It seems to me quite a few geocachers come to this game having previously been active participants in the sport of orienteering.
In 2016 the first World Orienteering Day event was held across the globe. I placed GC6HEF5 Have a Go... Orienteering, a multi-cache, utilising the permanent orienteering course in Pukekura Park New Plymouth and hosted a Geocaching event in conjunction with its publication.
The following year I placed GC71YVT Let's have another Go at Orienteering, using a different set of controls on the same permanent orienteering course, also in conjunction with (WOD) World Orienteering Day.
Since then WOD has become World Orienteering Week and this year runs from 18 to 26 May 2024.
This is a Multi-cache placed to coincide with the 2024 celebration utilising the permanent orienteering course in The Esplanade, Palmerston North.
This orienteering course consists of control labels such as that below. They are attached to permanent fixtures around the park.
May 2024: The course has just been revamped and the controls replaced, but some of these are really quite tricky to find. Good luck.
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Each label has a number - in this example the Control number 51. This is also the corresponding number on the map, but 51 is not used on this course.
The Control has a one or two letter code - in this example PE
P is the 16th letter of the alphabet, E is the 5th.
Add the values of PE = 16+5 = 21
The digital root of PE is 2+1 = 3
There is also an unique "dot pattern" like braille. (Not used on this geocache)
Here is your map...
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All orienteering courses start at a Start Triangle - in this case the public toilets. Run, jog or walk to visit each control. Record the necessary information and work out the location of the Final cache. The total route on well formed tracks is about 1.6 km. They can be done in any order.
Way
point# |
Location |
Code
letter(s) |
Work out
Final |
| 63 (=A) |
S 40° 22.195 E 175° 36.894 Garden post |
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digital root of code = |
| 35 (=B) |
S 40° 22.305 E 175° 36.768 Track junction |
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digital root of code = |
| 22 (=C) |
S 40° 22.244 E 175° 36.804 Distinctive tree |
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digital root of code = |
| 60 (=X) |
S 40° 22.262 E 175° 37.061 Sign |
|
digital root of code = |
| 39 (=Y) |
S 40° 22.287 E 175° 36.676 Bridge; SE end |
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digital root of code = |
| 52 (=Z) |
S 40° 22.327 E 175° 37.198 Bridge, N end |
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digital root of code = |
| FINAL |
South 40° 22.ABC East 175° 36.XYZ |
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I acknowledge the Red Kiwi Orienteering Club based in Palmerston North who set up the permanent course in The Esplanade, and Russell Higham who generously supplied the base map.
I use Purple Pen to create my version of the orienteering map. Why Purple? It's a special purple colour that normal sighted orienteers see as purpley, while colour-blind folks like the CO - see as more red. Orienteering course controls are usually marked in red.
(GPS is a bit flaky among the trees. Final coordinates should take you within 4m from where you’ll see the Final. Sorry I couldn’t get a better fix with a Garmin GPSr despite numerous visits.)