M2KB #9: The Old Tea Room?!
This is the 9th of a series of 10 caches on a wonderful coastal walk along the False Bay coast from Muizenberg to Kalk Bay (M2KB) - or vice-versa. The easiest way to do the whole series is to park at or near either station and get the train back from the other end (see train times here).
Otherwise the caches can be done in groups from and back to a convenient starting/parking place, or individually – several as park ‘n’ grabs.
The caches in the series are:
GC82N4H M2KB #1: Bailey's Cottage Short Multi
GC8349F M2KB #2: St James Walkway - Subway
GC8349J M2KB #3: St James Walkway - The Spring
GC8349J M2KB #4: St James Walkway - Ferocious Bush
GC8349K M2KB #5: St James Beach Short Multi
GC8349M M2KB #6: Danger Beach
GC8349Q M2KB #7: Metro and Mussels
GC8349V M2KB #8: Dalebrook Short Multi
GC8349W M2KB #9: The Old Tea Room?!
GC8349Z M2KB #10: Kalk Bay Short Multi
The cache, a small camo-taped tablet pot, is hidden a short distance from this long-established popular eating & drinking place which also houses public tidal pools.
To reach the cache location:
Park at any convenient spot close to the access subway @ S 34 07.560 E 18 27.004 just north of the station. Pass though this under the railway emerging into the restaurant. Turn right and head through and out of the restaurant to the cache location on the concrete walkway to Kalk Bay beach. This subway access remains open from 06h00-24h00 during summer months (September - May) and from 08h00-24h00 during the rest of the year. At other times the gate at the southern end of the subway is closed but a bell is available to call security to open the gate in line with an official agreement with the local Council which guarantees public access to the tidal pools within at all times.
The building dates from 1939 when it was built as a council-run ‘Tea Room’. It is a unique and interesting location - between the railway and the sea, flanked on 3-sides by rolling waves and nestled behind the walls of tidal pools.
The setting becomes even more spectacular in rough weather when crashing waves and spray batter the outside (and sometimes even the inside!) of the building. See the Gallery for some spectacular photos and see here for a short video of a distracting lunch!
After its humble origins it is now a famous, popular and bustling terraced restaurants/pubs complex with superb sea and mountain views.