The History

Posted coordinates take you to a plot of graves for sisters of The Community of The Sacred Name. It is a community of nuns in the Anglican Church in Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia. CSN Sisters currently live in Christchurch, Ashburton, Nukualofa and Suva. The former Motherhouse of the community, including convent, chapel and novitiate stood on the corner of St Asaph and Barbadoes St. However, the main brick building was badly damaged in the 2011 earthquake and later demolished.

What became known as the Community of the Sacred Name was founded in 1893 by Sister Edith Mellish who came to New Zealand from St Andrew’s Deaconess Community in London at the request of the Bishop of Canterbury, Churchill Julius. Known originally as the Christchurch Deaconesses’ Institution, the teaching and nursing order was at first housed in two cottages in George Street, but sisters moved onto the Barbadoes and St Asaph St site in 1895. The community initially cared for unmarried mothers and orphans and it has played an important role in the history of Canterbury women and of non-governmental welfare assistance. Sybilla Maude came to live in the community in 1896 and it was from the kitchen room (later the Mission Room) that she established her dispensary and initially ran the district nursing scheme that became associated with her. The order was given its present name in 1912.

The sisters vacated the Christchurch complex due to the quakes and relocated to Ashburton, retaining a retreat building, on a separate land parcel, that fronts Tuam Street. In 2014 new owners, Home and Family Society, took over the property and the surviving historic corrugated iron and timber buildings were repaired and adapted for their use as offices and a café. The Good Habit cafe logo features a CSN sister on a bicycle.

The Cache

This is a simple offset multi - obtain numbers from the plaques and make your way ABC meters and DE degrees from the posted coordinates to find the cache.
You then have a choice - climb or use a "tree fishing" tool to retrieve the cache. I have tested both approaches. Terrain rating reflects the difficulty of the climb. You will need a stepladder, a bicycle, a friends' shoulder or something else to step up on to get to the first branch, if climbing.
 

Sister Mary Joy - First digit on plaque = A
Sister Leona - Last digit on plaque = B
Sister Brigid - Last digit on plaque = C

Sister Agnes - First digit on plaque = D
Sister Judith - Last digit on plaque = E