Welcome to the Uitenhage and Swartkops River Valley site, use any of the above buttons or text links on the left of the page to navigate This is the Despatch page
Despatch
Photo © Alex Cummings
'Despatch Church'
click image
Next door to Uitenhage is DESPATCH.
Unlike Uitenhage, Despatch is a Young town only being developed in 1942 and only officially obtaining municipal status in 1945. The name stems from the fact that bricks manufactured in the town were dispatched from the railway station. Somehow the town’s name became Despatch
it has all of the charm of a rural town.
The Brick Chimney, built in 1882, can still be viewed standing majestically in a field on the outskirts of the town, alongside the railway track. Despatch currently has a resident population of 30 000.
Like Uitenhage it can boast some famous Sports Persons like, Charl Matthys, Dannie Gerber, Andri Geldenhuys and Rudi Koertzen.
An Algoasaurus Sauropod Dinosaur was found in Despatch in 1903 and is now housed at Bayworld, Port Elizabeth.
An initiative of the "Friends of Despatch" finally brought about the recently-opened Despatch Museum. The interior boasts a mini model of the dinosaur, which was discovered in Despatch in 1903.
Photo © Alex Cummings 'Bridge over the Swartkops'
The old road from Uitenhage to Port Elizabeth runs past Transnent over a hill and back down crossing the Swartkops River at via this bridge. Below is the river as it meanders to the sea at Amsterdamhoek.
Photo ©Alex Cummings 2011 'Swartkops River at Despatch' click for larger image
Above is the Swartkops river which
flows under the previous view of the bridge leaving Despatch and heading
for Redhouse.
Unfortunately the water at both sides of this bridge is prone to
blocking with water hyacinths which are only cleared when the river
floods.
Please help We need information about Despatch to complete this page Please Contact us
Addo Elephant Park
The Park over the years has expanded as has the number and variety of game to be seen, at one time visitors could only view the Elephants from specific viewing areas and were separated from them by a specially designed fence. That is long gone and visitors can now drive right beside the Elephants. There is a variety of other game in the park but patience is required to spot these as they are free to roam the vast area of the park. It also now reaches right to the coast at woody point.
If you have gone to the Addo Elephant Park then while in that area take a drive to Sunlands and the Sundays River Valley.
Photo © Alex Cummings Addo Elephants
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