We left Constantia Nek at 07h00 on 24 November and walked up Orange Kloof to Journey’s End and the entrance to the Woodhead Tunnel, where the Disas were noted to be imminent. All except Paddy Walker then walked through the tunnel and back to its entrance. We then walked to the Apostles Tunnel and looked at its entrance; thence up to the Woodhead Reservoir, along the former railway trackbed to the top of Kasteelspoort where the remains of the cableway were inspected. We then walked towards Echo Valley, turning to walk parallel to the recently restored water pipe from Echo Valley, and ate lunch at the MCSA Hut.
After lunch we walked past the quarry to the Hely Hutchinson dam where we were pleasantly surprised to find the waterworks museum open. After lunch we walked up along the Aqueduct, Smuts Path to the top of Skeleton Gorge, and back to the Hely Hutchinson reservoir. Thence via a somewhat convoluted route south of Reserve Peak, down Ash Valley to the former Wynberg water overseer’s cottage, and down the Jeep Track to Constantia Nek at 16h00.
It was an uneventful meet, during which the Leader inflicted the eight members and guest with a running commentary on the artefacts passed.
You can download an account [CABO, 1993, 5(4): 10-17] of the early Cape Town water supplies written by the late City Water Engineer Terence Timoney, who is credited with persuading the Municipality to open the water museum.
Stephen Craven
(Photo supplied by Chris Vynbos)
