Legend has it that Captain Hazel, a local, friendly pirate, sailed her ship up the Omatata Stream, before coming stranded in shallow water. She beached her ship on the banks of the stream, and set off to hide her treasure chest in the surrounding area.
Captain Hazel’s ship is now located within the grounds of the Tauranga Waldorf School and is inaccessible to the general public. However you can still see traces of it by peering across the clearing at the posted coordinates.
The aim of this cache puzzle is to find Captain Hazel’s treasure, while showcasing some of the fantastic stream restoration and planting work that has been carried out by students and staff of the Tauranga Waldorf school. Keep an eye out for bird life as Pukekos, Tuis, White Faced Herons, Fantails, Kingfishers, and even the odd Kereru have been known to frequent the area.
You will need a compass and some way to measure distance as instructions are in metres starting at the original coordinates. You may need access to the internet to solve some of the questions.
You are looking for native trees with a green and white band around one of the branches. You need to answer the questions below, and then use the answers to find the coordinates of Captain Hazel’s Treasure.
WP1: This one is easy! Turn to follow the path SW and walk 4m. Turn your back to the stream. You should be in front of the first tree. Write down the genus of this tree.
WP2: Keep following the path in a SW direction for 44m. Look towards the West (up-slope). You will find yourself in front of your second tree. This tree has a number of colloquial names, but you need to write down the Maori name.
WP3: Follow the path in the same direction for another 63m. You will find yourself in a clearing with a fence and a bridge. Please do not enter the school grounds, as this is private property. There is a commonly found native tree on the stream side of the clearing. Write down the species name.
WP4: Return the way you came (to the north) for 28m. Face up-slope. This tree should be familiar to most people, but not everyone knows the genus. Write this down.
WP5: Keep heading north for 114m. Face the stream. This tree also has a less-well known Maori name. Write this down.
A = Number of letters from WP1.
B = Number of letters from WP2.
C = Number of letters from WP3 - 1.
D = Number of letters from WP4.
E = Total number of letters from WP5.
F = Number of letters in second word from WP5.
Captain Hazel’s Treasure is located at: S 37° 43.BFA E 176° 11.DEC
This is within walking distance from the posted coordinates, but it may be worth moving the car! Please don't step on any plants!
Update 14/11/2019: There have been a number of logs expressing frustration at the difficulty of the plant identification component of this cache. My intention was for this to be a family friendly adventure, therefore I have included the links below to help you on your quest. Keep in mind that some links are red herrings (I can't make it too easy for you)!
Link 1
Link 2
Link 3
Link 4
Link 5
Link 6
Link 7
Link 8
Link 9
Link 10
Link 11
Check: A+B+C+D+E+F = 38
F2F: Congratulations to Davidson Clan, TNXPro, and Mc Jandals who managed to find the cache, even with an incorrect check sum (oops).