Die Tonteldoosreeks / The
Tonteldoos Series.
This is the First cache in the
'Tondeldoos' Series of 18. You may
attempt cache finds in any order.
Throughout
South Africa - our ‘Land of Milk and Honey’, 18
Tinderboxes have been hidden. In every one you will find a clue
that you need to collect. During the Easter weekend of 2009, a
code-deciphering key based on these clues will lead you to the
coordinates of the 19th and final Great Cache.
This series were inspired by Afrikaans-speaking Geocachers who wanted to share some of their
personal history through geocaching.
A more comprehensive
description of the theme for the series can be found in the cache
itself as well as here.
_._._._
Hierdie is die
Eerste skat in die Tonteldoosreeks van 18. Die skatte kan in enige
volgorde gesoek word
.
Regdeur
Suid-Afrika - ons
‘Land van Melk en Heuning’ is daar
18 tonteldose weggesteek. Vannuit
elkeen van hierdie Tonteldose moet jy ‘n
leidraad versamel. Gedurende die
Paasnaweek 2009 sal daar ‘n
kode vrygestel word wat al
18 die leidrade gebruik om jou na die koördinate van die finale 19de Groot Skat te
lei.Hierdie reeks was geïnspireer deur
Afrikaans sprekende Geocachers wat
iets van die Afrikaner geskiedenis wil
deel.
Die
volledige beskrywing van die tonteldoos-tema kan binne-in die
Tonteldoos gelees word en ook hier.
THE Beginning:
Die Groot
Trek (The Great Trek) was an eastward and north-eastward migration
during the 1830s and 1840s of the segment of Afrikaners (known as
Boers or Boere (Dutch/Afrikaans for
"farmers"). The Voortrekkers mainly
came from the farming community of the Eastern Cape.
The reasons for the mass emigration from
the Cape Colony have been much discussed over the years. Afrikaner
historiography has emphasized the hardships endured by the frontier
farmers which have they blamed on British policies of pacifying the
Xhosa tribes. Other historians have emphasized the harshness of the
life in the Eastern Cape (which suffered one of its regular periods
of drought in the early 1830s) compared to the attractions of the
fertile country of Natal, the Orange Free State and the Transvaal.
Growing land shortages has also been cited as a contributing
factor. The true reasons were obviously very complex and certainly
consisted of both "push" factors (including the general
dissatisfaction of life under British rule) and "pull" factors
(including the desire for a better life in better
country.)
The Voortrekkers were mainly of Trekboer (migrating farmer) descent living in the
eastern frontiers of the Cape. Hence, their ancestors had long
established a semi-nomadic existence of trekking into expanding
frontiers. A contingent of Voortrekkers
migrated into Natal and negotiated a land treaty with the Zulu King
Dingane. Upon reconsideration,
Dingaan double crossed the Voortrekkers,killing their leader
Piet
Retief along with half of the Voortrekker settlers who had followed them to
Natal.
Andries Pretorius filled the leadership
vacuum hoping to enter into negotiations for peace if Dingaan would restore the land he had granted to
Retief. When Dingaan sent around twelve
thousand Zulu warriors (impis) to
attack the local contingent of Voortrekkers in response, the Voortrekkers defended themselves at a battle at
Nacome River (called the Battle of
Blood River) on 16 December 1838 where the vastly outnumbered
Voortrekker contingent defeated the
Zulu impis (warriors). This date has
hence been known as the "Day of the Vow" as the Voortrekkers made a vow to God that they would
honor the date if He were to deliver
them from what they viewed as almost insurmountable odds. It is
still a public holiday, but the name was changed to the Day of
Reconciliation by the post-apartheid ANC government, in order to
foster reconciliation between all South Africans.
The victory of the besieged Voortrekkers at Nacome
River was considered a turning point. The Natalia Republic was set
up in 1839 but was annexed by Britain in 1843 whereupon most of the
local Boers trekked north joining other Voortrekkers who had established themselves in the
region.
The discovery of diamonds in 1867 near
the Vaal River, some 550 miles northeast of Capetown, ended the isolation of the Boers in the
interior and changed South African history. This led up to the
clashes that followed between the Afrikaner (Boer) and the English
called the Anglo Boer War I (Dec 1880 - March 1881) and Anglo Boer
War II (October 1899 - May 1902)
Source :
Wikipedia
The Geocache
This cache of the Tondeldoos series is considered to be placed the
area where the Afrikaner Boer/ Voortrekker history started, so it is appropriately
the first cache in the series. The cache is placed at the Piet
Retief Memorial situated on the original farm own by Piet Retief,
“Strandfontein” in
Summerstrand, along Marine Drive Port Elizabeth. The Memorial was
build to celebrate the centenary of the Great Trek.
Not recommended to attempt this cache between 4pm to +- 6pm as
plenty muggles leaves work during this periode, which makes it very
difficult to retrieve without being seen.
