Redwoods (Bay of Plenty) Multi-Cache
daringpeter: Too decrepit to maintain it. If anyone wants to take it over, please do.
Peter
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(regular)
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Redwood Memorial Grove walk
The ‘Redwoods’ is within the ‘Tokorangi Triangle’, a 290 ha part of Whakarewarewa Forest which is being managed (currently by the Rotorua District Council) as a recreational amenity, a scenic backdrop to Rotorua, and as a tourist attraction. The land was purchased from Maori by the Crown in 1896 to be used to grow timber to offset the expected depletion of the native forests. The first crop was planted by the Forestry Branch of Lands and Survey between 1900 and 1906, and comprised mainly Coast Redwood, Douglas Fir, Larch, Blackwood and several eucalypt species. All these can still be seen, but it is the superb redwood stand that visitors come to walk through. (And hug, as may be seen by the bark well worn at arm height!) Redwoods in few places in New Zealand have done well. They have been extensively trialled, but by 1930 failures had caused the species to be abandoned for a source of plantation timber. However, they did particularly well in this area, and as early as 1919 the young plantation was impressive. It has been informally dedicated to the memory of Forest Service employees who died in the World Wars. Despite the high amenity value, for years Whakarewarewa was managed by the NZ Forest Service as a production forest, and casual visitors discouraged. In 1965 pressure from the public encouraged the Service to construct a car park and walking track through the redwoods. It also underplanted larch there with redwood about 1969. The tracks were progressively extended, and now there is a complex network of formal and informal tracks. In 1975 the forest became a Forest Park. In 1978 an Information Centre highlighting forestry was constructed, and after a chequered history this is now managed by the Council as the Visitor Centre. See www.redwoods.co.nz for more details. The idea behind this geocache is to follow popular tracks through the Redwood Grove using as waypoints permanent markers. These are 25 x 50 mm blue plaques bearing a letter and a number. They are not deliberately hidden, but may be obscure. When you find the target, note the letter and the number, and use it to find the next waypoint. This is not a quick in-and-out hunt, and will take a while, perhaps an hour. It is likely that within the trees you may lose satellite lock. Just carry on along the main, well established track, until lock is found. The waypoints have been tested with an Etrex. Of course, if running through the bush is your thing, and your gpsr supports it, take shortcuts! Note that all waypoints are either on, or not far from the well-worn tourist route. And if and when you find the cache just carry on north back to the carpark. This is rather a high muggles area, but finding the waypoints shouldn’t attract too much attention. No need to scrabble about until the final. Park near coordinates #1. There is a plaque there. If the letter matches use the number to find the next point. Start at #1: 38 09.418 176 16.443 Waypoint #2: 38 09.341 176 16.(579+N) Waypoint #3: 38 09.(547+Y) 176 16.775 Waypoint #4: 38 09.587 176 16.(665+U) Final GZ: 38 09.(577+K) 176 16.256
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
#1 Srapr nobhg
#2 fvtacbfg
#3 Qba'g qvgpu guvf bar!
#4 Fgrcf, hcuvyy bire oevqtr
TM Sbexrq srea
Treasures
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