Mushroom Farm Park - greening urban areas

Johannesburg boasts that it's the world's largest man-made urban forest and that's difficult to imagine until one actually visits the city and see how many open spaces, parks and nature reserves there are.  One of these parks is Mushroom Farm Park in Sandton.  I've passed here a couple of times before but visited for the first time on my last visit to the City of Gold. 

Sandton started out in the 1930's as farms and estates and only transform from a farming community to a business district in 1973 when Sandton City was built.  In the 1990's it became part of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality at the time when there was quite a boom in development which seemingly hasn't stopped yet.  I haven't found any history on why the area is called Mushroom Farm, but in 2006 during the construction of the Gautrain a shaft was sunk here to access the underground tunnelling operations. 

After the completion of the Gautrain development, rehabilitation of the area started by representatives of the developers.  The terrain has been landscaped, new pathways have been laid, a children's play area created, irrigation and pathway lighting installed, topsoil introduced, the waterways have been cleared and new indigenous flora was plated.  Most of this have now been well established and the park is looking stunning.  On my visit the park was being utilised by both families and business people taking a break away from the hustle and bustle of their offices.  I imagine there will be a couple more people using the park late afternoons after the end of business as well as on weekend, specially those living in apartments in the area.

There is an aerial balloon in the park in which visitors can go up to 120 meter for a lovely view of surrounding Sandton and Johannesburg in the distance.  The Mushroom Farm Park is a prime example of what can be done in urban areas by municipalities in partnership with the private sector when there is a will to do so.

Walter Sesulu Botanical Garden

There is always something new to see even if one has been to a place many times.  This is even true of one's own home town, but this isn't a story on my home town.  There is so much I haven't seen around Johannesburg and Gauteng, but I don't always have a lot of free time when I am up there to go exploring.  My last trip to Jozi left me an open morning and I decided to go and visit the Walter Sesulu Botanical Garden.  Although the botanical garden was only founded in 1982, the area has been a popular picnic spot since the late 1800's already.  Back in those days Johannesburgers would go by train as far as the Witpoortjie Station and walk down to the waterfall for a day of leisure.  And it was said waterfall I was actually here to see.   

The natural vegetation of the area is known as the 'Rocky Highveld Grassland' and is a mixture of grassland and savanna, with dense bush in the kloofs and along streams. The botanical garden accommodates over 600 naturally occurring plant species with various walks and trails that visitors can explore.  I especially liked the variety of succulents that was planted around a couple of the pathways.

The main path into the gardens took me all the way to the Witpoortjie Waterfall, named after the nearby railway station.  Not quite sure why they would have done that though.  The grassy area in front of the waterfall is a popular picnic spot with a lot of people going there with the hope to see the resident pair of rare Verreaux’s eagles that nest on the steep, inaccessible cliff next to the waterfall. 

Verreaux’s eagles are spectacular birds of prey, with a wingspan that extends to over 2m.  The pairs are monogamous and stay together, nesting on the same spot year after year.  A couple of years ago the male eagle disappeared, followed shortly after by the female.  It was feared that the carefully monitored 40-year breeding programme would end, but the female miraculously reappeared with a young male as a companion.

Kidz Adventures - Exploring PE's history

During the school holidays its always a bit of a challenge to keep bored children busy.  Most parents end up taking them to the movies, for ice cream at Micky D's, playing putt putt and games or one of the party places with jungle gyms and trampolines.  Me? Well, I try to spend at least a day with the Kidz exploring Port Elizabeth or surrounding area for them to get to know the city better.  During the past holiday we headed out to discover some of the city's historic sights along with their friends AB and JB. 

The first stop of the day was the oldest building in Port Elizabeth.  Fort Frederick was built by the British in 1799 to protect Algoa Bay from French invasion but never fired a shot in anger.  In actual fact the fort was the first permanent stone structure built by the British in Africa south of the equator.  The fort is perched on top of the cliffs above the Baakens Valley has a magnificent view of the lower valley and Port Elizabeth Harbour.  The guns on the fort are ship cannons which were placed there symbolically since the original guns were removed.  JB wanted very badly to direct a salvo out to sea but there were no enemy ships in sight.

The next stop on our tour was just a couple of hundred meters down Belmont Terrace.  The Donkin Reserve with its historic lighthouse and pyramid is my favorite historic site in Port Elizabeth.  The Donkin is surrounded by a number of other historic sites and the new Route 67 development has blown new life into the area as an attraction.  The pyramid (Donkin Memorial) was built in 1820 by Sir Rufane Donkin as a monument to his late wife Lady Elizabeth Donkin after whom he also named the town.  The lighthouse was originally built in 1861 and the old lighthouse keeper's cottage is now a Visitor Information Centre run by Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism.  Some of the Route 67 art pieces like the untitled Anton Momberg conversation piece and the Voting line make for great pictures, with or without human subjects.

While walking around the Donkin with the Kidz I noticed their eyes kept going to the lighthouse so I decided it was time to climb.  Entrance to the lighthouse is only R5 per person payable at the NMBT office.  The climb up the lighthouse is done by a few sets of steps and ladders and even though Drama Princess was a bit hesitant at the start they all flew up there like a bunch of monkeys.  The view from the top of the lighthouse is breathtaking all around with the beachfront, harbour, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium as well as the surrounding area visible.  The Donkin Lighthouse is well worth the climb.

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From the Donkin we followed the winding Route 67 path down towards the city centre for a visit to the city's historic Public Library.  Stopping briefly for a quick pic with Queen Vic (made of Sicilian marble and erected in 1903 to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee) we headed inside with the Kidz under strict instructions to keep it quiet.  The Kidz were amazed with the library's interior with its balconies and stained glass windows.  They immediately went exploring and found their way up onto the balcony walkway where, not before long, they stood admiring the beautiful windows.  The Public Library was opened in 1902 with the front stone facade built in England before being shipped to Port Elizabeth in numbered block.  I remember how we roamed the library as kids and it was awesome to introduce the Kidz to a place from my childhood memories. 

The last stop of our outing was at St Georges Park to visit the newly restored Pearson Conservatory.  The conservatory is another of the places we roamed around in as kids on Art in the Park Sundays while my mom had her stall there.  Although the inside of the conservatory has changed a bit from how I remember it, its still well worth a visit.  By now I had used up my quota of good behaviour made available to me for the day and the four of them started to get a bit too active for my liking.  With St Georges' play area close by the four set off to play in the park and expend some built up energy before coming back complaining that they were getting hungry.  It just never stops, does it?

Buildings along the Company Gardens

As I have mentioned in my previous post, several Cape Town's most significant historical buildings can be found along the Company Gardens as one walks down Government Avenue.

At the bottom entrance to the Gardens are Church Square and the Slave Lodge.  The Slave Lodge was built in 1679 by the Dutch East India Company and housed thousands of slaves during the time when slavery meant big business for the Cape Colony.   In 1810, after the British had taken over, the building became the Supreme Court and in 1914 was turned into government offices.  In 1966 the Slave Lodge was turned into a museum, paying tribute to the past and containing historical displays on the Cape as well as a collection of antiquities and artefacts from around the world.  Slavery was officially abolished in the Cape in 1838.  The statue was erected in 1920 and is that of  parliamentarian Jan Hendrik Hofmeyr who was recognised for his efforts to have Dutch recognised as a language (on the same footing with English) in the Constitution of 1910.

Probably the most impressive buildings along the Company Gardens are the South African House of Parliament buildings.  Cape Town is South Africa's legislative capital while Pretoria is the administrative capital.  The House of Parliament buildings were  original designed by Charles Freeman who miscalculated the foundations and was replaced.  Constructions was overseen by Henry Greaves and completion in 1885 with the new House of Assembly being designed by Sir Herbert Baker.  Guided tours can be done through the House of Parliament during the week and visitors can also buy tickets to sit in the public gallery during parliamentary sessions certain parts of the year.

Next to the House of Parliament is Tuynhuys, the office of the President.  This beautiful building was originally built in 1700 as a residence for important visitors to the Cape.  It has been used as an official residence by almost all the governors of the Cape - Dutch, Batavian and British - and by State Presidents after the country became a Republic in 1961. 

Towards the top of Government Avenue opposite the South African Museum on Government Avenue is the South African National Gallery.  The National Gallery began with a presentation of some 45 paintings by Thomas Butterworth Bayley in 1871, and since then has grown to one of international stature and houses some of the most beautiful collections of South African, African, British, French, Dutch and Flemish art in South Africa.

The Company Gardens

The greenbelt that is the Company Gardens, stretching through urban downtown Cape Town, attracts both locals and visitors in their droves.  People go there to admire the historic buildings, sight see, play in the park, feed the squirrels, read a book, sit in the shade and relax or just to get from the one end to the other.  The Company Gardens were established in 1652 and takes its name from the Dutch East India Company who first started the garden to supply their ships, that plied the spice trade route between Europe and the East Indies via The Cape of Good Hope, of fresh produce.  The gardens were irrigated through a system of open irrigation furrows fed by the area's numerous streams originating on  Table Mountain.

During the late 17th Century the Garden had expanded quite a lot, but after the Dutch East Indian Company went bankrupt it started going backwards and was in ruin by 1795.  During the first British occupancy very little money was put into the Garden and it deteriorated even further.  The Dutch Batavian Republic administration revived the Garden in 1803 and when the British took over again in 1806 they started to build important institutional buildings around the area.  The Gardens themselves were again given to the Governor for his use and in 1848 a portion was released as a public open space.  In 1892 the Municipality took over the Public Garden for the first time the garden was open to all as a right and not a courtesy.  (Sorry for the history lesson)

Some of the significant features of the garden include the oldest cultivated pear tree in South Africa thought to date back to 1652, a rose garden designed and built in 1929, a well dating from 1842, a memorial slave-bell dating back to 1855 and a Japanese theme garden with a stone Japanese lantern donated by the Japanese Ambassador in 1932.

As mentioned earlier in the post, the Company Gardens are home to a few very prominent buildings as well as statues.  The South African National Library is just one of those buildings while there are statues of figures like Cecil John Rhodes, Sir George Grey and Gen Jan Smuts.  In the next post I will tell you a little more about some of the other buildings you will find around the Company Gardens. 

Montagu Nature Garden

While exploring the town of Montagu in the Western Cape I discovered the Montagu Nature Garden on the outskirts of town.  I wouldn't really call it a garden, but rather a nature reserve as it covers quite a big area.  The Montagu Nature Garden was established in 1954, the year that Montagu celebrated its centenary.  Montagu Nature garden is situated in the most southerly part of the succulent Karoo “biome.” It has the distinction therefore of having flora of 3 regions of the Western Cape – succulent karoo, fynbos and renoster veld. Although you can visit the reserve at any time, the best would probably be in spring when the excellent variety of Vygies (mesembryathemums) are blooming and covering the reserve in a blaze of colours.

There is a 1,7km circular walking trail within the garden that takes visitors to the top of Bessiekop for a magnificent panoramic view of the town and the surrounding Cape Folded Mountains. Ours was unfortunately a hot day and the kidz were in a hurry to get back to the caravan park and into the pool so I didn't get to the the whole walk.  Next time, I promise. 

At the end of the walk there is a dam with a stream and lush lawns which provide a welcome break after the walk. It kinda looked out of place compared to the rest of the reserve, but the area is well known for its abundance of water in the dry Klein Karoo.

Pearson Conservatory

This post isn't supposed to be a reminiscent one, but I can't help by starting off with going back in time.  Ok, first way back in time and then a quick reminisce.  The Victorian style Pearson Conservatory in St Georges Park was opened on 12 September 1882 and named after Mr HW Pearson, the Mayor of Port Elizabeth at that time.  Twenty five / thirty odd years ago my mom used to have a stall at Art in the Park on the first Sunday of the month and I remember how me and my brother explored and played throughout St Georges Park.  I use to just loved walking through the conservatory.  Unfortunately the years weren't good to the old lady and recently it became time for a face lift AND a nip and tuck.

The Pearson Conservatory was reopened in September after the municipality had completed a R5,5million renovation of the building during which just about the whole building was taken apart and all the rotten timber was replaced and the steel structure treated and redone.  The original central fountain which was imported from the United Kingdom in 1882 still stands proudly in the centre of the conservatory.

The flower beds inside the conservatory has been replanted and although the vegetation isn't is as lush as it used to be yet, the flowers on show are breathtaking.  I can actually see how the conservatory could become a very popular spot for photographers with its variety of colours, lines and possible angles.  The "new" Pearson Conservatory is well worth a visit if you are in the vicinity of St Georges Park and looking for something to do.

Urban game

Quite a number of the features in the Biodiversity Garden in Cape Town have animals in them.  This little metal antelope was standing in the long grass keeping an "eye" on me.  If you had to look quickly you would very easily mistake it for a real animal.

Biodiversity Garden

With Table Mountain National Park and all the other natural spaces around the city, Cape Town is a world class biodiversity hotspot.  Thus I wasn't very surprised when I heard that the city has developed a Biodiversity Garden at the new Green Point Park next to the Cape Town Stadium.  I boded my time and made my way down to the park at the first opportunity I had when I was in the city.

The park is a showcase for the biodiversity of not just Cape Town, but also the rest of the province of the Western Cape and has set out to create awareness about the importance of the Cape's unique biodiversity and how to manage it appropriately.  The one section is Khoi Khoi inspired and features huts and other Khoi related displays.

The Biodiversity Trail answers questions like "What is Biodiversity?", "What is so special about the Cape?" and "What are the threats to Biodiversity?"  What is nice is that the information isn't just written on info boards, but is also intertwined into the garden itself.  The picture above representing the threats to biodiversity which amongst others are agriculture, fire and development.

Mmmm.... I forgot my fishing rod.  Would have been nice taking home a beaded fish...

There are quite a few animal related displays (obviously not real animals though) as part of the garden as well.  Specially the snakes make one look twice just to make sure it wouldn't come your way.

Even beaded sun birds can't resist a brightly colours flower, in this case a red hot poker.

We are heading down to Cape Town for our summer holiday at the end of the year and I can't wait to go and show the family the garden.  The Rugrats would love it.