Mini vs Maxi Tour - Two days to go

I have never thought of the Eastern Cape as the Adventure Province until now. I have always been content to travel around the province enjoying its beauty, bio-diversity, wildlife and history.

Now that the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency have given me the opportunity to see at first hand the adventure side of the Eastern Cape and get involved in some of the more physical pursuits, I am sure my travels will never be the same again.

Whatever you do in the Eastern Cape, or wherever you travel, you will always find some wonderful gems. I am looking forward to the experience. 

The Arboretum at Hogsback. We may not go there, but this picture shows another facet of the wonderful biodiversity of the Eastern Cape

Frack Off - the Karoo is our heritage

The announcement by Susan Shabangu Minister of Mineral Resources this week that the moratorium on shale gas prospecting would remain in place at least until the end of February is welcomed but does not provide much comfort. Until there is a total ban on fracking we can never become complacent or be satisfied.

Many of us are wondering where this road is taking us ........

The foothills of the Winterhoek Mountains, near Klipplaat, travelling towards the Cockscomb Mountain, which is shrouded in clouds

....and if fracking is allowed what will it do to the delicate fabric of the Karoo.............

Somewhere near Mt Stewart, between Steytlerville and Jansenville.

......will the oil companies only be satisfied when this vista is polluted and littered with fracking sites....we have alreay been faced with many of their lies and promises that will never be fulfilled......

The unspoilt Karoo, between Steynsburg and Hofmeyer

.........and where is the water going to come from for the fracking process and what will all the chemicals do to the supply of ground water?

Somewhere near Klipplaat

SAY NO TO FRACKING

Mini vs Maxi Tour #4 - let the good times roll

A lot of what is planned for the Mini vs Maxi Tour is still shrouded in secrecy, but this build up is part of the fun. From the information we have been given, I think the adventure may well be confined to the coastal belt and I have listed the sponsors in my sidebar, under the heading - Mini vs Maxi Tours - Meet the Sponsors.

Looking at these sponsors, all I can say, at this stage, is we are in for a lot of fun. Some of the activities we have been told of are learning to shoot a rifle, elephant walk, interaction with cheetahs, tree top canopy tour, bungy jump, game drive on a quad bike and canoes.

Some of these will be new experiences for me and so far I have committed myself to the bungy jump. All I can say is, "Ho hum, what was I thinking, but there is no backing out now."

If you are planning a holiday, or interested intersted in the Eastern Cape, take a virtual tour by visiting our sponsors, you will be pleasantly surprised.

Mini vs Maxi Tour - The Eastern Cape has it all

When I was looking at the plans for the Mini vs Maxi tour I was again reminded that the Eastern Cape is a really amazing tourist destination, but that is not always recognised as such.

Sue and I recently joined Couch Surfers and have had some fantastic people come and stay with us, but it always seems that they are just passing through. When I ask them if they are planning a trip to the Addo Elephant Park, they look at me blankly and say, "No, we are going to Kruger. I am sure we will see elephants there."

"Yes you will, but we have the big seven here," I say.

They also don't seem to realise that our elephant cows are much prettier, because they do not have their delicate facial features spoilt by large tusks.

And then, can you see whales and dolphins and sharks in Kruger?



We have the Wild Coast, the Sunshine Coast and the Garden Route.
We have lush green forests with amazing yellow woods and the wide open spaces of the Karoo. There are mountains and valleys and rivers, lakes and dams.

We have the most amazing fynbos and aloes. In fact there is always something flowering in the Eastern Cape, no matter what time of the year.

You can ski in the snow in winter and on the lakes and rivers in summer.

We have everything in the Eastern Cape and next week the Mini and Maxi teams will be experiencing the "adventure" activities the province has to offer. There will be many updates on what the province has to offer next week.

What don't we have? Malaria..............so, who cares. There is no need to go further North or South.

Skywatch Friday - Somewhere over the rainbow

I captured this rainbow by chance the other day during some rainy weather. Fortunately the rain only started coming down on me as I got back to the house.

Visit Skywatch for many more great pictures from around the world.