Hugh Crawford (Northland)(2003) Traditional Cache
Hugh Crawford (Northland)(2003)
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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On your way out, You will want to stop at the updated parking Coordinates and park up.
There is space to park just off the actual drive way as I am unsure of the use.
The hike may take you approximately 1 hour, depending on fitness level, weather and sightseeing.
Terrain will have you ascending until you reach GZ.
On To Ground Zero
When you have parked up at the Parking area, Head up past the Kiwi Zone sign and follow the forestry track up toward the cache Coordinates.
A short distance up the track you will come across some bee hives. Please avoid.
Continue past and along the track.
When you start getting near to GZ you should be able to see the Log that the cache is hidden within.
To access the cache you will either have to go further up the track, near a bait station then head into the native bush and back to GZ.
OR
Climb under or over the fence at GZ, there is some space under the fence, but not much and be careful as it is Barbed wire.
Originally placed in 04/06/2003, I adopted this listing from Freefall in 2014, as he has finished Geocaching.
I have now moved this cache slightly to a more suitable location. Approx 85m back down the track.
The "Rehabilitation of Hugh Crawford"
The Original (04/06/2003) Info:
"Go up Kiwi track, bush terrain, overgrown and going uphill.
Wear long trousers. Machetes here and there might help.
Into the pine forest and about 70 meters after the first pine tree, look for the miniature petrified forest, then under the rotten stump. Clear Tupperware container containing Christmas cracker goodies or baddies."
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The Hugh Crawford Memorial Scenic Reserve.
Bordering the Ngunguru Road, consists predominantly of kauri–tanekaha–taraire–totara secondary forest, with kauri concentrated on the ridges. Frequent species are rimu, rewarewa, towai, and kanuka/manuka, with occasional ti kouka, puriri, kahikatea, and nikau.
To the north of this reserve is a large area of Pinus sp.
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Who was Hugh Crawford?
Hugh was the only one of William Crawford's eight sons who did not seek his living from the land. Instead he opted to become a school teacher and after graduating from training college he taught at the Kara, Paiaka, Towai, Ruapekapeka, Whangarei (where he was first assistant) and Epsom (also first assistant) schools.
However, Hugh was not a single-minded man and before World War 1 he bought an interest in the Comet, a weekly newspaper published in Whangarei. Later the Comet and a second Whangarei paper, the Northern Advocate merged to produce a paper bearing the latter title which celebrated its centenary in 1975.
By the end of World War 1 Hugh held a controlling interest in the Northern Publishing Company, Which owned the Advocate, by then a daily newspaper. At this stage Hugh retired from school teaching to become full time manager of the company.
At the time of his death he was the sole owner of the company.
He contributed his keen enthusiasm toward the goal of advancing the development of Whangarei and Northland.
At that time Northland was known as North Auckland, but Hugh, along with others, considered that the North would progress faster without being tied, in name to Auckland.
Thus he became a leading figure in a long, and successful, campaign to have the name of the district changed to Northland.
He was a long-time member of the Whangarei A. and P. Society and its president for three years. Hugh was also a strong advocate for the preservation of Northlands kauris and a reservation of these majestic trees between Whangarei and Ngungaruru now bears his name.
He was also instrumental in the formation of the Northland Associated Chambers of Commerce and was also a strong supporter of sheepdog trials in Northland. His interest in politics led to his becoming chairman of the National Party organisation controlling the four northern constituencies as well as his being chairman of the Marsden electorate.
He served as a member of the Whangarei High Schools Board of Governors, was a foundation member of the Rotary Club in Whangarei, and also a keen Mason.
In 1924 a movement started in Whangarei to form a co-operative terminating building society. Hugh was elected chairman of the steering committee and on the formation of the society in 1925 he was selected chairman, a position which he held until his sudden death in August 1939 when he was aged 57.
In 1910 he married Edna Millicent Gillingham, the only daughter of another Maungakaramea pioneering family, and they reared four sons, Bill, Brian, Noel, and Ken.
All four sons became involved in the newspaper operation, but during the 1930's Noel migrated to Australia and still lives there.
Two of Hugh’s grandsons and two great grandsons are now employed by the Advocate, the former two holding executive positions and seats on the board of directors.
Possessing a highly developed sense of humour, Hugh was always as ready at himself as at others.
He literally died laughing. The night before he died he attended a meeting and heard a story which he enjoyed so much that in the morning he repeated it to Edna.
He was still laughing at the joke when she went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast. When she returned to the bedroom shortly afterward to summon Hugh to the table he was dead.
Edna lived for 46 years longer and was approaching her 98th birthday when she died February 1985 just a month after Brian her second son died on 2 January 1985.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Ynetr Chevev Ybt, Jvguva Onfr.