Ned Harper Traditional Cache

This cache will take you to an over looked part of the Cascade Gardens and share some of the history of one the coast forgotten colourful characters. Ned Harper was one of the original settlers in the area. His father was convicted of ‘coining’ – effectively counterfeiting money and consequently sent to the Norfolk Island penal settlement in 1844. Harper and his mother moved to the Nerang area from the Moreton Bay settlement. The following year he moved to the Tweed area and became a cedar-getter. Returning to the Nerang area in 1854, Harper realised that as other loggers began working the area, money was to be made in facilitating the transport of logs back to Brisbane and other markets. He built a small hut and wharf in what is now the southern end of Surfers Paradise where ocean going ships could have access to this part of the Nerang river and tie up to load logs or tow them to Brisbane. By all reports this was a highly successful business and as Harper and his offsider William Duncan worked hard, but they also played hard with much rum and “R&R” with the local indigenous ladies. Able to understand and speak many of the local dialects, Harper and Duncan were frequent guests at both the Bundall and Cascade Garden corroborees; possibly one of the reasons for this warm welcome was the keg of rum Harper and Duncan contributed to the festivities. After the death of his mother in 1894, he virtually began to live with the Aborigines. When he died in 1896 he was buried here on this site.

The cache container is in two parts - an outer camo'd container and an inner bison tube with the log roll. There will not be room for swaps or travel bugs so please do not leave any. Please sprinkle a cover of leaves over the container before departing GZ to make it look more 'natural.