Welcome to Woodlands Waterfront Park! Located right on the edge of the Straits of Johor, this coastal park boasts unobstructed views of Johor Bahru and a 400M-long jetty. But do you know, there is quite a bit of history behind this waterfront?
Singapore Naval Base, also known as "Her Majesty's Naval Base, Singapore", "Sembawang Naval Base" and "HMS Sembawang", was built by the British government during the 1920s and 30s and stretches throughout today's Woodlands and Sembawang.The base was occupied by Japanese forces during World War II but reverted to British control in 1945 when Japan surrendered. Parts of this waterfront base at Woodlands would later serve as the main base of the Royal Malaysian Navy as "KD Malaya".
Today, this site has been transformed into Woodlands Waterfront Park, a coastal promenade and park in the northern part of Singapore. Let us go on a trip to see the various remnants along the waterfront!
Things to note:
- The total length of this multi-cache is around 3.9 km. Feel free to bring a bike, but you will need to leave it for one of the waypoints
- Wear covered shoes, get mosquito repellant and bring along a flashlight. We need to enter the forest a bit for one of the waypoints and it can get pretty muddy.
- You may want to solve GC9G3J1 before going for this multi-cache since the GZ is along the way. If you want to go for GC1M86T as well, please be prepared for it.
WP1: Former View Road Hospital
N 01° 27.105 E 103° 47.391
We start at the former mental hospital at View Road claimed to be haunted. This building dates back to 1941 and was built to be an admin building/command centre for the British Royal Army, known back then as the Rimau Offices and Accommodations. After the fall of Singapore, the Japanese occupied and completed the construction of the compound. It was returned to the British after the war and left unoccupied.
In 1959, the compound was converted into Rimau Naval Base Police Barracks, housing asians like Sikhs and Gurkhas. It provided lodging for the police force working in Singapore Naval Base and was vacated once again in 1971 when the British withdrew from Singapore.
The compound stay unoccupied till 1975 when it was converted into a hospital to alleviate the overcrowding situation at Woodbridge Hospital, eventually closing down in 2001. The compound briefly served as a foreign worker dormitory as View Road Lodge from 2008 to 2011 before being returned to the state and is currently unoccupied once more.
You will find a tube sticking out of the ground at the coordinates, let A be the two-digit number behind the red rectangle.
Unfortunately, due to cameras and motion sensors one can't just walk up to the entrance of the building to have a look at it, which is why the waypoint is at the road entrance. No spooky ghosts for you.
On a side note, the bus stop near this waypoint has weird dilapidated stairs at the back that lead to nowhere. Pretty neat and kinda spooky.
WP2: The Two Prisons
N 01° 27.074 E 103° 46.967
This waypoint brings you to the gate of the closed Khalsa Crescent Prison, used to be known as Khalsa Crescent Drug Rehabilitation Centre. These buildings were originally an Asian naval staff dormitory built by the British in the 1950s and were converted into a drug rehabilitation center in 1973. Eventually it was closed down and the inmates were moved to Changi Prison in 2009.
Take a nice long look at the abandoned watchtower, not everyday you can come across these.
Look at the two radio cabinets at the right side of the gate. Let B be the four-digit number behind the red rectangle.
(the number is the same for both cabinets)
Across the road, you will see a site being developed. This site used to be the admin building and barracks of KD (Kapal Di-Raja) Malaya, the main base of the Royal Malaysian Navy until 1979, and then served as a training facility until 1997 when Singapore increased the rent. It was eventually converted into Admiralty West Prison till it was closed down in 2018, with the prison's functions relocated to Tanah Merah.
Today, a lone building within the former prison site still stands, its surrounding buildings demolished. That building, the administrative block of the former naval base, will be kept as part of a future housing development at the site.
WP3: Former Royal Malaysian Navy Jetty
N 01° 27.325 E 103° 46.744
Located within the restricted compounds of the former naval base, the Royal Malaysian Navy Jetty was used regularly by the RMN for events such as commissioning of new ships. When the RMN returns to Johor in 1981, the jetty was left unused until 1997 when Malaysia agreed to transfer the properties to Singapore. Today, the jetty has been incorporated as part of the Woodlands Waterfront redevelopment and is now opened to the public, becoming a popular spot for anglers and joggers.
Don't forget to pick up GC5YP76, if you haven't done it.
There are two camera stations at the end of the jetty. Look closely at the large bolts on them and let C be the two-digit number behind the red rectangle.
WP4: Marsiling Bunker
N 01° 27.012 E 103° 46.418
Not as notorious as the infamous Marsiling Tunnel, the nearby Marsiling Bunker is still pretty neat and worth a visit, and those who approached the Marsiling Tunnel from the south would probably have missed this one. Unlike the Marsiling Tunnel, the Bunker is not muddy and much smaller, making it much safer to explore alone and without any special equipment. The forest trail there is pretty muddy though, watch out!
To get there, go to the coordinates of this waypoint and look for lamppost 1R23, then just follow the well-established trail. When you reach a fork, go uphill, and when you see climbing ropes you are on the right track. Can't miss the entrance, really.
Look for a white paint bucket within the bunker. Let D be the five-digit number behind the red rectangle.
Yes I am using actual garbage for the waypoint. Not much I can use inside and I can't leave something physical since it is too close to the Marsiling Tunnel cache. I have seen this bucket in videos of this place dating 2 years back though, but if it's gone just inform me and I will try to come up with something (as a last resort I can always have the cacher measure stuff inside the bunker with a tape measure).
For extra fun, try exiting the Bunker via the 2 smaller passages.
WP5: Rotherham Gate
N 01° 26.918 E 103° 46.280
During the days of Singapore Naval Base, this spot was the location of the Rotherham Gate, one of the main entrances into the base. It was named after the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Rotherham. When you are there, look closely at the big tree and you will notice a rectangular stone block within the vegetation. That is one of the gate posts of Rotherham Gate, and all that is left of it today.
You will find an electric box at the coordinates, let E be the three-digit number behind the red rectangle.
This is also the end/beginning of the Pipeline Trail. Completers of the Pipeline Odyssey, rejoice!
WP6: Shell Lubricant Blending Plant
N 01° 26.895 E 103° 46.318
The Shell Lubricant Blending Plant here was built in 1963, and after operations were shifted over to a larger facility at Tuas in 2017 this facility was closed down. It doesn't really have anything connected to military stuff like the other waypoints, but this building is yet another abandoned building here and one of the remnants of old Woodlands. There is also an abandoned school south of here that I have a cache at, along with the closed mall and cinema along Woodlands Centre Road... What's with the number of abandoned buildings around here? Anyway, the old-fashioned electronics at the gate of this lubricant blending plant are pretty fun to examine.
You will find a fire hydrant at the coordinates, let F be the two-digit number behind the red rectangle.
The Cache
N 01° 26.XXX E 103° 46.YYY
To get XXX, add 154 to the first 3 digits of (A*B*C*D*E*F).
To get YYY, substract 513 from the next 3 digits of (A*B*C*D*E*F).
The hint for the cache location is within the geochecker:
Oh how I wish I can enter some of these abandoned buildings to take a look around. There are quite a few remnants of Singapore Naval Base at Sembawang's side as well, perhaps I will place a multi-cache there as well. If there is any problem with any of the waypoints please inform me.