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Spit Beach (Dunedin, Otago) Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

Nemesis: I visited the cache site today, and I removed the cache to allow others to place new caches in the area. I will salvage whatever cache contents I can to redistribute to other caches in the area.Cheers, Donovan.[:)]

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Hidden : 7/28/2001
Difficulty:
2.5 out of 5
Terrain:
3 out of 5

Size: Size:   regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

Location: About 20 km north-east of Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.

The cache is above ground, but invisible from 5 m.
The terrain is very steep and rough in places (the terrain rating varies with the tides, that is, from 2.5 at low tide to 3.5 at high tide).


Initial Cache Contents:

* A tin of Anchovies in spices
* A roll of white electrical tape
* A novelty ping-pong ball
* A Spitfire glider
* A green key ring
* A yellow water pistol
* A set of four bamboo chopsticks
* A Culverden Tearooms hat from the Sharks Tooth Kaikoura cache

Directions:

The cache (Accuracy < 15 m; Elevation 9 m) is hidden in a 4.5 litre rectangular translucent plastic snap lock container within tussock, about 900 m north-west of the car park (S 45°46.420' E 170°42.149'). See the hints for more detail.

To get to the beach follow State Highway 88 from ANZAC Avenue (in Dunedin) to Port Chalmers for about 12 km. Now, take a left at the end of the main street and continue along the coast on Aramoana Road for about 8 km. Turn left at the first side street you reach in Aramoana and then continue for about 500 m. After you park, you can get to the beach by following the sandy track 100 m to the north.

The cliffs along Spit Beach are quite spectacular on a sunny morning (below are the photos I took on the grey wet day that I placed the cache). After you find the cache you may like to walk out onto the Mole to the middle of the harbour entrance, it's a nice easy walk (park at S 45°46.573' E 170°42.688'; about 2 km return). Another great walk is the Heyward Point walking track up along the top of the cliffs, the view is great. You may start at either near the car park (at the turnoff; at S 45°46.661' E 170°41.936'; closed during lambing season; a climb of about 400 m) or drive back to Port Chalmers and follow Heyward Point Road up the hill to the end and then follow the green and yellow markers north-east (a climb of about 180 m to Heyward Point).

Just east of the cache is a slip made up of weird hexagonally shaped columnar basalt blocks. These have the same igneous origins as the Organ Pipes that can be found along one of the walking tracks to Mount Cargill.

Warning! Aramoana Road is a very narrow and winding and the cliffs along Spit Beach are prone to slipping, particularly after heavy rain, take care.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

[Basic Hints] Gurer ner syng onfnyg furrgf qvfthvfvat gur pnpur naq vg vf ng gur onfr bs gur gbczbfg ohfu va n yvarne tebhcvat bs terra ohfurf. [Additional Hints] Gur yvar bs ohfurf ortvaf ng n ynetr obhyqre ng gur rqtr bs gur ornpu naq pbagvahrf qverpgyl hcuvyy sbe nobhg 4 z. Gurer vf qrnq ohfu nobhg 5 z qverpgyl hcuvyy sebz gur pnpur.

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)