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Into the Milkwoods Traditional Cache

Hidden : 1/6/2017
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
2.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   small (small)

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Geocache Description:


Into the Milkwoods

 The cache, a small, camo-taped tablet pot, is hidden just off the track leading down from Chapman's Peak Drive to the northern end of the spectacular long sandy Noordhoek Beach (aka Longbeach) in a lovely ancient milkwood forest.

The cache is hidden in recognition of the original cache in this area - Paddawan's GC22TMA Amongst Milkwoods hidden 09/01/2010 which was archived 08/01/2015 after some 29 finds.


Notes on parking: two waypoints are provided on different sides of the road:

a) north side: which allows you to approach from, turn around and return to the Noordhoek side if required, and if approaching from the Hout Bay side will enable you to park when the south side parking is full - which is often the case

b) south side: closer to the trailhead but only has space for 3 cars. Also, if approaching from the Noordhoek side, and it is full, you will be unable to turn around until you reach the parking at the top of Chapman's Peak Drive some 3km up the road.


White Milkwood (Sideroxylon inerme) is a low-growing, evergreen tree which rarely has a straight trunk. Its gnarled, sprawling branches often create impenetrable thickets that are home to a variety of wild life. Although also occurring inland, milkwoods are found mainly in dune forests along the coast from the Cape Peninsula to northern Zululand.

The small, yellow-green flowers have an unusual sour-smell (Jan-July) and are eaten by speckled mousebirds. The edible, juicy, purple black fruit (July-Jan) are enjoyed by birds, bats, monkeys, baboons and bush pigs. The milky latex after which it is named makes the leaves and bark unpalatable to grazing animals.

The very hard, heavy and strong wood was used in the past to build ships, bridges, mills and ploughs. It is very durable even when wet and it shrinks little with drying. In the past, the site of a farmyard was often determined by the presence of a milkwood. Their dense, umbrella-shaped crowns created a perfect 'roof' for the meat chests that pre-dated refrigerators.

Bark and roots have been used to cure broken bones, treat fevers, dispel bad dreams(!), and treat gall sickness in stock animals. Although not an endangered species, it is protected and may not be damaged, moved or felled.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Oruvaq ynetr ebpx arkg gb hccre fgneg bs gur obneqjnyx

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)