Farmer Smurf [Otago] Larnachs Castle, South Island, New Zealand
By Castlewood_Crew on 20-May-12. Waypoint GC3KWBE

I am regretfully archiving this cache since there's been no response from nor action by the cache owner within the time frame requested in a prior reviewer note.

Hi Castlewood_Crew

This geocache was brought to my attention as being in need of an owner maintenance visit and after my previous reviewer note, there has been no owner response. The cache owner needs to check on this cache ASAP and either replace it or archive it, after picking up any geo-litter. See the [maintenance section of the Geocache Listing Requirements/Guidelines](http://www.geocaching.com/about/guidelines.aspx#listingmaintenance).

I've added this cache to my watchlist, and I will check back in four weeks to be sure that the maintenance has been done. In the meantime, I have temporarily disabled this listing. When the maintenance is completed, the owner can enable the listing by clicking on the link below the cache name to return it to active status.

Whatever your intentions, please **post a note** here on the cache page (not email) to let us know that you are still active and maintaining the cache. If a month passes without seeing a response, then I'll assume that this listing should be archived.

Please note, that if a cache is archived due to lack of owner maintenance, the cache is unable to be unarchived.

Regards
TheCoddiwompler

Thought I’d try it even though there was a bunch of DNFs no luck here for me today either

We wanted to visit the Otago Peninsula before leaving Dunedin. The sky was still cloudy, at least it had stopped raining. Tried to find this one one the way back from Larnach Castle, but weren’t successful. The box might be gone.

No luck today for us and too cold to look more

Hmm, some great hiding places...and too hard for us...

Out with NZ Bozzy today mainly picking up caches neither of us had found. This one was missing for me, I had not stopped here before so thought 2 minds would be better than one. It had started to cool off , so we were not being idle in our search but no luck . Eventually the lady living downhill came across and pointed to a rock. We had been searching in that vancity but with no luck. Now I just reached and grabbed the cache.
Learned a lot of interesting facts about farming up here and eventually heading off home.

Was looking in the wrong area to start with. Read a few previous logs and soon discovered my mistake. As I was approaching GZ (again) a horse rider was coming along the road. Turns out she lives opposite and asked if I was looking for the smurf. She indicated where it should be but thought it was gone or had an issue. I soon found it near the bottom of the bank obviously out of it hiding spot. Lots of water inside so I took it back to the car for some maintenance. Lots of soggy bags inside. I dried out the container and was going to dispose of the soggy bags when I realised the current log was dry due to it was sitting on top of the soggy bags. Dried all the bags and replaced in a hidey hole that matched the hint and previous log hints. Thanks!

TFTC.
Third on my biking day.

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Great cache

I had looked for this on a previous trip through here. Thought it was going to be the same story again today for a bit. A bird is nesting in here and so I was being careful not to disturb it once I had seen it. Then all of a sudden I spied it. Great stuff - I think that is the last in the series for me now that the final has also been archived - still feels satisfying to complete it. TFTC # 16,432

Mrs Biggles, Daughter #1 and I took a drive along the peninsula to take in the views and on our way back towards the city, we stopped so I could find a few caches. A quick find in the first place I checked. TFTC, Biggles.

Spotted by Mr Kiwi. Thanks.

Thanks to 'Farmer Jill' across the road who had noticed something going on, we were able to locate this cache. No climbing require, look up about head height for the 5'2" women. tftc

Found with @peadub with some help from the neighbouring farmer. Signed log and replaced where found. TFTC.

Going for a road trip to Dunedin for a new scenery. Doing a challenge and getting the ancient and modern places.
Took a bit of looking but found.
Found, sign and put back in place.
Found with annielin and downsouthinv.
Tftc

Cute little hide! 3 eyes were better than one!
Lovely place to be a farmer id say!Replacement Log popped into container( as was prepared ).

Tftc

A road trip for the big smoke to pick up a cache or two and come to Natalie's community event and meet up with some old faces and meet some new .
A early morning start and off we go we got to Dunedin and after the event we set of with a group for a t5 and now of to see where we end up and try our luck at collecting some of the wonders of the world. A quick search soon had the goods in hand .
No sign of Gargamel or his cat today so safety tucked away.
Thanks for the hide

Replacement log
tftc

Dnf

This took quite a bit of effort to find. Scrambling up and over and under and in between, I have no trouble believing that some people have a bit of trouble finding farmer smurf.

But you cannot blame him for hiding well, really, as there are some nasty looking possum traps nearby (no, the cache is not in or near those traps, leave them alone!).

It was not until the neighbour arrived by horse and we engaged in a bit of a chat about this and that and nothing specific in general. When I semi-casually asked if she had seen any smurfs around, she instantly knew what I was after and she pointed me in the right direction. I have to admit: without this equestrian helping hand I would not have found it. She wondered if people were still looking for it, and I assured her there were.

She then made a comment about how a few years ago, "some international thing was going on" (I assume she referred to a MEGA), and there were so many people looking for it then that "the bank looked as if it had been overrun by a horde of rabbits". Bless her.

There is horse manure for sale right opposite the cache, for those who are interested. $2 a bag.

So yes: the cache is definitely there, but might be a little more challenging than expected. The inside of the cache however is wet, as are the various logbooks inside them. The logs are all unusable (I reverted to a hand signature: see attached picture), and if there was some form of code in the logsheet then it is irretrievable.

It was a good hunt. THank you for the cache.

Had a good look in the fog but no joy.

On a road trip south, enjoying the day and pic up some caches. TFTC

Greetings from Austria  
Die_Asseln

No luck for us today although we didn’t look for long as we were cold and tired!!

Cant find

Found

Stopped in at a farm gate to check location of potential caches only to discover I was right on top of this one. So many potential hiding spots. Too hard for me today.

????????????????????

CelloJoss and I searched for a good 15 minutes, but had no luck here today.

No luck here

The cache was found but soaking wet except for one piece of paper, so we could write our log and let the water out of the lid and the lower part of the cache.
Team Mavos - Albert and Maria

CZECH
už jsme to chtěli vzdát... ale nevzdali

Admired the interesting looking animals across the road first before finding this one, TFTC!

What a lovely spot. The livestock nearby became a little anxious as we stood and admired them (and one of their babies). Found by Frame Family. Tftc

This was my second go at getting this cache and soon found it despite being asked if I had lost something by 2 men running with their dogs. Could'not write on any of the logs as too wet but added a piece of paper with my name on it.

Dot day - decided to take the car for a bit of a drive after work and find another smurf (got a couple after filling up the car). Got here and looked to high but quikly found it. Could not find the code on it. Most of the paper inside was soaked and unreadable.

Second day of a quick trip to dunnas early start out with kjr . heading for the triple difficulty cache managed to uncover after a few minutes searching

Heading down the Peninsula to Okia Flat with BCD so a quick stop here and after a previous DNF was glad to finally get a smiley here. TFTC

I had a quick look for this a year or so ago without luck. Today with plenty of time up my sleeve it still took about 7 -8 minutes to find.

Very wet signed a wet log in bottom but previous people signed paper in top. Took a while to find but was easy in the end.

Have been on a day trip to the Otago peninsula and visited a lot of spots with great views.
The sunny weather was top for taking pictures at these places.

Obviously farmer smurf is known to the locals living here, a woman were wondering if the cache is still hidden there cause nobody stopped here for a longer time

**Blinkies**

Almost gave up but eventually found. Full of water, but log dry enough to sign.

Number 13 of 34 found around the area today whilst on a day caching off the beautiful Golden Princess and number 13 of 76 found in our 6 days caching around NZ.

We had hired a car for the day today and travelled from Port Chalmers, to Dunedin and out to Larnach Castle, caching our way there and back.

This one took some searching for - up and down the embankment til i finally spotted the cute cache in its well hidden spot.

Thanks for the cache.

G'day from Australia!

Got off the Golden Princess and hired a car to get us around to more caches. Managed to find 34 of the 35 planned for the day so it was a great day.
This was find #13 for the day. A little bit of a wait before we started as waiting for farmer across the road to stop watching us. He eventually gave up and we started searching. Took a while as the GPS were not very helpful. Cathylm came up with the find this time.
Thanks for the fun

No luck for us here today. Very jumpy GPS. Lots of trees to choose from and being right by a manure stall it didn't feel right looking around.

Long time to find tyftc

Great hide, had us searching for a while but eventually found it!!! Cache is wet but log is dry! TFTC

This took me AGES!

I was just about to give up when ... 'aah!' Got it!

Another cache found with tmann421 on a fun geocaching trip
TFTC

Found with Just-Lookin.
Always nice to drive around the area.
Soon located the container.
SL TFTC

Dam smurfs! TFTC

Nice find - took a couple of minutes.
Absolutely full of water however, put in a new log sheet with new plastic bag. Tftc

Do love these caches but this one was very wet inside found with Creasy75

The plan was hatched a few years ago now and it has been a standing weekend away with a few of us mad keen cachers. This trip was made up of Karma Reprint, Team_Gaters and me (TheWanglers). We couldn't use a previous anagram to sign the logs as one member was in Aussie. So we had to come up with another... Hmm, KiTT? We decided on KiTT but after signing the first few logs something KR mentioned took a while for me to sink in and I didn't really take on board until the next time I signed the log. "Hey, the double 'TT' looks like Pi!". Oh, that's what KR said! So we signed the log this trip as KaTT pronounced 'Kapai'! And the trip was kapai!!! We had an epic weekend starting with a detour to Peel Forrest for a few FTFs, stopped in Omaru, thrashed Dunedin and detoured to Port Charmers for a FTF and then back to Pleasant Point and Peel Forrest to finish off the weekend with more FTFs. We got home to our families at a respectable hour after clocking up just over 1100km!
We had a few milestones we really wanted to crack. My 4000th, TG's 5000th and KR's 10,000th. We cracked my and KR's goal and got really close for TG. It really is about the numbers. This trip was awesome as it has given me some ideas
Decided that after dinner to head up the penninsula. Quick find


Thanks for the cache.
#3981
Cache number 106 for todays total of 115
Cache 229 of my total of 288 for this epic trip!

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.
Out and about at night. Took a bit of a concerted effort but soon turned up the cache in the dark. Cheers.

A dark find, but picked up the find fairly quickly. Thanks.

Canterbury show weekend and time for our annual road trip to some place with plenty of boxes to find. One player short this year as PurdiePurdie got a better offer over the Tasman, (no not another MEGA).

TheWanglers, Team Gaters and I took off at 4:45am for Dunedin for a weekend of fun frivolity and finds. The plan was to get as many as we could, while still having a good old time, which we managed in abundance. Logs were generally signed kaTT, which actually should read ka pai, but I can not seem to get pi as a symbol.

A great time was had by all.

Thanks to all the CO's for their hides.

Found after a few minutes. Thanks.

cache find #3735 Mr Gt54 was quick to find the cache. Had to tip out the water from inside the cache. TFTC.

I had given up when we were heading back to the wagon when geowife spotted it. A bit wet inside. TFTC.

Found it. But it is wet inside and all the paper was wet so I couldn't write on it TFTC BH&TM

Today we make a littel round in the area from dunedin. An by the side we took some caches . And this one was one of it. An other great day in New Zealand. TFTC

No luck today

Log is moist! Found with MVU, tftc

Found with mad dog bb

Aussie Pete and I looked for a while then saw it out off the corner of my eye.
TFTC

Found it. Looked too far was right at our feet.
TFTC.

In the cold fog and drizzle we found this cache and luckily it didn't take very long to find something smurf coloured! Yay us!!

The fog had closed in, it was cold, windy and wet and luckily the cache was in the first place I looked. Phew. TFTC

Greetings from Finland! Visiting New Zealand with kobolttti and besides seeing the sights we're also getting some geocaching done.

Spent only about ten minutes but couldn't find anyway...

On a wondeful sunny & scenic tour along the Otago-Peninsula today, I was happy to find some cool caches
What a nice hide and cute container - cool!
Thanks to the owner for hiding and maintainig - and cheers from Germany!

TFTC

did not find it

Found this with swollibman on a nice day out on the peninsula, with a lot of finds. Thanks for the cache

GPSr was behaving a bit oddly at this cache and it took us longer than it should have. It's a shame that the container doesn't seem very waterproof but is the log on waterproof paper?

Took quite some time to find the cache as GPS would not settle and the hide was not quite where expected. Container wet inside and funnily enough have found the same container here in ChCh.

Found with Sevren. See his log tftc
Added new waterproof log

Nice container but soggy inside.

Took nothing
Left Rivendell badge

Second smurf find for the day, TFTC

Dry log in place all good to go again

Need to rethink smurfs as many keep getting captured back soon

Easy to find great area to be in TFTC

Found Farmer Smurf swimming in his pool Unfortunately the weather has got at him and his home it was1/2 fill of water. I have put another plasiic coat over the log, making it 3 layers now.... enough to protect the log for a while. Some attention to weather proofing this cache would be appreciated.

Maintenance done. Dry log in new bag. Not sure what previous logger is on about it was still where it should be, nothing to do with a rock or a tube.

Think we found it but no rock covering it up found it in a tube

Quickly found with the help of jrb5050 reading out previous logs. Container was totally full of water so will need replacement, TFTC

PC Sniff had previously searched for this one two, and with two out of three of his previous DNF's sorted, I had a reputation to keep up (ie being his lucky charm). I thought GenCuster's log was the most helpful and told him I was going to try the same approach, but before I had stopped looking at my smartphone, PC Sniff was gleefully telling me he had the cache in hand. He couldn't believe it was so easy when he'd searched so obstinately on two previous occasions.
Unfortunately the cache was waterlogged and even when emptied out, the log was far too wet to sign. We and took a photo in case the CO wanted proof and then decided it would be even better if we popped in a piece of paper with our names. Thanks for placing the cache.

Just been and checked on farmer. He is happily hiding out of sight of muggles and gargemel still. Happy hunting

I thinks that this one has gone, particularly in the light of ernienz's comments.

Was less lucky than ernienz as I could not even find the log. I think that this one has been relocated to the great GZ in the sky. Probably worth a quick visit to restore.

Could have signed the log easily as it was the only thing I found and this was lying on the road shoulder. Makes you wonder about people at times!
erninz

A nice evening to find some caches

Nice spot

TFTC

Tftc thats third of series found im closing in on the final left someone behind that will feel more like home

GPS not so great under the trees, but got some help from a lady on a horse and nice find. Tftc.

Horrible wet grotty day, but we needed one for our 31 days. And there it was. TFTC

No idea how we missed it on the first pass. Must have been looking too closely at the GPS. Very obvious and suspect hide must have changed (or creeped) somewhat since the run of DNFs.

I hope that I will find more of these cool geocaches!![8]

Stopped for a break on a cycle loop on a gorgeous Dunners day and found this one right beside me! TFTC.
Cheers,
G.

no smurf for me today that mkes two of these little sods that have stayed hidden from me!!!

found it after a good hunt around tftc

Nice container as the next cache nearby TFTC