When I was lucky enough to be awarded a Virtual cache, this title, concept and location sprung to mind.
"If there was a league table for roadside laybys, ranked according to the grandeur of the landscape that they overlook, then this one, on the B6282 two miles east of Middleton-in-Teesdale, would be a strong contender. It’s perched on the edge of a steep escarpment, high above the river Tees. With the valley blanketed in snow, the bare branches of birch, alder and ash below stood out in minute detail, as if drawn on a blank canvas.
Even now, as I stood buffeted by the noise and slipstream of traffic heading up the dale, this seemed a mystical place, with the distant Pennine fells drifting in and out of view as snow showers crossed the horizon, where land and sky become one on days like this."
Layby in the landscape, buffeted by history. The Guardian, 2 February 2017.
This is where I think of as my Tūrangawaewae.
Tūrangawaewae - what on earth is that?
tūrangawaewae
1. (noun) domicile, standing, place where one has the right to stand - place where one has rights of residence and belonging through kinship and whakapapa.
(Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 243;)
Tūrangawaewae is one of the most well-known and powerful Māori concepts. Literally tūranga (standing place), waewae (feet), it is often translated as ‘a place to stand’. Tūrangawaewae are places where we feel especially empowered and connected. They can be a 'special place' in the landscape, but also somewhere like a church, school, sports field, club, pub, historic building, etc. It's where you feel "Yes, this is my place in the world". They are our foundation, our place in the world, our home.
(Whakapapa is the Māori word for genealogy/ancestry. In English, it more or less translates to 'place in layers' or 'create a foundation.' It is an individual's history that helps to place Māori in amongst their genealogy, linking them to their ancestors, the atua (gods), their ancestral land and their tribes.)
You don't have to have ever lived there, just to feel that connection.
Although I moved to New Zealand in 2000, I was born and brought up in the North-East (Middlesborough & Durham), and, although I love Wellington, I still think of this area as 'home'. My family name is Teesdale.
This sign was designed by my Dad, before I was born. Apparently the sign used to be much bigger - but kept getting hit by tractors etc., so they made it smaller. It could be seen here using Google street view as recently as 2016. We always used to stop by the layby and admire it (and the view) before heading off to whatever other activities were planned for the day.
If I introduced myself in Te Reo Māori, I would be identifying my ancestral mountain, river and tribe, before providing my name.
"Ko Ravens Seat te Maunga (Raven's seat is my mountain),
Ko Tees te Awa (The Tees is my river),
Ko Sarah Teesdale tōku ingoa (Sarah Teesdale is my name).
Nō reira, Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa (Therefore, greetings to one and all)."
So How do I log this Virtual?
You have three simple tasks:
Via Geocaching Message Service or e-mail:
- Looking at the sign, send me a message with:
the name of the place by Number 8, and
how long have people lived here? Do not post this in your log.
Your ‘Found it’ log should include:
2) A photo of the view looking towards Middleton-in-Teesdale, so I can see what the weather is doing when you visit. You don't have to be in the picture (you can be if you want).
Optional task:
3) In your log, tell me where you would consider to be your 'Tūrangawaewae', and why.
If English isn't your home language, feel free to write your log in whatever is!
Notes:
Please provide answers to the questions BEFORE YOU LOG THIS CACHE.
Logs without the photo will be deleted (although I will contact you first and give you time to provide one).
Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.