Hilbre Island Picnic Event Cache

This cache has been archived.

Sir PhilPamAndRob: Time to archive this 'classic' event. Nobody will ever forget the day we battled the storms, thunder, lightening and a tornado to get to Hilbre
Thanks to everyone who attended to make it so memorable
PhilPamandRob

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Hidden : Sunday, July 8, 2007
Difficulty:
1 out of 5
Terrain:
2.5 out of 5

Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:


A day out, with a picnic lunch, exploring beautiful Hilbre Island in the Dee estuary.



The three tidal islands lying at the mouth of the Dee Estuary, Little Eye, Middle Eye and Hilbre, have been designated a Local Nature Reserve. Although access is free of charge, groups of six or more are restricted and permits are required. I have already obtained the required permit for the maximum of 50 people for our visit.

The only way to get to Hilbre Island is on foot, and it is about a two-mile walk each way from Dee Lane Slipway, West Kirby, via both Little Eye and Middle Eye. It is possible to take a pram, but the beach is soft sand; it is also rough in places, so a well-sprung pram with large soft tyres is needed. Collapsible buggies used for shopping etc with small solid wheels are totally unsuitable.

There are no shops, public toilets nor is there any fresh water on the Islands. There is also very little shelter. The nearest toilets are at Dee Lane Slipway (or the nearby supermarket) where we will be meeting. Being a Local Nature Reserve, dogs must be kept on their leads at all times. Wear some form of strong footwear, preferably walking boots (or Wellingtons), as rocks, barnacles and broken glass can cause serious injury (the commonest cause being a slip on the seaweed/mud covered rocks).

These Islands are cut off from the mainland by the tide for up to four hours out of every twelve. On 8th July low tide is at about noon and it is relatively small, so we should not be cut-off during our visit. This date has been selected as “The Friends of Hilbre” are holding an open day at the islands telegraph station lookout interpretive centre, as well undertaking seal watching in the Dee estuary.

You will need to bring your own picnic lunch (including drinks). Hopefully the weather will be sunny so bring sun cream, sunglasses and a hat, but as the weather can change very quickly, also bring waterproofs and extra/warm clothing. Finally, don’t forget the camera and binoculars, as there will be lots to see and photograph whilst on the island.

The proposed itinerary is :
9:45 am - Meet at Dee Lane Slipway, West Kirby
10:00am - Depart for Hilbre Island
11:00am - Approx arrival time at Hilbre Island – free time to explore, seal watch & visit the open day
12:30pm - Group picnic lunch (bring your own) at the picnic area below the Telegraph Lookout
13:30pm - More free time to chat, sunbathe or continue exploring the rest of the island
14:30pm - Depart from Hilbre Island
15:30pm - Approx arrival time back at Dee Lane Slipway, West Kirby

Car parking in West Kirby is mainly on roadsides (the nearby pay and display is expensive for stays over 4 hours), but as it is a popular area in summer, arrive early or expect to park a little further away and walk to the Dee Lane Slipway. There is a large supermarket very close to the slipway should anyone wish to buy food, drinks etc. For those arriving after 10:00am, you can walk across to Hilbre yourselves and meet the rest of the group. Read the links below for the route to be followed. Everyone should start their return journey by 14:30pm so that the tide doesn’t cut them off! As this part of Wirral is a “cache-rich” area, anybody visiting the area from further a field may wish to visit a few other local caches before heading home afterwards.

If interested, please read these links carefully and print off a copy of the Explore Hilbre Leaflet, as it will be very useful when exploring the island.
Wirral Borough Council - http://www.wirral.gov.uk/er/hilbre.htm
Friends of Hilbre - http://www.deeestuary.co.uk/hilbre/
Explore Hilbre Leaflet - http://www.ecosert.org.uk/leaflets.html
Safe Crossing Times - http://www.pol.ac.uk/appl/hilbre.html

If you wish to come to this picnic, please log a “will attend” and indicate how many places you require (allocated on a first come first served basis), so that I can ensure numbers remain below the permitted fifty. If you want any more information, then don’t hesitate to contact me through my profile.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Obbx rneyl, nf cynprf ner yvzvgrq!

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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