The Arderne Garden is a small but fascinating place. It is home to the biggest collection of Southern Hemisphere trees in the world! For a detailed History of the garden please click here.
The Department of Water Affairs an Forestry (DWAF) initiated a project to identify "Champion Trees" worthy of protection throughout South Africa. This cache will show you 6 of the trees they chose.
Champion trees are trees of exceptional importance that deserve national protection because of their remarkable size, age, aesthetic, cultural, historic or tourism value.
The Arderne Garden has 6 Champion Trees, the highest concentration of Champion trees in South Africa!
The cache is not at the listed coordinates. They will take you to the first clue.
As it is a garden filled with magnificent trees, GPS reception will be poor and some clues may be difficult to locate.
Be prepared to see some amazing trees!
Champion Tree 1:
S 33º 59.237
E 018º27.973 (Listed coordinates, just OUTSIDE the garden)
TURKEY OAK (QUERCUS CERRIS)
Planted more than a century ago, by one of the Ardernes, this is a magnificent specimen of this species and is one of the largest of its kind in South Africa. Interestingly it resists leaf mildew which makes the English Oak such a sickly plant in the Western Cape.
What colour is its name plate?
Let the colour = F
Champion Tree 2:
S 33º 59.222
E 018º27.876
CORK OAK (QUERCUS SUBER)
If one has noticed other Cork trees growing on the peninsula, one will appreciate the scale of this massive tree. It is truly a wonderful specimen. Think how many wine bottle corks could be made by stripping the bark off this tree. Mature Cork oaks can tolerate having their bark stripped off about every 8 to 10 years.
There is a very impressive bench at the base of the Cork Oak, featuring two Griffins on each side of it.
What is the predominant colour of the bench?
Let the colour = E
While in the area have a look at S 33º 59.213 E 018º27.861. Here you will find the famed Ginkgo Biloba Tree - the "living fossil". Fossils of the Ginko have been found dating back to 270 million years ago. It is well known for its medicinal uses. It is called biloba because the leaf has two lobes.
Champion Tree 3:
S 33º 59.232
E 018º27.842
QUEENSLAND KAURI (AGATHIS ROBUSTA)
This massive tree is over 100 years old. It produces valuable knot free wood, so is excellent for furniture. This specimen is about 32m tall and has a fantastic, dense canopy of leaves. Leaves may stay on the tree for over 20 years! Marvel at is size!
What color is its name plate?
Let the colour = D
Champion Tree 4:
S 33º 59.230
E 018º27.828
ALEPPO PINE (PINUS HALEPENSIS)
This is an impressive tree. Not particularly rare, it is common in the Cape and Mediterranean areas. An author of an international book about Remarkable Trees fell in love with this gigantic specimen. Stand close to its trunk and look up. Its difficult not to feel very small. Its branches make a beautiful pattern against the sky. Its resin is used to flavour Greek retsina wine.
What colour its name plate?
Let the colour = C
Champion Tree 5:
S 33º 59.248
E 018º27.860
NORFOLK ISLAND PINE (ARUCARIA HETEROPHYLLIA)
This is the signature tree of the Arderne of Gardens. It stands a majestic 43m tall in the middle of the lawn. That's about 8 stories high! It is the tallest of the champion trees. To get an idea of its height slowly walk backwards away from the tree, looking to see when you can see its top. Look too at the girth of the trunk. Imagine standing holding hands with a group of people encircling the trunk. How many people would it take to get around the tree? It is possible that ALL Norfolk Island pines in South Africa are descendants of the first Norfolk Island Pine planted in the Arderne Gardens!
How many times does the letter Q appear on is its name plate?
Let the number = B
Champion Tree 6: THE BIGGEST TREE IN SOUTH AFRICA
S 33º 59.239
E 018º27.926
MORTON BAY FIG (.................)
THIS IS IT! THE BIG DADDY OF THEM ALL! This tree shares the accolade of being the biggest tree in South Africa with a massive Baobab in the Limpopo Province called the Sagole Baobab. This is a truly huge tree. As you approach the tree, notice when you pass under the start of its canopy. Count how many paces you take to reach the trunk. Double that to give a feel for the size of the canopy. There is a hospital across the road from the Arderne Gardens (have a look when you leave). If this tree were growing on its roof, the canopy would cover the whole hospital! (Have a look at a Satellite image to confirm this.) Remember you are in the company of massive, champion trees, which hide the scale of this brute. Imagine it growing in the middle of a rugby field, to get a true feel of its size. Think what it must weigh! Look at the colossal roots. This is the tree wedding couples make their way to, to help photograph the enormity of the moment in their lives. Children use it as a playground. A very special tree indeed!
How many words in the latin name?
Let the number = A
Convert the colours into numbers by using the following:
(One of the plates has gone missing since publishing. Figure out which it is.)
BLACK = 5
WHITE = 6
GREEN = 7
ORANGE = 9
The cache is hidden at:
S 33º 59.ABC
E 018º27.DEF
Please note: Permission has been granted for this cache by the Chairman of "Friends of the Arderne Gardens", whom manage the garden.