History
Located on a campus in Stellenbosch, the school is on the banks of the Eerste River near the busy town centre.
Founded in 1866, it was established as a feeder school for a university which is in the vicinity. The school initiated a number of traditions to prepare boys for their careers and for being members of society. The school has an Old Boys society, with men attending the school including the likes of Jan Smuts, JBM Hertzog and DF Malan (all former politicians).
The school has produced many leaders in academics, culture, and sports. Instruction is bilingual and there are over 1200 boys in the school. Some subjects are offered in conjunction with its two sister schools nearby. Afrikaans- and English-speaking pupils study under one roof, but each language group is educated in separate classrooms and in his own mother tongue. The university also shares its sport and internet facilities with the school. Boys also have the option to attend the two boarding houses, Prima and Nova, which are home to both local and foreign learners.
A number of winter and summer sports are available as well as cultural societies and academics groups. The sport with the largest focus is rugby, not surprisingly with South Africa being the so-called "rugby country". The school has delivered around 50 Springboks, including former captain Paul Roos after whom the school was named. The school has a wide range of facilities including a library and two computer labs. Sports facilities include astro hockey fields, a fully flexed rugby stadium, an Olympic Waterpolo Aquatic Centre, tennis courts and a gym.
The Rhodes Scholarship was instituted in 1903 and is presented by the school annually to an ex-pupil, funding his studies at the University of Oxford. In 2002 a personal visit was made to the school by Nelson Mandela and the school has made a promise together with the former president to get the ball rolling for transformation in South African rugby. The school is currently preparing for its 150th year of existence, which will take place in 2015.
Stages
Stage 1 - S 33° 56.449 E 018° 51.761 How many icons do you find in the top two rows on this green sign? This gives you A
Stage 2 - S 33° 56.480 E 018° 51.708What is the year displayed on each of these pillars (at the bottom)? The sum of the numbers (for example 2+0+1+2) is B
Stage 3 - S 33° 56.492 E 018° 51.650How many letters are in the word in the bottom line on the right pillar? This gives you C
Stage 4 - S 33° 56.588 E 018° 51.630How many red, blue and yellow wood poles are there along the line where the concrete meets the grass, up to the PRG Centre? You need not go in to find the answer. Subtract 3 from this. This gives you D
Stage 5 - S 33° 56.604 E 018° 51.632 A stone's throw from previous stage. Add up the numbers in the "code" on this green and blue power box. The sum gives you E.
Final Coordinates
S 33° 5(A-2D).(B-17)(B-17)(A-D) E 18° 5(A-D-2C).EDD
The Cache
Note: Final is beside a river, which has been known to inhabit some strange folk. GPS signal may be a bit off under trees, but should be in hand in 5 minutes. Almost a regular-sized container.
If you attended Paul Roos or have any memories of the school, please share your experience of the cache and your memories! If you look for it on a Saturday, be sure to catch cheers from the crowd to the first team playing at Markotter.
Special thanks to Hesamati for spotting a loophole and giving advice on the clues to make the find more challenging.
Check if your coords are correct by clicking the button below and entering your guess!
