Witches Portal Selwyn District, South Island, New Zealand
By lytteltonwitch on 15-Apr-21. Waypoint GC99DN6

Found with quinella at the end of our walk - who moved the pen out of the daypack???? Tftc

Damp walk along the gorge track and back . Found this after short search . No one but did photo log . Thanks

Found it! Thanks

Found with Gazania Rigens on our way along this picturesque walk with great views of the river, gorge and surrounding characteristically stunning NZ scenery.What an impressive host for this cache! Many thanks for placing and maintaining.

We enjoyed the stunning views along the gorge during our walk, and also the great natural feature that is hosting this cache. After a short clamber it was found and signed. TFTC!

Great find. Our GPS had us off by 14m. But the description gave us the find. Stunning day in mid winter.

Our phone gps certainly had us going! We were on mountain goat terrain (the wrong spot) BUT the view was absolutely stunning! lol

After a frosty start to the day it was perfect winter weather to go for a drive and find a few caches. Took me longer to find it than it should have done. All good in the end. TFTC, Biggles.

Beautiful location, found it on a sunny winter day. Thanks for the cache

Found it duri g our vacation. Thanks. Greetings from Germany.

Our first cache on the south island. Non-witches love trees too and this is a great one. TFTC

Reasonably quick find. TFTC

Great place to hide. Logged it aa defenderfamily. Again the mrs beat me to it.

Thanks for the cache lyttltonwitch.. This was our first find today. Took a little while to work out the cache would not beon the steep side of the track. The roots were needed to find the cache.

Soon found log signed and replaced as found TFTC

Wasn't going to gz as a bit steep. Quick find other way.

Found with StreetWalkerNZ on a warm norwest day as we head towards Methven via Rakaia Gorge and various caches.We had walked part of this track back in 2017, looking for some caches further on from GZ. Boy, it's a popular track! Our GPSrs wanted us way down there, but we were sure that's not where the cache would be, and reading the cache description and hint confirmed that. SW started looking too far from the track, but did spot a likely looking hiding place on his way back to the track. And sure enough, there was the cache. TFTC.

#23503. Troodles was keen to do the ad lab in Methven today. We took a "scenic" route to Methven via a number of caches. We had four caches to find in this area, and this was the first. We parked in the small parking area next to the bridge. It was busy here today, with a decent amount of traffic, and several groups encountered during the short amount of time we spent on the track. When we got to GZ both GPSr's said we needed to head downhill, but we both decided there was no way the cache would would be down there. There was a promising-looking object next to the track on the uphill side, and that is where we searched. I went up and over and back down without finding the cache. I did spot somewhere to take a closer look at. I got back to the track then went to look at the place I'd spotted, and there was the cache. Whew! TFTC.

Quick find, windy day with gorge in flood

Taking a long walk with my daughter in the gorge today. Weather is not great, very windy, but at least dry. We did the whole loop, very beautiful track and views. And of course scored a few caches along the way We loved this one. Interesting feature, nice descrption, good catch. Tftc & fp!

During our trip around NZ we also visited this valley. We found several caches here. Thank you.

Fairly windy in the gorge today. Thanks.

I used to have a cache hidden about 20m further along this track. Spotted some people in the river kayaking today.

Yep needed those tree roots - nice hide - TFTC

Great ending to this nice walk:) unfortunately we had no pen with us, so it's s photo log:)TFTC Kaylina22

What fun! Thank you!

Great to come back today and convert a sad blue face of 18 months ago to a golden smilie face. Cache all good. TFTC

later

Mooie wandeling langs de rivier, schitterende uitzichten. TFTC, greetings from the Netherlands.

Found it yesterday on our walk there

TFTC, Great wee walk. Easy find.

Found with Sally great hiding dpot

#5.583Lovely stop along the way with amazing water in the river. The final spot was nice as well with great camouflage of the cache.TFTC says team mastba from Hamburg/Germany

Enjoyed the gorge walk although the signs suggested it was closed. Not much effort to stop people walking it. Quick find once I got high enough. Cache and log all fine. Thanks for the smiley.

TFTC! Nice hide

Quirky and adventurous! Would recommend. TFTC!

The title of this cache piqued my curiosity, and I wasn't disappointed when I arrived. There were several of those painted stones placed around here too. Did the full circuit up and down until I happened upon the cache. TFTC lytteltonwitch # 19,704

TYFTC!! Took us a while to find it, but at the end we could not believe we did not see it earlier!

One of several caches we located on our way from Christchurch to Tekapo today. Made harder work of finding this one than I needed to. Coords seemed to be directing me a few metres away, but the hint was very useful in leading me to what I was seeking. #6016. TFTC.

From some other world. Good hide ! :D didn’t have a pen —> logbook photo. Thanks !

We walked along the Rakaia Gorge track and found the witches and after a short while the caches.
TFTC and greetings from Germany.
Klatho & Gazzelli

A lot easier than i tried to make it. Beautiful

Staying nearby and going for a walk. TFTC!

Found on a walk along the Rakaia Gorge track on Canterbury Anniversary Day. There were so many people on the track on the way up that I just scoped out the general location and then stopped to look for the cache on the way back when it was much quieter. The cache was spotted by muggle partner and then retrieved by junior cacher while I was looking in the wrong place. What a great walkway - and great to see so many people also out enjoying it today. TFTC!

A nice quick find here then we carried on down the track. We too liked the tree. TFTC.

A nice quick find, now to dash back to the car to get to the event. Thanks for placing your cache.

Ms_KR and I went for a wee drive down to Geraldine. Today we drove home via the event in Coleridge, where a Nor'wester was blowing under sunny skies

Thanks to all CO's for publishing and maintaining their caches. Cheers.

A quick stop on the way to Lake Coleridge for Earth cache day. Wow, there were so many cars parked up; must be a sunny school holiday weekend. All quiet on the track tho. I must have been enchanted, went too far and found the wrong portal of the stunning kind that you shouldn't stick your finger into. KR used his magic caching wand and had the spell worked out in a flash. Thanks lyttletonwitch.

So glad we found this as the rest of our attempted 10km walk was a whitewash after 1.5km due to the path being too boggy. Loved the Russian doll element - great way to keep the log safe! TFTC

Nicely hidden. Hint was very helpful.

Thanks

Walking back to the camper after visiting a nearby cache so decided to grab this one as well. This is a very cool tree

Creekdalefarm

What a cool tree! Thanks for bringing me here.

Ā nice quick and easy find. TFTC

Tftc! No service for me so had to walk back to the start of the track to download all the caches on the walk

Replaced the cache as it seems to have been washed out of it's hiding place. Have hidden in a different hole but still at the same tree. Will up the terrain rating as a little bit of climbing required for us shorter people. The tree roots make good foot holds

Out for the day with the CO. I was with her when initially placed but obviously couldn't sign it then. Happy to accompany her today for a check,and signed a new replacement log. It's a great place for a cache. TFTH

no problem finding the portal but no sign of a cache

No witchy about today, so the cache was an easy grab between muggles on a very busy track this morning: tftc

The host definitely looks like a witch indeed. These pine trees are beautiful specimans, a shame they are such a pest now. Thanks for the placement Lyttleton witch

Now that is a longway down ..cache all good what a great hide & tree ..along with a nice place for a cache thanks Lyttleton Witch nice tidy cache

One certainly wouldn't want to be in the way if this tree started walking! It was obvious when we reached it, and the cache was a quick easy find. TFTC

With reshamfiriri. Rather drizzly day but as always a lovely walk.
Cache was sitting on side of the track, placed back under rock with some pine needles on top to keep it out of sight. TFTC

Stopped by on my way to MTBing at the Mt Hutt. Bike Park. Hmmm. there's been quite a bit of rain overnight and this morning judging from how wet and muddy this track is to the Witches Portal. With Mt Hutt obscured from view by heavy drizzle now at 09:44 it doesn't look I'll be MTBing after all. May have to turn today into a caching day instead. Thanks for the cache lytteltonwitch.

??

Just had to check out this Witches Portal. Left our calling card. Love this tree. Gave it a big hug. Gets a fav. Cheers

Day 4 - Thursday 23 December - Ashburton to Amberly taking the inland route to Lake Coleridge. So lets go exploring. Bummer with Toby getting a flat battery today.

The Seagnoid, Zara, Toby and I are of on another Geo adventure this time to Mt Cook for 5 days. Met up with Bullertrout and Bro on the way down. Lake Pukaki was fine but Mt Cook was wet and wild with the Hooker Valley being closed due to high winds, so did not stay long. We went exploring Tekapo, Timaru and a round trip to Lake Coleridge. Short trip and very tiring but awesome.

As others said - once we got here we knew we were in the right place. Didn't take the dragon long to find the cache. I was still checking out the portal.

Part of a big trip with Taybeedragon to explore Mt Cook. We explored a little of it but there was gale winds, lots of cloud and rain. Some of the tracks had been closed and others were right dodgy given that we did not have our foul weather tramping kit. We had booked to stay for two nights but left the same day. More time to explore parts of Canterbury! So now I have been to Mt Cook . Still yet to see Aorangi.

Out on a birthday trip with Beeba. She found several caches but this was the only one in the area that we still had left to find. A short walk up the track and we knew by the title that we were in the right place. Excellent hide with a lovely view. TFTC and a favourite too, I think.

Wow, great portal

What an amazing spot! The cache name is very fitting.

Sunday caching adventure. Thanks for the hide.

A nice afternoon adventure with the offspring. It was hotter than I expected! TFTC!!

What a tree, little cacher had so much fun in and around it. Cache is in a very good location, container and logbook were in really good condition. Now off for the track and a long walk in the afternoon.

Easy find while the kids were distracted exploring the witches portal. They made it safely out again. TFTC

No pen so photo for evidence

Out for the day visiting some places that I haven’t been for a long time, never or haven’t stopped before. I enjoyed the hunt. TFTH and the great view of the river. Favourite point.

Quick find on a short walk. Will get the others at a later date as there were some muggles just ahead of me.

TFTC always thought this tree would be a great spot for a cache. Well done lively spot and great name

Yep looks like the tree could walk alright what a great place to hide and a nice walk

A return to the Gorge WW, havnt been here for Donks.

Cheers and thanks,
S.t.

As we are now in level 2 from 8th September geocaching is now permitted again

Disabled as we are in lockdown and geocaching is not a permitted activity during lockdown. Didn't think that I would have to disable caches that are not easy to get to without driving but too many idiots ignoring level 4 rules

Heading south to Dobson for skiing. Quick run up gorge track. That's a big ol man pine. Tftc

TFTC

Went for a nice walk along the track here, deciding to get here then work my way back. I was keeping a sharp ear out for footsteps, but luckily the only people I came across were talking, so I heard them a mile off... After pretending to admire the view (I mean let's be hones, it isn't too bad!) I went in for the hunt and came out successful.

TFTC lytteltonwitch, the cache was found in good order Signed, sealed and returned to GZ. 6 find(s) of 7 today, making this find #2713

Nice short stroll. - Thanks Bitsprayer

A very busy place today but the usual wind was beating downthe gorge.
The walk in to the very appropriate tree was sheltered.
Thanks
erninz

An enjoyable drive to do a bit of witch hunting. Plenty of people on the track but we just stepped to one side and looked like we were having a rest. TFTC

{FTF} I knew this would be a lytteltonwitch tree as soon as I saw it! Having cached with you a few times now I'm well aware of your penchant for particular specimens such as this. I saw this published a few days ago and thought it would have been claimed by now, so most surprised to realise on the way to the gorge that the ftf was up for grabs - Yay!! Quick find and the gorge was looking beautiful today. I have done the rest of the walk and can highly recommend it. Thanks for the cache lytteltonwitch!

Published

I have stuffed up the co-ordinates and they should be S43 30.999 E171 39.491

Disabled until I am able to correct coordinates

Coordinates changed from:
S 43° 31.999 E 171° 39.491

Coordinates changed to:
S 43° 30.999 E 171° 39.491

Distance from original: 6085.5 feet or 1854.8 meters.

Correcting Coordinates for CO

Now corrected