Battle Hill Reserve Description:
This unique place is an active operating farm, that is open to the public. You are free to wander around and watch farm activities, or just enjoy the area and its history. The park gates are only open from 0700-1900, however you are allowed in the park at night, in fact overnight camping is allowed for a small fee. The gate is closed at night to prevent boy-racers from scaring stock (and campers). Daytime entry is free. Use your common sense when on the farm, close the gates behind you if you find them closed etc.
Process to locate the cache:
Read all the instructions below before starting the puzzle, and then solve this quite simple sudok_.
You should not have to guess at any point, logic can solve this one.
It is suggested you solve the sudok_ before you arrive at the park, but that is up to you. Google sudoku if you don’t know the rules about solving them.
In the park there a number of signs similar to that the website waypoint co-ordinates will put you in front of, that describe various features and or history of the area, numbered from 1 to 9. Apart from having to read them to decode the clue, you may find them of interest. The sign by the front gate is number 1, you will need to locate 2 more of these signs and copy a specific word from each to decode the cache co-ordinates.
Ignoring any headings printed in a large font, find the 1st 8-letter word on the top section (green background) of the sign dealing to issues about the health of the stream that flows through the farm. The word will imply a direction.
Using the green part of the letter grid provided below, decode the longitude by matching each the letter of the word from the sign with the number in same space in the solved sudoku.
For instance, if the word was DIG, the decoded numbers would be 579. Your 8-letter word will generate 8 digits, space them out in the form xxx.xx.xxx in the same order as the word is spelled to give you the cache longitude.
Likewise find the 1st 6-letter word in the sub-heading on lower section (blue background) of sign #9. The word will imply a restoration.
Using the blue part of the letter grid provided, decode the latitude by matching the letter of the word with the number in the same spot of the solved sudoku.
For instance, if the word was MAD, the decoded numbers would be 958. Your 6-letter word will generate 6 digits, space them out in the form xx._x.xxx in the same order as the word is spelled. Add the digit 0 to the place marked _ to give you the cache latitude.
The correctly solved cache co-ordinates are within the park boundaries, which is only about 10 sq km in area in total. Assuming you are somewhere near the signs when you finally crack it, you should be between 500 – 700 meters away. If you decode something further away than that, then you have a problem!
Letter grid:
Cache initially contained:
- Logbook & pencil
- Brick game puzzle
- Pack of AA batteries
- Magnetic puzzle
- Mains double adaptor