The most famous “Northwest Passage” is a sea route connecting the northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America.
Our local northwest passage isn’t quite so well known. It’s basically a track - a passage - in the very northwest of Tawa, pretty much on the border of Wellington and Porirua. The track, which is becoming a little overgrown in parts, takes you up through the edge of Spicer Forest to the road constructed by Meridian Energy in 2013. You can now wander (but not drive) along that road to Ohariu Valley, or turn right a little way along the road to head in the direction of Colonial Knob.
This cache is one of five located along ‘our’ Northwest Passage. A slight diversion from the track will provide, looking southeastwards, a great view of Tawa. The splendid Porirua Harbour is clearly visible in a northeasterly direction, more noticeable on the return leg of this track.
Pass “Pine Dropping” where cache GC96G11 is hidden. You’ll be rewarded with your first view of Spicer Landfill and its noisy seagulls. Further along the track you’ll come across a large wooden sign which has been there since the days of the old Tawa Borough Council which was disbanded when Tawa became part of Wellington in 1989.
This should be a reasonably easy cache to locate.
July 2025: the cache container is currently difficult to open. Until I replace it, a photograph of the cache –with your caching name or caching implement included in the photo – will suffice.