Pretoria; The Jacaranda City

Once a years the city bowls becomes awash with lilac, the city Jacarandas. The first two Jacaranda trees were imported from Brazil by Mr. J Ciliers in 1888 ~ 125 years ago. To put this in perspective gold was discover on the Witwatersrand in 1887. Johannesburg was only a mining town then and got its city status later.

Mr. Cilliers paid 20 pounds for the two trees. They still stand in the grounds of the Sunnyside Primary School in Rissik Street. Later he and his assistant Mr. Clark imported seed from Australia and propagated these in Groenkloof.

In 1906 they donated two hundred trees to the City of Pretoria on its 55 birthday. These trees were planted in Bosman Street and Arcadia Street.

By 2012 Mr Clark embarked on planting of Jacarandas in all the inner city streets. Up to today the City Council has planted 34,000 trees and there are 70,000 growing in Pretoria.

Some great places to go are; Becket Street where you gaze through a canopy of lilac; Sir Herbert Baker Street, the only street with a row of white Jacarandas; and the big tree in the grounds of Melrose House, really impressive.

Cheetah run at De Wildt Cheetah Sancuary

A tour is well worth a visit, highlights are interaction with a cheetah, a game drive and for the energetic early morning risers the experience of a cheetah run!

The De Wildt Cheetah Sanctuary, started in 1971 on her parent's chicken farm by Ann van Dyk, has assumed a crucial role in the survival of many endangered South African species. Besides cheetah, the centre also contributes to the conservation of African wild dogs and Cape vultures.  

 In the last few decades the  De Wildt Cheetah Sanctuary has played a crucial role in the survival of the magnificent cheetah and it remains a crucial centre for breeding African animals that are on the brink of extinction. It is now a world-renowned research centre and well worth a tour. 

Besides South African cheetah rehabilitation, the centre has also successfully bred African wild dog, brown hyena and Cape vulture. Particular highlights include the breeding and release of captive-born, highly endangered African wild dogs into a natural habitat 

( http://www.southafrica.net/sat/content/en/za/full-article?oid=6382&sn=Detail&pid=1  )

De Wildt Cheetah

Breeding pair of Wild Dogs

King Cheetah with siblings.

"Spot" the difference?

For tours and bookings go to www.tedsplacetours.co.za

One is always struck by the vibrancy of life in Soweto. On a tour to Soweto I took these two pictures of the street vendors selling curios opposite the Hector Pieterson museum on a pleasant winters day. 

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Soweto on a Sunday in April

As a tour guide you realise that Soweto is like no other in South Africa. You can visit a township in the Cape but is not the making of the new democratic South Africa. Soweto is where it all happened. Passing the Chris Hani ~ Barangwanath Hospital tourist are amazed to hear that this hospital is modern and has performed operations like separating co-joined twins, kidney and heart transplants. To give you an idea of the sheer size, one hundered babies are born here every day! On your right you see the largest taxi rank in the world. Four thousand taxis. Where do you find your taxi you may ask?

Walter Sisulu Freedom Square is where the congress of the people met in 1955 to adopted the Freedom Charter. The ten pillars depict the ten pillars of the charter.

On a Sunday 2,000 people attend the service at the Regina Mundi Church. The church is a landmark in the armed struggle. The singing is beautiful. People harmonise spontaneously.

A visit to Soweto is incomplete without going to Vilikasi Street. Home of two Peace Prize Laureates , Nelson Mandela, and Desmond Tutu. On a Sunday it is awash with local enjoying a meal at Sakumsis.

Having enjoyed this vibrant city you return home.

Freedom Square

 Regina Mundi Choir boys

Sunday @ Sakumsi in Vilikasi Street

Pretoria in April

We went on a Pretoria city tour with the Mauders from Munich on a Saturday in April. What beautiful weather and some interesting things we saw. The large Walter Batis in the Pretoria City Hall is off the beaten track. It depicts the wild life around Pretoria. Church Square was its usual vibrant self on a Saturday. At the Union Buildings looking up at the war memorial and seeing one of the twin gods of war, Castor or Pollock, I was struck by the indigo blue South African sky.

Elephant in the Pilanesberg

An elephant family in the Pilanesberg during a visit with the Daubert family from Texas. A feeling of peace and tranquillity with a tinge of excitement to see these magnificent beasts!

Day Tours

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Guest-house Association of Tshwane East Walking Tour of Historic Church Square

We spent a delightful Sunday morning visiting the Heritage Foundation tagged buildings on Church Square. Pretoria is the only city in South Africa that has such a historic city centre.

There are many facts and fables about the old building. Just one of the interesting buildings is the National Bank and Mint - 1893:

• Erected on ground owned by John Struben
• ZAR Mint first mint in the Southern Hemisphere
• Neo-Renaissance building
• Frank Emley designed the array of capitals, pediments, pilasters, round arches and ornamental friezes. Anton van Wouw, sculpted decorative friezes and capitals for the façade
• The Corner stone contains  with a a lead casket a copy of the Bank Concession, Bank Statutes, Bank Note Law, Prospectus of first State Loan, various newspapers of the 6th of July 1892, £1 bank note, gold and silver coins, and signatures of the Pretoria staff of the bank
• The mint produced the famous Kruger sovereigns
• A famous coin is the ‘Sammy Marks Tickey’. Sammy Marks was 'given' the mint for a  day to show appreciation for the donation of £10, 000 made by Marks towards the statue of Paul Kruger commissioned for the city
• Sammy Marks produced 215 of the smallest coins in the country, the tickey, in gold
• Only one of the three printing presses brought from Berlin by Freiderich Munscheid in 1891 remains and is still in working order, it was moved from the ZAR Mint to the new location in Midrand
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  
  
  
  
  

  

  
  

Walking Tour of Historic Church Square

DATE; Sunday 4 March

TIME: 10 for 10.30

Meet: @ Café Riche, Church Square

Cost: Bring along R50 for Coffee and Cake + Tip for Waiter

Booking: Essential to reserve tables

RSVP: Ted Stilwell ~ ted@mweb.co.za ~ Phone 0733870762

 

Did you know?

• Most buildings on the West Facade of Church square date back to the 1890s
• Their architecture is Flemish renaissance
• The East Facade consist of buildings dating back to the 1930s and are Art Deco
• The Raadsaal was completed in 1893, designed by Zylsta Wierda and built by John Kirkness. The materials and furnishing except the brick and mortar was imported by ship from various countries in Europe, landed at the Cape and transported by ox-wagon all the way to the old Transvaal.
• Most of the statues on the Square were by Anton van Wouw. Have you seen the clock in the entrance to the old Post office
• The Kruger Mint was empty when the British marched into Pretoria in June 1900.

I have arranged a walking tour of the Square. We will meet at Cafe Riche for a meet and greet, and some “boere troos”, 'coffee for the Souties' with a slice of cake. Then we take a stroll around the Square and if time permits maybe Burlington and van Erkom arcades.

FAQ:

How long will the tour last? “We will be finished by 1.30pm”

What about parking? “There will be lots on a Sunday”

Is it safe?: “Been doing this for years and never had an incident, as long as we stay together and don't wander off on our own”

By when should I RSVP/book?: “Please let me know by 2 March so I can book the venue at Cafe Riche”