A nice easy cache on Rifle Range rd, Why is this road called this?
Well if you look north up the field towards the sea at the cache sight, you will be looking up range of a rifle range that has been there since 1852 and was only stopped being used back in the 1990s. As a cadet I to even put some round down range at this sight, It is not used any more due to buildings going up round the area and the coast walk way.
As I have also found out this is the birth place of the wearing of the silver fern.
In 1853 a ship of the Royal Navy called at New Plymouth, the HMS Sparrow. The ship stayed in New Zealand waters for the next 10 years and was converted to steam before she left New Zealand.
The Royal Navy challenged the Army Garrison to a teams match of rifle shooting, and it was shot on the Rewa Rewa Rifle Range.
The New Zealand shooters picked the silver fern growing in that area and pinned the leaf on to their uniform pocket as a good luck charm. They beat the Royal Navy and said the Silver Fern has brought us luck and we will carry on using it.
Please bring a pen, and watch wear you are shooting