P8 Panorama (Wellington) Porirua, North Island, New Zealand
By Hurricane Luke on 16-Jul-10. Waypoint GC2BVE5

Sadly nowhere to be found! And such a mission trying to get in

Back up the hill. Knew where to find this one after a previous walk about. Tftc

Found with elihyn and Spate. Deciding which track was initially tricky. The loop holding tube is rusted and broke. Spate managed to locate it back but will need a better fix. We didnt have anything useful with us. TFTC

An easy find with livingk and spate. Thanks for placing the cache

Tried to approach from the lower MTB track but doesn't appear to get there. Main track which is probably the correct one is closed. Will come back another day.

#372.This was a bit tricky for me and off by 10-12 metres. To be expected glad to have found this one.TFTC.

A walk up Rangituhi on a hot day with rattll. Having climbed the hill to the lookout and admired the views, we approached the cache along the MTB trail, much to the surprise of a biker. Apologies for forced evasive action! A quick climb took us to GZ, which rattll realised that she'd already found, several years previously. Still tricky to find at GZ, but spotted eventually. Log all good. Tftc! Found a clearer path that took us back to the main walking track.

Another great hiding spot! Fortunately it was an average weather day so was a muggle free track, making it easier to pop up and grab it. Log book is a bit soggy l. TFTC

Not one easily found in the day by some of the comments. Doing it at night is next level stupid on my part lol. I'll be back.

Took me a little while to find the correct tree. Had to go back a bit from where the dot was pointing to.
Log was a bit wet and made my scribing a little faint.
Cheers.

Sleepy was here!

A frustrating find as there's several options in the area with GPS not happy with any of them and took me around the corner a bit more. Had to step over some knee high gorse but finally had this little sucker in hand, lucky I had plenty of time and muggles through here would be a rarity. Tftc!

Stopped by here to re-acquaint myself with this cache so I know where it goes if it goes missing. Did not perform any actual maintenance (which is why this is just a note) although it could probably use some. It took me a while to find this again as I have no memory of the specific cache location even though I remember coming to this spot. I think the coords might be out by a few metres which didn't help when finding a cache of this size in this environment. The hint has been updated because I found it slightly misleading. Also changed the incorrect "dog" attribute. No dogs up here! While the "no bikes" attribute is technically correct for this particular track, you can absolutely bike up to the lookout via the the new track and lock your bike to something. This cache is a very short walk down from the "hub".

P8 Panorama (Wellington) was transferred from anzac61 to user trancer96

Bit wet drained it out, nice little hide in plain site. Tftc

Thanks Hurricane Luke for placing this cache

It was a bit tricky to spot but in plain sight once found. Co-ords +/- 3m

TNLN TFTC

Yay! After a couple of sad faces up here I am sure glad to find this! Container a little wee bit the waterproof log just fine! Thanks heaps

AhhHa! I just needed to take my cap off! Out caching on a rare day without kiddos. Chasing 1000!! #990 thanks for this quiet spot!

Took the opportunity to get out on a nice dry day to grab a few caches. Had a great view over the Porirua basin and the new Transmission Gulley road. Thanks CO for the cache.

Our last find of the day and found after a bit of a search. It seemed to be rush hour as emerged on to the main track and we intrigued a muggle family who decided to take this way up. I hope they weren’t disappointed as I am not sure where the track goes to after GZ!

Needed to visit Porirua today for an appointment and had time afterwards to head up to this cache. I'm sure those steps weren't concreted the last time I was here?! Great view from up the top. I thought I might be in for a bit of a search here but I found the cache surprisingly quickly. The logsheet has seen some water but is still signable. TFTC

Spent about 15 minutes looking for this elusive little cache. Beautiful spot, I'm sure... But too many clouds rise to see any Ps.

All good in here A great view on a brilliant day Thanks anzac61 TFTC

Was up this way with secateurs (for another cache) so used the opportunity to cut back the gorse intruding over the trail to this cache. Should last a few months.

Signed Randalls

Replaced the sistema with a smaller bison tube and waterproof paper.

This geocacher reported that there is a problem with this cache.

Using the *how many steps are there!* as a bit of a training walk to get some fitness back. Hopefully we get fitter and the steps feel like less and the time it takes decreases. Great views from the top- although windy!! Some gorse scratches for me as I insist on wearing shorts (helps me get up the hill quicker!). Great location and nice cache info… 6/8 for us on the quiz. Cache very wet though. Hope it gets some TLC as it would be worth it to keep this in play. TFTC

Sveppi and I have recently moved to Porirua from the Central Plateau. Between the move, house shopping, settling in and new office jobs, we haven't had a lot of time to be active and keep fit. Today we start our re-conditioning programme with a brisk walk up the Colonial Knob, and down the Ara Utiwai track. Give it a week or two and we will be completing the loop on mountain bike. With the reward of a geocache each time, we are hoping to keep to the programme!
At the top we are caught up by 4 guys playing some reggae loudly from a portable speaker. I suggest we move to the other summit to try the cache. There we sat in the sun and slightly out of the wind to read the cache description and hint. A small amount of gorse scratching later and we have the cache in hand.
This is what geocaching is all about: slightly off the beaten track, decent size container, and great description giving us some geological and geographical knowledge. (I scored 6/8 on the Ps quizz, not bad for a newbie to the area, although I was a bit gutted that I forgot about the 2nd closest suburb from the lookout as we live so close and we looked at houses there!).
Anyways, the only thing preventing me from giving it a favourite point at the moment is the state of the container and logbook: saturated. If maintenance is performed soon, I may change my mind.
TFTC

As the Hutt Valley was swarming with Mega event cachers we decided to bike up the new track from Camp Elsdon and see what caches were available from the top. A quick find thanks to the geo-trail. The water catcher (sistema) has done its job well and the logbook was saturated. As we had to walk here as there were no bikes allowed on this track we didn't have our replacement logs on us but hopefully the next finder can replace it with a nice dry one. Otherwise when we are next back this way we will replace it.

Found this Geocache during our stay in Camp Elsdon near Wellington. Strenous ascent, but nice view from The top. TFTC!

Enjoyable walk after work in time for sunset! Nice easy find. TFTC

Sorry about the delayed logging, we had a blast doing this walk very quite bar a few mountain bike riders.
thanks for the placement, will need to come down this way more often.

In Wgtn catching up on family and friends. Sunday to myself so its a walk around Colonial Knob to keep me busy.
Another hunt to finally snag and tag this elusive one. Cheers

Cool little vantage point away from the main track

Team cheese sticks! Tftc

Tftc

Tftc

Nice spot. Tricky find. Got it as GPS spot on. All good here. TFTC

Stairs and stairs and stairs - but at least we found the cache TFTC

Tricky! Good view, tftc.

What a climb! And amazing view! TFTC.

Fab day, wonderful view. TFTC!

Great view

This cache goes some way to explaining a mysterious path beaten into the bush from the main path. Found reasonably quickly thanks to accurate coods.

#2600. After a very wet Saturday, cabin fever had set in and I needed to get out for a walk. Still had a few caches to pick up on Colonial Knob so headed off late morning for a nice strenuous uphill climb. The ground was fairly greasy underfoot after the rain. Lovely tall kohekohe and pukatea trees in this reserve. Took me more than an hour to reach this spot. Some of that was time spent trying to unearth yeetrees billy goat cache. But mostly it was the hill climb. My legs are getting used to these Wellington hills now but that is a lot of steps. Luckily I spied the side track just as bush-bashing thoughts were entering my mind. Stopped to admire the view and take a few photos. Then soon found the cache after checking just a few places. The logbook is still in reasonable condition. Slightly damp but still easy to write in. Replaced cache as found. Always wondered why this cache was called P8. Now I now. Didn't even realise there were that number of suburbs starting with the letter P in Wellington. Saw just a few today in the bright glare.T hanks for the cache.

Out for a day caching and cleaning up the beach! We took the boat over to Mana Island and went around the island to find some beautiful nature, birds and some caches The rain soon left and it was a wonderful day over all [^]
Thanks to GSEL and Yeetrees for putting on the CITO - visit to the island was great! Also a big thanks to the Ranger for telling all this amazing stories! I would like to stay once over night and meet/hear some kiwis [^]

Reaching the top after some steps, JoshThePirate and I found this one pretty quick

----------
**+-++-++-++-++-++-++-+ TNLNBFP +-++-++-++-++-++-++-+**
Cache.Mike

Tricky one but got it in the end

Found with troy222 and vhuntley

Spent a few minutes searching but jubey01 had the great sight. TFTC!

Over here visiting my sister in a rehab hospital nearby - and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get out and about for a bit of caching.
Bit of a grunt up a heck of a lot of steps to get to this one....found the geotrail straight up from the track but then took a while to locate the cache. Awesome views up here so I didn't mind too much.
Got there in the end of course. TFTC anzac61

Laboured up here on labor day. Thanks for placing the cache. Nice quick find.

Surprised no one has been here since January, all good still, TFTC

Haven't been up this way for a few years which made a trip up here worthwhile, given all the new caches that have been placed since. Also making good use of a spare day and took advantage of a pleasant but cool day.

Took a -top down' approach on this one, having collecting a few of the southern caches on my way through. This was a new area for me, so it was great to be discovering new places.

Cache found after a short search - TFTC anzac61, #7393

Nice view.tftc took. TB

#1196 Decided to stretch the legs today and had heard about the great steps- woah, what a work out!! It highlighted just how much I need to get out and do that walk more often! Was so glad to get to the top (although it was a beautiful walk up) and soon spotted the cache. The wind had picked up by this stage so I sat down and rested behind some shelter while signing the log and tried to identify the 'P's. Got 6/8. It was a bit hazy today so I couldn't see most of them but what a view! TFTC- well worth the trip. +busy bee TB

nice spot for a cache thanks for taking me here

Quick grab on the way past on this one. Easy to see off side of track with a nice view

Easily found - visible from the side track. Gorse branch kept poking me in the backside as I signed the log. Apart from that, a fantastic spot and some very interesting information! However I didn't stay to admire the view long as by now I'm running late and need to hurry back to the car park as quickly as possible!

TFTC.

First find while out walking Colonial Knob with Belmont Scouts, Jax479, & CaliguliaNZ. TFTC

Out on a walk with Scouts doing a Colonial Knob loop. Found with Metal-art and Jax479. TFTC

No problems locating this one after a wee detour off the main track.

The Last day before I start to the south island. Thank you for showing this track up to the hill.
tftc

Beautiful weather and some time on my hands meant I was out of excuses not to head up into the hills for some exercise. Don't attack this one from the clearing unless you fancy ninja style manoeuvres through the gorse - the track before you get to the hilltop is a much more sensible option! TFTC - 1.2 km car to cache today. p.s. cache in excellent condition.

Took a hike up the hill to check this out. The track to the cache has been cleared - a pest control line for DoC or Regional Council. The cache was still there but likely the victim of the scrub cutter. Replaced the lid and removed all offending wet items. Moved slightly to a more secure location but less than a metre from original.

It took me a good 15 minutes of searching but I got there in the end. Incredible views from up here on a very clear afternoon.
The cache container is somewhat damaged and had quite a bit of water in it although the logbook was dry. Tftc.

Found as part of our Colonial Knob challenge day. This was find number 9.
A great day up here today. Perfect weather to be enjoyed.
Loved the P8 image in the cache. Thanks.
Cache in order, log signed; then safely re-hidden, just as found.
TFTC found with team cacher Sweet P too
The Turtle strikes again!

Just about gave up on this one. Too much unpleasant vegetation to search through and difficult to avoid getting scratched! Lots of gorse about too. In reality I guess it's a straightforward enough find if you're looking in the right place, but my GPSr had me a few metres away with too many options as to where it might be.
Had to google the meaning of 'divaricating'! Started to head away facing a potential DNF, but had one final look and there it was - fortunately!
#418. TFTC.

After the slog up the steps from Elsdon Camp the view was well worth it. TFTC

We found this one when out with the Wednesday group from the Manawatu Tramping and Skiing Club. Too misty to see anything from GZ. TFTC.

Awesome walk up the hill. Great location.

Well- my brain really failed me today! I was unable to name more than two 'P's. The cloudless sky really threw out my sense of orientation- direct sunlight and too much Vitamin D isn't good for me, it seems . Great view, TFTC

I enjoyed the walk to this cache on a gorgeous day. I quickly found the cache and tried to figure out the eight; I could only make it to P5. I failed to notice that their was a mention in the description as to where I could find the correct answers. I thought of another two possibilities as I made my way to the next cache and then another as I was nearly back at my car. Of the last three answers I came up, I think two were wrong as I discovered two more much more likely candidates once I got my hands on a map.

I found it yay first cach

Bit of bush waking involved, good cache! Forgot a pen though so couldn't sign the log book! TFTC

Took a little bit to find, but eventually did. Very windy day, but this was sheltered.

T: painted rock
L marmite voucher and 1 pennny.

Thanks
COUFF and HOSEHEAD

TFTC

thanks for the cache. been up here a thousand times and didn't even think to check if there were any caches along the way.

Great little secret view spot. TFTC

Took a bit of searching around in bushes but wasn't tooo long before finding!

Hi, I found it during nice Saturday's trip around Porirua. I like this a view. Thanks

Even though day was not the best still go excellent views. Musts bring a camera with me next time.
TFTC

First time I've needed to use GPS to find a cache. Would never have found this one without it.
TFTC

Starting to rain quite heavy now - poor Mr Rattll! Mrs Rattll was showered & all packed up & waiting for him at the end of the track now.
Left a pet rock - a zebra. TFTC

After DNF-ing at 'Billy Goat Gruff' got very frustrated with this one after coming up all the stairs, and approaching from the wrong direction. Should have trusted the GPS and read the cache description more thoroughly. Got there eventually, with a fair bit of blood and gorse scratches (unnecessary). Again, spent way longer than I really wanted to on this.

On the plus-side the day was fantastic, and the view pretty amazing.

TFTC!

Quick find.
Awesome views all around

We did this one on a morning run.
TFTC

We parked on Raiha Street, planning on doing a clockwise circuit, doing Recipe for Success first (as we had already found Curse of the FTF #22) then Climus Radiata etc, and returning via the Elsdon Camp Car Park as it looked doable on the geocaching maps. Frustratingly, most of the tracks in the area didn't show up on our GPSrs so we were reliant on our memories .

About 600m from Recipe, we found a side track that lead us to within 100m of the cache, but it just continued downhill so we had to turn back. When we got back to the main track, we found a signposted turn off a little further uphill, by that stage it was obvious we would have to drop quite a bit of height if we were to continue with the clockwise route. So plan B ensued, we did an anticlockwise route, leaving Recipe for last, and doing a small side trip to pick up this cache (Billy Goat would have to wait for another trip).

Hence it took nearly 2 hours before we bagged our first cache of the walk! Afterwards we walked up to the seating on the nearby knob, and had our lunch while admiring the great views. Forgot to look at the list of P suburbs in the logbook, I managed to identify only 4 (couldn't see Petone, Paekakariki or Pukerua Bay from my perch, the only other P suburbs I could think of). TFTC.

#5028. Our route up avoided all of the steps (despite our detour), but still involved a pretty steep climb. Good to finally make our first find of the day; brilliant views from GZ. I searched what looked like the obvious spot with no luck. After widening the search area, I returned to the first spot I had searched, and there was the cache. TFTC.

This entry was edited by StreetWalkerNZ on Saturday, 23 February 2013 at 06:13:14 UTC.

GrannyLis doesn't do steep hills and Mr GL had a painful tendon. 700 steps and we 2 old codgers live in a bungalow! But we are so glad we did the walk and the views were magnificent. Tftc

Nice detour of the track for this. TFTC.

Today's view was not quite like the promised picture ! Took a bit of effort to find after GPS marched me past GZ. Eventually worked out was was going on, and backtracked to find the cache in a nice little hiding place. Dropped off a Geocoin. TFTC !

On the way up to the top of the hill.
Great day for a good view.
There was a decoy under a nearby bush in the form of an old shopping bag with a towel inside. Along way from the beach.
TFTC

#700, and 2nd while doing the Colonial Knob loop. Sunny afternoon so the view was good, but the scrub is getting close to blocking it out. SL TFTC.

Walked the Colonial Knob loop for bit of morning exercise. Not the best day to take advantage of the views as it was misty and rained half way round, but great to collect Make the Mayans proud GC. Nice touch to include panoramic photo as well. Thanks for bringing me to this lovely spot and TFTC.

Last on the hill for the day after coming in from Broken Hill.
Understanding what I was looking for this time helped as well as being able to stand up with no gale ripping through GZ.
Dropped of my Make the Mayans Proud 12-12-12 GC to start it's journey outside my control, just seemed right with location and view.

TNLGCSL TFTC TFTV

Lovely day for a walk up to the summit. Beautiful views from up here. TFTC

Found in passing, on my way up to the summit this evening and had never been up via the Rahia St entrance before so with a couple of newer caches along that route it was an obvious choice to make.
Great views up here for sure and a very pleasant evening to take them in.

Many thanks for the placement Hurricane Luke.

A quick visit today to dip Rene Hi Power TB. Wet this afternoon but very atmospheric and no wind. I'd forgotten what a gruelling walk up it was, I'm sure more steps have been added since I last came this way!

With gale force Northerlies it was a stunning and invigurating day to do the Colonial Knoll circuit.
With no luck on Billy goat, it was UP the 700 stairs, knackered by the top.
Missed the little track but headed up from the gate at the end of the path.
Arrived at GZ from a different direction, had a bit ofdifficulty standing, and seeing in the horizontal rain.
Hunted and hunted, but figure to come back on a fine day, and up the road this time I think.

Beautiful views today. TFTC