Japanese Tea Garden Intercache Mystery Cache

 

Put away your GPS, and get out your smartphone. This is an interactive cache taking you on a short tour around the Japanese Tea Gardens.

Please read before you head out!
 

What's an intercache?

An InterCache is an interactive geocache. An intercache is a new way of creating a mystery geocache, similar to a wherigo geocache. The biggest difference is that the entire geocache can be developed, edited, and played on your mobile phone's browser with no software required to download! This software was developed by ChileHead, a dedicated geocacher from New York who has worked extensively with Geocaching.com to ensure full integration with the geocaching platform.

So, how do you play?

First, make sure you have a compatible device. Go to intercaching.com on your cell phone and select the test button. I recommend doing this outside for best results. You should see your current coordinates as well as the estimated accuracy. If you see something reasonable, you're all set! If you get an error, you may need to enable the GPS and other geolocation settings on your phone. You may also not have a compatible phone.

If your device is compatible, then head on down to the "Play Intercache" link and click on it. You can also click on the "Related Webpage" link above to take you straight to the "Japanese Tea Gardens Interache" page. 

 

At each of the stages you will be shown your next stage. Select it to be guided to the next stage along your journey. There is a compass that has a red arrow pointing you in the right direction as you move. You may have to walk a little bit before the arrow points in the right direction as this application doesn't have access to your phone's digital compass if it has one.

Each stage will require you to locate some information about the location, but you don't have to find anything physical other than the informative/historical signs until the final. All of the stages will require that you are within a given radius of the location before you can submit the requested information and move on. At the last stage location there is a physical container for you to log that you found the geocache. It is a regular size container with another container within. You will have to open both containers to get to the log and sign your name! Within the first container there will be another compartment for Trackables and SWAG. 

 

Play Intercache

Notes
• This is a new way of looking for a geocache. It hasn't been extensively tested yet, so you may encounter some problems.
• I recommend that you do NOT leave the browser during play. At minimum, don't open a new web page. I successfully switched apps while playing/testing it, but if you close the browser window, you may have to start over.
• It's safe to let your screen timeout while walking. When the screen times out, your GPS *should* go off and not waste battery. When you turn your phone screen back on, it might take a few seconds for the app to get your coordinates again.