This cache will take you to a spot in the Cape Recife nature reserve that will afford you a great view. When at the cache, if you look towards the East, you will see one of the three Fortress Observation Posts (FOPs) that are placed in the Port Elizabeth area. These FOPs were built in 1940 at the beginning of the Second World War.
At the time of the construction of the buildings they were covered with the typical Eastern Cape coastal bush. As a result, it was decided to incorporate into the designs of the more prominent structures a curvy, free-form profile of parapets, angle buttresses and 'fins' to break up the square, box-like shape of these buildings when seen from the sea against the background of the bush. This curvy profile extended to the flat roofs, projecting floor slabs and even the concrete paths leading to the FOPs, so that the view of these structures from the air would be similarly disguised. In addition, the parapets around the flat roofs of the FOPs were loopholed for close defence by small arms.
Fortunately for Port Elizabeth, these defences were not put to the test as, apart from a couple of incidents during the Second World War, when it was found necessary to put a round from one of the guns across the bows of a suspicious ship, and the usual practice sessions, the battery did not fire a shot. However, the deterrent effect of the presence of the artillery defences should not be underestimated.
This military site at Seahill is safeguarded within the Cape Recife Nature Reserve. The FOP has been repaired, and a timber ramp for access to the flat roof has been provided by the Parks and Recreation Department as a viewpoint feature of its walking trail
Entrance to the Cape Recife Nature Reserve is free if you are visiting SAMREC or if you enter by foot. Otherwise an entry permit can be purchased from the reception at Pine Lodge.
The path to the cache takes a sharp zig-zag just by the building at the top of the hill. It may be a bit overgrown for a metre or two but after that there is a relatively clear path to GZ.
Please do not add 'swag' to the container - not even small cards or stickers - there is no room for that. Make sure that the cache container is properly sealed and the laminated slip with the puzzle clues has not been lost.
Please note that this cache forms part of a set including:
GC2P4XY - Concrete Camouflage - Cape Recife
GC2P50W - Concrete Camouflage - Amsterdam Hoek
GC2P513 - Concrete Camouflage - Skoenmakerskop
and the mystery cache: GC2P371 - Concrete Camouflage
The information for this cache listing was obtained from research performed by Richard Tomlinson and published in an article titled: Artillery Buildings in Algoa Bay.