NOTE: This cache is only accessable from the viewing area when travelling from Ashhurst to Woodville. You cannot access this cache from the shared use path.
You're standing on top of one of the largest earthworks in the Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatū Tararua Highway project—Fill 9. What you see beneath your feet isn’t natural landform; it’s the result of intense planning, coordination, and determination by hundreds of workers over several years.
To bring this fill to life, more than 1.4 million cubic metres of material were moved, shaped, and compacted—enough to fill over 560 Olympic swimming pools. The fill rises 26 metres above the original ground level at it's point, making it one of the tallest on the entire alignment.
This cache is placed as a small tribute to the men and women of the Te Ahu a Turanga Alliance, including Fulton Hogan, HEB Construction, and the earthworks legends from Goodmans, who transformed this landscape. It’s a nod to the unseen effort behind the smooth roads we often take for granted.
Take a moment to look west toward Ashhurst or down the alignment to the mighty Manawatū River—and imagine what this place looked like before the machinery rolled in.
You're not just finding a cache—you’re standing on top of progress.