Sandfly Bay Dunes Sandymount, South Island, New Zealand
By
stegan on 05-Sep-10. Waypoint GC23B2E
Cache Details
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This cache is currently listed as Archived in our database.
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Logs
We parked our car at Sandymount. The weather was clear, but windy. We easily slid down to the cache. The view of Sandfly Bay was wonderful. We reached GZ, but found that it was not at the top of a dune, but on a slope. We had to find another dune to complete our measurements. The return to the car took much more time. Thanks for this great earthcache!
I have been meaning to visit this cache for ages, and I kept putting it off. I was hoping for a nice day when I have time to do a loop, and preferably after rain, so the sand dunes a a bit easier to walk on, rather than the usual one step forward and two slides back. Once I almost set off uphill after a volunteer evening at the beach, it seemed so close! I am glad I did not venture up then, as it would have been a very slow slog up the hill followed by a very late return to town... This morning I was hoping to get tunfisk excited about measuring stuff, and he took some of his practical gear for the trip to use to get the required measures. Although he did not particularly enjoy the lengthy walk to access the dunes, he did have fun measuring them. Although I posed for the photo, he did all the actual work. Walking on the moist sand was much easier than dry sand, we still got a good workout. Would recommend coming from the top, great views and easier to keep on track! Thanks for a fun earthcache!!
Come and join us at the next New Zealand geocaching MEGA event!! Register now at http://www.nzmega2015.com to receive newsletter updates and be the first to know. Let us know you are coming by posting a 'will attend' at http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC587BC_nz-mega-christchurch-2015 It will be a great event, come and be a part of it!!
Come and join us at the next New Zealand geocaching MEGA event!! Register now at http://www.nzmega2015.com to receive newsletter updates and be the first to know. Let us know you are coming by posting a 'will attend' at http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC587BC_nz-mega-christchurch-2015 It will be a great event, come and be a part of it!!
We ran out of time on this wonderful beach and had to skip this EC therefore (our target for today was to reach the Catlins).
But we enjoyed the place so much (especially (!) going down and up again) that we hope and promise to come back and do this EC next time.
Team ERw2 - Eva and Robert F. - We 2 (2512)
But we enjoyed the place so much (especially (!) going down and up again) that we hope and promise to come back and do this EC next time.
Team ERw2 - Eva and Robert F. - We 2 (2512)
Was für ein toller einsamer Strand. Es ist schon anstrengend, hinunter und vor allem wieder hoch zu laufen, aber es lohnt sich!
Mit Mama, Papa und Onkel bin ich unterwegs in Neuseeland. Sie haben mich auch an diesen wunderschönen Ort geführt, geschoben, getragen....
Traveling through New Zealand in February with the Campervan we visited your Cache.
Thanks for showing us this place.
As i saw the dunes, i know, i had to go up there.
It was a hot day, and that did not make it easier.
The most fun was running down the sanddune.
TFTC Mammut75 / Austria
Thanks for showing us this place.
As i saw the dunes, i know, i had to go up there.
It was a hot day, and that did not make it easier.
The most fun was running down the sanddune.
TFTC Mammut75 / Austria
Just on 1.5 hours return from Sandymount carpark on a hot and windless day. Amazing views, but a real slog on the way back up. Also managed to get some serious hayfever symptoms going with the grass and lupin doing its thing. Photo to follow once I figure out how to download it off my new phone.
The wind was howling in today but from the NW direction.
It did take a while to get to GZ in soft sand. I'm was not too sure which direction or gradient we are supposed to be measuring at GZ or which dune.
Took some very rough measurements with my tent poles and tape measure. The wind wasn't helping.
Dashed off before the rain set in. Email sent in.
It did take a while to get to GZ in soft sand. I'm was not too sure which direction or gradient we are supposed to be measuring at GZ or which dune.
Took some very rough measurements with my tent poles and tape measure. The wind wasn't helping.
Dashed off before the rain set in. Email sent in.
What a nice day- let’s go to Sandfly Bay! Foolishly we parked at Sandymount so that Mrs Daywalk Senior could enjoy a gentle walk to the Chasm while we quickly dashed down to GZ. An hour and three-quarters and 414m total ascent later we returned, having discovered that sandblasting is the fourth method of sand transport. Hope the photos turn out- there may be some camera shake involved. It was especially exhausting coming back up when we encountered areas where the dune was at a steeper gradient than the “angle of repose” and avalanched back downhill, taking us with it.
There’s a very serious issue related to the angle of repose of damp sand compared to that of dry sand. I vividly remember my father explaining to me while we were making sandcastles why the fancy crenellations and tunnels we had carefully constructed from damp sand would crumble once the sand dried out. The angle of repose of damp sand can be vertical, or sometimes even a slight overhang, but once the sand dries out it collapses back to ... a pile of sand. If you happen to be underneath, it doesn’t take much weight of sand to stop you being able to inflate your chest – you will suffocate within a few minutes. So it was a strict rule in our family that we were never to dig “pretend snow caves” into sand cliffs, or dig “holes to China” on the beach.
See this blogsite for Monday 4th August 2008 (about three-quarters of the way down):
http://daveslandslideblog.blogspot.com/2008_08_01_archive.html
There’s a very serious issue related to the angle of repose of damp sand compared to that of dry sand. I vividly remember my father explaining to me while we were making sandcastles why the fancy crenellations and tunnels we had carefully constructed from damp sand would crumble once the sand dried out. The angle of repose of damp sand can be vertical, or sometimes even a slight overhang, but once the sand dries out it collapses back to ... a pile of sand. If you happen to be underneath, it doesn’t take much weight of sand to stop you being able to inflate your chest – you will suffocate within a few minutes. So it was a strict rule in our family that we were never to dig “pretend snow caves” into sand cliffs, or dig “holes to China” on the beach.
See this blogsite for Monday 4th August 2008 (about three-quarters of the way down):
http://daveslandslideblog.blogspot.com/2008_08_01_archive.html
We already KNOW that GZ is perishing steep... we were at GZ last February... even collapsed of thirst for a photo... it is sheer unadulterated cruelty to place an earthcache there...
Very windy here this morning, and I was able to observe all three ways in which looose sand moves. Most was just a few inches above
ground level, observed creep, too and also got a few grains in my eye. Very exciting walking along the beach, too. On the way in 6 sea lions were sleeping at various points, but on my return journey there was 2 groups of bull lions fighting for the favours of a nearby cow. I kept my distance!
ground level, observed creep, too and also got a few grains in my eye. Very exciting walking along the beach, too. On the way in 6 sea lions were sleeping at various points, but on my return journey there was 2 groups of bull lions fighting for the favours of a nearby cow. I kept my distance!
Found it at 17:16, my 728th find.
Out for a walk after work. Parked at Sandymount and wandered down to the cache site.
Did all of the measurements then began the long slog back to the car.
Email with answers coming after tea...
TFTC stegan!
Out for a walk after work. Parked at Sandymount and wandered down to the cache site.
Did all of the measurements then began the long slog back to the car.
Email with answers coming after tea...
TFTC stegan!
