Going Flatting (Dunedin, Otago) Multi-Cache

This cache has been archived.

daywalk: Sadly, it's time for this cache's accommodation to be demolished prior to renovation. It's been fun!

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Hidden : 2/28/2012
Difficulty:
3 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

Are you thinking of Going Flatting at Otago? Come for a short stroll around part of Dunedin's unique student area and (maybe) choose your house for next year!

This multi takes you on a short walk from Selwyn College, two and a half blocks up Castle St as far as the Gardens, then back down Leith St. There are ten questions to answer on the way, and various interesting flats to stroll past. All waypoints are visible from the street.

PLEASE NOTE: Since you need to look at details on private house frontages at most waypoints, this cache is NOT available at night.

A) Selwyn College front porch: Number of shields on the front porch windows = A. (Check you look into the left-hand porch corner too.)
B) 84 Dundas St - Terrace houses: Number of z's in nameplate on door = B
Missing at present so: Gift waypoint B = 2
C) 615 Castle St - The Beehive: Number of red stripes on the beehive = C
D) 628 Castle St - well maintained house: Number of flowerpots in the wrought iron above the porch (all three sides)= D
E) 50 Howe St - Golf Club: Number of golfers (there's more than one) in the picture = E
F) Abbey College Common sign: Number of letters in first word of sign (ignoring University logo) = F
G) Botanic Gardens entrance sign: Number of icons showing activities not permitted in gardens = G
H) 531 Leith St - The Art Gallery: Colour of front door behind the handle. Number of letters in the name of this colour = H
I) 59 Howe St - The Bach: Number of palm trees on sign = I
J) 442 Leith St - Sign with stag's head: Number of vowels in flat's name = J

Once you've found the answers to waypoints A to J, the checksum (all the numbers added together) should = 44. You're very welcome to email daywalk if you run into any problems.

The cache is hidden at: South 45 5S.TUV East 170 3W.XYZ.

A bit of arithmetic is needed to get the final coordinates:

* S = A - B
* T = D - F
* U = J - I
* V = J
* W = H - G
* X = C - E
* Y = H - A
* Z = E + F

At GZ please DO NOT go directly to the hide. Instead, look for the discreet roundabout route which keeps you hidden from passers-by. Be gentle with the hide area - there is no need to pull, rip, unscrew or mutilate the surroundings in any way to find the cache.



Dunedin is a true University city with the most densely populated student area in Australasia. 85% of students live within 15 minutes walk of the University. There are about 20,000 students at Otago, and 85% of the Kiwi students come from outside Dunedin. Almost all out-of-town students spend their first year in one of the 14 residential colleges (there are 12 within 15 minutes walk of the University). And then, in their second year they go flatting!

So, we’ll start our tour of the student area at Selwyn College. This was the first University hall of residence, founded in 1893 by Bishop Nevill, the first Anglican bishop of Dunedin.

A) SELWYN COLLEGE FRONT PORCH: NUMBER OF SHIELDS ON THE FRONT PORCH WINDOWS = A. (Check you look into the left-hand porch corner too.)

Walking north up Castle St, the houses here are part of the University campus and are used for offices or for tutorial space. The University often purchases houses to make land available for future development.

Cross Dundas St and turn left to 84 Dundas St. These historic but uncomfortable terrace houses were built about 1880 and are registered as a Category II Historic Place. Most of the houses still have the original slates on the roof – but not all..

B) 84 DUNDAS ST - TERRACE HOUSES: NUMBER OF Z'S ON DOOR NAMEPLATE = B
Missing at present so gift waypoint B = 2

Back to Castle St and turn north past 584 Castle St, which has finally taken down their deliberately misspelt sign. Now you're in the currently "fashionable" locale for second-year students.

Cross the road and walk up the east side to 615 Castle St - The Beehive which has featured in the ODT.

C) 615 CASTLE ST - THE BEEHIVE: NUMBER OF RED STRIPES ON THE BEEHIVE = C


It’s recently become “traditional” on Castle St for flats to be single-sex, with “boys” on the east side and “girls” on the west. An ironic outcome, considering that mixed flatting was once the final frontier. Otago University’s attempt to ban mixed flatting in 1967 gave rise to James K Baxters famous “Ode to Mixed Flatting”

So cross to the tidier west side and admire 628 Castle St, a well maintained house with picturesque wrought ironwork around the porch.

D) 628 CASTLE ST - WELL MAINTAINED HOUSE: NUMBER OF FLOWERPOTS IN THE WROUGHT IRON ABOVE THE PORCH (all three sides)= D

At Howe St, cross diagonally to see 48 Howe St – The Haunted House and further along 50 Howe St – The Howe St Golf Club.

E) 50 HOWE ST – HOWE ST GOLF CLUB: NUMBER OF GOLFERS (there's more than one) IN THE PICTURE = E

Some flat names are ephemeral; back on Castle St you can no longer see the highly improper sign at 655 Castle St, previously The Gay Box, because that was removed in January 2012. Then, Semester 2 2012, another less risque sign appeared. Now, cross to the west side and see 654 Castle St – The Feisty Goat, 660 Castle St and 662 Castle St – Almost Famous. 660 Castle St has acquired wider fame as the former home of the band Six60

A bit further north is Abbey College; another University residential college, but this time for postgraduate students and visiting academics. Otago is New Zealand’s top ranked University for research quality so Abbey College is a busy place. The outdoor area is open to the public whenever the gates are open during the day.

F) ABBEY COLLEGE COMMON SIGN: Number of letters in first word of sign (ignoring University logo) = F

At the top end of Castle St is the former Gardies Tavern, which is now redeveloped as the popular Marsh Study Centre.

One of the advantages of flatting in North Dunedin is being close to everything you need: the University, the town centre, and recreational facilities- for example, the internationally recognised Dunedin Botanic Garden.

G) BOTANIC GARDENS ENTRANCE SIGN: NUMBER OF ICONS SHOWING ACTIVITIES NOT PERMITTED IN GARDENS = G

Now turn east and stroll down Brook St, with pensioner flats on your left. On the other side of the Water of Leith, Vanda Symons (fictionally) murdered a student in her detective novel set in Dunedin “Ringmaster”.

On the east sideof the street is the impressive 531 Leith St - The Art Gallery.

H) 531 LEITH ST - THE ART GALLERY: COLOUR OF FRONT DOOR BEHIND THE HANDLE. NUMBER OF LETTERS IN THE NAME OF THIS COLOUR = H


There is a cooperative pottery at the intersection of Leith and Howe streets, but it’s a private workshop rather than a shop.

On the other side of Howe St you’ll see 57 Howe St – The Juice Box and beside it 59 Howe St - The Bach.

I) 59 HOWE ST - THE BACH: NUMBER OF PALM TREES ON SIGN = I


Going south on the same side of Leith St, stop at 480 Leith St to see some Otago University flats infilling the centre of the block. The University develops medium-density flats as well as improving existing housing, which provides a useful buffer between students and private landlords. There are around 2600 international students from about 89 different countries at Otago. Many of these live in University managed accommodation, with a KiwiHost student in each flat and a Community Support Person appointed for each group.

Across the road is 467 Leith St – The Castle, which has also featured in the ODT. Mrs Daywalk, in her second year at Otago, flatted in the top floor of the boring green coloured brick place next door to The Castle. Thirty years ago a fair number of elderly people were still living here in their family homes; it was long before flat names were fashionable. It shocked her to find that the men in the flat roasted the corned beef from the meat pack! Her dodgiest exploit was forgetting the door key and climbing up the downpipe to get in through the kitchen window. In those days the alcohol purchase age was 20 and pubs closed at 10pm. There were drunk students who had to be helped home from the pub, but not the public disorder from stupid students and other riff-raff which has been in the news the last few years. A North Dunedin liquor ban is proposed to reduce this problem.

At the south end of Leith St is 442 Leith St - the flat's sign has a stag's head.

J) 442 LEITH ST - NUMBER OF VOWELS IN FLAT'S NAME = J



Turn right into Dundas St, walk west to 110 Dundas St - Cat in the Hat and now you’re on the way back to the start. Time to do some arithmetic to find the final location.

There is a person writing a book about Named Flats, an online exhibition, and a Google map showing locations of past and present named flats.

If you haven't found anything suitable in this part of the student ghetto, don't feel pressured to pay too much for a hovel. Student numbers are now capped, and a building boom six or seven years ago has left a surplus of student accommodation. Landlords are now providing better quality flats, thanks to an OUSA flat rating system and a good/bad landlord listing. For more help choosing a flat, visit the Otago University Accommodation Service or consult the OUSA Flatting Mag.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

onfr

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)


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