Estimated time to complete: 15 min
Estimated distance to travel: 400m
Nangnak means "look" in the Woi wurrung language of the Wurundjeri tribe. The Nangnak Garden overlooks The Round and Civic Precinct and represents "to know, knowledge, learning, history, culture in the present and looking to the future". It features Indigenous plants and provides a place to reflect on the process of reconciliation.
The Wurundjeri-Balluk tribe are the traditional custodians of the land on which the City of Whitehorse is located. They have been the traditional custodians for 40,000 years. The tribe is now known as the Wurundjeri, being one of five tribes that make up the Kulin nation. The Wurundjeri are a deeply spiritual people and honour the creator spirit, Bunjil the Eaglehawk. Historically, the tribe would camp along the banks of the many creeks that flow through the City and named parts of the local area Namenarren or Nunawading.
William Barak (1824-1903) was the last traditional great Ngurungaeta, or leader, of the Wurundjeri tribe. He was central to establishing the Aboriginal Reserve of Coranderrk at Healesville, and a number of times lead walking deputations from there to petition the Victorian Government at Parliament House, a distance of 100 km. When Barak's 14-year-old son was dying with tuberculosis, he also walked 35 km from Lilydale to Kew with the boy on his back to bring him to a hospital.
One hundred years later, in 2004, in the tradition of Barak, Essendon football legend and Indigenous spokesman Michael Long (b. 1967) set off to walk from Melbourne to Parliament House in Canberra, a distance of 650 km. He sought audience with the Prime Minister to discuss the plight of Indigenous Australians and raise public awareness of issues of concern to Indigenous communities. The Long Walk, as it became known, has become a symbol of reconciliation and a part of the annual Dreamtime at the G game between Essendon and Richmond at the MCG. This game is part of the Sir Doug Nicholls Indigenous Round.
Solving the final coordinates
Alongside the path at the starting coordinates of the Nangnak Garden, you will find 3 stone tablets. The first is a reflection by a Wirundjeri elder, the second is a memorial stone and the third is a commitment statement by Whitehorse council and its citizens.
To obtain the final coordinates for this cache (which is located within 400 m of the start) you will need to collect the following information:
Tablet 1
B = number of letters in the elder's first name
D = number of times William Barak is mentioned
E = number of letters in the elder's second name
F = number of times Bunjil is mentioned
Tablet 2
C = number of times children are mentioned
Tablet 3
A = number of lines of text
Enter your results as follows:
S 37° 48.ABC
E 145° 11.DEF
You can check your answers for this puzzle either by Checksum where A+B+C+D+E+F=23, or online on GeoChecker.com.
A leisurely 5 minute walk will now take you to nangnak for the GZ - walk around The Round, where a path will take you through a gate in a fence (unfortunately this gets locked on game day and they charge admission to the ground). If you can, resist the temptation to drive. These few minutes of walking will give you a moment to nangnak at and enjoy your surroundings, calm your thoughts, and reflect on the determination of both Barak and Long, and the distances they were prepared to travel, in order to seek justice.
Cache information
You are looking for a small container, concealed out of sight.
***CONGRATULATIONS to GJMMelb on FTF***
“Gone but not forgotten”
In memory of another cache that was once also here:
GC3KRXC NANGNAK Cache
May 20, 2012 - May 24, 2014