Rat Island (Bay Of Plenty) Maungatapu, North Island, New Zealand
By klaymen on 22-Jan-02. Waypoint GC345C

See comments of april and may 2011

Well we found the remains as it has been muggled and burnt. So we were unable to sign the log but have photo's if you want too see them.

Cache has been burnt. Will need replacing.

Will need to replace this one, Spontaneous combustion ????

High on our list of desirable caches around here.
We gazed at it last night but waited until low tide this morning 7am
Took our shoes off and walked across the shallows getting freezing toes on the 200m plus walk.
Made landfall with 5m of the cache spotting a rat trap almost immediately.
Returned the same way.
Always feel like you are on an adventure when you do these types of caches.
Loved it
Thanks Klaymen

With a name like this, how could we resist?
We had a quick look at this Island yesterday when we arrived, but it looked a bit chilly and deepish. When we awoke this morning, we saw that the sand and mud banks that weren't there yesterday, had amazingly appeared! Off to the Island!
A bit of a chilly walk, but warmed by the quick finding of the cache.
Nice idea.
Thanks, Robmc.

Great cache, swapped the trackable for a marble! We are off to Europe in a couple of weeks so it will get some air time TFTC

Waited for low tide and took the kids over for a look. TFTC left a trackable.

A nice day spent finding geocaches in and around Tauranga. Thanks for setting up this cache - I appreciate being shown interesting locations and also a few quick finds are welcome too! Soon found this one. Certainly a highlight of the day walking over to island. Signed log.

Nice walk around the island first. Daffodils in flower on the island. NO TB.

Good find! Took us a while to find, thought we weren't going to find it. The tide was coming in fast!
Cache Update:TY Wattie, Stick, Matakana Island Info/Map, 4 Wheeler truck, Lion Stickers, Tribal Tattoos,2 party hats and Jokes, Indian Figurine,
Dolphin Tattoos, Tags from BottleRocket69, Geo-Phantics, No Fixed Aboders, Green Sign

Coldstream and I were on a cache raid to the Western Bay of Plenty. We timed it right for this cache. We followed three muggles over to the island. While they went one way we went the other.

In: Geocoin.

There were no TBs in the cache.

Cheers for the cache.

Here with Tufty on a caching mission in Tauranga. Nice walk at low tide. Cool spot, TFTC.

A pleasant little stroll over the md to get out to the island and a bit of a search as the GPS had us a bit out from GZ.
Found it after some searching and then realised the tide was coming in fast so made a quick dash back to shore!
Took the Debbie the Dolphin Travel Bug so we can help her carry on her adventure! Left little blue light torch.
No sign of the geocoin in the cache
TFTC!

Good cache found quickly but me and dad were in bear feet sharp sticks hurt TFTC.

Cache was an easy find thanks to the good clue. Had a nice walk to the Cache although my son was scared of the crabs...LOL... Left Debbie the Dolphin Travel Bug as she likes being near water.

good cache, clue was a good riddle, worked it out in the end.

Great to finally be in the area when the tide was right.
Nice spot. TFTC

Finally got the tides right and this one off our "do" list. Love these sorts of caches as they are a chance to get to interesting places you wouldn't otherwise go. Cache was well-located and an easy find. NINO TFTC

What a great excuse for a harbour walk! Beautiful day.Took: tape dispenser. Left: lanyard. TFTC. Cheers,nzyetje

nice walk
took fish magnet left pen

A pleasant peaceful spot for a cache. TFTC

Persuaded Mr P to come for a walk across the mud... nice afternoon and cache to boot!. T4TC

TB Drop

Worked out the tides and timed our visit accordingly. ROS piggybacked MAR across the stream in the middle (no sence both of us having to take our shoes off!) and then we made our way to GZ. Didn't notice a TB in the cache T4TC.

Amazed that I was in the area with the tide timed to perfection. Great walk to the island and quick find. TFTC

Had the whole family in on this one Aunties and Uncles, Granma and Poppa all had a good time exploring. Poppa was reminescing about his childhood days on the island. TFTC. SeaJ&Kat and family

First offical geo hunt for Papamoa Scouts. Boys very excited. Visited 4 Caches, good trading. Have one young scout off to his Dad in Switzerland over Christmas, is helping Swedish girl Trackable home to Sweden will place in a cache in Switzerland.
Geo Coin Beach Ball on it's way to Waihi "Scout Summer Camp"
Found Cashe in good condition
In each cashe we have left our signature Key Ring.

papa scout

A new larger container is now in place so room for TB's.
Dropped off Brown Cacher Tag.

Checked into our motel nearby and noticed the tide was out. Older clothes & shoes on, and off we go!
Round container, so the plastic bag tears upon trying to extract it, unfortunately.
Did not notice the jeep. Left Beach Ball micro to start it's journey. Perhaps the local "bug hunter" might come get it? Hope it does not stay here too long.

Easy find without getting our feet wet - have placed contents in a plastic zip lock bag- needs new container - cheers Jumboz

Can someone please take a bag to put cache into as we are overseas and wont be back untill December to replace the container thanks.

Nice walk out to the island. Found the cache, but container is getting worse!

Cool Island, very easy cache to find. Container needs replacing tho

The container needs to be replaced. Its got a big gaping hole one the side of it.

Spent quite a bit of time looking for this one. gps was sending us all over the place but eventually found it. The cache was covered in bugs. This cache was fun even though the tide caught us on the way back. the jeep tb was not the there though

This is one cache we had fun finding. LOL. We walked to the island while the tide was out, searched for ages around and on it as the GPS signal kept being thrown off by the trees. Finally we find it in the place where we origianlly thought it was but didnt look due to the GPS saying it was 15m in the other direction. The container for the cache was broken due to age, and the jeep geo tag we were looking for wasnt there, unsure if its been stolen or if someone just hasnt logged it yet. Anyway, in our time trying to find the cache, the tide had come in LOL so we had to swim back. good fun

Found after a short hunt....one of my kids wasn't wearing anything on his feet, not a good idea as there are thorns on the ground....would suggest wearing shoes if you are doing this one. Was great to do as we never would have gone there if it wasn't for the cache....great location for a hunt!

Kids really enjoyed this one. It was a great adventure!

picked up TB from here with muzy man we lucked the walk across at low tide and tried to get to GZ pretty quick to avoid having to swim back cheers

Nice easy hide with good clue! Just caught the tide in time an a tip toe walk over with water impeaching the family jewels TFTC Cheers Muzy Man!

We went for a walk around the island first, and then headed in to find the cache. Left Jaden Medal TB, and took the FUPA Calculator TB. Many thanks for bringing us here.

easy find,
took out ipod car charger, hope it works
put in a travel bug
tftc

We just needed 1 min on the island!

out: coin

TFTC

This would have been a bit easier if I had of done it on the first time I drived pass today, however I was on my way to a picnic lunch with a friend and we were late (as always).... By the time we went back I was knee deep in mud and wet stuff before you knew it. Cache was quickly located.

Dropped in TB.

#217. Team Northwood came over the Kaimais for an anniversary day of caches.
We timed our visit here for the tides and weren't disappointed. Great cache, enjoyed cooling our feet on a hot day.
+ 1 US cent coin, took nothing.
#15 for day in hand at 13:48.
TFTH

SKRUNCH!!!
oops, silly place for a crab to build a nest anyway...
OmaGosh, over and out...

Great island!! Started raining on way back to the car!! TFTC

Nice easy find at low tide with the kids. Thanks

I've lived in Tga 20 yrs and this was my first Rat Island experience, cheers Awesome spot!

Squish squash goes the mud aaahhh a crab! [:o]
COOL CACHE !
TFTC
49er princess [8)]

Haven't been out here since I was a kid. Not quite as oozy and seaweedy a walk as I remember! Brought 49er princess along with me and did a bit of crab hunting on the way. An easy find thanks.

Came here 4 years on from when i last vistied, but couldnt find it, there was lots of trees there broken over and burnt, almost looked as if they were struck by lightning, but it seems the cache is still there from other logs, if the trees wernt broken over, i probably would of seen where i was supposed to be, as it was an easy cache to find

We made the most of a low tide and strolled across to the island. GZ was very accurate and a helpful hint made this a quick and enjoyable find, thanks.

After squishing in the mud across to the island, found the cache, nice and easy. Great spot, if the light wasnt fading wouldve stayed there longer. TFTC

Nice walk across to the island at low tide. Island very pretty. Took Lizard. Left nothing. TFTC

Had to put on the gumboots for this one!! the tide had come full circle since we started caching for the day at 7am, pretty close to low tide.

Found at 5.34pm, Our 25th find for the day!! #119, one to go to get to 120!!

Took Poker Chip, left nothing.

13:45
Cool Location. great hide. at low tide easy acess
Took Poker chips
Left Bouncy BAll

Got the tide just right to keep our feet mostly dry.
In Lizard Out Yellow car. Always wanted to visit this spot

What a cool cache, Geo-Goober & I were staying just up the road and it was low tide, so how could we miss this cache, surprising to see the few log records for the time it had been there.....
Signed Log
TNLN TFTC

found with skweak
cool cache what a funky island!
In poker chips
out nil

Second visit....took walking coin and three ring circus travel bug, left candles and ipod car charger...

Had to return, to write down travel bug code details that we'd overlooked the day before. Knew tide was in, so came prepared to swim over with body board. Great adventure, alone on the island, mission accomplished successfully (before bug was retrieved by someone else). What a fabulous location.

Going geo-caching on an island is even more fun. Took us a while to work out the clues, but eventually found it, just before giving up and going home. Left Three Ringed Circus Travel Bug, took nothing.

Searched awhile and only on second look in same place, found it! Dropped geocoin for an island visit

Almost skipped visiting this cache when we read that you had to swim to get to it, but decided we'd go ahead and try this one while the tide was low. We're so glad we did as all of us enjoyed this one. What an adventure! The challenges of working out the best time to visit, finding a shallow place to cross to the island and then to find the path into the island and finally the cache itself made this one unique cache for us. Took kermit. Left screwdriver set. Thanks, this was one of our best cache sites yet!

daughter and i did this, mum didn`t want to get her feet wet, even with the tide out. a little search then spotted the clue, logged in and left.tnln

First visit the tide was in,
Second visit tide was out,
Valuable lesson to learn....check if the tide is going in or out & how long it will take to locate the cache!
Enough said.......TFTC

Tried the night before but it got to dark, reminds me of my cache in Auck on Croc Island, came back in morning, took abit of finding, but thats cause I left the white cane back at the car [:o)]

Thanks for the placement, thank you.

On with the gumboots and a quick walk across the mud flats, the tide was out. Hurried towards GZ and suddenly Paua disappeared down a hole, one leg completely buried, she thought her leg had fallen off!! Watch out for the deep HOLE right in the middle of the track!
A good hiding spot and lovely little island. TFTC.

#614
Arrived in TGA at low tide, had a quick walk across the mudflats to claim this one. Got caught out by a rather large hole while walking back to the car from GZ, what a big rat hole, must have been 18†across and 2m deep, scary.[B)]
TNLNSL, TFTC

Nice easy walk at low tide and quick find of the cache.
Many thanks.

Great little island for a walk with the kids
TFTC
97 of 102 for the trip

We loved this cache. A bit of a wade across giving the kids piggybacks. Great quick find although one of our party fell down a hole near the cache site.
Thanks for the cache.

On the way back to the Motor Camp for lunch and noticed the tide was out. Easy walk over, although hot, and a quick find. TFTC

Struck the tides right for this one today. Nice straight forward find. No rats but the long grass played havoc with my hayfever.
TFTC, TN left geocoin

Great island for a play, even got a free grapefruit? Thankyou. TN LN SL

Not a bad wade but a bit on the dangerous side if you venture in the dark with a lot of freshly dug vermin trap holes and a lot of stinky left overs.

1.45pm. It took a while in steady rain. Need to be aware that the rocks are very slippery at the low sea wall at ther start of the walk. I have very sore ribs from falling on them.
No swaps because of the need to keep the rain out.
Thank you David & Noeline

5th of the day. Glad we brought the gumboots. Nice little walk. TNLNSL. Cheers.

Nice quick wade at half tide. Found skeletal remains of a rat. AA batts in Giraff and Gonk out SL

Found it with wanderinn gps, Deceied before we left home that we had to find this one and move on the poor travel bug that had been marooned on this desert island since Feb. Lucky the tide was with us so no mid winter swim.
Taken TB TFTC
PS did this island used to be lived on

[This entry was edited by geriatric hippies on Tuesday, June 13, 2006 at 2:15:48 AM.]

11:55am
Approached Island at low tide along with
'Geriatric Hippies.'
What a great place.
Loved the idea of being the only people on
a little Island!. TFTC
In: Fridge Magnet
Out:NT

On this visit to Tauranga the tide was right for us to whip out and check this one out. A great spot, but some trees were very thorny.

Cool island, great spot, a few prickles but easy find. Left TB Skipper the Penguin.

Easy find. Nice walk, but bit muddy. Nice place too. We wondered whether camping was allowed, until we saw 4 rats running like crazy, climbing trees... Maybe not then... tnlnsltftc

Rat Island from the Latin, Ratus Ratus. Yes this Island has many secrets and this cache is one of them. Surrounded by water, mud crabs and spikky trees getting there is half the fun.

In: Racecar TB and Zorkmid #29

Out: Counters and die.

Thanks for the hunt.

Nice soggy Island, cold day, easy 2 find. thanks.
TN LN SL

Great little island, glad i had my gumboots on, last find of the day find number 6

Finally got this one..been waiting for a dead low tide. Some spiky trees near here on the bank...watch out

sorry about the late log in but i only found this on the second go i took two bullet shells and left a named pencil

deffently better at low tide as you don't get wet as much

oh well see ya later

At last the tides were in our favour as we are all small children, neat place to play and find sand crabs, small fish and crabs with shells on their backs.

TNLN but footprints
cheers Rhys

11.30 am. Easy find after interesting walk across Harbout flats to the Island.

TNLN

Right on low tide, wasnt keen to get wet. Easy walk though a bit slippery in places, glad I wore my wellies. was worried about the rats, but none to be seen, phew. Bouncy ball out, pen in. Thanks

High tide when we arrived here but we had the kayak on the roof so no problem. Found reasonably quickly this time after a "failed to find" six months or so ago. The thorny bushes on the island have certainly grown heaps since our last visit.
It was such a hot day that my 7 & 8 yo's decided to swim back rather than take the kayak - only 200 m and they could walk most of the way. Thanks. TNLN

Mid-calf wade across about an hour or so before low tide,
water actually quite warm. Easy find once up on land.
TNLNSL, cheers.

A nice early morning stroll along the mud flats. The island seems bigger once you are out and on it. A nice easy find

TNLN

Thanks Klaymen

Waypoint was a bit off, but once we climbed up on the island and looked around the cache was plainly visible. Re-hid it much better before leaving. TNLNSL, thanks!

Welp the island definately lived up to its name! One rat I saw!!! Pretty much looked me in the eyes and then scarpered! Never mind.