In 2019 I got a message from the W.E.K.A's asking me if I had heard of LíB's OTD series in S. Australia and what OTD stood for?... I had no idea and after some research we had found out that it was a series called On This Day (OTD) with a story for each day of the year. Well that sounded like a crazy fun challenge and so the call went out to the Otago and Southland Geocachers to partake in this series. You'll see in the description that the owners will write in either some muggle, geocaching or personal facts/stories related to this day.
On this day.... 13 November
On 13 November 1990 gunman David Gray shot and killed 13 people in the tiny seaside town of Aramoana, before he was himself shot by police 22hrs later. Exactly one year later, the people of Aramoana unveiled a memorial to their friends and neighbours (down the pathway). This stands in a small hollow in the sand dunes beyond the settlement. Designed by local architect Bruce Bohm, it consists of a polished granite column sitting on a granite dais within a circle framed by low stone walls, the whole being surmounted by a pyramid formed from galvanised steel poles.
The column is inscribed with the words: ‘Loving memories / those who died / at Aramoana / on 13th November 1990.’ These are followed by the names and ages of the thirteen victims: Garry Holden, 38; Jasmine Holden, 11; Rewa Bryson, 11; Jim Dickson, 45; Tim Jamieson, 69; Vic Crimp, 72; Leo Wilson, 6; Dion Percy, 6; Ross Percy, 42; Vanessa Percy, 26; Aleki Tali, 41; Chris Cole, 62; Sgt. Stu Guthrie, 41.
There is also a quote from the mystic and poet Kahlil Gibran: ‘If it is comfort to pour your darkness into space it is also delight to pour forth the dawning of your heart.’
At the time, the incident was the deadliest mass shooting in New Zealand's history, being surpassed 29 years later by the Christchurch mosque shootings.
The cache is a 2l snaplock container placed at the listed co-ords, which is away from the path and memorial out of respect for anyone visiting to pay their respects to those lost.
"Time might heal, but it certainly doesn't take away the memories."
For your information you can find out the guidelines for Geocaching and Covid-19 in New Zealand. https://wiki.groundspeak.com/display/GEO/New+Zealand . Please do not find this or any other geocaches during Level 3 or 4.