the spotlight

2008-02-05T23:57:00.000+02:00

A seagull on the harbour wall is highlighted by the rising sun. I loved Clarice's comment the other day that in St Malo they call them Rats with wings!

Farol... a great place to eat

2008-02-04T08:08:00.000+02:00

One of the restaurants we really enjoy in the village is Farol. It isn't especially fancy (maybe that's one reason we feel at home there!) but it is well designed, and the food is always good. The service is friendly and personal, the owners are always there taking an interest in the patrons and making sure you are happy. Their fresh fish and steak espatade are drool worthy!