Welcome to the Greater Geocaching Shuffle.
Are you ready to shuffle...
This puzzle is a variation of my "Panda Puzzle" and if you have trouble solving this puzzle and you have not done the Panda puzzle may I suggest you try that one first, as it is a smaller puzzle.
This puzzle is played on a board 6 columns deep by 6 rows wide.
You will need to arrange 36 geocaching team tiles on this board.
These geocaching team tiles need to be arranged on the board according to a set of rules.
A couple of demonstration examples that are not part of the puzzle are shown below.
Each square on the board is assigned a value, as are all the geocaching character tiles.
Once you have shuffled all the tiles to their correct position on the board you use formulas to create two cryptograms. A little alphabet shuffling and you will discover the final position of the cache.
All the information you need to complete the puzzle can be obtained by downloading the files below.
There is one slight problem however, each file is password protected.
The posted coordinates will take you to an easy to find local landmark were you will need to locate something that looks like a password (a single line of letter(s)/number(s) ). Shuffle around this combination of 5 (five) letter(s)/number(s) until you have a combination that unlocks the file. You now have access to information on how the board is set up and the rules for playing the game.
Download Set Up File -> "01 Instruction to solve puzzle"
Next you will need to obtain the password that will allow you to unlock the file that contains a list of geocaching team tiles and their starting position on the board. To find this password go to Freddo's "Square dance cache"( GC83A7). At this location you will find a large collection of words. Using only the letters contained in these words shuffle out a new word. It is an 8 (eight) letter word and found in a dictionary. The correct word will unlock the geocaching team tiles file.
Download Tile List File -> "02 Team List with icon and row detail"
Now you need to find the passwords for the rules governing were the tiles will be placed -
To find the password for the Vertical clues you need to go up to a popular lookout near Kevin and Dean's "Lofty Ambitions" (GC5466). On the observation deck you will find a collection of boards with names of point of interest around Adelaide. Shuffle the 5 (five) letters in one of those names to form a new word that you can use as the password. Only use the names in bold. Port Stanvac would be two (2) separate words and I didn't shuffle Glenelg into Glenelg (its 7 letters).
Download Vertical Clues File -> "03 Vertical clues for this puzzle"
To find the password for the Horizontal clues you might need to go far and wide as you will have to get a single data number (number not digit) from two (2) of TeamLangy's "Unlock the Mystery" Keys (GCK038). I can't remember which two keys and if there happens to be more than one data value on a key I am not sure which one I used. I do however remember that 1 (one) number had more digits than the other. I just pushed the two (2) numbers together. You will have to work out if the shorter number is at the font or the back. Therefore the combination can only be XXXYYYYY or YYYYYXXX were XXX is a data number retrieved from one key and YYYYY is the data number from another key. I am sure you will be able to shuffle them about until you get a password that works.
Download Horizontal Clues File -> "04 Horizontal clues for this puzzle"
So now all you need is to find the password to open the file to allow you to access to the formulas that create the cryptograms, which when solved will give you the final location of the cache. To find this password go to Gwyndigo's "Garden of Goodnights"(GCHPRV). At this location you will find a lot of upright colourful objects. Use the letters from two (2) of the colours and shuffle out a new word to use as the password. It is a 5 (five) letter word and found in a dictionary. The correct word will unlock the cache location file.
Cache Locate File -> "05 How to find the cache"
Now you can go find the cache.
So to summarise all you have to do is find the first location and shuffle some letter(s) and number(s) to get a password. So you can open the set up file. So that you can understand the rules. Then shuffle some words into a group of letters to create a password to open the playing tiles files. So that you can then shuffle another word to get some clues. So that you can shuffle some numbers to get some more clues. So you can shuffle some colour names to get the formula to create the cryptograms. So you can shuffle some tiles to solve the puzzle. So you can create the cryptograms and shuffle the code around to work out the cache location and then go get it.
Whew !
Piece of cake.
All alpha characters used in the passwords are in lower case.
Thanks to all those teams who placed caches near my clues.
If you havent done these caches yet you now have the perfect excuse.
Please dont put computer spoilers that hack the passwords on this listing.
I hope people will understand why I remove these type of entries from the page.
and finally a special thanks goes to Team Langy for allowing us the use of his keys from his fabulous cache "Unlock the mystery".
Listing update
1) Moved case of passwords from clue section to main body of text.
2) 19/05/2005 Reconfigured password for horizontal clue and replaced file with new password.
3) 26/05/2005 Updated listing to provide more information on size of passwords.
4) 02/06/2005 Added clues to passwords in additional hints.
5) 15/06/2005 Team The Mavericks find the cache.
6) 17/06/2005 Added clues to cryptograms in additional hints.
7) 06/08/2005 Freddo found the cache
8) 22/09/2005 Created Lesser Geocaching shuffle which shows how the text in the cryptograms will appear after decoding. The Lesser puzzle is a similar format without the passwords or encryption.