This puzzle is a member of the Map of Victoria GeoArt. It has been placed to coincide with the Parkville Mega.
The following is a journey of logic.
There are eight waypoints to calculate, the first being given as the listed coordinates and will be called WP0. The other seven will be worked out through a series of seven logical steps as below and will be called WP1, WP2, WP3, WP4, WP5, WP6 and Final. At the end of the calculations you will only need to visit the location at the Final WP to locate the cache. To clarify, this is not a cache where you will need to travel to seven waypoints and the final, only the final.
Each of the seven steps below has three parts.
1. A first set of instructions on how to change the numbers
2. A clarifier that begins with the word ‘unless’
3. A second set of instructions on how to change the numbers that begins with the words ‘then instead’
To solve each step, determine if the clarifier is true of false. If it is true then the second set of instructions should be followed. If it is false then the first set of instructions should be followed.
Each instruction as read in whole may look daunting but your skill in breaking it down into small logical chunks along with a nice cup of tea will be your key in locating the final coordinates.
WP0 - The listed coordinates are the coordinates for WP0. They have been entered into the grid for you. Each of the last 4 digits in the southerly coordinates are numbered S1 to S4 and each of the last 4 digits in the easterly coordinates are numbered E1 to E4. Any or all of the values of S1 to S4 and E1 to E4 may change at each step giving a new set of coordinates at each WP.
WP1 - Exchange S4 with E1 and S3 with E4 unless E3 multiplied by E3 is less than S1 multiplied by the sum of S2 and E2 then instead exchange S1 with S3 and E1 with E2
WP2 - Increase all digits S1 through S4 by 2 and decrease all digits E1 through E4 by 2 unless the average of the distance between WP0 and WP2 (as worked out above) and the distance between WP1 and WP2 (as worked out above) is more than the distance between WP0 and WP1 then instead decrease all digits S1 through S4 by 2 and increase all digits E1 through E4 by 2
WP3 - Reverse the order of all digits S1 through S4 and reverse the order of all digits E1 through E4 unless doing so would place WP3 greater than 1km from Yarraville Railway Station then instead reverse the order of all digits S1 through S4 and reverse the order of all digits E1 through E4 and then exchange the positions of the digits S1 through S4 in order with the digits E1 through E4 in order
WP4 - Replace S3 with the average value of S3 in all four sets of coordinates from WP0 to WP3 and replace E3 with the average value of E3 in all four sets of coordinates from WP0 to WP3 unless doing so would not make both S3 and E3 a unique number from all four prior versions of S3 and E3 respectively then instead replace both S3 and E3 with the lowest values of both S3 and E3 respectively in all four sets of coordinates from WP0 to WP3 and then subtract 1 from each of those numbers to give the new values of both S3 and E3
WP5 - Decrease the value of any of the eight digits from S1 to S4 and from E1 to E4 that are currently greater than or equal to 8 by 3 and increase the value of any of the eight digits from S1 to S4 and from E1 to E4 that are currently less than or equal to 3 by 2 unless both WP4 is currently the most southerly WP of the 5 WPs to date and WP1 is currently not the most westerly WP of the 5 WPs to date then instead decrease the value of any of the eight digits from S1 to S4 and from E1 to E4 that are currently greater than or equal to 8 by 1 and increase the value of any of the eight digits from S1 to S4 and from E1 to E4 that are currently less than or equal to 3 by 1
WP6 - In WP5 there are now two pairs of identical numbers of which one pair is located in the three digits from S2 to S4 and the other is located in the three digits from E2 to E4. Decrease both of the digits in the numerically higher pair of numbers by four and increase both of the digits in the numerically lower pair of numbers by five unless the higher pair of numbers in WP5 is located within the easterly coordinates of the three digits from E2 to E4 then instead increase both of the digits in the numerically higher pair of numbers by three and decrease both of the digits in the numerically lower pair of numbers by three
Final - Replace S2 with the value of S3 that is from the most northerly WP to date and replace E3 with the only digit that has neither occurred in any of the values of E1 through E4 nor in any value of S3 to date and replace E4 with the value of E4 from the most westerly WP to date to give you the final coordinates unless the coordinates from this calculation makes the Final either the most northerly or the most southerly or the most easterly or the most westerly waypoint of all of the eight waypoints then instead the final coordinates were the coordinates from WP2 all along
The Grid
