Geocaches around Piet Retief

 

<Piet Retief>
<Accommodation in Piet Retief>

<Bike rides from Piet Retief>

<Bushman painting gallery>


<Mabola cache>
<Logo cache>
<Bushman Paintings>
<Phallus cache>
<Luneberg Lonly Tree>
<Skurwerandjies>


Contents of Logo cache is sponsored by
Pumps and Transmission


Examples of paintings you can see at Bushman's Paintings Cache. Enter Busman's Paintings Gallery to see more and larger pictures.

Bushmen were the original inhabitants of Southern Africa. They lived in the valleys and in the caves of the cliffs for centuries before the arrival of present inhabitants. Their paintings in rock shelters has made them famous.


Team Gecko

Success at finding Eucalyptus cache


<Piet Retief>
<Accommodation>
<Top>

Goliath's Foot

Phallus

 

 

 


Eucalyptus cache

hidden in Piet Retief by Stan on 2/04/2001

S 26° 59.527
E 30° 50.902

This cache is within easy walking distance from Piet Retief. It will take you an hour and a half to get to the cache and one hour to return. It can make a pleasant family outing. View of Piet Retief and surrounding mountains is splendid.
Eucalyptus cache now contains two Travel Bugs that Stan brought from Europe

Goliath's Footprint cache

hidden by Stan on 2/02/2006

S 26° 18.043
E 30° 38.675

Nearest town: Amsterdam

Goliath left his footprint here when drinking water from the Mpuluzi river 1km away. Print of his palm is at the river, but this cache is about his foot only. Cache is hidden near the footprint under stones at the above coordinates. Visitors book for general public is also available next to footprint (not hidden). You can make entries in both books.

Phallus cache

hidden by Stan on 2/04/2004

S 26° 26.438
E 30° 41.620

Nearest town: Amsterdam

This place can be used as a base for geocachers seeking caches in surrounding area. Camping is very basic, no services are provided. You must take back all your rubbish. Comfortable accommodation is available in Piet Retief.

Cache itself consists of stone carving of elephant and tyre pressure gauge. This cache is sponsored and maintained by Pumps and Transmission, well known mechanical and electrical parts supplier to local municipality and industries.

Bushman painting cache

hidden by Stan on 12/04/2002

S 26° 54.236
E 31° 02.755

Nearest town: Gege in Swaziland

Here is your chance to visit this cut-off area and see something nobody has ever seen before. I discovered these paintings myself only a few months back. Now anybody on this site can visit it.

The Bushman painting site is in fact in Swaziland, but only 35 km from Piet Retief. Even so, you will have to set aside at least one whole day to make sure of your success. Passport is required to enter Swaziland. Nearest border post to paintings opens at 08h00 and closes at 16h00. Mahamba border post closes at 22h00 and it takes over one hour to drive there.

Go by mountain bicycle, 4x4 vehicle or hiking. Transport can be arranged. To get to the paintings with passenger car is possible only if road is not washed away. It involves long detour and approach from other side of the mountains. Contact me for description and road condition.

There are quite a few Bushman paintings of good quality. It is possible you will discover more of them. This is just beginning of a gorge through which the river flows for another 12 km. This is also beginning of an exciting three day hiking and kloofing trail to Hlatikulu.

Area is sparsely populated. A few mud houses can be seen along the way, inhabited only by women and children. Local inhabitants do not know about the paintings. If you don't want to get lost don't ask them for any directions. Relay on your GPS. Be self-sufficient. Stock up in Piet Retief.

Coordinates given are in the middle of Ka-Dinga bridge. GPS doesn't work well in deep kloof where overhangs with paintings are located. From the bridge walk downstream, the river on your right. Soon your progress is stopped by rock face. Do your best to cross the river, but do not attempt crossing if it is in flood. Mind the rocks, they are very slippery.

Once safely on the other side, you find yourself in thick and thorny vegetation. There is no path. Remember, you are in fact the first person to visit this area. Make your way to the rock face and the first overhang. It is large, but there are no paintings there. Follow the rock band and series of smaller overhangs till you reach a larger overhang where painting are located. Explore and admire.

Logo cache

hidden by Stan on 12/09/2001

S 26° 38.584
E 30° 45.782

Nearest town: Amsterdam

Logo cache is tough to get to by any means. You'll be hard pressed to make it in one day by mountain bicycle from Piet Retief. If you go for it don't leave Piet Retief - Amsterdam tar road before crossing the Ngwempisi River.
It's better bet to start cycling from Amsterdam. Leave your car at local Police Station. Then pedal up Nerston road, the higher you get the better.
Even if you go by 4x4 vehicle or bakkie, set aside at least half a day for this expedition. Don't forget to mark your Waypoint  on leaving tar road. It is very easy to get lost in that area.
Cache is hidden under rocks on Eastern side of the mountain near the top.

Mabola cache

hidden by Stan on 12/10/2006

S 27° 16.358
E 30° 21.801

Nearest town: Wakkerstroom

This is a roadside cache, meaning that you can park your car at the side of the road and walk from there. Not much traffic here, that's why this tarred road is still in good condition. Park on South end of the bridge, then you do not have to cross the Mabola river. Find your own way to the top of the nearby low hill. Wear hiking shoes, some rock climbing will be necessary. There is a maize of knee high stone walls on top, the remnant of one of more then hundred blockhouses build and manned by British along the Natal - Transvaal border.
Cache contains Log book and pen, booklet about geocaching, road map of the area, large Swazi candle and torch.
It is in large white plastic screw top green lid container wedged under an overhang rock and plugged in with smaller rocks.
After success, go for a swim in Mabola river. Water there is always cold. Good swimming hole is in sharp, 90deg. bend of the river.

Luneberg Lonely Tree

hidden by Wazat on 29/04/2007

S 27° 17.727
E 30° 47.402

Lone tree growing on a big rock on the Luneburg road from Paulpietersburg. Cache is between the rocks and covered by rocks. Enjoy the view.

Skurwerandjies

hidden by Guineafowl on 15/04/2007

S 26° 40.474
E 30° 42.204

This cache is placed about 7 km from Amsterdam on the way to Piet Retief between two trees under a rock.

 

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