Williams Waterfalls (Wanganui) Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

RachelsRiffRaff: It is with great regret that we've decided to archive this cache....it's problematic and just a ways too far from home for repeat visits. We'll leave it's sister cache in place until it is no longer viable. We've really enjoyed visiting the pools and seeing the changes, but the maintenance on all our caches is getting too hard to keep up, so we're going to concentrate more around home base. It'd be great if someone else put one here. Many thanks to all the cachers that found our various hides.

More
Hidden : 9/7/2012
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size: regular (regular)

Join now to view geocache location details. It's free!

Watch

How Geocaching Works
Looking for a different adventure?

Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions in our disclaimer.

Geocache Description:


Williams Waterfalls


William Birch Pool

This cache is for the travelers who DID stop – a bonus for making the effort to traverse through this venue. This is a beautiful place to stop and have a picnic or stretch your legs on a long journey. There’s lots of places for the kids to explore with other water and woodland scenery.

If you read this page before the alpha site check out the sister cache - Highway Hijack.

There is plenty of parking and a very robust single toilet. According to the Wanganui Chronicle, the facilities are the only public toilets between Waverley and Wanganui. They will be opened at 8am every day and locked at dusk and will be cleaned every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday.


History

William Birch Pool was built in the 1930s and was once used as the Maxwell School pool. It is part of a heritage trail and has been a scenic attraction for visitors. However, in recent years the reserve has suffered from vandalism and reduced maintenance as well as being quite damaged in the big storm in 2004. This block of land was gifted to the Nukumaru Domain Board by Cr H G Birch and was later named William Birch Park. The pool was built in 1934 and is fed by the Ototoka Stream.

In 2009, Maxwell residents, including members of the local iwi attached to nearby Pakaraka Marae, approached the Wanganui District Council to have the pool area cleared and opened up, and to have a toilet block built.

A partnership was formed between the council and the local community for the installation and upkeep of a new toilet block, and maintenance of the reserve. A restoration programme has seen the baths excavated and most of the silt has been removed with the stairs, handrails and working of the weir having been exposed. Unfortunately the pools, are not suitable for swimming, due to poor water quality.

As there has been some issue (in the past) with the GPS doing weird things, we’ll give a general route direction. You have two options: 1)Thru the main gate, down past the pool, across the spillway, take a right and follow your cachers nose – follow the geo trail. There's no need to go down any banks, or up any for that matter. Also no need to go into the woods - if you go 6 feet past the fallen fence you've gone too far. The cache container is recycled and camo'd and is not small so should be a relatively easy find. Please hide again carefully, as the last one went walkabout.

Or 2) Come in from the small gate at the other end of the front fence, follow the path down onto the other side of the pool, carry on down past the spillway (on your right) and follow your cachers nose as above.


- - - - o O o - - - -

Parking: safe parking in the carpark
Activity: cache is not right in the venue so shouldn't be a large muggle issue but as always, keep an eye out
Dog Friendly: Yes
Stroller Friendly: yes but could be hard going
Wheelchair Friendly: not really, there's a few steps and trails to navigate to the cache but with a strong person in charge of the wheelchair you could make it down the walkway to see the pools
Kids: A great spot for a lot of fun but as always keep an eye on them around water
- - - - o O o - - - -

We love reading your comments about how you enjoyed the cache, (or suggested improvements) and request that if possible that you list incoming and outgoing swaps, as it helps us gauge when maintenance is necessary. Just remember to make your trade of equal or greater value and perhaps add a photo or two of your adventure. Enjoy! Cheers

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

chatn

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)


Advertising with Us