Fernkloof Nature Reserve proclaimed in 1957 and now under the control of the Hermanus Botanical Society covers approximately 1500 hectares. There are some 40km of paths in the Reserve with varying difficulties. A map obtainable at the visitor’s centre lays out various colour coded walking routes from just over 2km to a longer, more strenuous hike of about 15km.
This walk to the waterfall is one of the easier, shorter walks, but can be made longer with by choosing a less direct route on the way up or on your return.
The walk takes you into the kloof with many ferns from which the reserve gets its name. The kloof is a good example of an afro-montane forest and because of its steep sides it has luckily missed the destructive fires which have swept the rest of the reserve over the years.
The water in the waterfall and stream is dark brown in colour. The fynbos higher up the mountain contains tannins and phenols, these compounds combined with iron and aluminium leached from the soil gives the water its brown colour.
As there is minimum GPS reception in the kloof itself, I had 6 to 8m accuracy; I will include a spoiler picture of the cache placement. The cache is placed almost on the path and stealth will be needed in retrieving it especially if there are muggles coming up the path. No need to trample any fynbos.
Please bring your own pen
Once you have found this one there are still many to find in the reserve - enjoy!
Further information can be got from the informative Fernkloof website http://www.fernkloof.com/