Location:
Garden Castle Wilderness Area, lower southern Drakensberg. This cave is conveniently located near the bottom of the Mzimkhulu Passes and Verkyker Pass, and can be reached via the escarpment by either of these routes or by following the Mzimkhulu River up from Castle View Farm. The latter route is an interesting one and takes you through the Mzimkhulu Pipeline and past some magnificent stretches of indigenous forest. There are also many fine pools along the route. The cave is located at the top end of a narrow gorge which, unusually, opens out again towards the bottom of the passes.
Directly across Verkykerstroom (“Binocular Stream” in English) from Fun Cave but slightly higher than it is Verkyker Cave, a small, deep cave which may provide better shelter than Fun Cave in adverse weather. Verkykerstroom flows into the mighty Mzimkhulu River just downstream from the cave.
Please note that it is common courtesy to obtain permission from the owner of Castle View Farm before crossing his property. Ask the booking office at Garden Castle how to contact the owner.
GPS Coordinates: WGS 84
S29 41.519 E29 11.660 at 2153 metres (Landlubbers)
Description:
Fun Cave is a low, narrow, sloping overhang. It is divided into several sleeping areas which together can accommodate 12 people.
Comfort: 3/5
The sleeping areas are fairly level and smooth.
Water: 5/5
The cave is situated above scalloped and potholed bedrock over which the Verkykerstroom flows. This river is less than 25 metres from the cave and is easily accessible. In high summer a very large quantity of water can flow through this narrow gully, but it is well below the cave which is therefore safe from flooding.
Pools: 5/5
There are numerous pools in the river both upstream and downstream from the cave, with plenty of bedrock on which to sunbathe where there are no shadows.
Shelter: 2/5
Fun Cave must have been named on a perfect summer morning! At other times the narrow gorge funnels wind through the cave with tremendous force, and because of the high sides to the gorge, the cave receives only a small amount of sun in the early morning. After a day of swimming and sunshine, you will need to dress quite warmly. The narrow overhang also does not shelter its occupants completely from driving rain.
Outlook: 3/5
Its location in the gorge provides for a unique outlook with some interesting rock formations. A short walk out of the cave will provide a magnificent view towards the escarpment and the Mzimkhulu and Verkyker passes.
Overall Rating: 18/25
History:
On a calm summer’s day, Fun Cave lives up to its name because of its location on a very special stretch of the Verkykerstroom where lots of fun can be had swimming, exploring and sunbathing up- and down-river from the cave.
The valley above the cave has an interesting history. In 1862 some cattle were stolen from a farm near Dargle by Bushmen. A commando was put together to retrieve the cattle which were followed all the way up what is believed to be Sani Pass. Following the accidental shooting and death of Hodgson (after whom Hodgson’s Peaks are named) on the escarpment somewhere above Fun Cave, Robert Speirs – the cattle owner – was separated from the rest of the commando and left for lost without his horse. After an epic journey on foot which started somewhere near the rock art site near Fun Cave named Speirs Cave in his memory, he was eventually found alive at a kraal near where the R617 crosses the Mzimkhulu River at the bottom of the Mzimkhulu Valley not far from the present-day turn-off to Deepdale. [Ref: Rob Guy, The Naming of Hodgson’s Peaks and Underberg District’s Beginnings, Underberg Farmers’ Association, 1999]