Wolhuter's Hut Mystery Cache

This cache has been archived.

Bouts777: Unfortunately I have to archive this cache as the hiding place is not viable anymore.

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Hidden : 2/17/2009
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size: small (small)

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Geocache Description:

Turn of the tar road onto gravel for 200m for this roadside cache at old building ruins.

Pretoriuskop Rest Camp is known as the first tourist accommodation in the Kruger National Park. This camp was originally known as Wolhuter's Hut, named after Harry Wolhuter, the first game ranger of the then Sabie Game Reserve.

After the war, the newly appointed Warden of the Sabie Game Reserve, major James Stevenson-Hamilton, offered Harry Wolhuter the post of ranger. He chose Pretoriuskop as his section of the reserve and acquired the Swazi name Lindanda. The name is derived from "lihiya", a type of loincloth worn by the Swazi people, and which Wolhuter himself was fond of wearing.

One of Kruger Park’s most famous stories is the 1904 saga of Harry Wolhuter who was riding on horseback along what is today the Lindanda Road (S35), when two lions attacked him shortly after nightfall and dragged him into the bushes. He killed one with his knife and manage to escape and, although heavily wounded, and with the help of fellow rangers, got to Barberton hospital where he made a full recovery.

It was only in 1928 that the provision of amenities for tourists commenced with sincerity. The first three so-called “rest huts” were built at Satara, Pretoriuskop and Skukuza from 1929. All the rondavels that were built during that time were according to the so-called “?” construction style (which can currently still be seen in Balule camp). These “?” huts rapidly enticed criticism as they were too cold in winter, too dark as a result of lack of windows and also because people could peep in through the holes in the door. They also provided easy access to mosquitoes! From 1930, all new rondavels were provided with windows.

Today, Pretoriuskop is the park's fifth largest rest camp accommodating nearly 350 guests in 145 huts and has ample camping space as well as place for day visitors.

An interesting feature of Pretoriuskop is that it is the only camp allowed to break the park's rigid "indigenous-trees-only" rule. In the days before Kruger's complex set of rules and regulations were established, Pretoriuskop was part of the local ranger's garden. The red flamboyants and purple bougainvilleas he introduced bloomed so proudly that modern-day rangers believe they should remain in place for the sake of history and nostalgia.

You can do the cache either from entering or leaving the Park.

If you are entering the park via Numbi Gate, then treat this cache as a mystery, and find the answers here (visit link)
Before entering the gate, you may find and log the cache, but please also visit the hut inside the Pretoriuskop camp area, and enjoy learning a bit about the history of the area.

The cache is hidden at the following co-ordinates:
S25°09.22?
E31°11.4?3

To work out the "?" you need to find out (either by visiting the hut or the link given above) what construction style was used to build these huts. The numeral value of the second (2) letter of this five letter word plus 3 will give you "?".

The container was used at the cache Pretoriuskop Pool area before all caches in the Park were archived. Thank you Daan & Zena Smit.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Haqre byq oevpxf.

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)


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