The cache is on the obsolete Balclutha to Tahakopa branch line railway. The main drivers for the construction of this line were the extraction of timber and settler hunger for land. At first the timber from the Catlins was taken out by sea using the bigger river mouths as ports. As sea transport was unreliable and difficult, a railway was built. Construction from Balclutha into the Catlins started in 1879. By 1915 this branch line reached Tahakopa. Settlers followed the developing rail link, working in timber mills, road and rail construction and on the many small farms. The population of the area was then far greater than now, with many small settlements each with a school, hall, shop, and sawmills. The line was finally closed in 1979.
In common with many early branch lines it was tortuous, with deep cuttings. Because of the nature of the country many steep grades were encountered. The 1 in 40 average grade of this section of the line was one of the steepest in the South Island railway system and the fully-laden trains struggled to keep going uphill when the rails were slippery.
This section is only one of two parts of the old line that can be walked. The other is a short return walk through the tunnel at Tunnel Hill. When the line closed the government removed all the bridges and sold the land the line was on back to the farmers. This was well before the day that cycle trails were first thought of otherwise it would have been a fantastic ride through some awesome countryside.
The cache is a 200ml Sistema.
UPDATE 5 January 2023: Replaced cache in new location at the same coordinates with a new hint.