M2KB #3: St James Walkway - The Spring – Redux!
This is the 3rd 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
GCBFCPP M2KB #3: St James Walkway - The Spring - Redux!
GC8349J M2KB #4: St James Walkway - Ferocious Bush (archived)
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 is a direct replacement for GC8349J M2KB #3: St James Walkway - The Spring which was hidden on 1/2/19 and had to be archived on 16/10/24 after 114 finds – at the time I was marooned in the UK and not able to maintain it after several DNFs. So those who found it before can have a second bite at the cherry!
The cache, a small camo-taped plastic pot, is hidden on the railway side of this walkway, not far from an access subway which exits adjacent to one of the few permanent water sources in the Cape Peninsula. For more information on the walkway, including useful tips and links, see GC8349F M2KB #2: St James Walkway - Subway.
To reach the cache location: a) By road: park at the Surfer’s Corner parking area, anywhere conveniently close to the start of the walkway, which is @ S 34 6.599 E 18 28.078. Then follow the walkway south to the cache location, passing the location of GC82N4H M2KB #1: Bailey's Cottage Short Multi and GC8349F M2KB #2: St James Walkway - Subway along the way.
b) By rail: take the train to Muizenberg Station, exit the station on the seaward side @ S 34 6.568 E 18 28.087 either directly or via the subway (depending on the direction of arrival) into the Surfer’s Corner parking area, then continue as above.
c) If doing individually, as a Park ‘n’ Grab: park in the lay-by on the main road (M4) @ S 34 6.977 E 18 27.708, then make your way the short distance south to the walkway subway passing under the railway to the walkway and then a short distance north to the cache location.
The St James Spring @ S 34 6.978 E 18 27.698 has been built up with two outlet pipes ‘housed’ in a structure resembling a braai chimney! It is used by local residents and others travelling from further afield to supplement their drinking water supplies.
It became particularly busy during the worst period of the drought, which affected Cape Town and southern South Africa in summer 2018. But even since water restrictions were eased, people can often be seen filling bottles and jerrycans with the clean and ‘free’ water! It has become part of many folks' daily (or weekly) routine.
The spring is fed by a combination of stormwater and various mountain springs. City authorities have advised that, mainly because of the stormwater content (and unlike the Newlands Spring further north) the water is not potable (fit for drinking) as they cannot guarantee that testing is adequate to confirm this. Some tests have revealed high levels of E.coli contamination in samples from the spring. Despite this, some water collectors say they still collect the water as they have come to like the taste.
In the past some collected additional water as they found it hard to stay within the 50L per day limit imposed during the height of the drought. More recently, others find that they are able to save a little on their water bills, especially after recent significant tariff increases and a surcharge imposed as a result of the drought. Another enterprising person has collected and used it for washing cars in Muizenberg.
The spring which feeds this outlet is colloquially known as the Corriemar Springs, although, as noted historical books author Michael Walker of the Kalk Bay Historic Association points out, the water is actually a perennial mountain stream. ‘The area is full of streams, sometimes seasonal. Many homes draw their borehole water from this fresh underground water’. This spring was made famous by Captain Gentry, a councillor of the Kalk Bay Muizenberg Municipality (1911-1913) and thereafter of the City Council of Cape Town until 1933.
His association with the St James Hotel was (according to Mr Walker) legendary. He was connected with the hotel for over 23 years until his death in July 1938.
He would personally collect what he referred to as the white water from streams and serve this to the hotel guests. The pure water from the mountain streams deeply impressed the guests.
‘The water has been through all the sand and nature’s finest filtration system, and today it is the same’ which cannot be said for tap water anymore.
It was traditionally used to water the horses, although being perfectly pure was just as good for human consumption. The house where this spring water catchment is, was built by Mr Garlicks, who asked his stone masons to incorporate the trough specifically for the use of the horses and passers-by.
At S 34 7.018 E 18 27.646, some 125m south along Main Road and built into the wall, is another spring, locally known as the Watergate. It is from the same water source but exits through a different outlet.
The City of Cape Town has some 70+ springs, however, many have unsuitably high alkali levels. It abstracts 3.2 million L/day of potable water from the Albion spring in Newlands and a further 1.6 ML/day from the Oranjezicht Main Springs Chamber.