Black Holes Traditional Cache
Hidden : 1/31/2008
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
3.5 out of 5

Size: Size: small (small)

Join now to view geocache location details. It's free!

Watch

How Geocaching Works
Looking for a different adventure?

Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions in our disclaimer.

Geocache Description:

You've got to do this one!

When I was a kid, visiting this farm a bunch of us jumped on bakkies to come and see these 'holes'. Hopefully you can enjoy the same wonder as you marvel at these man-made features. The farm has since been abandoned and the land has open access.

History lesson:
The name “Indwe” is the Xhosa name for Blue Crane and as these beautiful birds frequent this valley, the settlement was named in honour of this National Icon. The village was founded in 1896 and had its origin in the discovery of coal. Although the coal was a low-grade quality, it was badly needed for the steam locomotives and the rapidly expanding railway network. Mining started in 1895 and the village was established to house the miners. The local coal industry continued until 1917 and then petered out. Small-scale mining continued until late 1946.

The annual output from mines at Molteno and Indwe reached a peak of 176 000 tons a year between 1900 and 1904.

In 2004 there were media reports of the mining being restored, but no action is evident.

Please take care as you visit these 3 abandoned mine shafts. They are very innocent-looking as you approach them.
A few decades ago, some farm kids returned to the farmhouse and told their Mom they'd been jumping on the 'trampoline'. That turned out to be the thick chicken wire(now rusted) covering the shafts!

To get there follow the waypoints for 4by4/bakkie route OR take a hike up the hill(steep climb approx 30mins) directly to the cache, then across the hilltop (easy level walk 10mins) to the shafts nearby.(SEE WAYPOINTS)

The cache is a 1litre container with regular caching items. A great bird's eye view over the entire town and dam beyond.

Warning: Recommended for kids, but hold onto them tight at the shafts and the cache!

Please rehide well.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Haqre n ebpx yrqtr dhvgr pybfr gb gur pyvss rqtr.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)

Advertising with Us