| Port Alfred | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s): Kowie | |
|
Port Alfred
|
|
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Eastern Cape Province |
| District municipality | Cacadu |
| Local municipality | Ndlambe |
| Government | |
| • Type | Town Council |
| • Mayor | Mr VM Balura |
| Population | |
| • Total | 19,307 |
| Time zone | SAST (UTC+2) |
| Postcode | 6170 |
| Area code(s) | 046 |
| Website | http://www.portalfred.co.za/ |
Port Alfred is a small town with a population of just under 20,000[1] in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is situated on the eastern seaboard of the country at the mouth of the Kowie River, almost exactly half-way between the larger cities of Port Elizabeth and East London and 30 km West of Cannon Rocks.
One of its most distinctive features is a marina with a number of luxurious houses facing on to the canals. Associated with the marina is a small boat harbour, providing mooring for a variety of vessels from luxury yachts and other pleasure craft, to sporting and commercial deep-sea fishing vessels. The city enjoys a mild climate and award winning beaches, Kelly's beach has Blue Flag beach status, meaning it is one of the top beaches in South Africa. It is growing rapidly due to a high number of retirees and holiday makers building houses there.
Port Alfred is home to Southern Africa's largest air school, 43 Air School[2] In addition, Port Alfred is home to Stenden South Africa, a subsidiary campus of Stenden University in the Netherlands. This campus attracts large numbers of international students to South Africa every year. The famous little village of Bathurst is fifteen km outside Port Alfred and is also becoming a very popular place to live. The area is green, picturesque and is home to South Africa's oldest inn, the Pig and Whistle.
Port Alfred has many activities for visitors including fishing, Scuba diving, canoeing, water skiing and tubing. Other sporting activities include golf (Port Alfred boasts one of the seven "royal" courses in the country), canoeing, horse trails and surfing, with Port Alfred being regarded by many as one of the best-kept surfing secrets in the country. The town is one of the last few places along the ever increasing coastline. It is unspoilt by overpopulation and commercialism, naturally beautiful and a relaxing place to be.
Port Alfred is home to the Kowie Striders fun run. The event is held on the 26th December annually and is enjoyed by holiday makers from far and wide. Both the 5 km and 8 km routes are well supported and all entrants get a souvenir Kowie Striders glass. The event is characterised by the announcer who welcomes finishers to the line with the catch phrase, "And the crowd goes wild at the Kowie".
Contents |
Port Alfred was established in the early 1820s by British settlers who were moved into the area by Lord Charles Somerset as a buffer between the Western Cape and the Ama Xhosa. Originally it was two separate towns (settlers arriving on the west bank in 1820 named their settlement Port Kowie, and those arriving on the east bank named theirs Port Frances[3]). In 1839, William Cock started to block the natural river mouth to the east and canalise the present opening to the sea. This allowed high-masted sailing ships with their heavy cargo to dock at the wharf. Later, in 1860, when Queen Victoria’s son Prince Alfred visited, the name was changed to honour him.[4][5]
Port Alfred is located on the junction of the R67 and R72 roads. The R67 connects Port Alfred with the N2 at Grahamstown to the north, while the R72 joins the N2 near Colchester to the west and follows the coast to East London in the east.
Turpin, Eric W (1964). Basket Work Harbour; The Story of the Kowie. Cape Town: Howard Timmins. pp. 136. ISBN 0869782444.
| Municipalities and communities of Cacadu District Municipality, Eastern Cape District seat: Port Elizabeth |
|
|---|---|
| Local municipalities |
Aberdeen Plain · Baviaans · Blue Crane Route · Camdeboo · Ikwezi · Kouga · Kou-Kamma · Makana · Ndlambe · Sunday's River Valley |
| Cities and towns |
Aberdeen · Alexandria · Alicedale · Bathurst · Cookhouse · Graaff Reinet · Grahamstown · Hankey · Humansdorp · Jansenville · Jeffreys Bay · Joubertina · Kareedouw · Kenton-on-Sea · Kirkwood · Klipplaat · Nieu-Bethesda · Paterson Addo · Pearston · Port Alfred · Riebeek East · Somerset East · Steytlerville · St. Francis Bay · Storms River · Willowmore |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||