This cache takes you to a display of hardware with excellent information signs, recording a railway station of the past.
From 1917 to 1968 a short 13 km branch railway line operated from Ohakune to Raetihi. The line connected to the main trunk railway at “Ohakune Junction” which is over 3km to the east of Ohakune town centre, so a station was established near the town for the use of business and passenger traffic, and named “Rochfort” in recognition of a famous railway surveyor. Some documents suggest this was the spot Rochfort camped, near the stream while surveying in the area.
John Rochfort was born in 1832 in Bayswater, London. After training under the world famous railway engineer Isambard Brunel, Rochfort moved to New Zealand in 1851 as a surveyor. His work in the South Island resulted in Lake Rochfort and Mount Rochfort, (both near Westport) being named for him.
Rochfort was commissioned to survey the central route of the North Island Main Trunk Railway line, establishing his base at Ohakune in the 1880s. This was a massive undertaking, surveying through the virtually impenetrable bush from Marton to Te Awamutu, and sadly left Rochfort very run down, dying in a small hotel in Kihikihi. Geocache GC12BHQ provides more of his story, and takes you to his grave in Kihikihi.
A nearby parking waypoint is listed for this cache, next the famous Ohakune Carrot Park – our Carrotland cache GCV0MV, (laid in 2006) highlights this famous playground stop.
After the first, themed container went missing within a month of publishing, the cache is now a small black tube, slid into a hole in the construction, hidden by a small stone. You must bring a pen or pencil – anyone who has not signed the paper log will be removed (there are shops nearby where you can get a pen).
This is a busy location, please be stealthfull, and return it to the location that is described in the hint, where it blends in (no matter where you find it).
This cache, (like most of Radionut50’s hides) is NOT meant to be hard to find – so logs saying ‘easy find’ are pretty meaningless.
The reason for this hide is to introduce you to this unique site in our country, so logs commenting on your experience are very welcome. You are also invited to crack the hint as you arrive, to reduce the chance of a prolonged search compromising the hide in this very public place.