Pilgrim's Rest

The day dawned sunny and clear and we had a great breakfast and Theo and his dad cleaned up the bikes which had got quite dirty on the bike racks from the driving on dirt roads. It was quite a job!










The chalet really was very comfortable and pleasant to stay in. The kitchen was well-equipped and the beds even had mosquito nets (which we didn't need fortunately!) We had a slow breakfast and enjoyed the views from the balcony.

Then we headed off to Pilgrim's Rest. By the time we got to the Bonnet pass, it was cloudy and a little misty, making our entrance into Pilgrim's Rest all that more special. This was Theo's Mom's first time and she and Theo's dad went exploring while we went off to a guided tour of the old diggings which was really super. Our guide was delightful and a fount of info on the history of the area.

Then we went off on a tour of the tents, which have been laid out with the original fittings. A digger's tent, the doctor's tent, the claims office and even a prison tent! Going down to the alluvial stream we saw some of the old crushers run by steam and waterwheel and the claim of Elizabeth Russell who was one of the very few lady prospectors. Hers is a fascinating story as she did quite well for herself and went off and funded and founded a school in Pietermaritzburg.
The highlight of the tour was a gold-panning demonstration where the guide actually found a fleck of gold and then gave Cabey a chance to try...


After the tour we met up with the folks and walked up the steep hill to the famous Robber's Grave which is oriented North to South instead of West to East. There was a cache there that had been "muggled" (found by non-geocachers and removed/destroyed) We decided to replace it with the bits and pieces we had in our "cache first aid box."

We had a delicious lunch in Scott's cafe, getting our order in just before a busload of tourists arrived. After lunch we explored Pilgrim's a bit longer - it really is a fascinating place with all the curios and artifacts. Granny found something special for cousin Jemma and Oupa found a lovely display of antique cars and other vehicles.

Having done our shopping we drove up the Robber's Pass to give Theo's dad a feel for the challenge and we searched for a cache on the other side, but bad weather cut the search short and we headed home where we had a lovely braai which we ate on the balcony after the howling wind had settled.