Strandfontein Beach
The cache is hidden at the eastern end of the fishermen's parking area at Strandfontein beach. The parking area may be most easily accessed: a) coming from the west (Muizenberg) side through a gap in the protective fence adjacent to the toilet block @ S 34 05.644 E 18 31.105 or b) coming from the west (Macassar) side at the end of the fence @ S 34 05.579 E 18 31.399.
Note: Please be careful exiting and entering the highway as traffic passes by here at great speed. Also take care at the cache location which is next to the busy highway
Strandfontein beach is part of an over 15km length of gently sloping sandy beach stretching from Muizenberg at the west to Macassar to the east. Strandfontein Beach resort, some 3 km east of the cache location has the largest tidal pool in the southern hemisphere and is popular in the summer months when the sea temperature is (relatively) warm.
The beach is also popular with line fishermen (see short video) and the best conditions for fishing is when the south-easterly ('face') wind (the 'Cape Doctor') is blowing as this brings warmer surface water and enables smaller fish to feed which predators then follow. The wind is sometimes too strong to fish in, making it difficult to cast and blowing sand into the face, so in these conditions, fishermen wait for the wind to drop to more favourable levels.
The types of fish caught include dassie, kablejou (cob), white steenbras, geelbek, elf, galjoen, white stumpnose and grunter (see Gallery photos).
The dune area to the north of the R301 Baden Powell Drive which borders the Strandfontein water treatment works (and one of the best birding locations in the whole Cape Peninsula) just over the dunes to the north is home to a huge colony of kelp gulls which make their nests in small depressions on the surface of the sand. They rigorously guard their nests by dive-bombing any intruders.