Greetings from Oxford

[+2202]

Hi!

Just booked for 10 days holiday in Capetown over the second week in February.

Would be grateful for a little lowdown on caches worth doing in the area and the ones to avoid. Just straight Trads. Wife and 17 year old daughter will be with me for most of the time so ones that can be easily linked with sight seeing or beaches will be appreciated.

In UK I do use our digital Ordanance Survey maps so I know where I will be going. If someone can do the similar on a jpg readout so that I can put it on my PDA, again I would be eternally grateful.

Will also try to bring down some coins and tbs so willing to reciprocate if any want to travel north.

 

Cheers Tony

[+vespax]

Tony,

 

Might I do some shameless promotional for myself here?

 

I have a Garmin compatible GPS map that I sell for the Cape Town area (CT, West Coast, Swellendam Hermanus, etc) that I can suggest for you to enjoy the geocaching/GPSing around while here. I have just updated it in the past week with more details like roads, hiking trails, etc. I ask US $15 for the map which is loadable through Mapsource. I can also throw in contours for Cape Town that work at the same time as the other map in your GPS for you to use while exploring Table Mountain and the Pennisula.

 

Cape Town GPS Map

 

 

As far as loading jpg onto PDA, not exactly sure how to do it. There are topographic maps made by the gov't that you might be able to work for your use if that is what you want to do. I think they are .tiff format and not .jpg, but you can open them in GIS software such as OziExplorer or Arcview. That would be your best beat for paper maps onto PDA I think. check Madmappers

 

Let me know

 

As far as caches are concerned, most around the waterfront area are all worth doing. The Table Mountain ones near cable car and MacClears Beacon are good to try for. John-Gill caches in southern suburbs (especially Da Vinci Code) are worthwhile, and my sailors Star cache at Cape Point are my suggestions.

 

Some cachers here go crazy for coins, so bring them!

[+2202]

You lot are not as chatty as my UK cachers.

I would have had chapter and verse on all the do-able caches by now and what pub to have a pint in to boot.

And theres me linking my trip to CT with a cache bash in England beforehand to bring a load of coins down to distribute.

Is it worth me bothering?

[+geocacher_coza]

No, No don’t get desponded! Have your bash and bring as much coins as possible. Remember it is holiday time in South Africa so not a lot of guys "surfing" the forum. Sure they will wake up soon

The Cape Town guys are normally a rowdy bunch Sure they will give you a warm welcome when you get there.

There are a lot of nice caches in Cape Town to set the coins/Tb's loose!

[+Jors]

You lot are not as chatty as my UK cachers.

 

Keep in mind the great caching weather we're having at the moment, - everyone's out caching and not as 'chatty' on the forums.

[+Discombob]

Yes, dont be sad, 2022. I think we dont answer, cos there are so many great caches, we dont know which ones to recommend anymore

What sort of caches are you looking for though? Do you like long walks up the mountain, or short easy ones, or challenging brain teasers?

 

You will probably want to do 1 day caching trip up the west coast, 1 day trip on the winelands, 1 day trip to hermanus area, and lots of time in CT.

 

Here are some of the caches you should do in CT (including mine):

The Da Vinci code (great hiding spots and theme)

Training, The dream (cleverly hidden)

Sentinel View (1st cache in SA and great walk and views)

Table Top Trove, Gorge-ous views, maclears beacon, fountain peak (on Table mountaion close to cable car)

Pirates plunder - the leopards mine (great multi with some mines) and History lessons :east fort and donuts)

Blood, sweat and sandy bay (great spot, cache ruined)

B&F silicone and sunsets (dont try this without a phone number to call for help!)

B&F ceylon and st helena , B&F proteas and podocarpii (in kirstenbosch)

Broccoli fields, Brazil bolivia Peru, In the pipeline, Paradise revisited, Bark up the right tree (lovely forest strolls)

So many shops, Any of the So square series (if you like shops)

Steeper please (if you like it steep)

Spot the difference

Lions Head, Kloof corner easy, Hout bay, Eagles nest, Bacco's lookout, Oppelskop, the sentinel (hikes with great views)

If you like heights and caves, try the Lord of the rings series (Frodos Journey, Mines of moria, Paths of the dead)

Harry potter and the Philosophers cache (some brain work required)

Post card on the rocks (for traditional view of table mountain)

Noon Gun (watch the canno0n fire at midday)

 

Theres plenty more, but I can't list them all.

Send me a mail with more details on what you are looking for and I can try plan some more for you.

[+Discombob]

oops, just reread the bit about straight trads.

Oh well, silly me

[+vespax]

Agreed. The weather has been great recently.

 

Also, the waste-of-time/worth-while cache ratio is some like 1/100 here in Cape Town. They are mostly all really nice spots to visit.

[+geocacher_coza]

Sure they will wake up soon

See, told you the CT boys will wake up !

[+Tricky Vicky & Mickey]

The Stellenbosch / Franschhoek area has loads of caches - some traditional, some micro's - and is lovely to visit. If you would like me to send you a list of the caches, please PM me and I will do it with the greatest of pleasure.

Also, we are a very friendly bunch and we know that most of us would love to meet up with you sometime, so do let us know when you will be here and where about you will be staying and we will see if we can organize a get together.

PS - been away for ten days and have just read the forums!

[+2202]

You all must have had a good christmas!!!

I know our Cape Town office does not open untill Monday, but I thought that was just them.

 

I can see all the caches very well using the google sat view on the cache description page although hard to get a true idea of the terrain to begin with. On the basis of less housing, the steeper the gradient, I'm begining to read the topography.

I have injured my right knee so mobilty is restricted but just had a 1.5hr walk around Oxford but thats rather flat.

I have decided to get to my 600th when in Cape Town so its looking like one of those on the Table. But any recommendations would be good. I'm trying to do landmark caches on 100's and my last two have been epic. (Its worth looking at the Alchemy Series caches in England if you want a great idea of how to set a linked series of caches, We did all 15 in about 13.5hrs but missed the 10.50 record).

 

Maybe I should have asked which ones to avoid, but you can email me through my profile.

Thanks for the feedback so far, but would appreciate beach/cache guidance.

 

Tony

[+colinaly]

I think an event cache would be great for your 600th cache!!!

 

How about a sundowner on Clifton, or signal hill?

 

(We have just got back from holiday and read this thread this morning)

[+colinaly]

The event cache is arranged for 11 February at 18h30 and is called Signal Hill Sun Downer

[+colinaly]

2202 emailed me today to say that he is now on 595 caches and is on track to make the event cache his 600th