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 geocachers 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.
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 made them famous.
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.
But that's not the end. To claim the cache you must go on and
crawl some distance through thick and springy vegetation until you
reach an overhang where there is a small stone altar. You will
discover more animal paintings, one of which is rendered in a
different "style" to all the others. Tell me what style and you
logged this cache.