A Taonga ( South Canterbury ) Hakatere, South Island, New Zealand
By Bitsprayer on 27-Dec-10. Waypoint GC2KQQH

Very blustery day up here - TFTC

Took longer than it should have rocks were covered by grass.

I headed out today on a little recon for a potential trip up Mount Taylor. I stopped for a few caches on the drive from Christchurch and thoroughly enjoyed the scenery. Now the focus of the recon trip was to confirm the drive and hiking trail to Mount Taylor which is the current home to the highest geocache on the South Island. I had an awesome day on the trail and would like to thank all the COs for doing an amazing job of placing and maintaining their geocaches. TFTH and fun!

Perfect hiding place

With the Venturers, on a night walk.
All wet.

Having parked the car before walking to Double Hut with Ilmari_the_Red, he quickly located this cache for us. The walk starts our second ramble for the [Rambler's Reward Challenge Cache](https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC2XBA7). TTFTC!

Collected this cache with one of Trifolia Argentea on the way to an ambitious hike attempt of Mt Taylor. I collected this one while TA unloaded our packs from the car. There was a low cloud and we didn't get a good view of the lake until our return the next day - but it is a splendid lake indeed! TFTC

Was staying at Lake Heron Station for a surprise birthday getaway so got out on the e-bikes and grabbed some caches while we were here. What an amazing part of NZ! Found with Conbat. TFTC!

First find in this string of caches along the lakeside track.
Out mountain biking and caching with Ice Diva
TftC

Heading out towards Lake Heron for a look.

What a stunning little area, I bet it gets busy around here in Summer. Thanks for bringing me out these ways.. next time I'll come and do the caches on the other side, when I have more time, I need to get back towards Rangiora.

TFTC Bitsprayer, the cache was found in good order Signed, sealed and returned to GZ. 4 find(s) of 5 today, making this find #3317

Beautiful spot. Tftc.

amazing views of the mountains. lovely clear day. tftc. log wet dried a bit and left waterproof sheet.

The busiest spot on the lake! A few cars, fortunately with no occupants. TFTC!!

Out with the beautiful females in my family. having a good girl's day out in the peace and quiet of this lovely place. TFTC

Great to put a smiley face here such a beautiful spot.

Nice treasure, but same board as Maori lake, so not new information. Nice view on the lake, easy find, both container and logbook were in good condition. The campground was crowded, but this parking lot was empty, strange to see the difference in activity just a few hundreds meters apart. Thanks for this cache!

Found on my second attempt,coords seemed out. Liked the gecko in it,most appropriate to the area!

I've been wanting to visit lake heron for a long time especially mid winter with the Canterbury Sea Kayak Network, that trip always sounds like so much fun. There was no way I would consider getting in a kayak today, it was hard enough to stand up in the wind. Quick find before walking into Double Hut. Thanks Bitsprayer

#9236

Very windy here today. Will have to come back to the area some time

I thought it might be fun to head out towards Lake Heron today.

This is as far as I can drive.

Cheers for the cache.

Quick find on way to Double Hut. Thanks to all cache owners for taking the time to place and maintain your caches. Team Broadbent (signed TB on micros). Find # 1976

We'd come up this way to try for a FTF on the new cache at Manuka Hut. Sadly it was a DNF instead.
The next part of the plan was try for a few other caches around Lake Heron, then camp up for the night and do a spot of fishing. It was nice camping here, though the fishing result in another DNF
Those caches we *did* find, such as this one, we signed BRN (Bo& bronnie, Rincewind3, and NotManlyJack). Even the ones Bo found years ago!
This was a nice quick find while the camping muggles were busy in their camper. It was also the last find on this side of the lake as it seems you now need a permit to drive any further and we didn't leave time to walk it. Another visit required!
TFTC Bitsprayer
Find # 3710

tftc

Tftc

Great views.

Well done Charlie he found it. Well hidden.

Up for a Mad Monday Mission and had an itch to go for a bike ride. We planned to come out this way last week but we were twarted by a snow storm. The FTFs fell that were up this way yesterday but the the idea to go MTBing in the dark in the hills by a lake was too good to miss. TG picked me up just before 7pm and we headed for the hills. We hit the caches before 9pm and parked up at the track head and got back to the vehicle just after 10pm. We biked 7.5km in the howling wind and it was cold. We got back home after 12am and clocked up 340km to boot. Great night out.
While TG was getting the bikes back on the car I headed over to grab this one for the last one of the evening. Now to boost it home.

Thanks for the cache Bitsprayer.
#5376

More later

Mad Monday Night Mission with TheWanglers. We had an itch for a night bikeride around the newish caches that had been placed around Lake Heron - we had been foiled last week due to bad weather (snow!), so here we were tonight. It started out mild and calm but by the time we got out here it was blowing a rather cold gale. Ah well - still rather fun!
We were going to come out last week for the FTFs on some new caches on this lake heron track but a big weather event hit - including snow out here (there's a webcam; I presume at the nearby lodge) - so we pulled the pin & went to the pub in stead! Even with BCD's FTF's we still thought this an ideal night bike...so, a week later, here we are. Freezing cold & a reeeeally strong blustery wind. Wouldn't have it any other way! Great fun. Really cold and windy - but a fast tail wind return from Harrisons Bight! Whilst I tied the bikes back on the car TW made the find and sign here - last of the evening. Time to head for home. A great evening - fresh air, good company & bonkers entertainment that only a mad monday mission can achieve....LOL.......

Found with StreetWalker on an Easter weekend trip to the Mt Somers area, and beyond.
There were a few vehicles in the car park but no-one around so we were able to make a quick find, and enjoyed the view of Lake Heron. The nicest of the Ashburton lakes, IMOH, though I didn't think much of the camping ground. TFTC.

#15400. We had great views down the lake from here; well worth a visit. TFTC.

Found it

Heading off for a fishing trip up at the Ashburton Lakes, Caching along the way TFTC

Picked it up early in morning before heading for the top. Tftc

After our bike ride & wee chat to some campers we quickly found the cache. It was very soggy & laden with water, so will need a good dry out. We managed to sign the log. TFTC

A nice walk from the camp ground

Jdscout and I are off on a campervan adventure. We are staying at Lake Heron. I have not been there before.
After setting up camp we decided to walk to this geocache. It's a a beautiful location.
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Thanks. Bitsprayer for putting in the effort to hide this geocache. This was find 4646 for me.

A beautiful MTB ride from Heron Lake. TFTC

13:08
Set out to Double Hut today in hopes that weather would allow to tackle Mount Taylor on Sunday. Well, it didn't.
Got this cache just after parking up at the carpark and before starting the hike to the hut.

Thanks for the cache!
#4610

TFTC love this lake no fish today but picked this up instead.

Wet day to do a trip to Lake Heron - but still a beautiful place to explore a bit more. Thanks

Great view and nice swans on the lake. The mountain views with snow on the tops are lovely.

A flash carpark indeed, only one other vehicle in it and two muggles that show up when we arrived. A bit of wandering around then onto cache hunting when they depart. Cheers

Another cache by an informative sign. Thanks and cheers.

I was planning a wee raid to Ashvegas today, then noticed 3 new puzzles up Lake Clearwater way. A quick change of plan, and a text to Kiwi Moose checking on his keenness, and we were off, to a glorious part of the country.

Had a great day, and found plenty to keep us busy.

Thanks to the CO's for the hides. Cheers.

#1502 15:00

Found with no problem, very nice surroundings. What a wonderful place!
Unfortunately we didn't enjoy Lake Heron itself, because of heavy rain.

Thank you for the cache and greetings from two Czechs!

Tftc

Meant to log this a while ago and forgot to get round to it! Quick find with Caiktin & Geomum
TFTC! (Sorry about the generic logging)

Nice place for a picknick decent view to boot! Cheers

Interesting area to explore. First time up here. Thanks

Found with quinella . A return after staying here about 35 years ago on a summer camp. Tftc and the walk up the nearby hill

Quick find. TFTC. SL.

A quick find after an organised 4WD trip through Glenfalloch Station and around the Palmer Range, nice way to cap off a fantastic day with a couple of caches. TFTC.

Great spot. Hot enough for a swim even. Cache found easily and is in good condition. Thanks.

so after an early start to watch the all blacks become champions again what else is there to do with your Sunday than head out for a few FTFs so having grabbed 2 close by it was time for a quick grab as we had already parked to walk up the track beautiful day tftc

Beautiful scenery. All the snowy mountains around this lake! Tftc

Pretty wet here at the moment, as well as windy, but a great place anyway.
Cheers,
S.t.

Stunning place!

Easy find. Took green butterfly. Left wooden orange peg. TFTC

Found with my wife to be Sonia26642

Picked this one up on the way out from a great weekend at the lake. TFTC. Cheers Bo

15/11/2014 09:28AM
# 5288
We came out this was to do a tackle on Mt Taylor over show weekend - decided that it seemed like a good place to go! And some awesome looking caches!!

We left out from the hut early on Saturday morning, thus leaving a bit of time to get all these lonely caches round here for a challenge.

First one of the day, and a nice quick and easy one while everyone was shoving bags in the boot, and switching out of hiking boots.

Consec caching day # 740

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Mr Sharpe was running the Arrowsmith Marathon, so I decided to find some caches. Beautiful spot for a cache, shame it was misty and the mountains were hiding. Glad for an easy find. Thanks.

This entry was edited by TwoSharpe on Saturday, 05 April 2014 at 06:26:00 UTC.

Our last Cache for the day before setting up camp at Mt Arrowsmith Stn. A great spot, a few fisherman around made for a subtle find & rehide. TFTC

Quick find while enjoying the lake view! TFTC

Nice easy find while we were getting ready to MTB into Double Hut for the night. Lovely place, and a magic day.
- small lizard
+ butterfly hair clasp

Nice spot. Found on a day walk to Lake Hill

Nice easy find today. Lots of campers around. TFTC

TFTC SL - Didn't know if my 2WD would get in here, but the road is good at the moment. Made it !!
Added a fish swap to this cache ! Perfect day.
My 180th cache !

A Taonga indeed.
Third cache found by us today. Out enjoying Mothers Day caching as I got to do what I enjoyed most today. I had seen from your Lake Heron cache that there were cars parked up here and hoped it wouldn't mean that we wouldn't beable to find it due to muggles.
It would seem there was a party planting the bank between the carpark and the lake. Luckily for us they were saying their goodbyes as we got out of our car so a look around at the different information signs for the walking tracks was all that was needed before hunting for the cache.
The GPS was quite firmly in husband's hands again, as it was at the previous cache, and he made a quick easy find. Our shadows were getting longer and sun was almost behind the ranges by this stage. A very beautiful area to visit and maybe when the boys are older we might come back and have a go at some of the tramps in the area.
Thanks for the cache and an excuse to go for a drive in a previously unexplored area of our country for me.

A Taonga indeed

Good old Bitsprayer. He knows where to put caches.

Found during a fishing trip with the previous characters. Noit many fish but a beautiful place to spend the day. Thanks again Bitsprayer.

Found it on way in to Lake Heron to fish with Bristlehound & Muggle Bill. No success with the fish at Mauri Lakes. Saw some very big rises. TFTC TNLN SL

Found this after doing an hour's exploratory hike up the track towards Double Hut. Some people parked here were out kayaking the lake.

What a stunning place to visit! Fantastic afternoon kayaking and caching. TFTC

thanks

My farewell cache at Lake Heron - another vehicle parked but the occupants out of sight.
Gate locked because of recent wet weather; would be great to explore further.
Thanks for this series of caches, Bitsprayer - a distraction as I set out to find 4 multis today for the 4x4 challenge!

Walked past this a few times before the penny dropped! Lovely day around the lake. No wind a bit wet from yesterdays rain. Saw the biggest trout on the planet around at the bite, looking from the cliff. Had to through a rock to ensure it wasnt a log. It was like the Loch Heron monster! Long may he swim undisturbed.

A perfect weekend to go cahe hunting. A family Easter camping trip. Perfect weather in a beautiful spot.

We left Geraldine at lunchtime, on a drizzly overcast cold day. By the time we got here, it was stifling hot. We all stripped off layers, and waited for an hour whilst Mr Bairdy went fly fishing. The fish are there, we watched them surface and arch out of the water catching whatever (but not what Mr Bairdy was offering). The little Bairdys had a lot of fun paddling, and got back into the car soaked, and naked (clothes in the boot!). TFTC SL

Found on a nice day at the Lake,with Muggle Friends in tow.Other Muggles were looking at the Sign,so once they had left we grabbed it.TFTC

We were going no where, well we are a fair distance from home. This is #3 for the Nuvi 3760T

Didn't gather any food ourselves.

A treasure indeed. Placed a a geo waka huia on my way back from here.

Easu find. Great views. Check out the flowering mountain gentians everywhere. A great site.

We had a moment of panic as we approached this cache, when we discovered that due to a planning hiccough, we had no details about it other than the coordinates! However it turned out to be a quick easy find.
TFTC

+ / - Monster Max TB

Treated this as a drive by as I scout out Harrison's Bight. Nice location with amenities nearby. TFTC

Great spot on a windy day. Lake was quite choppy. SL TFTC.

What a lovely view from here, stunning spot! Cheers Gav [7100]

Anothe fantastic spot - this was a great place for a deviation on our southern cache trip.

Just a spectacular place - have never been in here before. Thanks.

After seeing that someone had already got the Maori Lakes cache FTF, I was surprised to find the three Lake Heron caches still untouched. So it was 3rd FTF of 3 for the day, at 2:55pm. The cache was an easy find, thanks to Bitsprayer. The hot wind ripped across the lake raising large waves, while we endured the heat and the absence of muggles. The lake is a beautiful spot, a taonga for everyone who loves the more remote parts of our country. Many thanks and cheers from Grandalf(1869)

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