Molerat Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

PieterM: I was informed by the reserve manager that geocaching is not allowed in the reseve anymore.

More
Hidden : 6/2/2012
Difficulty:
1 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: regular (regular)

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:

Bracken Nature Reserve is a 36 hectare protected land in the suburb of Brackenfell.

The focal point of the Bracken Nature Reserve is undoubtedly the granite hill known as Kanonkop. This hill was first called Duyvenheuwel and later also known as Kanonberg. In 1888 Andries Brink bought the farm ” Kruispad” and in July 1901 sold part of his farm, south of the railway station, to George Henry Walton. Walton emigrated from Yorkshire to Cape Town in 1873 and named his part of the farm "Bracken Fell". During the period after 1759 this hill was used for the placement of a "six-pound caliber" signal canon used for military purposes to summon soldiers to arms when there were a threat. It was also fired to let the farmers in the district know when ships wanting to buy their produce arrived in Table Bay. It was last fired in January 1806 during the second British takeover of the Cape. The signaling system became obsolete after that, and the canon was abandoned. One day Andries Brink and his friend Piet Morkel found the canon while riding on horseback. Not interested himself, he offered it to Morkel, who took it to Bellevue where it is still on display on the farm managed now by the fifth generation of Morkels.

Granite rock was quarried for building stones and pavements from the 1880’s until about 1950. When the quarry closed it became a waste disposal site for the northern suburbs until the early 2000’s when it was closed and capped. When it became evident in 1948 that the Cape Town City Council Quarry would only be operating for a few more years, the possibility of Kanonkop as a nature reserve was discussed by a small group of residents. A few years later the Civic Association commenced negotiations with the Divisional Council of Stellenbosch to have Kanonkop and all the land of the Cape Town City Council around it, declared a nature reserve for Brackenfell. It was largely due to the perseverance of an A. Pretorius that the proclamation fo the Brackenfell nature reserve on Kanonkop became reality. The old fire station area has been incorporated into the nature reserve as well.

Even though the nature reserve is very disturbed, this 30 hectare site is rich in Cape Flats Sand Fynbos and Swartland Renosterveld vegetation. At the reserve and a nearby hill called Perdekop, more than 160 different indigenous plant species have been found. Four of these are only found in Cape Town and four are threatened with extinction.

The city has decided to rehabilitate the waste disposal site by covering it with soil and planting indigenous plants.
There are long term plans to redevelop this area to establish attractions such as a coffee shop, wine boutique and an indigenous nursery etc

You can enter the reserve at S33 52.698 E018 42.505 where you will have to sign the book and get a permit. Entrance is free.

The reserve is open everyday from 07h30 until 16h00.

Please take care not to damage the vegetation and please hide the cache so that it cannot be seen. Beware of the security muggles patrolling the area.

(visit link)

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Oruvaq gur fghzc.

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