Alpha Too Nutcase Cache (Otago) Woodhaugh, South Island, New Zealand
By nofs on 19-Dec-07. Waypoint GC180QV

Great fun, up and down this steep and slippery hillside three times, to finally find this elusive cache. My first DNF, my husband and I climbed to where the GPSr said the cache was, above the rock wall. The second time, this morning, my sister and I scrambled up the hill again and searched one particular area at the base of the rock wall, without any luck. Then when we were having lunch, Wilbywarrior messaged me to ask if I wanted to look for it, so back up the hill again this afternoon - I'm now pretty familiar with the route. This time I searched a different area and found what I think is the hint object. Looking around and under, and spied the familiar 2l cache container, a bit grubby but intact. The old logbooks were wet but the new one is nice and dry so we added our names. Nice to have company this afternoon, thank you Wilbywarrior for the incentive to go back and have another look. And thank you nofs for the cache in an area I'd probably never have explored without the lure of a cache.

I had looked for this one early in my caching career as it’s pretty close to home. It’s unfound status has been haunting me since. IereHay suggested a joint effort at a recent event so we met up today for look-see. We made our way to GZ, carefully up the slope and started our search even though the GPS said we were a bit off. I examined the crevices nearby while IereHay moved closer to GZ. I had determined the cache was not where I was looking and saterted to make May way to where IereHay was when I heard those magical words ‘I found it!’
It wasn’t where I would have looked for it so I’m glad IereHay was with me and double-y glad to be able to sign this one off!
Thanks for the adventure, nofs
#5286

A dampish Sunday morning was just the time for another mad geocaching adventure; we had fun but no success unfortunately. Approaching the cache from the track along The Water of Leith and climbed steadily uphill until the GPSr told me I was within 1 m of the cache - but there no sign of it. I am not sure we were in the right spot either, may have been too high? We ended up above the rock 'cliff' that is part way up the hill. But when I was below the cliff, my GPSr indicated the cache was over 20 metres away. I think I may need to PAF before making another attempt. But know I know where to go in from the top, since that's the way we exited this morning. All good fun!

Second time here in a few years as conditions weren't quite right for a scale up the hill last time. Hmm poor blokes maybe didn't go far enough into the nutcase zone where the 2Lt clear cache was hidden under the object at the GZ. Not surprisingly a bit of trash gets hurled over the cliff down to here from the properties above but nothing came showering down today and we cito'd some handy planters for the garden back home on our hill. Cache was a bit dated after not too many visits in the last few years, some swag worth saving was popped in new clean dry PVC baggy adding some more. Two logbooks, one dry and ok in 2 mini grips got signed; the other pulpy one in manky XL reg mini is still there. A manky muggle sheet was grabbed in glad baggy. Codes recorded for the archived puzzled up the coast were written down for our records but we had already solved it earlier and GZ had been recycled for a challenge cache not worth our time. We have years in our largest saturation area. Returned the cache to the possie popping the cover back in place, definitely not an area visitors should go into without gloves or telling someone where they were going. We kept climbing following a benched track up to the fence of a building site finding the workers had just left for lunch and nonchalantly walked around perimeter to the street undetected but not without being sussed out by the doggy across the street, what a yapper. Sauntered down Rockside rd back to where we parked the wagon. Two watchers hoping for spoilers, or get shown where cache is safely tucked away? Goodluck or maybe they should paf others too. *High fav **12favs** 2nd Favorite Fan! Heart challenge **20pt 30th** trad **460pt***. Thanks for the fun climb and easy cache to find Nylofs.

I think this has become a dangerous spot to reach behind the tree the coordinates take us to DNF

Unfortunately after a good look around the area of GZ and especially a place that seemed to fit the hint we came up empty handed. Lots of junk here now unfortunately. Was hoping to get a little info for the final some day bit that will need to wait for another trip.

Eve07 called and said change of plans I am in town and we've had great weather lately and knowing rain it was time to get this one..... so we set off from Eve07's home just before 4pm with some extra how to hints gathered from previous finders we set off..... hum first stumbling block instructions go up from right.... we tried to far right so back down, bit to left then up we go again. As we got further up the more of the 'path' visibility was lost, so I hung back a bit to play spotter for the navigation. I'm not sure how but after finding the cache I lost Eve07.... so glad the phones worked up this high as we had to call each other as the sounds from the creek below drowned out most of our calls. After 40mins of not seeing her, despite phone conversations I was getting tad worried. As KJR had been called for assistance in the find she turned up to see if all was ok.... so we both worried about Eve07 and called/yelled and still nothing could be heard so the whistle came out and after a couple of loud blasts (think those were my eardrums going) she was reoriented and worked her way back to us. Forming a human eyeline we found the path down..... although being at the lower part of this trail I did have to dodge falling fist size rocks that came bouncing down the hill.
We got the path again after 6pm - so a bit of time hunting for this. We were all glad safe and sound and started to talk about the final to the series. When I asked Eve07 what the number was I thought yet again she was pulling my leg when she said she didn't note it, the pale face told me that nope this was not a joke *groan*. Luckily KJR was not up for a repeat so she looked it up as we stood on the path below. Yay was not looking forwards to trying that again. Off to one which is on the flat now.

Headed to find this cache as we have great weather lately and knowing rain was on its way today was a perfect day to head off to find this cache today. So Natalie247 and myself started off easy enough but things got pretty tough at the the top. The features has changed a bit since the original time this was put out I'm thinking and it took a bit to find the cache. Glad to have this finally and it definitely was not a walk in the park. Glad of the company because getting lost coming down was really on the cards. Glad to have a drink after a very warm day in trying conditions. Should be a higher T rating me thinks. Forgot to mention I put a new log in the cache as the one in there was too wet to write on. And there was noway we we weren't going to miss out putting our names on there. The cache was very wet inside. TFTC nofs. Yay now the final!

Lovely afternoon for a caching outing. This one has been on my to do list for a very long time! Wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be and after a wee steep hike up, a bit of sliding and climbing over fallen trees arrived in a clearing close to GZ. Spotted a likely hiding place straight away but after pulling myself up using tree roots and moving some rocks it was a no go. Retreated back down and standing there looking at my phone when my foot hit something which sounded very much like plastic and sure enough hidden under foiliage there was the cache. Unfortunately inside was very wet and the log book very sodden. I'm not sure this is where it is supposed to be? Anyway glad to finally have a smiley here and that leaves just one more til I can get the final TFTC

No luck today.

MAybe night is not a god time for this one!

Next time.......

DNF

Searxh hi and low for a 30 mins
No one home.

Couldn't find this one anywhere, fell over and got scratched up though

**NO WORRIES! FOUND IT!**

Went back up today, found the right spot to start climbing, hobbled my way up for a few minutes and had the cache in sight in no time! Was so excited, and so surprised how much easier that was than yesterday's attempt, that I thought I'd make it hard for myself and go back down!

Yes I am home safely TFTC! This gets a favourite point!

I am not even sure where to start with this one... I started climbing in the wrong place to start (I have a habit of doing that ), I am sure I ended up at the very top of this person's garden. Anywho not to worry, bashed my way through about 50m of bush until I was near enough on the co-ords and that I assumed would be the general area of the cache. After reviving myself, I climbed up, down, round and round again - in fact I was up there for 1h 40min, and have the scars to prove it!! [B)] I saw plastic bottles, glass bottles, rubbish bags and spiders. But no cache I really really wanted to find this one and **I will definitely be back!** I thoroughly enjoy the challenging climby ones, and I am not usually afraid of heights, but this one had be uncontrollably shaking by the end of it! Very intense!

I've tried to look for this before but felt a bit freaked out. Tried again today and it was fine just so long as I didn't look behind me. Finding it wasn't too much problem. Was dreading going back down back then realized I could just keep climbing and meet up with the road. It's always much easier going up than coming down so that's what I did. Thanks

What a mission. Determined to find this cache as it is the closest to my house! Dragged husband with me today, his head hit a wasp nest on way up, once I stopped laughing as he rolled/ fell down hill while being stung, we pulled ourselves together and continued our hunt. We went up to the road then back down. I slid/ fell with style onto a ledge where ta da The Cache TFTC Katie W

Took a while. My heart is racing. Now to get back down. I don't really like heights so definitely gets the blood pumping

Found with Gadget169. Another one ticked off. Busy tracks round here, lots of walkers and joggers about. TFTC

OMG this cache was a long way off the beaten track and took a bit to get to but was fun getting there. I didn't lose any blood in the bush this time like I normally do so that was a bonus I think. I don't know how this gz was found but I would think they must spend a lot of time of the track. Another one down a few to go so TFTC ☺

Searched for this one for a couple of hours. Tried from the bottom, then from the top and then back to the bottom. Managed to get to an area that looked like the hint but couldn't find the cache.

No luck today! Even with three sets of eyes seeking the prize. Oh well, if it was there we'll get it another day!

No luck today.

Spent way too long here, but it "must be there" mentallity took over. Maybe we needed to come in from the bottom?

Next time.......

Show weekend and a Road Trip to Dunedin with 'The Boys'....Karma Reprint & TheWanglers. Initially came up with the acronym KiTT but on seeing the TT looked like a Pi symbol we quickly changed to Ka(Pi) (ie. Kapai)....and a fantastic weekend it was. 3 days, 1100km, a heap of caches and great fun.
...me thinks; looking at some of the earlier logs, we approached from the incorrect direction!

The best cache we have found so far. Love the challenge. Log book a tad damp but cache still seemed dry inside.

We enjoyed this one. Approached from the bottom, as per the other logs, but kept on climbing after we found it, and exited at the top. We also think that this is more than a 3 for difficulty! We forgot to take a pen, thankfully the pencil inside the cache worked, and we also forgot to write down the letter in the lid- but we're not going back!

While surveying the cliff to spot cleft was surprised to see it at my feet. Put it back to where hint said, hopefully! TFTC.

Second attempt with more appropriate footwear, didn't take as long as I thought would. Walked right past it as my GPSr was saying it was still 30m away and was about to give up. Then I found it lying there when looking for a spot to climb back down. TFTC.

Hubby found this while I was indisposed. Doesn't sound like I would have made the effort. He said it was quite a battle but he made it. Came back quite grubby. Still that's all part of caching eh'. TFTC

A climb up a cliff side. Found out we had veered 20-30m to the right and had to amble over (me)/ under (SafetyKat) a fallen down tree, procuring several cuts and bruises in the process (but that's what makes it fun right?)

Found with CJ-Curry and Silvachief, i waited up top and kept tabs on the others.This was find 143 . Thanks!

Coordinates were a little out for me but once I started from the bottom like the others some good climbing (not on the rocks, mind!) Got me to the goal. Tftc!

Probably the hardest I've worked for a cache in a long time. Hevic, Silvachief and I tried attacking this one from above, then when we turned up nothing we reread the logs and tried again from below. This time, Silva and I were more successful and found the cache after a LOT of climbing, slipping, bushbashing and basically making ourselves dirty. Then when I got home I realised I'd forgotten to note down the number in the log. Oh well, you win some, you lose some Cheers!

Climb and a half to get up there, but Mr-Pig and I found it after about 45-60 minutes. Thorny bushes and slippery slopes didn't help, but getting up wasn't nearly as hard as getting down. I'll be feeling these bruises for a while

Not the easiest cache to find with a 4 year old and a 7 year old, Mum stopped half way up. Good fun though (like the bush bash ones!)

What a mission, tried approaching from a different route this time, finally found it, now I have to get back down! Tftc

Was here with Jillymc and made limited search from above. No luck today. Tftc

Climbed down and
Around and searched but... No luck:-(

Very awesome cache. Took some time to figure out how to approach it but so glad I found the right path!

I agree with the title of this one - you would HAVE to be a nutcase to even think of placing one here and we definitely ARE nutcases for going to look for it. The teen was keen so up we went - he took the more direct route of over, under and through the trees while I wound my up and around them. We arrived at a likely looking spot at about the same time. We both took a similar approach to getting back down - the teen more direct and me a longer, more circular route. Thanks for placing nofs, it's great to get off the beaten path and go somewhere you'd never normally consider Found with Aoraki Sheep.

It took a longer to get to within a few metres of GZ than it did to find as this one is visible from a few meters. Signed the log and left as we found it because we very much doubt anyone would stumble on to it - it's no where near anywhere that 'normal' people would go. Found with debsnz.

Got there OK. The GPS said I had to go to the top of the next cliff but I could see the hint object. Big stone walls don't do reception any favours. Thanks.

Had to go here twice before managing to find a way up but finally managed to find the cache.
TFTC

Yay! Fourth one of this series done! And I am loving it!!

A great scramble! And this time yes, we went the right way...
Thought we had bumped onto the place where the cache would be, but apparently that didn't fit the hint mum said - I thought it was close enough...
So we had to climb further, and through the prickles - ah! It was so sore, and kept getting caught on the prickles!! But great great fun! Who would have thought a few years ago that I'd be chasing boxes in dense bushes near cliffs with my mother??

TFTC!!

Time for revisit and success!! Approached from the bottom this time, having done a bit of reconnaisance earlier, and scrambled up until the spot became apparent - could have been achieved from the top as well, if we knew which way to skirt around the drop that kind of put us off last time Even remembered to take the number down this time Just wandering what the lady walking on the path though when we dropped out of the bushes... TFTC!!!!

was not meant to be this time round - a bit ridiculous really, after having done some of the more difficult ones in the series just earlier ... we must have approached from the wrong side as we were scrambling down rather than - as most people - up? Will revisit next time TFTH

Found at 12:19 PM on 12/02/2012.

Nice to eventually start the Nutcase caches....
Been looking at them for too long.

TFTC nofs

Had a look at this one about a year ago but today did the scramble up to GZ and signed the cache. TFTC

Found by Mornington Scouts

Went for a look at the scramble up the bank having taken heed of the terrain warning and thought "Why not?".
Probably should have waited for daylight but gave it a go and soon spied a likely object but, it turned out to be an abandoned pot! Still 10M of the scramble to go, finally found the tree in the cleft and climbed up to sign the log.
The scramble down seemed a lot easier.
TFTC
250th.

Found it... thanks for the trip! the sun was just about gone, when i finally found it!

My first Nutcase Cache! I've attempted two others, and haven't been successful. So it felt good to find this one. Found along with geogeek2, we approached from the wrong direction first, a high up road, and made my way all the way to the very top of the cliff face.... only to turn around. Then we found the right approach track, and with a little scrambling (it was fairly muddy & slick) made our way up to the base of the same cliff -- for a successful find. No major slips or falls along the way, either. Coords were very accurate, great cache, thanks!

TFTC

Not too difficult in the end.
TFTC

Time for an admission.... have tried for this three times now and failed - we think, now having found it, we were making it harder than it needed to be, yet not hard enough. . Good quick find once you take the time with it. Thanks for this. A relief to get it off the list. Dipped TB for Canterbury quake funds - lucky thing missed the big one just up the road as we had grabbed it from Prebbleton and there was the 5.5 in Rolleston..... TFTC.

Dropping TB

This one hadn't been found in a while! Good to see that it is still there. Had good fun scrambling up to this one, after realising I had come from the wrong angle! TFTC.

Cheers,
Vaudevillain.

Pretty wet in amongst the trees, but a good fun scramble up the hill. Scared the hell out of some joggers as I hit the track at a great speed on the way back down! Yet again forgot the code from the front too, whoops!

found at 7.55am ,staying at campground a couple of hundred metres down stream so just had to find this one ,what a mornings workout TFTC

Terrain not too wet for me today, spied the cache from just below, and then clambered up the final little bit to get it. TFTC! it was harder going back down than going up.
TNLN.

Had a gentle look as we were down this way - both from the top and the bottom. Not logging as a DNF as we were on the scoping excercise rather than the mission, but this is an interesting one.... loved the views.

Took a bit of stumbling around and the GPS being erratic didn't help but found it in the end. Took Astro Boy TB. TFTC!

Looked around, but there was felled trees and debris everywhere, it looks like a whole lot of tree-felling has been done the past few weeks. So no luck, access very difficult. Will come back when it's cleared maybe? Good place to hide it though

Had a go at this one from below and we were very impressed with the cliff. Jeepers - I'd say it's a bit dangerous from the top?? Anyhow we had a posse of youngsters with us and it was getting dark so we headed home without finding the cache. We will hopefully be back to get it one day.

Found Astroboy tb lying on the ground a few metres away from cache put in the cache. Cool spot tftc.

This was fun ( I Think ) very slippery here today, got to GZ had a bit of a hunt no luck, let the GPS settle looked up and there was the cache.

Many Thanks Bitsprayer

Like an earlier logger we attacked this one from above, we got very close but couldn't get the the cache.

A hunch let us guess the access route. Managed to find the cache and was just meters from where we were when at the top.

+TB
-Nil

Lots of fun scrambling up to my first nutcase cache.
TFTC

This one was great! Despite the warnings I approached from the top. As a certified Nutcase I decided to pursue my approach path. After a dodgy, dodgy downclimb I found a potential hiding place, not there. Continued to bottom and found from the bottom before heading back up the face to the car.

A true Nut Case would approach from the top.

We initially approached this from above and sorted through the local dump site that is there. Found lots of cotainers and even a steering wheel. Abandoned the project. Then we saw a track heading in the right direction while doing Cabbages and Cream, so we had another attempt and got it. Very satisfying.

Did this one with Arcomau. Ihave to own up that this one took a bit to get mainly due to my chicken like nature and dodgy co-ords!

AWESOME, another good nutcase cache, but not nearly as nutty as it could have been. Getting down was probably the hardest bit.

Thanks Nofs, OMEGA here we come (after Tau and Epsilon first )

TFTC

Knowing nofs, I wussed out and decoded the hint before tackling the scramble. Found the exact spot described, but it were empty . Checked coords and decided I could probably trust the 60csx, so carried on and saw the cache in plain view. Hid it at least from muggle eyes, although I suspect that any cacher who gets this far will spot the signs immediately.

TFTC. TNLN.

Yip, Alpha times two or more, never saw this one, the younger half did the upper part. Said he great a great climb. TFTC

Really enjoyable cache, thanks. Always wondered what was up here! Nice route and straightforward scramble up (though did grab those roots and trees, so terrain must be 3 1/2 stars). GPS kept insisting I should climb the cliff, but used the hint and scouted the easy places first. Left a few things to bulk it up, took magnet.

I can see why this is a nut case cache. Great spot. TNLN, TFTC

Came in from the top and had a pretty stable GZ indicated but nothing found. Wider area search made but strictly of a semi-circular nature (you know what I mean).
Have now read the earlier logs and am formulating plans for Act II

Well, sorry to disagree with some of the earlier finders but this was quite straightforward. I actually think it was easier than the original Alpha nutcase cache. Came up from the bottom and straight to the cliff face below the hiding place. Nephew had his flash new 60CSX GPSr with him but my little old eTrex was considerably more accurate! He was not amused. However, other nephew (sans GPSr) actually found the cache. I can't see where others have got themselves into trouble unless they tried to approach from the top perhaps?

probably the most difficult cache to get to so far. after managing to travle down a steep bank and almost falling off another one finnaly found it. thanks for a "great" chache. haha.

Unfortunately we couldn't find this one. Didn't have anything other than the coordinates with us at the time. We came in from the top, and now that we can read other's remarks, we may have been off from the start. It was pouring with rain and we were a little put off by all the garbage. It was probably the most litter we had seen in New Zealand. Were visiting from California, and of course squeezing in some time for geocaching!

ArcticFire

This should really be 2xAlpha rather than Alpha2! After a confirmation from nofs that I was heading towards the right area I tried again: still went the wrong way and got myself a little stuck for a bit. Tried again the long way round and found the right way to get there. Best GPS reception for the search was 17m! Thanks for a wicked cache nofs.
Cheers,
G.
-0, grabbed Geocoin.
+Blue penguins fridge magnet

Strike 2 of 3 today. Spent about an hour here searching amongst the rubbish (beware of broken glass!) with reception varying between 'Weak GPS signal', 50m and 20m, and once 11m (1m to cache - yeah right!). Didn't have the page or clue with me so gave up in the end. Re-reading the page now I wonder if I was way too high in my approach. I shall return another day.

Santa isn't bringing me a new GPSr but I really must get a better one next year. Had to shake off a few muggles (even though it was rainy the area is very popular). Searched for quite a while, (my GPSr had me zeroed at a point quite a bit from the final GZ).

Exited the area by going around and up. A worthy nutcase cache. TFTC.

I like this one! You guys obviously know how to scout the nuttiest locations in Dunedin, well done! And, oh, I forgot to write down the number in the front page
+ Geocoin, TFTC

Couldn't get out last night to have a go at the FTF so didn't hold out much hope of FTF or even getting here second.

There have been a few times that I've walked along the track thinking about popping a cache in but I've always been put off by the "respect private property" sign a bit further on.

An adventurous time was had caching under the foliage - unfortunately I don't think I've been a good enough boy for Santa to update my GPSr this year.

TFTC - a very worthy nutcase!!

Looks like it is 100% on DCC (waste and water) land too. Well done nofs

FTF 19:55
I am sure this Alpha is a lot harder than the original especially if you try and access it from the wrong direction (GPSr showed 8 M to go; but it was 8 M vertical) and have to make an eight hundred-metre detour.
Apart from that it had been a great evening for us to be in The Leith Valley, a FTF on this cache and we solved the “Leith Valley Puzzle Cacheâ€. We decided if we were going to get all muddy we might as well have another attempt to solve the puzzle and as “stegan†puts it we had that “aha†moment.

The co-ordinates were spot-on, the GPSr zeroed up about 1 M away, still dose not make it any easier to get to though .

Thanks

PS. Quite fun when you can get FTF’s on each other’s caches on the same day.





[This entry was edited by macgeonz on Thursday, December 20, 2007 at 2:24:48 AM.]

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