I have a very special spot in my heart for the Gamtoos Valley. The Gamtoos River Valley is a vibrant mix of nature, agriculture and cultural influences with plenty to see and explore along this diverse route. Citrus fruit grown in the area is the main form of export and other crops include potatoes, vegetables, tobacco and even avocados. The Gamtoos Valley is often referred to as the food basket of the Eastern Cape.
The main town in the valley is Patensie. Patensie is the last stop before entering the Baviaanskloof Wilderness area and is guarded by the majestic Cockscomb mountain.
In 1876 the farm "Patentie" of 3000 morgen was awarded to David Keyser jnr. In 1852 the farm was sud-divided and in 1858 Patensie was declared a town. The name Patensie has a Hottentot origin and means "lêplek van die beeste" (where the cattle lie). At first, because all of Patensie was privately owned, town development was difficult and the Citrus and Tobacco co-ops had to develop their own residential areas.
The first oranges were exported in 1907 by Mr Bean and in 1929 the Patensie Citrus Co-op. was founded. The first packing facility was built in 1937. The Co-op is today known as the PSB company and is the biggest citrus packing facility in the area. The PSB packhouse is situated right across the road from the cache location. Export citrus is the main crop of the Patensie area and the season runs from April to October.
The narrow guage railline which was extended from Loerie to Patensie in 1914, the improvement of access roads and the construction of the Kouga dam in the sixties, sped up the development of Patensie through the stimulation of agriculture and supporting industries.
Despite the ever present threat of flooding, the community is thriving and apart from citrus, vegetables, chichory and tobacco are also planted. Game farming is growing into a lucrative business and the area is fast becoming a big tourist attraction.
Please use a fair degree of stealth when looking for this cache as its on the main road through the town and often have town folk and visitors passing by
FTF goes to macrambo