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Going Nuts! Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

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Hidden : 4/9/2007
Difficulty:
1 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   small (small)

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Geocache Description:

La Trobe University at Beechworth is located on the picturesque site of the former Mayday Hills Hospital (Lunatic Asylum) that overlooks the township of Beechworth.


It was originally established in 1867 and operated as the Beechworth Lunatic Asylum and later renamed the Mayday Hills Hospital until it was closed in 1995. At its peak in the 1960’s, the asylum housed some 1,000 patients.

Surrounded by 106 hectares of farmland, the facility was completely self-sufficient with a working farm, piggery, orchards, kitchen gardens, tennis court, sporting oval and its own picture theatre. It has amazing gardens.

You can do free walking tours. Really worthwhile. Have a look at the Ha Ha Walls – these were designed as ‘invisible’ walls to stop the patients from escaping; from the inside of the compound as you walked towards the walls they grow to up to 12 foot high. From the outside looking in you couldn’t see the walls as they were built from ground level down; kinda like a moat with a slope running down into them. Most fascinating.

The first Superintendant of the asylum was Dr. Dick. He walked around at night with an opened umbrella over his head as he believed the ‘moon beams’ would drive you crazy. His belief was based on the fact that the ‘loonies’ would ‘go nuts’ every full moon. Actually the word “Lunatic” is derived from the word “luna” meaning moon (remember the Lunar Landing?) and “tic” meaning the “repetitive movements” (e.g. like a twitching).

Well worth the visit & free tour.

Once a Lunatic Asylum and now it is a University – not much has really changed!

The cache is a black 500ml Sistema box hidden above head level.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Guvax sver, gura zntargvp, gura fgrc n yvggyr pybfre naq ybbx hc.

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)