THE PUBLISHED CO-ORDINATES ARE BOGUS. DO NOT GO THERE, UNLESS YOU LIVE IN THE ULTRA SNOBBY AUCKLAND GRAMMAR ZONE.
BACKGROUND:
This cache was originally an addition to the popular University of Groundspeak series - it came in the series after Geocaching 235 and Geocaching 330, however those two are sadly now archived, along with most of the rest of the University of Groundspeak series. But fortunately, this cache is only part of the series in name only - the method of solving is not at all similar, so this cache can live on!
The actual cache that inspired me to create this puzzle is Go, Cab. Go! (GC272YN). I did this geocache in 2013 when I lived in Wellington. It's now a premium-member only cache (it wasn't when I did it), so if you can't read it, basically, it went like this. You were given several number plates of taxis based in Wellington, and you had to track down any one of these taxis on the street, locate the car's registration number (from the back of the car, separate from the number plate), and perform some basic arithmetic on this number which would give you the co-ordinates of the actual cache. You were given the number plates of three taxis, to make it slightly easier to locate one of them.
What a great concept, I thought. However... I'm lazy. I didn't want to go outside, traipsing around Wellington in the cold, on the one-in-a-million chance I might come across one of these taxis. Therefore... I cheated. I sat down at my computer, and within about 30 minutes, without consulting the Internet, and without going outside and actually seeing any of the taxis, I had the solution.
I'm now giving you the chance (premium and non-premium members alike) to have a go at the same kind of problem. Because I want you to solve it the same way I did, there is one important thing to note:
The taxis in the puzzle below DO NOT ACTUALLY EXIST. Don't go looking for them - you will not find them! You will need to find another way to solve the problem.
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FTF: funkymunkyzone |
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2TF: Defiant980 |
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3TF: slieschke |
YOUR ASSIGNMENT:
Locate either one of the two taxis mentioned below, find the registration number of the taxi which you will find printed on its back bumper, and use the calculations listed below to work out the final co-ordinates.
Option 1: Number plate DMC917
Once you locate this taxi, take note of its registration number (printed on the back bumper of the taxi) and call it D. Call the first digit D1, the second digit D2, etc.
Q = D2 + D4
R = D5 + D2 + 1
S = D1 - D3 + D2
T = D4 + D5 + 1
U = D1 - D5
V = D3 - D5 + D2
W = D4 + 1
X = D3 + D5
Option 2: Number plate GNU421
Once you locate this taxi, take note of its registration number (printed on the back bumper of the taxi) and call it D. Call the first digit D1, the second digit D2, etc.
Q = D5 - D4 - D3
R = D3 + D4
S = D3 x 2
T = D1 + D4
U = D5 - D3 - D2
V = (D2 x D4) + D2
W = D2 + D1
X = (D3 x D4) + D2
THE FINAL:
The cache is located at S 36 5Q.RST E 174 4U.VWX. You are looking for a camoed Eclipse mints container. Please replace the cache exactly how you found it!
Each individual cacher must sign the logbook - any logs here without a corresponding entry in the logbook may be deleted.
