C# Programming: The Pen Class (Canterbury) Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand
By mrdan01 on 30-May-12. Waypoint GC3MGG0

I have looked at this one on and off for years, but I am a complete duffer as far as computers and coding go, so I never got anywhere with it.Decided to revisit it and noticed a bit of a pattern with the numbers, so sat down with a pen and paper to see if anything came of it. After a few minutes, I saw something start to emerge..... and then I had the numbers! Yay!Came out today to look for the cache, and it was a quick find despite being a nano. So pleased to finally knock this one off. TFTC.

Had a couple of goes at this one and today managed to located it and sign the log. A bit nippy out but the sun is shining and the birds are singing and people are walking their dogs. So Had to wait a bit. This was a really challenging cache puzzle for me and fir that I give it a fp.

Found using a Trackme NZ supplied Garmin Montana 750i GPS inReach, connected with Trackme Pro+ to the iridium network for tracking and 2 way communications, 100% coverage around the world .
Thank you for bringing me to this area mrdan01 and for placing and maintaining C# Programming: The Pen Class (Canterbury) geocache from Mr Cuddly Brick
Found on this awesome day the 2 July 2023.
Cache number # 2585
#trackmeadventure #trackmenz #lostcrew
For socials search
Mr Cuddly Bricks Geocaching Adventures
Tracking https://mytrack.co.nz/device/300434033661490.html

Adding an FP for the puzzle that turned out to be as difficult on the finding as the solving

We are down this way for the Killers concert and this morning I took a 10km loop run to gather up a handful of solved puzzles. This evening i went out for another few. This was the second one. Yes, as per previous logs, the search was just as difficult as the solve but got the tiny (nano) buggar. As for the solve, I tried many online compilers on several devices without success. I asked for a hint from the CO but haven't heard yet. So I took one more closer look at the code and gave it a go the manual way. Aha, that looks like it goes somewhere. One more step and there we are.

I was out for a walk, and there was another solved puzzle. I have no idea when I solved this - it must have been years ago. I think that previous logs reminded me that I used a similar brute force strategy. I had to be very stealthy, as the neighbour was working on the verge. I was very thankful for the hints from previous finders. TFTC.

Had to contract the solving of this out to my son, who in turn passed it onto one of this friends. That person, 14 years old, had to edit the code to fit the encoder he was familiar with.

That nano is a painfully wee thing to find. It is worth noting that one has to go into the garden bed to see this one.

Found. TFTC

Pleased to have solved this; but even with a hint helpfully pointing out the height, this proved too difficult today. The location is just so exposed for the inch-by-inch foliage search that this hide demands. Came at a time when all the kids should be in school, but still had to contend with dog walkers doing circular laps of the small reserve. Sigh.

If you are unwell - DO NOT GO GEOCACHING! STAY HOME!

For information on Geocaching during COVID-19 in New Zealand please visit wiki.groundspeak.com/display/GEO/New+Zealand

COVID-19 lockdown.

Be kind, stay home, save lives.

Really enjoyed solving this puzzle (got some help from the 14 year old). It was both easier and harder than I originally thought! I need to sharpen my caching pencil as it was no good for writing on a tiny log. Visited GZ twice as after 3pm is a bad time with all the high school age muggles going by - 2.15pm today was much better. TFTC I had fun.

Couldn't spot this one

TFTC. After a very pleasant event warfi, kotuku SI and myself decided to gather a few solved puzzles together.
This puzzle has been on my started list for far too long, then a chat with a friend, some homework and I managed to add it to my solved list, where it had also spent too long.
Thanks gals for the company.
Thanks 8ManAfter for all of the fun.

Last cache of a very successful day.
Came out this way with purdiepurdie and Warfi, after the April event. I am definitely not the brains behind these solutions !
Thanks for the puzzle & the cache, mrdan01..

This one was beyond me- but teamed up with a couple of geo-buddies on a great afternoon, after a fun event. Bit of to-ing and fro-ing while the gps made it's mind up- but a quick find once we got to the right spot. Sneaky little thing!! Thanks Dan

Today I decided to stay in town after work and training and find a few caches! I have to admit this is not my kind od puzzle, so I was really pleased to find it!! TFTC!!

Visiting Chch from Nelson on business with time to collect some puzzle caches. What a fun puzzle this one was. Nice to make the final find.

It's all about networking isn't it! With help from my software developer friend in the US and another handy tool this one revealed itself to me. Called in to gz and had just made the find when a 3 year old said "What's she doing, Nana?" Thankfully Nana hadn't seen me and hustled the young girl along the footpath! Close call. Thanks for the puzzle and the cache!

Ohh, that reminds me of Turtle at high school. A quick solve and finally onto finding the cache today. The acche took a while, a few places to hunt around. Cheers

FINALLY I looked in the right place. Solved AGES ago and was about to text the CO when I looked a bit further away from the obvious spot, and made the find. Thanks Mr Dan for the hide.

A lovely afternoon cruising around collecting a few solved puzzles and a few others.

Thanks to the CO's for the hides. Cheers.

Checked. All good. Feel free to contact me for help if you need to.

After having some assistance to completing this from a very computer savy dude I went to geochecker and boom coordinates correct. Today on this the shortest day in New Zealand decided to get this cache. looking everywhere I couldn't seem to lay my hands on it. Contacted the CO and he provided additional hints but still I could get the thing...muggles arrived so elected to head to the refuge of the car then they left so searched again. Still nothing then more muggles showed up so DNF this to come back again soon .

Not a language I have ever had to get involved with (luckily) but it was no problem to a couple of my work colleagues who do get involved at that level - thanks guys! A quick find by torchlight in the fading light of a rapidly cooling winter's day.

TFTC

With a list of solved puzzles a mile long I thought it time to get out there and FIND some! I decided to swing by here after work (about 8pm). It didn't take too long to find the wee blighter, in fact the torch light may have helped.
TFTC

New cache placed, same location, nano hanging between knee and waist height.

Stopped by on the way home from tonight's event for a check, only to find there has been a bit of a clean up and minor landscaping gone on at GZ, it appears the cache has gone with it. Will replace it within the next couple of weeks.

Haha, got the solution, but it's not nearby

Nice puzzle by the way!

Thanks,
I think I will not find it because I live in the Netherlands.

No luck today.

BIt damp to look too hard, but a lot of places to search.

Next time.......

Didn't have much luck looking for an online solver to this code, but thankfully a previous finder provided some much needed assistance. I originally tried to find this cache a couple of weeks ago, but was foiled by some kids playing on the nearby playground. A deserted GZ today meant a reasonably quick find. Thanks for the cache.

18/06/2014 03:12:00 PM
4487
I had looked at this cache briefly, and started working it out by hand when I first moved to chch.

But my workings and all got lost somewhere along the lines, and I never quite finished looking at it!!

Then though, we started talking about this cache at work with silverfern7, and I decided to sit down and give it a shot.

Used the same program, but first used some general expressions to edit the code into the right format for me!!

As soon as I spied what was output, I knew what had to be done, and I was soon looking on google maps at a good spot.

Came here then after work, and started the search. Took much much longer than it needed to. This place is filled with leaves for Africa!! But in the end after much leafy torture, I pulled the cache out, and squatted down on the grass, and started opening the container.

Just then a muggle came round the corner, and spotted me crouching, opening a container filled with marbles and a little book... and naturally asked what I was up to...

So decided I may as well explain geocaching to her, and she said:
"Oh, cool. Is that what all the school kids are getting up to these days?"
And I was shocked... "I'm 2 years out or uni!!!" I replied.

And then there was this awkward moment after which she told me I should take it as a compliment... well, I'm too young to take being called a 16 year old a compliment!!!

Consec caching day # 591

TFTC!!

-------------------------------
For info on the next NZ mega, and to pre- register, go to:
www.nzmega2015.com

This was my first puzzle cache! I used R software to run the code (which I had to alter a bit, of course), and then a colleague at work gave me a hint at what the output was, and I eventually got the coordinates.

Went out to get it before doing the grocery shopping and found it within a few seconds.
A good idea not to attempt the search between 4:30pm and 6:00pm, as the road nearby can get quite busy with traffic.

TFTC, I very much enjoyed solving the puzzle.

13651... Cool puzzle... soon generated the required output. TFTC.

I had this young friend over from California (near Silicon Valley) and ask him if he knew anything about this cache puzzle. Oh yeas, he said "That's easy" you do this, this and this - something to do with Java and then this and there you are. I have absolutely no idea what he did. How about this other one I asked - oh that is a bit more complicated but when I get back I will send the solution. So - puzzle solved, another puzzle solution to come and a new geocacher - all on 13th July. Apart from the cold, a perfect day.

quick find in a cold night with sevren.tftc

The program would not compile by the same means as I used for the sister cache to this one so had to do it the long way, which in the end took less time than I searched for a compatible online solver. Interesting puzzle and took me back to my uni days in computer studies. Did not have the hint with us but soon had cache in hand. TFTC

A fairly quick find today, with the updated hint, which we didn’t have on our previous visit. TFTC

Decoded this one a long time ago and had a crack at FTF without success. Revisited after locating variable declaration and had the cache to hand. Thanks for the cache.

StreetWalker solved (thank goodness as C# is not a language I know) and found this cache a while back, so decided I'd nab this on a rare solo caching expedition.
Parked near GZ to see a woman out on her patio, in her dressing gown (it was about 8:15am). I wasn't sure if she would have a direct view of GZ, so waited until she went inside. And waited and waited. She finally departed, and I was off. Turned out, I may have been OK.
Didn't take long to track down the cache. TFTC.

#2892 @1445
Solved by compiling the code. About time I crossed it off the list. Easily found this afternoon as my cache for the day. TFTC.

#3759

Second time at the final location and it took me no time at all to spot it. I wonder why I didn't see it last time? Enjoyed the puzzle.

TFTC

ds8300

754 - It was really good to finally get my hands on this log today. After my initial mishits, I was a bit concerned coming back again, but as we were driving past we stopped and had a look. It didn't take long this time thankfully. The puzzle itself was interesting to complete and for someone that knows nothing about programming I was lost when it first came out. Another puzzle gave me ideas and I also got a nudge that put me in the right direction. TFTC Dan, and for moving it out of those leaves.

I was really pleased with myself for solving the mystery. However, at GZ I couldn't find anything within a 10m radius of where the GPS pointed me. I looked at poles, fences, bushes and trees with no success.

TFTC

ds8300

We solved the puzzle when it was first published, and also knew the rustling of leaves created a problem, so didn’t spend too long rustling around for the cache today, especially after we checked the logs and found the hint had been changed. We now have the new hint, and hope it doesn’t change again before we next get to search for the cache.

I finally got my nerve up to have another go at this one. I saw where the "haircut" had happened but expanded search. Unfortunately there were still leaves underfoot and my nerve gave out. I couldn't have this disabled because I alerted the neighbour again so I cleared off when I thought I was making too much noise. This will keep...

The Unexpected Journey - a McWomble's tale
or
Helen & Brians Wedding in Middle Earth

Day Four: Homeward Bound

#2935
I almost forgot to do this one, I was in search of somewhere to eat and having gotten lost a little, I suddenly notices a blue "?" hoving into view. Knowing that I only had solved puzzles loaded I was curious and then I realised what I'd nearly missed.

Of the two puzzles this was by far the most fun and curiously enough the one you needed least geeky knowledge for. That's not to say I wont plagarise the idea when I get back to the UK.

Thanks for a great little puzzle and a tricky little cache to find when you've forgotten to make note of the hint!

Thanks for bringing me here.

C# was a programming language that I knew nothing about - I was a BASIC man way back in the dawn of time. I somewhat surprised myself in making sense of the script and getting a green tick from the checker just a few days after the cache publishing. Just before heading out of doors today I noticed that the CO had changed something and that was very fortunate for me else the search might not have had this happy outcome.

No luck today. Next time....... There appeared to be some fresh pruning around GZ. Oh and it was raining

#4280. I must have been one of the first to solve, but being on the other side of Cook Strait was not in the FTF running. I was working in the office for a few days (post MEGA) so took the chance of going for a lunch time wander in the sunshine to track down the cache. Good hide now; no rustling required. Put pen to paper to make my mark. TFTC.

Pretty pathetic response from me getting this cache replaced... sorry about that.

All good to go now, different container and hint. We'll see if the leaves continue to be a problem.

Planning a maintenance run this weekend, so I will hopefully finally have this one sorted out.

Disabling as per note, and I will check on the cache this weekend. Don't give up on the puzzle, whatever I do to the cache, the solution to the puzzle won't change

For those following please take extreme care not to rustle too many leaves. GZ is across a short picket fence from an older woman neighbour who takes great notice of what is going on in the park. She wants the council to clean up the leaves in the park so when she sees someone in the area she comes out to see if they are the council. I had only been there 5 mins and the nets on her windows blocked me from seeing her. It was the rustling of the leaves that she noticed and I didn't see her until she came out her front door. Yes I had been keeping low and I did not draw attention to myself except for the rustling leaves, which I didn't think had rustled that much!
This retrieval is going to be trickier than solving the puzzle. Told her I was looking for a ring I had lost a couple of days ago when I was there with my dog. She happily accepted my story and said she had a bad back so couldn't help me look...phew close call. Late night visit next time I think, then again if she sees a torch....

Saw the new C# cache (Variable Declaration) this morning and wonder of wonders I managed to get the program at work (MS VS'08) to spit out an output for me (instructions? pah, who needs them), so it'll be on the 'to find' list....

Even though I have just solved (by hand) and found this cache I thought I'd see what would happen if I plopped the above code into the program and executed it......there are a few errors & it doesn't give an output (having said that, it's not to say I'm running the program properly!)....

Love IGTBH's entry, very well done. Still don't know what to do with this cache. The way I solved the next one doesn't work with this one . Did get a hint this arvo but still can't make head nor tail of it. A little more contemplation I think.

Nothing I could find online helped & I have no idea how to drive a useful looking program that I have access to at work (MS VS'08) - and being a 'man', reading instructions is a no go. Looked more closely at the code. Had an 'ahuh' moment. Solved ala unplugged. Out and about for an evenings adventure. Found after a bit of a squidgy search. A few leaves wot. Nice puzzle. Thanks for the effort involved in creating & placing. Cheers.

using System.Memory
using System.GreyMatter
using System.Fracken.Wracken.Stupid.Flippin
using System.Doh
using System.Of.Course

namespace Geocacher {
public partial class Geocacher : Geocache {
public Geocacher() {
InitializeComponent();
}

public static void Main() {
Geocacher me = new Geocacher();

me.DustOffTextEditor( true );
me.DustOffCompiler( true );
me.AccessDarkRecessesOfMemory( true );

while( solvedPuzzle != true ) {
if( me.KnowsLanguageSyntax( "C#" ) )
me.SolvePuzzleAndCollectCache();
else
me.SearchGoogleForAgesMutteringToSelf();
}

me.SetFound( true );
me.SetCacheNumber( 180 );
me.SetMysteryCacheNumber( 50 );
Consol.WriteLine( "Woo, hoo!!!" );
me.SendMessageToCacheOwner( "Thanks for the puzzle!!!" );

}
}

This entry was edited by its_got_to_be_here on Monday, 18 June 2012 at 06:47:41 UTC.

This cache might have stayed on my to do list for a long time if it wasn't for a nudge and a little help from an unexpected quater getting me started. I was out visiting open homes in the area so got myself organised to look for the cache between visits. Found it exactly where expected coords were spot on. I have to question though whether there will be sufficent camoflage when autumn leaves are gone. Thanks for the challenge not looking forward to the next one unless help is at hand again.

Solved the puzzle without using a computer and had to go past the site for work so called in for a look. Had a thorough search with no luck. Searched low and low all subject targets including those snow ravaged with no luck. The excitment of a FTF on a Dan Reilly hide quickly faded as the hide appears LGM like. Will have another hunt another day.

Checked emails, and with a couple of big push & shoves from a maestro who is an ultra sharp artiste in this class of penmanship, I had to see what I could possibly come up with. With painters working in the house, a good excuse to leave home early. GZ was en route to my destination (yes, really!!) so just had to grab GPS - did I say it was icey cold & raining but it stopped as I approached GZ. A bit of a hunt as the area leaves much to the imagination with many options, not altogether inviting in the wet & cold.

Wow, a FTF with geocoin reward! [^] In accepting the FTF golden coin award, I'd like to thank Dan for placing the challenging cache, to StreetWalker for inspiring me to develop my art further, my husband for encouraging me to tough it out in freezing temperatures, & the weather gods for not raining on my parade ! Thanks !!

Saw this and had a quick look but didn't get too far, then noticed there were no FTF logs so decided to have a crack. It was on the way to where I was heading (yeah right). Got to the location and thought this could take a while, but was very pleased to find quickly, but not quite so pleased to see La Vista in the log book. Well done La Vista, and thanks for the puzzle Dan.

Published

Dropping off FTF geocoin