Crazy, Chilled or Charmed (Central Plateau) Tukino Alpine Village, North Island, New Zealand
By Murray in N.Z. on 18-Mar-07. Waypoint GC11J0Z

Think this one is missing

Had a very, very long hunt for this one as I didn't want to waste the trip up here. But no luck. Previous logs make me think it may have ended up downhill somewhere.

Found accidentally on our way down from the spring while picking up trash. Cool spot!

Looked for this one today while coming down from Whangaehu hut. Not sure what I was doing but couldn't see anything. Didn't have it in me to move any more rocks

I really wanted to come and find this one, but decided best to leave till summer, as I stood at the car park watching the skiers come down the valley.

They did not need this person getting in their way, and not sure about avalanche risk too? as there has been a good dumping of snow, and the cache might be buried?

So looking forward to next time with a repeat visit when less snow about

Loved the spot, was actually there for work on volcano Monitoring system and bumped in to it without realising it was there. A few sharp nails poking out next to at head height be careful! Tftc

Thanks Murray in N.Z. for placing this cache

It was a beautiful day for a walk up here... sunny but not too hot. Nice waterfall nearby and no snow - I plan to come back in winter to experience the frozen beauty too!

The cache seemed a bit precarious in it's corner spot with no rock on top so I propped it up a bit and added a few rocks.

All lovely and dry inside - Took nothing but added a TB
for the next cacher to retrieve

Myself and two of the kids spent the weekend in Ohakune caching came home today and decided to do the caches up here. Walked up road from the cell sites no one else around today.Quick find here cache in good condition.
Tftc.

Interesting trek in the clouds to find. Way back clearer. Find 7 on our CNI adventure.

Weather for today's find

Having spent Christmas in Rotorua, I was invited to spend a few days around new years at Tukino lodge with my aunty, uncle and cousins. The day started out with a family visit to the waterfall and I stopped well at the top and didn't venture any further. When my uncle and cousin came back up, I was encouraged to head onto this cache. I was in my 'best' outdoor clothes - black ski by jeans, sneakers with no ankle support or tread, flowing top and wide brimmed sunhat which would blow away with a whiff of breeze....Anyway with a lot of support and encouragement from my family, I made it up and down safely, thrilled to find this as it is a d/t I didn't have and also has not been found in a long time - always good for those forsaken cache challenges. A fav point awarded for the epicness of this adventure

Adding an image of the epic adventure

After a long and hard walk up found this cache while taking in the amazing view. Awesome placement. Worth the walk up there.

This has been on the " to do" list for oh so long.... made it as far as the village one time, but could not go very far from the cace-mobile due to a fierce blizzard blowing at the time. But today we finally knocked the b/ $#@! off! ... after some challenging struggle learning the tow rope/nutcracker combo, gave up & hiked the rest of the way up above the top of the 2nd tow, had lunch then rode down to the cache , sat down for an easy grab & rest while signing the log. + a salty coin - a rattl ladybird TFTC! A fave for sure!!

Well we are not crazy, it wasn’t snowing (so not chilled), and we didn’t get passed the gate so not charmed, nevertheless we were committed! Parked at the big radio towers (just before the round the mountain track) and walked to the ski field. Our bigger plan for the day was an overnight in the Whangaehu Hut, so the 5km trek up the road was a nice warmup. A short rock climb got us to GZ and once there fanfan-77 spotted the cache. Nice size thanks. A nice hide. Signed the log and then pondered the way up. A FP for location and a nice big cache.

Along with sveppi, we took Monday off to make it a long weekend. The weather is supposed to deteriorate on Sunday so Saturday is our day for a hike up The Mountain to Whangaehu Hut. As we parked at the radio aerial site I debated on the walk up that if this expedition wasn't crazy, chilled or charmed, what was it? Committed was the conclusion, with a 10km return walk just for this cache, let alone the second target for the day. Cache was further "in" from the village than I expected. First look at the rocks and sveppi thought it might be hard, but in the end was an easy scale of the "wall" then an easy find at GZ with the cache in plain sight. Had to remove the overnight pack to be able to reach, retrieve and return. Nice and tidy inside, then get all strapped up again and began the "real" climb for the day... TFTC glad to have finally ticked that one off!

Nice spot. Grabbed while on the mountain and in the area. Definitely a summer cache. All good and dry. TFTC

Had a fantastic day of climbing and then a great day skiing, but there was a tad too much snow around to look for the cache...

Got it! Struggled my way through the snow, but it's totally worth it! Amazing views today, not a cloud in the sky. Heading off shortly to do the old coach road on our mountain bikes. Tftc

Another happy customer ..... It truly is amazing on cloudless days, you can see forever. So glad you enjoyed it. It is certainly one of my fave spots year round.

Glad you guys found it and loved it. I presumed you followed the stream up to the hidden garden then on the top of the ridge past the tow towers. It is certainly a little bit of paradise and the views make it all the more stunning. On a fine day that side of the mountain is awesome, on a bad day its shocking ... you did well.

Found on our way to the Whangaehu hut for an overnighter farewell trip for a fellow cacher who's leaving the country.
11 months ago today since the last find. Took as few circles around the structure till the obvious was spotted. Great hide. No on to the hut and hopefully no one else will be there tonight.
Signed as team FOT.
TFTC

Found on the F.O.T- Road Trip together with slieschke, evilno9, Greenblat, KiwiLeon and 11hpg11
Parked the 4WDs near the closed gate and started our hike up. We just warmed up when a couple of cars came our way. They stopped to have a chat and we managed to convince them to give our backpacks a lift up .
At GZ (again with our heavy packs ) we circled the hut for a while till we made the obvious find. TFTC

First cache that we had to use our legs to get to, on the way to Whangaehu Hut for an overnight stay. Signed with Alpenmilch80, Evilno9, Greenblat, Kiwileon and Slieschke, signed with our team name of F.O.T to save room on the logs.

It was just earlier on that we met up with our packs again after they hitch hiked their way up to the skifield hut without us... how rude! After giving my pack a stern telling off about jumping in strange cars it was off up the rocks. Had some lovely views of the waterfalls on the way up. We had to hunt around a bit to find this one but with a bit of a better look the cache was soon found.

Thanks for the cache.

Time to leave the comfort of the road and start the real excursion. Hmmm, hang-on, how do we get up there? Soon found an easy line through the small bluff and up to the hut.

With 6 pairs of experienced eyes searching we were blinded by the blindingly obvious and spent far too long looking. Oh it's that thing!

Great cache in a cool spot - thanks!

I think most of us (slieschke, alpenmilch80, Greenblat, KiwiLeon and 11hpg11) were pretty chill at this point. We'd managed to get our packs driven up most of the way, we were well fed and now just had a small matter of some serious elevation to gain (and this cache to find) and we could mountain and chill for the night.

Did a few circles but sanity prevailed and we had the cache in hand after a little while. Now the real fun begins... TFTC

Walked past here yesterday as part of a large group of muggle adults & kids from the mighty Waikato on an Easter tramping adventure to the Whangaehu Hut & figured I'd look for the cache on our return to base at the Tukino ski lodge. But, with the wild winds strengthening and the youngest kids struggling not to get blown off the ridge, I was more preoccupied with getting them safely back to the lodge when we got back to this point. But when another caching family admitted they'd detoured on the walk back and found this one .... well, that just made the cache feel like unfinished business!

After wearing out the kids (& us adults!) tramping down to Rangipo hut & then up Ringatoto Ridge today, decided I just had to come back up to hunt out this cache. Must admit, I was surprised how quickly I got here but then I wasn't trying to coax and encourage small kids up over the rocks this time! A very quick find, thanks to a hint from yesterday's finder, and then sat on the small deck for a while admiring the stunning views, really hard to drag myself away; def a fav cache for me. Thanks for the cool placement, Murray in N.Z.

What a view indeed. A bitter wind had picked up after a day wondering the mountain so I didn't linger long. A little hard to find but find I did. Interesting hide in a wild place.

The group of huts slowly emerged from the mist as we walked up the road and we were so happy thinking we would soon be at the cache location! Then only to realise that actually the cache was at a further hut up the mountain! Only a small 'easy' part of our journey compared to what was yet to come! The mist was pretty much gone by this time and we were in for a scorching day so took off our beanies and replaced them with sunhats. Had a 10minute rest and ate our first sandwich of the day! Mmmm.
Cache was surprisingly bigger than expected but I hadn't looked at the size yet so I was searching around for something little when LCBuilder spotted it! TFTC and thanks for the memorable journey, fav from me!

Found with Wafflekitties! We were having a bit of a hunt around and we came up with the cache after bit of a search glad we didnt do this in winter! FP from me

At first I wasn't going to keep driving up mountain, didn't know what road was going to be like but when another vehicle drove past us I thought why not. Kept going up and upto the road end. Snow everywhere so lets see if we can find this one. Got to a stage & my off sider decided I should log this one. Only in walking shoes & trackies climbed up to the structure (sometimes knee deep in snow) found the container. Hadn't been logged for over a year (I wonder why). What a view. Back down. quite steep rocky section so had to travel slowly. I believe this cache is not the highest anymore in the North Island but who cares. SLTFTC

On a quest with Gap (of Fap and Gap) to find and log three Earthcaches to complete a GIO License Challenge, and to pick up as many caches along the way. Today, we headed south to Turangi and Tongariro National Park...

Yes, I think we were crazy, chilled and charmed... Crazy to drive up above the snowline, chilled by walking into said snowline, and charmed by finding the gate open and driving within a couple of hundred metres of the cache. Gap had second thoughts about this one after reading the 4WD signs and looking at the track conditions. However, opinions changed when we witnessed a woman drive through the gate like she meant business.

We arrived at the ski huts and trudged across open, snow-covered ground to the cache. The snow drifts were slushy in places and not too deep; about midway to the knee in the deepest spots. This was a totally new experience for me. I asked Gap to retrieve the cache while I took pictures and played in the snow... I wonder what it's like to eat... I did... The things novices do. TFTC. This would rate as a memorable find.

It would have been crazy to make the grab today even though the cache was oh so close...could barely manage to shut the door and got instantly chilled in today's blizzard....totally chuffed to finally make it up here and look forward to returning on a more charmed day. So TFTC anyway would fave it now if I could....

Journeyed up with Sp8s and MacRoss. Lunch at the hut. Fantastic views today and good weather, although cold wind blowing. That skifield road goes on a bit after the gate, and we were glad to arrive at the buildings. Good to finally visit this cache. TFTC

Lunch break on the way to Whangaehu. TFTC

I think we were only Crazy and Chilled today.
Crazy for taking the long walk in option, and crazier for what we were about to try next.
Chilled it certainly was, with a good southerly blowing, but clothing kept that mostly at bay.
Quickly located the cache once at GZ, and followed it up with a quick bite to eat on the shelter of the tow room deck before heading up in the hope of reaching Whangaehu Hut.

TFTC

Found during a day tramp to Whangaehu hut with a small group from the Manawatu Tramping and Skiing club, just three of us. We had perfect weather and great views (charmed, not chilled). Glad to have rattl's tip about the cache being in a sack, otherwise we would have had a long search too under the building. Thanks Murray

Been wanting to come up here for a long time, & was finally lured here by the chance of a FTF at "Wild Whangaehu" (Whangaehu hut) - possibly a bit crazy, or just adventurous?
We were lucky enough to get a key for the gate, so was able to drive right up - charmed eh!
& we were certainly chilled as it was pretty cold & blustery today.
Couldn't find it on the way up, so decided to have another go on the return journey. Took quite a while. Thank goodness there was no one around today - although there were a few cars at Tukino car park, we didn't see anyone.
Eventually found it further under than we expected (felt a little dodgy looking there), & in a sack.
Would have been disappointing not to find this one, so glad we persevered! Love this area.
Left a pet rock - a lady bug.
Thanks for the cache.

Finally found 2nd attempt of the french 3 minus don. Couldnt find it amounst the snow last time. Great camo. Thanks muzza

Took the easy, tramping boot, option. A near perfect summer's day but with just a bit too much wind. Not a soul to be seen anywhere and no skiers on the field today. The cache camo certainly blends in well with the surroundings. Enjoyed the visit and will make sure I come back when there is more snow around. Took the frog TB. Many thanks for a great cache in a stunning location.

Was an interesting find. Got to the carpark and found that one. As we headed to the skifield, the weather closed and down came the rain. Trust the mountains to keep you on your toes.

Couldn't find it. I think it's buried under a snow drift.

First time to this skifield, and although it seems Shanks-Pony is the main variety of ski-lift, I'll def be back in winter to give it a go. Looks a whole lot more extreme/rugged than Whakapapa or Turoa. Met a hiker at the top who walks up to the top from Whakapapa, then ski's down Tukino, then back to Whakapapa for dinner. Now THATS Crazy!

Anyway, I took the crazy option. A group of us were on a mountain-biking adventure round a few legendary rides in central Nth Is, so I suggested we give Tukino Mtn Rd a go (Which incidently is a published ride in The Kennetts Bros NZ Mountain Bike book). I lucked out, so while the others lay in the car near the desert road, I rode the 22km up the hill and back.

It was a primo day! Blue sky, no wind, and a nice 10 or so degree's... perfect to keep the internal temps just right... a complete contrast to the previous 2 days riding the Bridge to Nowhere track in the rain and mud. On the way up I met 3 guys doing some volunteer work on the "road". They said it was the the only way anything would ever improve. One owns a digger, and another a dumptruck, so between them all, they were clearing the sump-busting rocks from the road. Still be a way off before my WRX would ever make it up there though.

One of the guys knew you Murry, but I forgot to ask his name.

Anyway, found cache easily, had a sniff round the waterfall, then headed back down the hill, clocking a max speed of 48kmh!

Left a travel bug I had hanging around home for way too long (sorry) :-/ Theres now 2 TB's up there... someone go find them soon!

Thanks for the detour off our planned route Murry.

Found with Kaptn Undies on our way up to Whangaehu hut for a maintenance recce. All looked very quiet out there today; sorry we didn't get to meet you Muzza - maybe next time. Took Flat Stanley TB.

Found with Ammie and Shane !!!!!!!!!

Muy bonito lugar en la montaña con una vista hermoza !!!!!!!!!

Was definitely Crazy, Chilled & Charmed... Crazy because we took our motorcycles (one wheel drive) up the 4wd tukino mountain track the stream and rocks where interesting to navigate on my cruiser. Chilled because we made the ride up the mountain in the rain, not sure of exact temperature but i'd say about 10 degrees with a wind chill of below that. And finally Charmed because after a warm nights rest in the DA ski club hut the clouds clears to revile the mountain top and the cache location.

Took nothing left Flat Stanley travel bug.

TFTC and it was good to catch up Muzza.

Will definitely be back in the winter for snowboarding.

Anyone wanting to do this cache.... the gate will be open this weekend making it a virtual driveby. Just drive up the road to the end then walk 2-300 mtrs & its yours. Be sure to stop in & ask for Muzza... be pleased to see you.

Is this Don??? If so I've wondered when you would get to it. I've even sat in DA lodge listening to you tell others about the cache.... you could have got to it easily then... Its actually only about 1/2 mtr from snow edge at the moment, just a big dig to get under there . No I will not piggy back you up there like I offered poor old Punga & Paua.
regds Muzza.

Abandoned second attempt to reach this cache.
I know exactly where it is. But unfortunately it required shovelling about 5 cubic meters of snow before we would have got to it. Maybe come back later in the season when there's less snow about.

I'll get it Muzza.

JoJoes: Congrats on making the effort but..Back down on the mountain bike... thats crazy allright.

What a magnificent spot. Great mountain bike ride from the locked gate.

Gate was closed so we had to turn back. Cache was out of walking distance of our youngest geocacher (and a bit too far for me too )

The cache survived the recent activity... you can now drive to the road end thanks to the rapidly retreating snow. Only the 200 mtr uphill bit in the snow.

Sept 15 & 16 is the last weekend i will be up there to personally greet you. The gates will be open probly till the end of the hols but I will have to confirm that. Plenty of snow for skiing & playing on.. the road is clear & pretty smooth. call if you need a lift ph# below somewhere...
regds Muzza & Dug.
PS only about 200 mtrs thru snow to road end then another 200 mtrs to cache...

Sept 1&2; Easy cache.. just need a vehicle with a good bit of groung clearance (4WD preferred) & big cajone's. No snow on road, carpark clear, just a bit of a walk thru snow & up track to cache..
Call muzza if you want a lift up ...
See you there...

Muzza & Dug will be up there again this weekend. Call lodge 06-3876294 if you dont have a 4x4 & need a lift up. Dress warmly, bring your skis,board or plastic sheet.
see you there...
Muzza. ph 027-BIG A WIPE.

Was up there doing somre maintainance when a yeti (at-least Pawley & cookie monster said it was a yeti ) grabbed JFs coin & stuck it in.... They took a foter claiming rthey tried to save it but they look like they is holding it shut..you be the judge.

Muzza & Dug is down there again this weekend.. give us a call if you need a lift or anything..look for the orange overtrou & jacket.. contact details & stuff in the post
below.

Zorgy.. you are welcome back anytime... the weather turned fine when you arrived & cut up again after you left!!!.Glad the zorglets loved it, hope they didnt get you with too many snowballs. I will be down there again this weekend. Anyone without a 4x4 wanting to try this pls call 06-3876294 to check the road condition & possibly arrange for the tukino taxi to pick you up.... just ask for Muzza @ D.A.Lodge. I wont be back till 4/8 so better be quick. the field is open weekends in between just no charming host.

We were down a Ruapehu for some skiing with the scouts but it was raining and windy at the Whakapapa carpark and most unpleasant so I bailed out with my kids and went for a drive. Had a look at Turoa with the idea of doing some tobogganing on a couple of real estate signs we found discarded down the road. No luck here either as the wind was so strong the 4WD felt like it might tip over and there was still that pesky horizontal rain and hardly any snow at carpark level.
Oh well - might as well carry on around the mountain.
Headed up to the Tukino ski field just after lunch with the objective of getting this cache.
There was only one spot that was a bit tricky where the buldozer had just cleared some snowdrifts from the road and it was a bit slushy. It took a couple of attempts to get though and when we got to the top noticed that some of the other 4WD's were fitted with chains.
Just as we arrived in the carpark the rain stopped, the wind died away and there was the odd patch of blue sky - excellent!
Only 450 m to GZ but it took a couple of hours to get there from the carpark due to tobogganing and snowman making distractions in perfect conditions! Spotted a guy in an orange suit busy setting up ski tows so got to say hello to Murray - nice to meet you and thanks for the offer of the cup of tea. You were still working hard when we left!
Many thanks for a great day out and a very scenic spot for a cache. Interesting to hear later that it hadn't stopped raining all day on the Whakapapa side of the mountain!
In: Nil, Out: Coin (RN was hoping I might rescue it)

[This entry was edited by Zorgon on Sunday, July 01, 2007 at 4:04:40 PM.]

The snow is nearly here.... the gate will be open every weekend from 30/6 till the snows gone.... it will also be open 24/7 from sometime in August. The weekend of 30/6 will be a working bee right near the cache so you are gonna have to be sneaky. If you want to do this cache & dont have a 4x4 drop me a note..I may be able to pick you up from the 2wd carpark with some planning.
Go gettum coyboys n cowgirls!!
Muzza n Dug will be down there alot over the season so pop in & say hello. I will be wearing my flouro orange outfit...kinda hard to miss.
Regds Murray. (:D)
edited to play smiley... i hope!.

12:24 Drove up to the gate after a nearby FTF to scout out how to approach this cache with a quad. Several quads went up & around gate when I was there. DOC staff by gates unconcerned so I guess no issues there. Took a few photos but it was cloudy higher up. Really wanted to see lahar path so will come back. Took photos of the cars that towed the quads up just in case...

Only just visiting for the weekend.... Dropped off Commanders Scout & Murray the Jeep..If they arnt grabbed this weekend we will move them elsewhere as the gate will be shut for a while now.

[This entry was edited by Murray in N.Z. on Thursday, April 19, 2007 at 7:34:07 PM.]

20/21 April. Gate is open now for work party to empty septic tank... any help appreciated, bring your own buckets & spades! Shuts midday Sunday.
Please stop by & make sure they are working hard for me...LOL

[This entry was edited by Murray in N.Z. on Tuesday, April 17, 2007 at 12:58:40 PM.]

[This entry was edited by Murray in N.Z. on Thursday, April 19, 2007 at 6:50:57 PM.]

[This entry was edited by Murray in N.Z. on Thursday, April 19, 2007 at 7:29:13 PM.]

[This entry was edited by Murray in N.Z. on Thursday, April 19, 2007 at 7:30:17 PM.]

CRAZY - RadioNut50, who had to find this one!
CHILLED - Butterfly, whose wings became brittle!
CHARMED - both of us on this trip, cause the gate was open, which meant 6km in the caching mobile, rather than by foot. Bonus - there was a rainbow, and we knew the cache was at the end! We then followed the witches hats (thanks) up the bank - those small steps were so much larger on the return trip.

Spend ages at GZ, searching several possibilites! Eventually found - brrr! Liquid fast moving wind that was near impossible to avoid.

Fargodatter NZ geocoin visited the cache, but way too cold and isolated for such a young coin, so it moved on.

Uplifted JD Dozer TB for more adventures.

Tried parking at the lower towshed, but had to turn around 180 degrees to avoid wind whipping the doors off. Then treked down and back up just 20m in the howling wind (felt more like 100m in that wind) to observe the lahar path. What awesome power that must have been.

Back to the car, and down the mountain, where the outside temperature trebled and the wind chill factor disappeared!



[This entry was edited by Butterfly_lady on Friday, April 13, 2007 at 11:33:46 PM.]

Wow! What a location – headed off for the cache with Butterfly_Lady in our new team butterfly cache-mobile (a Subaru Outback), as a test for mountain road running.

Getting up the road was easy (after confirming the gate was open) but the temperature was dropping rapidly, the wind climbing, and rain increasing.

The scramble to GZ included hands and knees movement to avoid becoming a paraglider, and finding the stash required keeping close to the building to avoid the affects of sand blasting from the wind.

I thought this would be a great place for my “Cacher on Board†coin to start its travels.

On the way down we headed over to the top of the gorge as suggested for a peek at the lahar path, and enjoyed the view, but the rain and wind drove us away pretty soon.

Many thanks for taking us to this unique spot Muzza, and the confirmation by email of the gate opening.

Guys thats not strong winds... thats just a bit breezy. Strong winds = urgent desire to exit vehicle because its shaking & jumping about, inability to open doors because the wind is pushing them shut, finally being blown backwards when crawling away...
welcome to what is known as "The Wild side."
Regds Muzza N Dug.

i just went to do some tramping & climbing got a reason to go tramping thanks Muzza & Doug, you sure are a mountain goat Doug. Thanks for your great hospitality . Gonna go explore Waitakeres this weekend and see wot I can find didnt have much time down at 2wd carpark but I'll be back thanks again people visiting here should be careful of mousetraps ???

Another chance for a driveby.. the gate will be open for a workingbee this weekend Sat14th & Sun15th Am. Not my club so I am not aware of last minute changes. Pls call the Tukino ph # 06-3876294 to check if they actually are up there..... they are Wellingtown woosies not like us rugged Desert Alpine club members.
May also be open W/E 21/22 to empty septic tanks.. any help appreciated.

** Coordinates Changed From **
S 39° 16.656 E 175° 36.520
Distance From Old: 52.8 feet
Correct Co-ords as per Punga & Paua.... so it should be spot on.

Sunday morning dawned at the TechnoKitten Whare in Turangi.. Laptop and coffee to work out the days hunt. TK happened to call Punga & Paua to advise of a new challenge for them he advised that Muzza was up at the Tukino field.
That was all we needed to take the challenge.
But we don't have a 4 wheel drive..!! We dont even have 4 wheels..!! Who cares..
Who needs 4 wheels or a 4 wheel drive when Xena is here..
So we jumped on the warrior princess and head off.
(XC was quietly wondering what the state of the road was going to be like.!!!!!)
We turned onto the Tukino road and ignored all the signs saying 4x4 was recommended... and rode on up.. The road.. or should I say track was "interesting" in places.. Soft sand in the river flows.. and "HUGE" boulders in other places.. but Xena worked her way through them...
We stopped at the Volcanic Carpark cache as a pause to gather breath.. That is a nice hide.
Took Pic of Xena here.. will include as I forgot to take a pic of her up top.
The track got steeper and rougher.. XC holding his breath a couple of times as the edge of the road had the best surface.. Come on girl... you can do it..
She didn't let me down and we cruised to the top.. well we motored mostly in 1st and 2nd gear..!!
Stopped outside Ski Club and quickly unearthed Muzza and Doug.. Nice to meet other crazy cachers!!! ANd he doesnt even use a GPSr.
He updated the coords for us and we head off on foot.. Leaving Xena to rest at clubhouse..
TK pointed the way.. You mean up there!!!!!!!!!!!
Is there a track..????? Is there steps..??? Aaarghh..!!
After yesterday XC's legs were already protesting...
So up we go.. following the orange markers placed by Muzza.
Easy find once we got close...
I gratefully took PDA adapter and placed light/whistle/compass I got for a FTF in Aucks.
I also left JD Dozer TB to enjoy the view.
and logged the other travelling companions through.
Thanks for the great cache Muzza and Doug.. It was great meeting you and we enjoyed the challenge very much.
Let me know if any other BMW tourer makes it up there... lol...
Now the hard part.. getting back down.. which I can report we made only with a couple of hairy moments.. buried the front wheel in deep sand as I mistakenly chose to go off main road. We dug out successfully... and a big "CLUNK!" was heard when we hit a bit boulder.. no damage though.
On with the hunt... TFTC #383

Staying at the Whare - the Turangi bach with Xencommander, We surfaced early and with a laptop each and breakfast in bed we wrote logs and plotted the days hunt. Contacted the local caching royalty - Punga and Paua to tell them of our Easter gift(a new hide) We were told that Muzza was in residence at Tukino so today was the day to head in this direction.... Up and at 'em Team...
After a breather at the carpark and a giggle at the 4wd recommendation... Xena Warrior Princess can go ANYWHERE even a manky goat track that TK would reconsider tackling on a mountain bike.
Xena carried us up past the gate and up through the roughest parts without wiggling her bum once under XCs expert pilotage. The road has had considerable work done since TKs last visits over 20 yrs ago with skis and alpine gear... the Toyota Starlet survived intact! Only just
Arrived at the huts to greet Muzza and recieved new coordinates. Onward to the "wall" no worries to a mountain cat who quickly bounded on up with a VERY fit XC close behind. It is interesting to see the skifield without snow... Whoa we skied down THAT !!! with intermediates in tow. XC located the goods quickly .. his whiskers tuned well today. As we enjoyed the view TK described to XC the medieval nature and use of the nutcracker tow belt.... and mused at the memory of getting it together before that first bluff and dodging sliding bodies of those unfortunate newbies that failed.... ahhhh great memories of the friendliest skifield in the country and reminders of TKs youth spent on the National Downhill ropetow now a flash chairlift with a new name(sacrilege).
Signed log, in cable ties 2 gel pens and a light/whistle/compass thing, we skipped off to visit Muzza and family.
Xena carried us down the road almost without incident. She is not happy in soft sand and dug in almost to her axles... TK dug her out and gave her a little encouragement from the rear and she was soon on her way to the next cache for the day.
Thanks Muzza for a great BIG cache, Wonderful memories and your great hospitality... see ya with skis on.

Wow, this cache is worth tackling, if only to see the fantastic views. Being a back-up for Pu and Pa, we drove on up the mountain easily. Whilst 3 of us climbed the Wall of Jerico, Paua held the fort down on more solid ground with Banjo, who was chafing at the bit to get his furry paws onto the wall of stone, so he too could join us in an exciting find. Thank you Murray, it was nice to meet you and Doug. After that climb, the Woodstock in the cache went down a treat. Out....Diabetes TB. In....Nowt

Today we were Crazy, Chilled AND Charmed. .....crazy enough to try again, chilled by the cold breeze on a grey low-cloud day and charmed by the mountain again, as always.

Decided to do the "driveby" this time, not sure which was worse...walking all the way up or driving around those first few corners, the driver loved it, the passenger flung the door open and leapt out a couple of times!

Muzza and Doug greeted us at the top, they had done a wonderful job of marking the road end with their tire tracks and placed the cones to guide us. Three quarters of us went up, found it, signed it, and took time to admire the view. The other quarter wants to try a 'winter find' with a snowbank and skis to help the climb. The waterfall nearby looks and sounds very impressive, the rock cliffs and gorges are an awesome sight. Our tourist guide did a great job answering questions and providing lots of skifield information, including the bit about someone skiing over the waterfall.... thanks Doug!

It certainly was an adventure to reach this cache and we're really glad we came back for a second attempt. Look forward to seeing it in winter. TNLN.
Thanks for a memorable event....First to Walk... and it was the first time we'd ever driven up that road, won't ever forget that!





[This entry was edited by Punga and Paua on Sunday, April 08, 2007 at 11:02:21 PM.]

Hi there.. For owners of 4x4s who want to make it a driveby.....the gate will be open from Friday afternoon till Sunday midday for a workparty. I will put up a marker of some sort @ the beginning of the track for you. Could you please contact me with the cache co-ords as there appears to be a discrepancy between Google Earth & reality of about 10 mtrs. Call in for a yak as you go past. Heres hoping for great weather.
Regds
Muzza
Ok- latest update..I make it any easier I would have to carry you up myself.... its time to do a Dorothy... and follow the yello brick road... look for the squashed witches hats..


[This entry was edited by Murray in N.Z. on Friday, April 06, 2007 at 12:05:53 AM.]

Spoiler Photo???? What spoiler photo! It doesn't even show a cliff, let alone the route you expect people to take. If you intend it to be a guide please place it on the cache notes and not in the logs. Not everyone looks through all the previous logs.
Incidently we printed out the photo and took it with us, it was no help whatsoever other than to confirm our uncertainty that we were expected to "go somewhere up there?!".

P & P; Sorry you didnt find it... I agree with you.. looking @ that view it looks very formidable. If you look @ the spoiler photo there is the words "baby weve come to the end of the road" & the text states to drive as far as you can. In your photo of the abutment just on the left is a pile of dark grey coloured gravel. This is in the vicinity of the road end. In fact if you where to drive/pedal/walk up the road as far as you could you could you would drive to the very back of this strangely flatish gravel area( actually a wind eddy zone).Right infront of you the clubbys from years gone past have carved,blasted & created a set of very minimal steps straight up the face then sidling around to the right on a gradient. I am sorry you didnt see them. In winter its even easier as the snow piles up in the wind eddy area & you just kick steps strait up it. I am middle aged, neither thin nor fit & yet it only takes me a couple of minutes to get up. If, once you have retried it, you & others consider it more than a uphill stroll I will happily amend rating. I consider a stroll something that takes about 5-10 minutes (remember the rarified air @ this altitude amplifies effort required as the muscles scream out for ozygenated blood).... anything more ranges from "a bit of a walk " right upto "you gotta be crazy". Down at sea level this would be done at a run!(or atleast a quick walk 4 us ex couchys).
Regds Muzza.

which soon changed to [:(!][:(!]gradually subsiding to and then back to [^][^] specially now that Muzza has kindly offered to carry us up!!!!

We were so looking forward to this one. We wanted to do it the right way, but after tramping the 6kms up the long mountain road we were not happy to be confronted with a rocky Cliff climb to reach the cache. With our vehicle 6 kms away and nobody else around we were not prepared to risk injury or worse climbing up the rocky cliff. We had expected a 'bank' and wasted an hour trying to find an easier way up the rockface that suited the 3.5 rating given and could only get within 90m of the cache. Clouds were closing in. We were very disappointed and think the terrain rating could be higher. It seems that "QUAD BIKES" or "4WD WITH THE GATE OPEN" may be requirements afterall, thus resulting in a much easier climb without tired legs!!

Tramping 12kms?....we must be Crazy!...but glad we did it!

And even crazier....we're ready to give it another try!!









[This entry was edited by Punga and Paua on Saturday, April 07, 2007 at 3:17:56 AM.]

Early morning trip up in the fog and rain so no views. Was up here earlier this year on the trail bike for a look around plus have spent many a weekend up here on work parties, and ski-ing in the past. Actually made it all the way up to the lodges in my Datsun 240Z many years ago (had to replace the exhaust when I got back home though!)

On the quad bike today however. Well, when I say quad I mean I took the kids' LT80, actually a suprising capable machine even for a light to medium weight adult, and it's so easy to cart around in the Previa. Little bit of an "off road" excursion along the way and rode all the way to the top. Short walk and found the cache.

Took 1/3 of the FTF prize, there is 1/3 left for the next hardy adventurer. Signed log. Many thanks for the cache.

Ok... All those with a 4x4 listen up!!! if you want to do the highest cache in the North Island as a drive by, barring the unforseen, the gates will be open Easter Sat & Sunday... possibly Easter Friday, just depending on when we get there. I will update this page B4 leaving AKL. Pls call in & introduce yourself... we are in the first lodge you get to.Just look for the blue Toyota.
regds Muzza & Dug.

LOL. Congrats to St Eligius, we saw this one come up but were tied up in the big City conquering a 5 star puzzle cache. We have done this walk before, leaving our vehicle at the gate and tramping up the 'road' and its a long cold walk when there's snow around, but a most beautiful place. Maybe its just as well we hadn't attempted it, imagine the look on our faces as St Eligius flew past on the Quad bike . Good on you!! Can't wait to do this one, wouldn't mind taking the 4WD up next time if the gate was open, but one of us will be walking up the first few steep corners ...no prizes for guessing which one!....P&P.

Was at the Carpark cache today but only had a 2WD. After seeing that the FTF opportunity was lost we decided against the walk. Will be back one day with a 4WD - have always wanted to visit!

Saint... You beat P&P but dont you think Quad is cheatin'??? (or just being smart)...sorry about co-ords... I originally took em with a borrowed older Magellen Pioneer but it seemed that anywhere was near enough with that. I refined loc. using google earth, that puts it spot on 39 16'39.36"S 175 36'31.2"E this site changed it to decimals but it still should be spoton. We are glad you enjoyed the hunt Bcoz we love the spot. Sunrises on crisp snowy mornings over the ranges are just incredible when viewed from the deck. Blowies free to a good home, help yourself!!!!! I dont know what they live on but there is millions in summer,none in winter. I will recheck co-ords at Easter if I can bludge a newer GPS thats setup correctly.regds Muzza.
26/3;Just read in forums about google earth not quite being lined up.... pls note you are looking for a 5ltr drum, its not disguised as a rock.

[This entry was edited by Murray in N.Z. on Monday, March 26, 2007 at 12:47:11 AM.]

Up at 0700 and on the road again, this time armed with all the info I needed. Parked up in the same spot as yesterday, jumped on the quad and was off. Not too many minutes later, parked myself at the bottom of the cliff and climbed up to the right spot - no gps required today!

Took the Xena Scout Bike, and 1/3 of the FTF prize - the other 2/3rds aren't really my cup of tea.

After hiding again, made my way over to the edge of the lahar path and took a few photos, then slowly headed back to the car, taking pictures along the way.

Thanks for the great cache spot - a very enjoyable find.

Grrrrrrr! Didn't prepare very well for this trip at all in my rush to beat P & P for a FTF. Loaded up the quad straight after work and headed up the Desert Rd. Parked beside the radio repeater shed and unloaded the quad before heading up the hill. Passed an man in a green Range Rover heading down from the ski field and had a quick chat about the view before heading on up. Forgot my notes, and hadn't read them properly, so when I got to the top I was just hunting blindly really - GZ was about 5m south of the tow-shed, so plenty of looking done there to no avail. Had a look around the tow-shed itself, was amazed by the amount of blow-flies inside on the windows and floor - some dead but many more not!. Gave up as the light began to fail and headed home.

The views here are fantastic, regardless of finding the cache or not - thanks for bringing me up here.

After reading the clue, I have kicked myself repeatedly, as I am sure I saw the item in question. I'll be back tomorrow weather (and more importantly Wife) permitting.

New cache.... it contains Denzali TB & Commanders Scout4. If you want to be FTF you better get peddling... Gate possibly open on Saturday for non peddlers... get the best views of the Lahar path across the desert from ontop of the cache.
regds Muzza.(stuck in AKL.)

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