I have blogged before about one of Jozi’s best kept secrets – Nirox Sculpture Park out in the Cradle … http://lizatlancaster.co.za/blog/76 and http://lizatlancaster.co.za/blog/taking-cultural-symbols-out-of-context-nirox-sculpture-park , and now there is another opportunity to go out and experience this gem of a parkland. Do yourselves a favour and make a trip out there to see Eric Pladevall’s massive sculptures in his [...]

After a week way to busy with SPRING FEVER of maintenance here at Liz at Lancaster (watch this space), I woke up a bit late to the amazing events surrounding  SA’s first architecture mega-event AZA 2010 which runs in Johannesburg from September 21 to 28. Intending to bring architecture back to the public domain there is both [...]

Two Australian guests staying here at Liz at Lancaster were determined to see Soccer City and to experience a local game. The Chiefs/Pirates match on Saturday night gave them the perfect opportunity.  They booked their tickets and set off to Soweto, Richard supporting the Chiefs and Pippa wearing a Pirates bandanna.  I was green with envy [...]

12 Decades Johannesburg Art Hotel is a new developments in the eastern part of downtown Joburg, an area often avoided by  tourists. Kate Els in her article in Tourismupdate.co.za  writes: 
Engaging with local artists who mainly operate in the surrounding precinct, the developers of the hotel asked different artists to each design a room that would reflect a [...]

11th sept: Visit Cooper’s Cave situated 1.2km from the famous Sterkfontein Caves near Johannesburg,  a relatively new excavation site where several species of animals and a number of stone tools have been found. Activities on offer for the morning include an interactive fossil and site talk, cave exploration and fossil finding, and an opportunity to [...]

 Rich flame orange sunsets, the deep roar of a lion at night, an elephant in the reeded river bed below the deck outside my tent, showering al fresco under the warm midday African sun, making out the constellation of Scorpio with the help of Brian’s laser beam (Brian was the chief ranger for our stay), [...]

This week’s pick by Adrian of Fifty Two:  Bohemian and Burlesque Genre: Theatre of DreamsWhat: Get into character and dress to the extreme – the more outrageous, enchanting, intriguing – the better. This is Madame Zingara and anything goes. Well known for their uniqueness in staging a captivating cirque, a fine show, a feast to [...]

Best thing to do this week: Email Adi to get onto his list:  Adrian@fiftytwo.co.za Here is his suggestion for Week  29 of 2010
Genre: Rough it – Relax it What: On a clear day you can see (from most good vantage points in Joburg) the Magaliesberg Mountain range – stretching for 120km from Bronkhorstspruit to Rustenburg. Amongst this [...]

There is increasing public art in all sorts of unexpected places in Jozi. And now we even have long needed art tours. This surely marks our coming of age. See http://www.jhblive.com/kultcha/features/joburg_city_art_tours/46212 for more on these tours.

SA’s SWC stadia stun the world   From Sport24  12th July 2010
South Africa’s Soccer World Cup stadiums have stunned the globe’s largest sporting audience with audacious style although critics say a developing country can ill afford such extravagance and some will be white elephants.  When South Africa won the right to stage the tournament six years [...]