This cache is in a medium/ small container with a logbook and pencil. Park next to the dam wall and follow the path to the viewpoint overlooking the majesty of the dam.
In 1965, construction began (see image) on what would eventually become the largest dam in South Africa, completed in 1971. Originally named Ruigte Valley Dam before construction started, it underwent subsequent renamings, including the Hendrik Verwoerd Dam at its completion, before finally adopting the Khoi name, Gariep (meaning 'Great Water' or 'Big River') Dam, in 1996. Rising gracefully from the landscape, the dam features a double convex arch, 88 meters high and 914 meters long, crafted with a staggering 1.92 million cubic meters of concrete. The dam wall rests upon a robust geological slab of ironstone, with its egg-shaped curvature deftly dispersing the water's immense pressure.
The Gariep Dam has an approximate “100% full” storage capacity of 5.34 trillion liters (5,340,000,000,000 liters) of water. This monumental undertaking was part of the Orange River Project, which had a budget of R300 million during the dam's construction. Facing various water levels, the Gariep Dam experienced torrents overflowing, reaching a peak of 129% briefly in 1988. In contrast, officials recorded the dam's lowest level at 19%, barely five years later.
Towns like Gariep and Oviston, now popular tourist destinations, were established in the 1960s to accommodate the dam’s builders. The dam's 430km shoreline is bordered by provincial nature reserves, providing sanctuary to wildlife. However, unlike one of Africa's other largest dams, the Kariba Dam, Gariep's frigidly low water temperatures, averaging 9°C in winter and 12°C in summer, deter hippos and crocodiles from living in the dam.
Hidden passages and staircases within the dam wall span 13 kilometers in total, leading intrepid explorers to its depths and even to a small venue where events, concerts, and even a sheep auction have been held. The Roberts Splitters, engineered by Lieutenant-Colonel DF Roberts in 1936, emerge as a critical feature at the dam’s spillway. These dark "teeth" over the dam’s wall, preventing erosion, has become popular in dam construction worldwide. The dam and dam wall stand as a division between the Free State and Eastern Cape, both palpable in height, mere meters apart, yet separated by the vast depths of earth and water.