Arrrrrgh! All hands on deck ya landlubbers! It's time to hoist ye sails and plot a course to Treasure Island!
I was lucky enough to be gifted this Virtual Reward by Groundspeak, so I decided to place it close to home as a nice adventure for all the local cache finders and hiders. Hop in your watercraft of choice, pack a lunch, some drinks, and your GPS and enjoy one our area's newest Virtual Caches!
Treasure Island, officially known as Osborn Island then later designated Nienstedt Island, is an island located in the middle of the Manasquan River. It's only accessible by boat and it's a popular spot for boaters to stop and rest, picnic, or drink the day away. During the weekdays the island is fairly quiet, but on a busy summer weekend there's often boats anchored as far as the eye can see!
If you decide to kayak out to Treasure Island, you can put in at Gull Island County Park in Point Pleasant, Fisherman's Cove Conservation Area in Manasquan, or the Manasquan River WMA in Allenwood. If you launch near the inlet pay close attention to tides and be aware of heavy boat traffic. During high tide the railroad bridge can NOT be paddled under and you must use the main channel that is shared with other boats. Currents can be very swift and dangerous. Wherever you launch from, wear a PFD!
The posted coordinates lead you to a plaque on the island. In order to claim this Virtual Reward, just email me the answers to a few easy questions. All of the answers are on the plaque!
1. Why was Osborn Island renamed to Nienstedt Island?
2. Robert Louis Stevenson visited the island after publishing his book "Treasure Island" and christened the island with the same name. What did he and his illustrator carve into a bulkhead on the island?
3. What is the name of the Eagle Scout that made the plaque?
4. What plant covers the island? How many pictures of the plant are on the plaque?
5. Not required, but if you can, add pictures of your journey!
No spoilers in your log, please! Enjoy the Virtual!
Virtual Reward - 2017/2018
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between August 24, 2017 and August 24, 2018. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards on the Geocaching Blog.