When you hear the word “safari”, your mind probably leaps to luxury lodges, open-roof Land Cruisers, khaki vests, and thousands of dollars whisked away in the name of “the Big Five.” But for those of us with more wanderlust than wallet, there’s another way to get that wild fix — enter the Poor Man’s Game Drive.
Standing just under 56 feet tall, the “Big Pineapple” outside of Bathurst, South Africa is the world’s largest pineapple building.
The Anglican church in Bathurst is the church of St John the Evangelist, it is a church with a long and interesting history. The worshippers at this church are mainly from the village of Bathurst and the surrounding farming community.
Built in 1821, the Powder Magazine is the oldest extant building in Bathurst (click here to view on google maps). The building itself boasts a unique domed ceiling and walls of 60cm thickness. It is an essential part of the tourism offering of the historic town but there is no infrastructure to secure it from vandalism. Local groups do what they can to care for the site but resources are scarce.
Morley House is an exquisite historic home. I first went there in the late 1980s, when it was a home and antique shop. Oh my… the yellowwood woodwork, red baked floor tiles, crooked passages, low doorways. It was all just so perfect! There is an oldish rondavel in the backyard, which I am convinced might have been the original kitchen. Since there are no known plans, it is difficult to be sure. The bathrooms, would have been added, possibly in place of the old pantry.
Bathurst village is situated in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is just over 10 kilometres inland from Port Alfred and administered by the Ndlambe municipality. Bathurst is a quaint and quirky village with much to see and do for both outdoor adventurers and people wanting to experience the best of what eastern cape has to offer. With many great restaurants, pubs, shops and historical sites, Bathurst will keep you busy and make you smile. Like the local Bathurstians say: ” There is no thirst like Bathurst.”
The Toposcope is a heritage site commemorating the 1820 settlers and their descendants. It is located on a particularly scenic hill with many landscape views. Plaques reflecting the names and ships of the parties arriving in the Eastern Cape in 1820 appear around the Toposcope. The plaques create a compass direction indicating the location of the various settler parties. As a tourist attraction this monument and others in Bathurst are the lifeblood of tourism driven job creation in the area.
