A simple cache in a quiet spot.
Woodlands was a 98,000 acre estate purchased from the Crown in 1872. It was one of the largest private reclamation projects of its time, transforming the colonial landscape through land drainage. It is valuable for demonstrating the scale and ambition of agricultural expansion in late nineteenth-century New Zealand, particularly in the Waikato region.
To understand the scale of the job, we are looking at an area covering from Gordonton, to Taupiri, outskirts of both Morrinsville and Cambridge.
Throughout the Waikato much of what we now consider to be prime farmland was broken in to pasture by soldiers returning from wars both locally and overseas. In 1928 Don & Irene Riddell took up residence at Woodlands and were the last private owners of what is now a nationally treasured historic estate and gardens.
This is a place to remember those that have come before, worked hard and left so much in their passing. While you are here please take the time to look around and try to imagine the effort that past generations have put in to achieve what we have today. You will find Don & Irene Riddell along with L-Corp J Riddell (who died at Gallipoli) resting where they still call home.
Please take the time to visit GC2TY40 Woodlands (Waikato) to see part of what was created.
Mrs Dragon has been the inspiration for this cache
Congratulations on FTF for ABCDF4 with a close second to eyespyben