The listed coordinates will take you to a memorial plaque besides the blockhouse. Answer the questions below to give you the full coordinates for the location of the main cache.
S41 0A.B1C
E175 0D.3EF
A = How many vents (loopholes) on the eastern wall minus the number of doors on the eastern wall?
B = How many vents (loopholes) are found in one row on the northern wall?
C = How many window panes in one set (pair) of windows divided by 4?
D = How many vents (loopholes) are found running diagonally on the western wall?
E = How many vents (loopholes) are found in total on the southern wall? + 1
F = How many downpipes are there? + 5
You can check your answers for this puzzle on GeoChecker.com.
Wallaceville Blockhouse
This American-style blockhouse is one of very few of its type remaining in New Zealand. The only surviving wooden blockhouse was erected in 1860 in response to a fear held by local settlers that the conflict between Maori and the Crown over the disputed sale of land at Waitara, Taranaki, would escalate.
Col. T. R. Mould, who was also responsible for building Fort Richmond in what is now Lower Hutt, designed the two-storey blockhouse. A double-skin timber-clad frame with shingle infill was constructed to provide protection against rifle fire. Loopholes were also built for defenders to return fire. The blockhouse was surrounded by a much larger defensive earthwork. (This earthwork was flattened to form part of the school playing fields that now surround the blockhouse.)
A small militia occupied the blockhouse. However, the feared attack never eventuated and they left the blockhouse in 1861. It was used as a Police Station, courthouse and residence from 1867-1880 and in 1916, following representations from local people interested in the preservation of the blockhouse, the land was reserved under the Scenery Preservation Act 1908. The legal protection given to the building in 1916 is one of the first recorded examples of statutory protection of a historic building in New Zealand.
In 1927-1928 the building was substantially repaired and windows added on the inner side of the L-shaped structure. From 1953 until the late 1990s local boy scouts and girl guides used the building.
In 1980 the blockhouse and the accompanying land was classified as an historic reserve under the Reserves Act 1977. Soon after that the New Zealand Historic Places Trust was appointed to control and manage the blockhouse. The Upper Hutt Round Table has used the building for their meetings since 1991. Today the Department of Conservation administers the Reserves Act, but the control and management of the blockhouse remains vested in the New Zealand Historic Places Trust / Pouhere Taonga.
About the location
The blockhouse can be approached from a couple of ways but the best access is via Blockhouse Lane (a long driveway that runs besides 23 McHardie St - Follow the Yellow AA signs). Whilst the blockhouse is now part of a historic reserve and you can visit the site at any time, please note that it is adjacent to the Heretaunga College grounds, so please respect the fact that there will be students nearby being taught during school hours.
About the cache
The mini cache holds a small logsheet with only room for your name and the date of the find. There is no room for a writing stick on-site so bring your own pen if you wish to log your find (of course you do!)
The cache is hidden in a high frequency Muggle-Zone, with houses nearby overlooking the site so maximum stealth is required to locate and retrieve! Suggest you hone your acting skills, tie your shoe laces, etc to avoid being 'made' - Make sure that the cache is replaced *exactly* as found so that it doesn't go walkabout!
Let me know when the logsheet is nearing maintenance time and I will supply a new sheet.
FTF medals created & designed by bjtrekker