This cache will take you
into some outstanding coastal Otago scenery. Allow one to two hours
to complete the return trip from the car park.
Notice that access to the
area is prohibited during lambing season (August to October).
Please respect any track closure signs.
A few words of
warning:
• The terrain is rough in
places, with thistles and stinging nettle. I recommend you wear
sturdy boots and long pants. Walking poles will also come useful
when walking through tall vegetation on rough terrain.
• Be especially careful if
it is wet.
• There are some seriously
steep drops in the vicinity of the cache. This cache is not
recommended for kids under 16years of age. Please apply common
sense at all times.
How to get there: you can
park your car at the end of Sandymount
Road, Otago Peninsula, at S45°53.307’ E170°40.264’. More often than
not, however, a sand-dune blowing over the road will force you to
park 500m further down the road.
The above coordinates are
for the first waypoint – this is a structure owned by the
Department of Conservation. Enjoy the views! The structure number
(6 digits on a small orange plastic tag nailed onto the structure)
is ABCDEF.
Now calculate the
following:
W = B + C
X = C – B
Y = B + D
Z = E / D
The final cache is located
at S45°53.YYA’ E170°40.XZW’, in a very scenic spot. GPS accuracy at
GZ was +/-6m.
(To get there, continue
along the poled route to S45°53.YZB’ E170°40.DDZ’, then follow a
farm track downhill to the vicinity of the cache. You’ll have to
sidle through prickles in the end).
Once you’ve found the cache,
you can take a slightly steeper but more pleasant route out, thus
completing a loop. The terrain rating will probably be more like a
4 if you do this. From the cache location, keep sidling until you
hit the cliffs in front of you. You’ll find a track right at the
base of the cliffs (that is, when you are touching the rock with
your hands!). The track is invisible from below, but it’s fairly
good once you are on it. You can follow it until you get to the
spur at S45°53.C3Z’ E170°40.X8B’, then directly up the hill, near
the top of the cliffs. The track going up the hill is a bit steep,
but has no prickles.