2006/09/22 Long weekend away camping at Glengarry

I organised to get off work early under the guise of going to court, so i ducked the office at 10:45 already to drop off the cats and come home to pack.
With everything sorted Sam and i left for Glengarry at about 15:00 the trip about 180km via Howick, Rosetta and our final destination.

On the way to Glengarry we stopped at the Mandela monument where Nelson Mandela was finally arrested after been on the run for several months. Here Sam and i decided to Hide a micro cache for people to find and learn about this historic site. GCYF79 Mandelas last moments of freedom. We wanted to hide a cache here for a long time and fortunatly for us we did as another cacher Noddy was going to do the same and almost did stop but decided against it, and as luck would have it we were going camping with them.


Arriving at the campsite we drove to where we thought the guys were camping but could not find them, unbeknown to us there was another site, we eventually found them and started to set up our tent and settled in for the evening. It was a warm late afternoon and i had forgoten to put ice in the cooler so all we had was warm beer, not good i tell you, fortunatly Rodney had some ice in his cooler. We got the fire going, sat around the fire and drank some wine and beer.

The Saturday morning was spent chasing after sheep, having lunch before going to Highmoor nature reserve for a little walk or so i thought. Having forgotten to pack the right shoes i was so proud of Sam because she had to walk in her sandles, as it is she does not really like walking all that much but she does it partly also because she knows i like hiking, she soon tell's me when she has had enough. On the walk you pass 3 lovely trout fishing dams, so if you like fishing this seems like a good place to come fishing.

We stopped a short while past the 3rd dam and turned around to wait for the others at the 2nd dam.

This is the point where we turned around, note in the back ground you can see Giants castle if you look carefully you can see his head nose and chin leading down to his body on the right.
We walked back to the 3rd dam where we decided to rest awhile ans soak our feet in the water.

It's here that i decided to have a swim, all i can say the water was cold, ice cold, and that with no cloths on. It's a funny thing i love taking my cloths off in the Drakensburg, i suppose it's a sence of freedom out in the open with no one around, well so i thought as i got into the water this elderly couple walked past and the old man stopped to take photos of flowers or something with me stuck in the water and starting to lose feeling in legs, i could only manage to go waist deep, the water was just too cold, but fun non the less.
Having done that which made me feel so much more refreshed we continued out journey back to the 2nd dam to wait for the others taking photos of flowers ourselves. It's lovely walking in the Drakensburg so peacefull, quiet and enjoying the nature around you. It was an extremely hot day and i dont recomend taking beer along as refreshments, water is the only substence you need. Arriving back at the 2nd dam there were a couple of people trout fishing and it seemed like a whole lot of fun, and very relaxing, i like the boat thingy people get into to go onto the dam.

Just one of the many types of wild flowers growing in the burg as the Drakensburg is affecinatly known. When the others finally met up with us we headed back for where the car was parked, just before arriving at the cars Rodney and i placed a cache near a waterfall for people to find.

GCYF8F Rock with a view nice location well hidden no one will find it by accident.


The cache owner sitting by his cache location.
I need to finish this blog so i'm gonna try this now.
We hid the cache in a very secure spot and to date it has still not been found(2006-12-02) it will be awhile before anybody finds it.

After we placed the cache we all headed back to camp for a afternoon of wine,song, 30 sec's and Rodney's folks. All i can say Rodneys dad put up abit of a protest but in the end they enjoyed it, i cant remember who won, wait let me think no one cause we never got to finish the game.
That night we decided to because Rodney , Lee and her hubby are into golf we thought we would play night golf 1 hole only. All i can say it was a whole lot of fun, a golf ball with a glow
stick inside it that glows red, 1 sand wedge btw us, plenty of longer glow sticks and of course alcohol, a very interesting combination.

North Coast Caching Trip
2006/08/19




This was a late decision to go caching up the north coast of South Africa, we decided to go on Friday night primarily because we were after a UK coin that had eluded us and of course 2 FTF's. We decided to do 4 locations only as they were not to far away well if you call a 300km round trip not far away then i suppose it's not far.

We left Durban at about 10:00 for Balito and Time for Tea GCXNA6 , we arrived at The Waterberry tea garden and as we walked into the shop our sences were filled with the most delectable aroma, we had a look round and then went to find the cache, which was located outside under a tree trunk, easy find, the cache was filled with tea time goddies and 2 TB's and a coin. We took Patla Patla TB signed the log anddescovered we were not the first people to have found the cache (bummer) went in to have coffee and scones and what lovely scones they were.

From here we left for the Flagfarm Animal Farm E-I-E-I-O GCXNA9, as we arrived at the farm we were greeted by a couple of bunnies not really to friendly but they let you get close enough. We almost payed the entrance fee to get in when i decided to check the location first and found we had parked 190m to far and that the cache was not in the farm but just outside (phew saved a couple of pennies). This cache was abit of a rescue mission as the Rabbid Rooster TB which is taking part in a race needed to come back to Durban as one of the madatory pitstops was there. This cache was another easy find and was filled with goddies so we swapped a cat and placed some scrapbooking cows into the container, the cache was hidden again and off we left for the next cache. It was decided that we would come back to visit the cache location when we had kids of our own to show around.

Next cache location was the the Amatikulu nature reserve. Amatikulu GCX768

We arrived at the gate and reception only to find that it was locked up and we later found out they were on lunch, we drove in anyway and were not sure where to go so we drove around following the gps needle until we found our way. We arrived at the picnic site and discovered we were the only people there, so we quickly looked for the cache and found it, we took the UK coin, the Mosquito TB (dont ask) and removed a knife that does not belong in a cache, we dropped off two decor stamps. Now by this time a local had paddled from acros the river to greet us which we found out worked there and hires out the paddle boats R60 for the day not bad at all. We had another problem though how were we going to replace the cache with him hovering around. I know i said "you get him to stand here and talk to him while i dash to replace the cache"which is what we did, worked like a charm.

picnic areaaint this a lovely coin

This place is really beautiful, the picnic site's are lovely, under trees, close to the ocean. There is also a 6km 4x4 track which we want to come back and do in our LADA. From here we left for the Raphia palm monument

The cache was about 23km further north, we arrived at the RAPHIA PALM GCMJN7 which is a beautiful walkway covered by the raphia palm's and other trees. The palms have long stems with long leaves and are really pretty. This cache was a little confusing as we did not know where the begining or end was, because the co-ords were very out about 150m, we eventually found it but was dissapointed with the contents as this seemed to be a poorly maintained cache. We did rescue sponge bob square pants from certain bordom and will bring him back to Durban.

We left The Raphia Palm's and headed back to Durban stopping of at the BP garage for some Wilkd Bean coffee very good coffee i might add. We arrived home around 17:00 having travelled about 300km. A good day was had by Sam and i and cant wait to go caching again soooon.

Sunday 2006/07/30

South Coast Meander Caching Day

Sam and i meet Whostops, his 2 kids and Part 2 of QFC In Pinetown shortly after 09:00 after haveing been at church teaching Sunday school. We left straight away for the south coast, fortunately for us Whostops had his Peugot 407 with him which made the trip comfortable, with this huge sunroof that retracts the whole length of the roof.

First stop was Sanlameer a lovely coastal town where many of our up country people come visit whilst they are on holiday. Sanlameer GCKQ78, the cache was nothing special. It was in a little cave about 3x3 m with the cache hidden right at the back behind some rocks. The cache contained the usual cache goddies. As we were arriving at the cache my wife Sam had a small mishap with a rock, she took a step and then there was nothing and hit the dirt bashing her leg, chin,elbow and whatever else made contact with the rocks.

TIM, BRANDON, SAM SANLAMEER CACHE

From here we went to SKI BOAT CLUB GCV95H not a bad one also situated along the beach the co-ords were out by abiut 7m so it made looking for the cache that much more chalenging with all the vegitation, rocks and grass. There were 5 of us looking for it so it did not take long for someone to locate it. A Micro hidden somewhere with a 7m difference not easy.

WHOSTOPS,STEPH,BRANDON,BATS,SQUIRREL

Next stop would be THE WAFFEL HOUSE (GCV8C6) which is a multi cache and you get to eat the best waffels i have ever tasted. On arrival at the cache we sat down at the table and proceeded to order, when all of a sudden Jeremy dropped the vinal blind with a craching abng that had everybody jumping in there seats and probably swearing us, but hey who cares we were having fun. Whostops found the cache and brought it to us and Brandon and i had to find the location and hide it so abit of reverse caching took place.

THE WAFFEL HOUSE.

Next stop ORIBI GORGE (GCV95D) Now this is another one of those fab caches in a sprctacular setting mixed with abit of an adrenilan rushdone with good company. Yes this is gorge swining nothing to hecktic but good clean fun. The cache is set down a rocky path covered in a green canopy of trees, the cache contained some worthwhile goodies but even if it did not the venue more than makes up for it. After finding the cache we stopped off where they do the gorge swinging to enjoy a beer and look and some people swing. I was not to happy with the price and thought one can do alot more exciting thigs with R350 like caching.

Next stop was Sophia,Nadia and Juanita's Food for Thought (GCRRN9) NOW THIS WAS A BUGGER TO FIND. It wasa nowhere near the posted co-ords but 100m away. We looked for over 30min behind every aloe tree and could not find it eventually we gave up and were leaving when Sam said lets just check this last one and low and behold there it was . It turns out somebody had moved it why i dont know but the main thing is we found it.

The cache was really dissapointing and we let the owner know who was not overly concerned as he has not found one cache and only hidden one in about 8 months, dont know why people like this play.

Caching in the Midlands for the day
2006/07/17









Leaving early on Sunday morning we travelled first to Hillrest to do Sewer View (GCX20F), bit of a odd place to put a cache, but the short drive up to the cache was pleasent, found it rather quickly thanks to Noddy who was there the day before and left tyre and foot prints leading right up to the cache, so the find was quick and easy.
Nothing exciting in the cache and not entirly sure why the cache was placed there.











Then it was off to the Midlands for 3 caches, hopefully 2 FTF's. Turnng of the N3 towards Dargnel and the Lavender Co we came across the place where Nelson Mandela was arrested, which gave me the idea for a neat micro (hmmmm).

For along time now i've been wanting to see this place and it was not a dissapointment.










So off we went to the Lavender Co (GCG7AP).
Lovely place to visit all the different smells confuses the nose. Set in the country side away from the main road makes for a quiet visit.

Once there the owners have to be cosulted who will bring the cache to you. We dropped off a TB sighned the log, bought some Lavender and off we went in search of something to eat.



Sam always wanted to ride a tractor



















The pit stop










the Lavender Co








Leaving the lavender Co we joined the R103 and set forth to find food, finding a delightful place, cannot remember what it was called though, we stopped ordered food and i went walk about to take some photos. The food was good, portions small and well the price large.
Leaving with our tummies full we set off to tackel Happy hill (GCX4A2). As we arrived at the location it turned out to be a guest house, after announcing ourselfes to the owner we set off looking for the cache somewhere near a fence.

Walking across a field we got to the spot at zero meters only to find ourselfs in the middle of the field and no cache. We realised that the co-ords were out and set off looking under every tree,log leaves along the fence until we found it, thank goodness, our FTF for the day. The cache itself was nothing special but the location was lovely, which is what it really is all about seeing this lovely country of ours. We dropped off a TB here and left for the next cache, That been Waterbend (GCX4A8).






Happy hill














Placing the TB
















90m to go or so we thought








Arriving at Waterbend it's funny to find it on the bend of a road and it's then that you realise where the name comes from. Set off the road which one would not easily see if travelling
from Durban to Nothingham. The cache is located by a smalish waterfall between some rocks and also here the co-ords were out but looking for the most likely spot we found it, Our second FTF for the day. We took some photos and off we went to Karkloof falls to do some investigating.









Waterbend






















Arriving at Howick we travelled towards the falls, turned off the main road and drove about 10km down this lovely gravel road set amoungst Sappie's plantations towards the falls. The fall's themselves are nothing short of spectacular, having had no plan to place a cache here it was decided on a inpromptue cache hidding. We hid a Micro cache with the intention of coming back to place a bigger container. After taking some photos we left for the trip home satisfied that we had, had a good day out caching.














Next trip South coast meander on the 30th July 2006