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| On top of Baton Ridge... |
Baton Ridge
Another cache located along the unofficial Cliff Edge Effects track, which connects Red Rocks Track to the Owhiro Bay Quarry and carpark. It is situated roughly 290 metres AMSL, about 400 metres off the Red Rocks Track, on top of a ridge shortly after a junction with a track that goes downhill to connect to the Tip Track – why they couldn’t have simply routed around the hill will never be known, but the positive side is that there’s some fantastic views from this location, which appears on the New Zealand Topographic 50 maps at “High Point 292”. The cache gets its name from a dilapidated, old, rustic fence which runs along South of the track – broken in some places, and obscured by flora in others.
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| A wide angle view looking south from Baton Ridge in Te Kopahou Reserve. |
All of this is located within the stunning Te Kopahou reserve, which is definitely the hidden gem of Wellington, with over 600 hectares of vast, wild, undulating, windswept land with some absolutely panoramic and gorgeous views of all around – as far away as Cape Palliser or even Kaikoura across the Cook Strait. All hidden southwest of Wellington, near the Red Rocks coast and southeast of the West Wind wind farm. Also visible from this spot in the distance is the Brooklyn Wind Turbine, north of this cache.
| Views into the south of Wellington from Baton Ridge. |
Cache Details & Information
The cache is a black painted and labelled 1 litre Sistema container with logbook in a bag in an internal container, a geocaching notice, and a pencil. It’s a couple of metres off the track and is only a short detour, roughly 400 metres, off the Red Rocks Track, downhill and then back up the ridge to this cache – along a track known as “Cliff Edge Effects”. This shouldn’t take any more than 10 minutes.
Alternatively, you could complete this as part of a 6.5 kilometre walk which takes you close to Sinclair Head, and allows you to pick up a few more caches along the way. We’ve called this the “Red Rocks Loop” – and it packs many views into a short distance and over a smaller elevation change. Please be aware that the 6.5 km is only in the one direction – it’s up to you whether you walk back to the carpark along the coast or go back the same way you came. It shouldn’t take much longer than 3 hours, including a few photo stops, cache stops and maybe a snack break. It may be worth bringing a hiking stick, some food and drink, and definitely don’t forget your camera. It may be a bit much to attempt to bike this one. All that aside, enjoy!
