Caloundra revisited (1)

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Oops, that's a few days ago now.  I'd better update my blog quick smart...

So, on Wednesday Heather and I were happy to go caching together again for the day and went back to Caloundra where we still have a few smileys to collect. :-)

Brain Box

Brain Box

This was a puzzle cache, hence the apt name Brain Box.  Look at what I have in my hands and you see the little pieces that needed to be extracted to find the logbook.

Just Outta Reach

Just Outta Reach

Another one of those 'under the bridge' caches which was not in the spot where my buddy had spotted it before, so after a thorough search she went further afield and discovered the cache.  I signed the log and then it was on to the next one:

"Just Within Reach"

"Just Within Reach"

The hint was a bit confusing at first, but then Heather thought 'outside the square' and discovered the cache. It didn't take her all that long... :-)

A great playground close by for the little ones

To June with Love

A multi with four or so waypoints:

A waypoint was hidden near the sign and was so cleverly done.  I don't think I would have found it as quickly as Heather, but I am learning...

Just a beautiful flower discovered on our walk

To June with Love

This multi cache sent us on a short walk through the streets and a small park. It was quite pleasant because of the sunny winter day.

At one of the waypoints, near one of the houses, a lady approached us, because she had seen a man behaving suspiciously a while ago and she was a bit afraid of drug dealing or similar.  Heather explained the activity to her and showed what waypoints were and convinced her that it was all above board.  Just an innocent treasure hunting game.  The lady was quite happy with the explanation.

Lake Bellvista

Lake Bellvista

A short walk at the lake in the sun and an easy find.  There was another cache on the walk before this one, but too many young muggles around, so we gave that one a miss at first.  

On the way back the muggles had disappeared and we went and had a look.  It's a cache that we weren't able to find last time we were in Caloundra and again we have no luck.  Searched and searched, but were unable to come up with the goods.  What we did collect were a lot of thorns from the spiky flowers of the plants under which we had searched!  Not going back in a hurry!

Bellvista Surprise

Bellvista Surprise

A short walk to a new housing estate and an easy find.

Concrete River Views

A small multi. 

Concrete River Views

This was sort of a funny multi, and a bit difficult to reach, because it was near an open drain and it was hard to get across without getting our feet wet. 

Next we had to search for a number at a distance of a number of metres and from there for something else. That something else appeared to be a sign (see above).  We walked to the tree concerned and... found the cache, or so we thought...  However, it was a container with a note that we had to look for the cache in the other direction!  We did find it in the end. ;-)

Will be continued...

Cleveland

Monday, July 7, 2014

Today my car had to go in for a first service, so I made my way to Cleveland where my car dealer resides. Since it's only a short one, mainly to check the batteries, I was told the waiting time wouldn't be very long.  I first had a nice (complimentary) cup of coffee in the cafe, and then decided to go for a walk.  I knew there to be a few caches in the area within walking distance.

I saw a turtle

I Saw a Turtle!

The boardwalk

The boardwalk at GZ

The first cache was a surprise.  Not so much it's hiding place, but the boardwalk in the swamp so close to the busy road.  It's altogether a tranquil spot to sit and relax for a moment on this beautiful winter day.

It was an easy find, as long as you keep the title in mind.  One of my little tools came in handy, so I son had the cache in hand and could sign the log.

Whird to the Wise

Whird to the Wise

The walkway in the park

View of the park

The title may look a bit strange, but Whird actually means word, so one could say: A Word to the Wise!

It's a clever title and I like it.  When you read the hint of this one you understand the title too.

As it was, the hint saved my day, because on my way to the cache my GPS beeped to warn me that I was nearing GZ and then... died!  I kept walking for a bit while changing the batteries, but the GPS didn't even like the new energy and refused to comply, so I thought I'd better walk back to the dealer.  However, on the way back I remembered the hint, and new instantly where to look for the cache.  Didn't need to know where GZ was after all!  My instinct was correct, so I happily signed the log before heading towards the dealer, who happened to ring me just then to tell me the car was ready for pick-up.

Two caches! I know what I'll do next time my car goes in for a service... ;-)

A few interesting caches

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Monday was a quiet day with some people from a craft group visiting and so I worked on my miniature plants.  I made a few water lilies with which I am not very impressed.  Perhaps they need some more work.  Will get to them later.

The weather wasn't very inviting to go for walks, so we had a quiet day at home.

On Tuesday morning I decided to go and walk to one of the caches nearby.  I'd found out that it was back on the list after it had been disabled for a while.  It didn't show on my GPS the day before, because I had downloaded older information.

T2A-R: Show Up (BOP)

The gate to the showgrounds

T2A-R: Show Up (BOP)

This one was kind of interesting, because first of all I discovered that the new information hadn't downloaded correctly, so I did not have the correct co-ordinates.  However I didn't notice until I had replaced my batteries which died at the moment I walked towards GZ.  Fortunately I had read the description at home and remembered the hint.  I also had had a closer look on Google Earth, so I was happy to come well-prepared.  I found the container without difficulty and signed the log.  On the way back the same lady who was looking out of her window across the fields was still standing at her same spot, but she couldn't have seen me as I had disappeared behind a high fence.  I used my camera as a kind of distraction, appearing to take pictures of the various buildings in the show grounds.

After lunch the weather cleared a bit more so my friend was happy to drive me to Waihi, where I wanted to go back to an earlier cache and to a few around the gold mine.

T2A-R: Take a Break at the Lake (Waihi, Waikato)

T2A-R: Take a Break at the Lake (Waihi, Waikato)

This was a cache I couldn't find the first time around, but after a friendly e-mail message from the CO I wanted to give it another go, and it worked, which means, I understood the hint better. ;-)  I signed the log while my friend waited in her car (to hide me a bit from muggles) and then we were on our way again.  This time to the gold mine in the middle of the town.

The Pumphouse (Bay of Plenty)

It's correct name: The Cornish Pumphouse

Some camo!

The Pumphouse (Bay of Plenty)

This particular cache I really wanted to find, because Frank and I had been standing right here a month before we started geocaching and we never even realised it!  I have very fond memories of this area, because it has beautiful walking tracks and we have walked just about everywhere here.  Even Kevin, our son, knows the mine, because we have taken him there to show him around a few years earlier.

This cache was not very easy to find, but eventually I noticed a possible hiding place and after a bit of unloading small rocks I had the container in hand.  Then it was back to the car and onto the next ones around the other area of the mine.

Waihi Martha Lookout, Bay of Plenty

Waihi Martha Lookout, Bay of Plenty

This is one of the lookouts around the mine where you can observe the work in progress.  We have spent many an hour here just watching the hive of activity.  The cache was an easy find and since it was still a bit cool and overcast there weren't any muggles around.

Martha Gold and Silver Mine (Waihi)

 

Martha Gold and Silver Mine (Waihi) 

In this corner were two more caches: an earth cache and a virtual cache.  As they were close together I wanted to try to get them as well while I was there.  The earth cache required answers to a number of questions that I got right and I was allowed to log my find.  The picture I had to take myself using the self-timer on my camera as my friend stayed in the car while I was on my mission.

It's not mine, it's Martha's (Bay of Plenty)

It's not mine, it's Martha's (Bay of Plenty) 

The virtual cache only required the serial number of the big truck, but I took a picture anyway.  This one was okay to log as well, so all in all I managed to find 18 geocaches in New Zealand.  Not a bad result. After all it's more than one cache a day.

The next morning all the fun was over and I had to pack for the trip home.  The shuttle arrived at 11:30am and the flight home was quite uneventful.  I managed to finish a movie which I had started on the first flight and watched a second one as well.  At home we were delayed for 20 minutes and circled in a holding pattern for the duration.  Customs was a breeze and my son didn't have to wait too long.

So, I say goodbye till the next caching adventure...

Only four days to go now...

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Sunday was a quiet day, mostly at home.  We started the day early watching a soccer match which we enjoyed and later walked to the shops.  Since the weather kept dry I walked on to one of the caches I knew to be fairly nearby.  I had to let the puzzle cache go, because where I thought GZ to be was very busy with muggles.  Council people or such like clearing the area around the trees of leaves... Just my luck!

Kati Park ( Bay of Plenty)

Kati Park ( Bay of Plenty)

First of all it took a while for my GPS to settle and then I still had a hard time searching. Fortunately I had memorised a photograph at home and this helped me in the end.  Still, it took me half an hour or more altogether to find the cache and I was happy to get this log signed.

At home we spent most of the afternoon working on our crafts again. I made a pot of cyclamen and an orchid. Very fiddly work as usual, but an afternoon well spent.

Cyclamen

Phalaenopsis

The orchid doesn't look right, but it's only a temporary picture as I will need to put it together properly when I am home.  Miniature flowers don't travel well anyway... ;-)

Time flies...

Thursday, June 19, 2014

My memory is playing up again, but I believe that on Thursday morning we went back into Katikati town to check on the murals that I couldn't find the day before. The tourist information centre in the library couldn't help me, but I knew there to be more murals than previously listed, so we went in search for those.  Lucky enough we found them and they provided me with the answers that I needed.  Although they still didn't provide enough information to find the 2nd cache I gave it another try, but to no avail.

In the meantime we went to the local bakery to have lunch with Dorothee's friends, one of whom I'd met before, and a new one.  The bakery's menu wasn't very exciting and I clearly made the wrong choice: Hot cakes with bacon, bananas and honey.  It would have been reasonably nice if the hot cakes had been fluffy and light, but they were very dense and floury and spoilt the meal.  For lunch it was far too much as well, so I cannot say I enjoyed it, and neither did I enjoy the Chai latte to wash down the meal with, because it was far too sweet.  Oh well, life can't be perfect all the time.  It would be soooo boring...

Later in the day we played around with a few flower kits in 12th scale, because we both have dollshouses and miniatures as a hobby.  We made Hollyhocks and I also made the pink Hibiscus.

The red ones are Dorothee's and
the pink ones are mine

Pink Hibiscus

I also looked into my geocache puzzle and after using the rule of elimination in Google Earth, as planned, I discovered that I had been looking near a series of particular trees that are repeated a bit further down the road, so I may have to go back to have another look at those.  Preferably sometime before I go home... ;-)

Friday, June 20, 2014

I have prepared a series of caches to search for in and on the way to Waihi.  We find a quick one along the road side at a truck stop, which I forgot to photograph, but took a picture from the car on the way back.

T2A-R: Truck Stop (Waihi, Waikato)

To be honest, this wasn't the most exciting find, but sometimes an easy grab is enough to boost the numbers. ;-)  We could've almost parked the car next to it and retrieve it through the window...  In Waihi we had another search for a cache near Lake Gilmour, but there were too many muggles having morning tea in their cars (again!) and I could not work out the hint.  However, later in the day, when I had logged my DNF I received a very helpful message from the CO so if we can go back to Waihi I will have another go at it.

After this one we had just enough time left for a quick dash to the quilt shop (Dorothee) and the local supermarket for a bottle of wine (Marion) and then we made our way to Merv and Josie where we were expected for lunch.  We spent a pleasant afternoon together and I must say I enjoyed their simple lunch so much more than the one the day before.  Just to show that it's not always necessary to be extravagant and sometimes the company is just as important, if not more.  I would have loved to spend more time with them, but there are never enough hours in the day, are there?

A little incident made us rather late for further caching in Waihi, so we picked up a few on the way home.

Waihi Permanent Rest Area, Bay of Plenty

Waihi Permanent Rest Area, Bay of Plenty

Normally I am not very successful at cemeteries, but this one was easy.  I needed only one half of the hint and there was no reason to disturb the residents...

Bigger and Better ???? Rest Area ,Bay of Plenty

Bigger and Better ???? Rest Area ,Bay of Plenty

  

"Bigger" was not about the rocks, but about the rest area.  Still, GZ was very clearly near the big rock, so again an easy find.  The last one for the day.

On the way home we stopped off at the local farmer's market for some produce and we had a quiet night at home.

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Not many plans for the day, but shopping in Tauranga was on the list.  We tried a few caches while in town, but it being a busy Saturday morning there were too many muggles around, and one, we discovered too late, was a multi cache of which the questions did not show on my GPS.  This was a pity, because it was at a historical village and could have been interesting.  At another stop some oldies gave me dirty looks when they saw me scrounging about and a third one was in a playground where children were running around and plenty of tennis players arrived.  So, in the end I was left with the one I found on the way in:

Aongatete Domain (Bay of Plenty)

Aongatete Domain (Bay of Plenty)

A fairly easy walk past the tennis courts into the bush following my compass towards GZ.  A big enough container not to be overlooked and there I had my one and only cache of the day!

The rest of the day was spent watching the soccer highlights, updating my blog and playing endless games of Wordfeud and WordOn!

What's up tomorrow?  I don't know...

One more...

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

I had some time on my own this morning and thought it a good idea to walk into town and start working on a multi cache, which to my mind also was a puzzle cache.  I am in Katikati at present and this town is well-known for its murals.  The multi cache exists of two caches and to find the second cache one has to walk through town, find certain murals and answer questions to obtain the waypoints for the second cache.  The second one will have the numbers to add to the co-ordinates to the final cache.

Problem: there are more murals now than in the past and they are not all numbered in the questions.  Makes it very hard to find them all and find the answers to the questions.  Then I think I have the correct co-ordinates for the 2nd cache, but can't find it.  It doesn't help that there is no verification of the co-ordinates, so you don't really know what you're doing.

Anyway, I am going to have a look again tomorrow for the final cache, because I may be able to skip the 2nd one and use the rule of elimination for the final one.  You'll no doubt hear from me if I have found it. :-)

T2A-R: Haiku (BOP)

one of the murals in town

T2A-R: Haiku (BOP)

Since I was walking through town anyway I thought I may as well pick up this one, as I was passing by. Had to have a go at it three times, because of muggles sitting on a bench nearby, but finally got it.  Signed the log quickly before other people needed to have a rest...

Next I will be preparing for a few caches in Waihi.  Tomorrow we've got other plans, besides me probably looking for the multi again, but on Friday we're going to visit friends in Waihi with whom Frank and I have done a house swap in the past.  Will be nice to see them again.  Unfortunately we stayed there a month before we knew about geocaching, otherwise we would have had a lot more smileys...

A few more days (and caches) in New Zealand

Sunday, June 15, 2014

While I am in New Zealand the World Cup Soccer is on and not to be missed.  Unfortunately I had miscalculated the starting date so it happened to coincide with my stay here and not all matches are televised. I have to make do with one match a day now and then and the highlights of all matches at night time.  Better this than nothing at all.

Sunday morning, however, I have to cut short my TV time as we are going to visit a friend of Dorothee's. The sun is out, so we walk over and back after coffee and a chat.  The rest of the day is spend playing games on our tablets (yes, us oldies are hooked!) and working on a few of our 12th scale kits, because we are both miniaturists and love hobbying together.  We are making hollyhocks, Dorothee a red one, and I a pink one.  Pictures may follow when I have some spare time... ;-)

Then Monday comes around and we go for a half our drive to Tauranga in search for shoes for Dorothee and... a few caches on the way!  Shoes are found soon enough, but not so the caches.  Most of them are in high-traffic (high-muggle areas in geo-speak!) and with people breathing down your neck you can't do a lot. 

So, the first three already are a DNF (Did Not Find).  A fourth one can't be reached and two other ones on the list I had forgotten to download on my GPS.  I don't have international roaming on my sim card in the tablet, so my back-up is non-existing...

We have stopped for coffee in between the searches and are now ready to return to Katikati.  We stop off at a supermarket and... there is a cache nearby.

Sign of the times 5 (Bay of Plenty)

Sign of the times 5 (Bay of Plenty)

GZ is in the name of the cache, as it often is, so I know to walk up straight to it. A quick grab and the container is in my hands, the log signed.  Under the guise of taking photo's of the supermarket building the cache is replaced and I can do my shopping too.

Further down the road is a cache that we have tried to find on the way to Tauranga, but it's at a combined parking and picnic area, so there were too many muggles around.  We try this on the way back, but it being lunch time and there also being a van selling coffee and hot foods, it still is too busy.  Cars parked everywhere and people eating their lunch.  We stop to eat our pies that we'd bought earlier and that's all we can do.  On top of everything else I discover that I've lost my reading glasses.  B...., such things always happen when you're on holidays!

T2A-R: Stock on Station (BOP)

T2A-R: Stock on Station (BOP)

The last one of the day, close to the main road.  Again discovered by Dorothee, because I'd been reading out the details and was waiting for my compass to settle.  An easy find in a huge container, so I signed the log and put it back.  Then we were ready to head for home.  In Katikati we stopped at the chemist for me to buy new glasses (which later appeared to be too strong and had to be exchanged) and went on to settle with a cuppa at home.