Reichenau Mill Restoration Project Traditional Cache
Reichenau Mill Restoration Project
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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in our disclaimer.
An active community project, beyond just restoration work on the mill, is currently being conducted at the Mission (by the same people comprising the Reichenau Mill Restoration Project). As such, please note that a fee of R30 per person is payable to tour the site. I would prefer that it was all for free, but the restoration work and upkeep comes at a price... so please be generous.
That said, on to the cache!
The Reichenau Mission was founded in 1886 as the first satellite station of the famous Mariannhill Mission near Durban. Built by Trappist Monks to be self-sufficient, the Mission originally comprised a school, mill, butchery, bakery, forge, store and farm. Although sadly neglected in the past, the Mission buildings (and more specifically the Mill) have recently been restored to some of their former glory as part of the Reichenau Mill Restoration Project.
The mill is the masterpiece of Brother Nirbard Streicher, the architect of Mariannhill. In 1987 a flood swept away the turbine house and severely damaged the turbine mechanism. This damage, in addition to the general disrepair of the entire main building, pretty much put paid to the mill. However, enter the Reichenau Mill Restoration Project and its passionate team of volunteers... . Visitors can now walk down the steep stairs behind the mill, to the foot of the waterfall, to see the newly restored turbine in action (a miracle of engineering, right down to the water lubricated mechanism).
***NOTE 1***: Please be aware of the dangers associated with the mill's water turbine!!! I have set the terrain rating to 3.5 as the turbine platform is not a suitable place for children. The machinery is big, incredibly powerful and NOT FENCED IN! Also, the hole for the turbine outflow is big enough for an adult to fall into, which would not be much fun while the system is running. When the turbine starts up there is an alarm given from a siren in the main building, but it is for the benefit of the mill staff - the sound of the waterfall can drown it out at the bottom of the stairs. That said, there is a large concrete platform with more than enough space for a number of people to stand on without approaching the turbine proper. Please be careful.
***NOTE 2***: Without giving the whole game away, let me state categorically that the cache is not inside the turbine itself or any of its moving parts. Focus your search on the other side of the big stone arch.
The Mission as a whole is celebrated in another cache of similar name, placed nearby.
The cache has been placed with the permission of the Project and community.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Lbh qb abg arrq gb tb guebhtu gur fgbar nepu. Ng gur obggbz bs gur fgnvef, ybbx "evtug" ng gur nepu.