Photo update on R54-million Green Point Urban Park and Cape Town Stadium.

Said to be completed in time for World Bio diversity Day on May 22

The park, which is shaped like a triangle with a "leg" abutting one corner, is accessible from four gates.

It is surrounded by a cycle track and a pedestrian walkway, with one path cutting straight from Western Boulevard on to the promenade, with the Mouille Point lighthouse the focus for most of the way and the Metropolitan golf course on the right
Read on here

A section of the Green Point Park  is earmarked for the development of a biodiversity showcase garden of indigenous, water-wise plants that display the region s biodiversity, and demonstrateresponsible environmental gardening/horticultural practices.

There will be an ECO center, The following will be associated with the ECO Centre

¥ A worm farm
¥ The biodiversity showcase garden
¥ Organic vegetable gardens and vegetable allotments

¥ Play areas for young people
¥ A public art pavilion and outdoor art
¥ A recycling drop-off centre and demonstration area
¥ A bicycle rental facility

Read on PDF File

A grey grey day No sun as far as I can remember

• SAIL Stadefrance (stadium operator) is the leaseholder of the stadium and Green Point Park (GPP) and acts as an agent for the management and operation of these metropolitan amenities.

• The Operator is to pay a nominal rental of R100 during the lease period. In addition to the rental, the operator is obliged to maintain the leased area, including structures in “clean, tidy and sanitary condition”, take responsibility for providing security and for payment of all utility service charges.

• The public park will be open from sunrise to sunset every day of the year except when there is an event. No fee will be charged for the use of the public facility. It is envisaged that a fee will be charged for special events within the park.

We could do with some decent rain but only had drizzle this morning

which probably made things worst

Areal night close up photos of Cape Town Stadium and V&A Waterfront

Click image to see large

You can understand how hard it is, to tear yourself away from Cape Town

and so  The super yacht "Rising Sun" is still mooored in the V&A Waterfront

Huge diamond found in Cape Town !

Click photo to see it large
Ok its the new Green Point Stadium which twinkles like a diamond at night
I took this shot from the new golf course on the Green Point Common and when I saw this photo it reminded me of the first time I ever saw the concept photo of the Green Point Stadium
Look here

Sunset Evening and Night shot of the new World Cup 2010 Green Point Stadium

How beautiful the sunset was We are in the middle of a spell of exeptional beautiful warm weather and its supposed to be mid winter here !
There was not a cloud to be seen

Abseil Slide or Swing into the 100 m deep Oribi Gorge, a place of echoes

Jump or step off the top of Lehrs waterfall, the little edge in my photo, to swing into the depths of the gorge in a 100m arc (33 Stories) its the highest swing in the world

Or abseil into the gorge The first 45m is a cliff abseil and the remainder 65m is a free abseil or if thats all a bit much then just choose the slide you slide 120m long a steel cable 160m above the ground similar to what I did in Tsitsikamma
Click on photos to enlarge
There wasn't much water because its the dry season now
The Oribi area is beautiful, I visited the Lake Eland Game Reserve which is close by in the morning, saw and photographed many giraffes + other animals then had lunch in the ghastly "flintstone" Oribi Hotel and paid the obligatory
R 10 pp to use the trail for seeing the special sights of
1. The Overhanging Rock
2. The Chimney
3. Camel Rock
4. The Needle
5. Baboon’s Castle
6. Lehr’s Waterfall
7. The Heads
8. Lovers’ Leap

Then visited the Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve walked along the river
A pair of African Crowned Eagle have a nest virtually over the road in a tall tree on the left-hand side about 1.5 km down the gorge from the reserve camp turnoff. Park at the layby about 100 m further on and walk back up to the nest its Africa’s most powerful bird of prey.
And ofcourse walked the swing bridge over the gorge its amazing how many epople are frightened of heights and take the path around someone was even crying of fear in the middle of the bridge :)

Zimbali in KwaZulu Natal is pure bliss !

Once you walk through the foyer this is the view which greets you A friend recommended this piece of paradise, tucked away in the lush green sugar cane fields of the KwaZulu Natal North Coast,the plan was to go sightseeing but in the end I only left the estate once to go shopping in Durban its the perfect place to chill out
The view from the room couldn't have been better
The estate is so huge they ferry you around in golf cars but there are also walking trails, I walked from the room along the lake to the beach it took me hours since I had my camera with me and I just couldn't get enough of photographing the scenery and birds

Walking the trail was like being in a tropical jungle

unfortunately there are deadly snakes in the bushes, otherwise I would have gone off the path to sneak closer to the birds

This tree was constantly festooned with an array of birds it was so funny I saw a mother bird showing the baby how to fly , flapping her wings time after time, screaming and squeeking :) I watched for quite a while but the kid refused to move,I could't blame him, it was a very very high tree !

Zimbali is a 370 hectare (925 acre) tropical coastal residential and resort estate located on the North Coast of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa

Durban 2010 new soccer stadium is not as beautiful as our Green point Stadium in Cape Town !

Driving through rain for 6 hours I finally arrived in Durban, tired and badly in need of a shower but when on my way to the hotel in Umnlanga Rocks, I suddenly saw the new Durban 2010 soccer stadium along the road I told my companion we had no option but to stop so I could take a few shots at it I thought it looked impressive but not nearly as beautiful as "our new Cape Town 2010 Green Point Stadium !

Moses Madhiba Stadium in Durban
Has a seating capacity of 70,000, the design of the stadium will be characterized by two large archways which arc 100 meters above the stadium roof.

Umngazi on the Wild Coast photos.Third and last part

I spend the rest of the afternoon walking along the beach, which beauty was difficult to capture
Needless to say my jeans got totally soaked when I took this shot crouching down low in the water and a wave rolled in while I was looking through the viewfinder but I didn't care the day was warm and when I finally arrived back in the camp in late afternoon my jeans were dry again

Its been an amazing time staying in the Umngazi bungalows on the Wild coast was pure bliss, it was very easy to make temporary friends with other guests, everybody young and old,seems to have a fantastic time, that evening there was live music in the bar before we devoured a sea food buffet with Crayfish calamari prawns and loads of other delicacies,finished off with a dance and singing show by our Zulu staff it was fun ;)

These last photos were taken during the morning hike in the hills


I must say I felt so sore the next day, the climbing and walking in soft sand had taken its toll

you can see the accommodation clinging to the hillside, surrounded by sub tropical vegetation on the right of the photo

I hope I was able to show you what an heavenly place this is
Difficult to get to, bad roads and lots of cattle wandering on the road forces you to take them slow but so worth it !

Have you been in Tsitsikamma ?

Then you remember this view I just caught it as the light was fading rapidly

The flowering aloes are everywhere at the moment adding a stunning splash of colour to the landscape
This is the view you get to see while crossing the Tsitsikamma suspension bridge on the left into a deep gorge
I am using a 3G "wireless" internet connection since I am often in the bush or no where near internet and last night I spend an hour trying to upload these 3 photos but eventually had to give up so excuse me if I cant reply to your comments as soon as I wish I do apreciate it so much when you take the time to leave a comment