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Campbells are Cunning (Dunedin, Otago) Mystery Cache

Hidden : 10/2/2010
Difficulty:
2.5 out of 5
Terrain:
3 out of 5

Size: Size:   regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

Those cunning Campbells have managed to get Campbells Rd named after themselves and (since Mrs Daywalk has some Campbell in her whakapapa) no doubt they have something to do with placing this cache along Campbells Rd.

But we're sure the Campbell cunning is no match for the intelligence and ingenuity of the Dunedin Geocaching Clan...

This cache is placed at S45 TARTAN E170 TARTAN.

You can check your answers for this simple puzzle on Geochecker.com.

The cache is a 1.6 litre screwtop in a standard hide, visible from several metres.

To listen to appropriate music while you read this cache description click on The Campbells Are Coming. Sing along; here are the words.




The Campbell tartan shown above is one of the best-known tartans, and is also used in darker colours for the 42nd Highlanders (The Black Watch). It is regarded as one of the tartans which anyone is "entitled" to wear.

A tartan is defined by its sett, i.e. the colours used and the thread count. The shades of colour can vary, reflecting the unevenness of natural dyes, but the thread count is fixed. As an example, the sett of the Campbell tartan above is: Camp Blue 28, Black 6, Blue 6, Black 6, Blue 6, Black 32, Olive Green 32, Black 6, Green 32, Black 32, Blue 32, Black 6, Blue 6. Note that thread counts are always even, because of course the thread must pass twice across the fabric to form a single stripe. That's why it'll help to be half-witted after you've picked your plaid.

The concept of clan tartans and restricting the wearing of specific tartans to particular families has only developed since the nineteenth century, as described in Wikipaedia Tartans. However, some people really get their kilts in a tangle over tartan etiquette; according to Clan Campbell Society of North America there are only four Campbell tartans.

Tartan registers and marketing organisations take a rather more liberal view, e.g. the Scottish Register of Tartans and the Scottish Tartans Authority list several pages of assorted Campbell tartans. At Scotweb you can have great fun designing your own tartan (go on- upload your tartan for us to see). And did you know that there is even an official Otago Peninsula tartan? A selection of Campbell and local tartans is attached. Please do admire the Campbells Road tartan, created especially for this cache.

The flat scenic route to the cache starts at the gate on Campbells Rd (see map below). Climb over the gate and follow the formed track around the hillside to the Mt Cargill Scenic Reserve. Once in the reserve the road is badly overgrown by gorse. Once you squeeze past the prickly bits, the road formation passes under power lines, continues past the Bethunes Gully track turnoff and finally stops close to the stream. This is one of those roads where the legal alignment generally follows the historic road formation, but drops just downhill of the formed track at two places. However, the adjacent landowner has clearly decided on the common-sense approach to public access, and the historic road formation has been used without problems since it was included in Antony Hamel's "Dunedin Tracks and Trails" guidebook. The terrain would be difficult for small children because there are some boggy patches on the road.

The other route to Campbells Rd starts from the Bethunes Gully-Mt Cargill track not far down from the second bridge. (You could leave your stroller here and walk up with children.) The short steepish route is marked with white markers, fabric ties and pink paint. Don't get led astray where the route crosses the remains of a mountain bike track. Several years ago someone started forming this bike track, but luckily only got a couple of zigzags done before they stopped.

A voluntary extra challenge, should you care to accept it- take a photo of yourself wearing the tartan item of apparel you will find in the cache (your face doesn't need to be visible!).

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

[Puzzle (this is meant to be a one-star, so let's get explicit):] Gur juvgr guernq qlr vf Fabj naq gur oynpx guernq qlr vf Rpyvcfr; abg bayl qb gurl flzobyvfr gur pbaqvgvbaf trbpnpuref tb bhg va, gurl nyfb unir fhvgnoyr svefg yrggref. Gubfr snzvyvne trbpnpuvat pbybhef tvir lbh gur ahzoref. Gura, nyy hf trbpnpuref ner unys-penml, fb vg fubhyqa'g gnxr gbb lbh zhpu unys-jvggrq gubhtug orsber gur ahzoref ner unyirq naq gur pb-beqvangrf ner erirnyrq. [Hide:] Znahxn

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)