This geocache replaces GC2V8JK 40° South which was placed by Hurricane Luke in 2011, adopted by skindo but archived in 2019. It was still in place, but as the cache container was rodent eaten; the log wet & shredded, and in the light it had been archived I have removed that one. But there is still a Waymark there.
This new cache has been placed at South 40°, determined by Garmin 600. But I also checked with my phone as most geocachers now use their phone rather than a dedicated GPSr... which leads to the name of this cache.
At the previous cache location is a sign indicating to the traffic on State Highway 1 that they have passed a major circle of latitude. The sign reads "LATITUDE 40° SOUTH" and is located on the southern side of the Porewa Stream.
The 40th parallel South runs through only 4 countries as it travels eastwards from the Prime Meridian. The first piece of land it hits is King Island, part of Tasmania in Australia - a full 143 degrees eastwards from its starting point. It then crosses Flinder's Island, also in Tasmania, before carrying on and finally reaching the North Island of New Zealand - it passes just north of Marton and just south of Hunterville, and crosses SH1 roughly where this cache is.
It continues on and runs along the town of Waipukurau, where there is another skindo similar themed cache. Once it hits the ocean again, it's another 8,700-odd km before it reaches Chile, and soon after crosses into Argentina.
This geocache is located on a bridge, so not a great place for children, although there was no traffic in the half-hour I was placing and locating the container.
