The Art of Steganography Wellington, North Island, New Zealand
By Redants on 18-May-13. Waypoint GC40JA3

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 redants

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

This geocacher reported that the cache might be missing.

I never let a bunch of DNFs stop me from doing a search - I have found a few after a number of others' DNFs. But no such luck here. I suspect thee cache is missing, and that the cause is kids playing in the tree fort that is only about 5-10m from the cache.
Needs a CO visit.

This has been on my list of 'solved, must get around to finding' for a while now, so it was great to visit GZ today in the company of the Seagnoid, NZ_B and TrinityNZ.

In spite of all the previous DNFs, I thought it was still worth a look here. No real issues getting to GZ, and we had a good 15 minutes search but came away empty.

This definitely needs checking on.

Back for a second look with some very experienced cachers today. Suggest CO checks this one out.

Could not find a path through the trees so couldn’t get close enough to have a good look.

This one's not been found for a while, and I wasn't successful either. Sure that I was pretty close, though. With rain threatening, I retreated in search of easier finds.

solved the puzzle a while back and decided to attempt to find today with my boys on school holidays (and trying to find the detective clue for the mystery at the museum), saw the treehouse and the large obstacles mentioned in previous logs, we searched quite a wide area for some time with no luck, decided to call it quits after a number of slips and lots of frustration! Thanks anyway, enjoyed solving the puzzle

Solved many months ago, but every time I have visited the location it has been wet and raining. No excuses today though, so embarked on the find mission. Quickly abandoned hope that the GPS would help, so started scouting the area back and forth, up and down - plenty of likely locations. After a while I spotted something new through the trees, so made my way to it, to find it was a father/child building a tree-house. Made my exit, and after I was a safe distance from them stopped for a breath, and considered abandoning the search, when at my feet was yet another likely location, with the tell-tale signs of something hidden. I love it when that happens. Happy to have the smile here, TFTC.

Solved a while ago. Just needed a good bit of time to find it. Had a bit of a bush bash and search. Nothing came up looking like a spot. I knew I was close. Stopped to reassess and looked down and there it was. All good here. TFTC

TFTC
Quick find here today see **taybee log**
[?] Found with ***taybee*** [?] sign log book as TBNZ taybee nz ,Sign log book

**taybee** is caching again with **taybee nz**
art of this cache was getting to it after a 5 mins looking we find it
All in good order, sign log book as **taybee** or **tb** TFTC Log by Gsak
Cache was find at **2018-04-05 15:46:00**

Solved this a while ago. Decided to retrieve today. Talk about a bush bash. Eventually got to the gz where it was a quick find. A nice little workout. I think I deserve a yummy custard square for afternoon tea. All in order. TFTC

Love a good bush bash. When I got to 10m I decided I was going the wrong way as things started looking tricky. Retraced a bit and circled around then the distance started decreasing until... Close enough. Soon spotted the nice hide. Thanks for not making this a bush micro as some are inclined to do.

…solves in warm comfy chair with glass of rum… climbs hill and bush bashes for ages to find cache… fun, thanks!

I can finally log a smiley on this one! My goal for today was to avenge a couple of DNFs, and I was determined to knock this one out. I had actually swung by on Saturday, but after 24 hours of solid rain, the drainage area had turned into a creek and my hiking boots were no match, so put it off until today where I returned with gumboots.

So I started off climbing back up the slope to were I previously was hunting for the cache, and was quite surprised at how steep it was considering I ran down it last time (while being stung). My GPS wasn't being too useful so I headed further up, keeping a listen out. I did hear buzzing, but wasn't sure whether it was from a nest or a single insect. I carried on up and still couldn't find anything. I headed down a different way until I saw my GPS had me at 0m, and soon spotted the bag - the camo definitely helps here. So glad to find this one. Signed the log and replaced, and headed back down a different path until I eventually made it out again. TFTC (and the puzzle)

The puzzle is straightforward, especially when using the new Android app. Getting to the cache was more challenging. My first attempt put me at the bottom of a muddy bank looking up. I found a route around and arrived at the top, looking down. There wasn't another option so down I went. I came upon the large obstacle mentioned in an earlier log (but thankfully no wasps) and worked my way around it but found nothing. The GPS was all over the place: whichever side of the obstacle I was on it insisted that the cache was on the other side. I finally sat for a few moments to let the GPS settle. As I went to stand up I heard something hollow, looked down and the cache was not half a metre away! This probably deserves more than 3T. FP awarded for the challenge. Thanks for the adventure

First cache of the day and after solving this probably a year or more ago, decided it was time to knock t off. Mycro Man and the geo hounds headed out but at 10m from GZ we realised it was probably "higher" up so left the hounds and we made our way up and around and eventually got to the cache. The 3 terrain is definitely apt especially after lots of rain. But glad to have this one off our list and very impressed Mycro Man made it all the way to the cache.

Did with Crystal Fairy.

Swung past the cache today because I was a little concerned about lack of finds. Cache in good order, no wasps nearby, but path to gz a little overgrown

This was my second attempt at this one, after an unsuccessful hunt possibly over a year ago. Today was a different story - tried clambering up the bank and found an obstacle to overcome. Instead of going around I just tried going over. Unfortunately I must have disturbed a a wasp's nest as I got stung several times and had to beat a hasty retreat. I'm not sure if I'll have the gumption to try this one again...

Note to self. Don't try your first puzzle cache in the pouring rain when you're limited on time.

Enjoyed looking for this one today. Kudos to those who managed to find it in the dark! TFTP and TFTC

Nice puzzle. Was soon solved and I wondered if I missed something else. Pushed on and up and was right after all. Tftc

Good puzzle. Find a little more challenging but Selesi and I got there in the end. TFTC

Thanks to a hint at the Christmas bash found where GZ was, but the first time I tried it it was getting dark, as I have something of a reputation for falling over nothing in particular, I decided after getting most of the way it would be safer to leave it for another day. UlmusLynx located it today when we went out for an hour this afternoon. TFTC

#195. Fairly quick find of cache this evening. Steep ground made it fun in sandshoes. The cache was in good order. The puzzle had me stumped for a while but resolving another puzzle showed the way and it was a quick solve after that. Thanks for the interesting information about this form of cryptic writing. TFTC.

Quickly solved the puzzle today all thanks to a little habit of mine. Set off tonight and had been searching around with our torches in the dark for quite awhile and then LCBuilder came up with the cache All in good order, nicely tucked away, TFTC.

Found with Wafflekitties! thanks for the cache!

made this one a little harder for ourselves by doing it at night! mud and prickly bushes were our enemy here. eventually found the cache after widening our search radius. TFTP and TFTC

Nice find while out with Just-Lookin.

Found fairly quickly this visit - fun puzzle
SL TFTC

Nice afternoon spent in the sunshine collecting a few caches with tmann421.

A short scramble and cache soon located. Nice little bush area. TFTC

I already knew a bit about steganography before looking at this cache.
It took me a while to find the cache and I even walked past it once without seeing it.
Nicely hidden.
Thanks.

#1121 Solved this one last week and we were in the area today to get some fresh air and stretch our legs so stopped by here first. Didn't have any problems navigating the bank but the GPS' on both of our phones were not cooperating. Unfortunately we left the big guns at home. Took a lot of looking to find this one- even found a spot that made me think, oh it's definitely here! but alas, no cigar. We had a very wide search area and eventually found it in a spot about 10m from where we thought it was going to be. Very obvious from the right angle! TFTC- nice puzzle and hide.

Find #2032. Another day on the bike hunting down the last few Tawa caches. Solution was easy, locating the cache a different matter. GPS was bouncing around and the terrain was a bit challenging; was glad to be wearing boots and had my gloves too. Eventually located it and yes it is self evident when you see the spot. Cache in excellent condition considering not found since February. SL TFTC

Puzzle easily solved - I'm using cgeo . Headed to GZ avoiding the water . Chose the wrong fork in the path . GPS said I was at the right place - it lied . Someone had made a trail to the GZ . Cache really is obvious when you are right on top of it . Signed log and checked GPS - said I was at the right place - doesn't that mean it was wrong before [?]

Found it. My first mystery cache. A nice easy mystery.

2nd time lucky. I guess last years storm created this hidey hole.

After putting the puzzle aside a few times in the past I solved it quickly today.
Finding the cache was tricky though. After a good 20 minutes of being led hither and tither by the struggling smart phone I put it in my pocket and concentrated on looking for likely hides. Just as I had resigned myself to a DNF I thought I'd just look in one last direction and bam! there it was (just metres from where I spent a long time searching).
Very good fun - thanks for the cache.

I enjoyed that one, even though I did make it a lot harder that it should be. Managed to solve the puzzle pretty quickly, and I was stoked about that, but stuffed up entering the coordinates into my GPS. Eventually got it all sorted until struck with the dancing GPS at GZ. After letting it settle a bit, and looking in likely places, came up trumps. TFTC

GZ visit with cache owner to check up on cache. Also about time I logged it. Quick find (but then I knew where he had hidden it) and cache well hidden and dry. SL TFTC.

Quickly resolved coordinates some months ago, but this was the first time we were in the appropriate area. Unfortunately no luck for us this evening. Avoided the water, and eventually the GPS settled down, but even with two sets of eyes couldn't find a cache. Will return sometime in the future.

Cache # 1,265 - went the way the GPS pointed at first, and almost ended up knee deep in water. Ended up approaching GZ from wrong side, so took a while to get to the correct spot. Found the cache, all is well. Puzzle straight-forward, but well done. TNLNSL. TFTC!

12360... Straight forward solve... as the hint said, it was quite evident once we got there. Many thanks for the puzzle and cache.

Saw this when published and put into the "too hard" basket. Came back and had a look this evening and saw the solution in only a couple of minutes. I had a good read of the previous logs so had a fair idea of what to look for at GZ. A quick drive to near GZ and a slippery walk by torchlight soon had me right beside the cache. Only got caught once on the prickles as well ! TFTC !

No problems here this afternoon. Moved slowly in the direction the GPS was advising and spotted a likely location with a telltale (cachers hide) arrangement of vegetation. Cache all secure and in good nick. TFTC
(out marble TB)

No problems with the puzzle, having previously solved a number along this theme. However finding the cache took a little longer.
TFTC.

Solved the puzzle easily enough but finding the cache was another matter. Dropped the kids off in Porirua at 6pm and by the time I got near GZ the light was fading. GPS was all over the place under the trees and I had failed to bring a torch so was swapping between the torch app and geocaching app on my iPhone. Total madness. After stumbling, slipping and squelching around for 10 minutes I decided I'd had enough when I grabbed a bramble to steady myself! The worse thing is after reading the logs I think I may have actually seen it! Will be back... in daylight and with reinforcements next time!

Spent quite a while up the bank and got wet feet getting to the site, but no find for me.

Solved immediately but this was my second visit as terrain and the kids desire to do other things shortened our initial search area. Clearer skies and using the Dakota over the iPhone lead me to the GZ. Quite slippy after the recent rain. TFTP

Quickly solved and reasonably quickly found. Just before the rain started, which I have to say given the terrain was a blessing. Thanks for the puzzle and the cache.

Solved very quickly when it was published.
Went and grabbed today for the August days of caching.
Had heard horror stories from DocMum about the terrain, so when I got close, I stopped, and tried another direction to make sure I didn't suffer the same fate.
Spotted the likely object and quickly found the cache.
TFTC

Two stars for terrain ??
Quickly worked out the puzzle which is very rare for me, and knew the location of the final GZ.
A nice stroll on a nice Sunday morning and then the hunt.
Glad to be in casual gear for this locale, but and eventual find once the penny dropped about what and where I could be looking.

Dropped of NZKEKO's Pacific Marble.

TNLGCSL TFTC

Good to pick up another solved puzzle today. Bit worried when rolled up and saw people in the area, but GZ turned out to be well away from them. Like others, found the terrain rather more than 2 and was pleased to have my walking pole with me. We briefly wondered if we had forgotten to update GSAK with the corrected co-ords, when StreetWalker spotted a great hiding place, and in quick order, the cache.

During our walk back to the car, a very friendly little Bengal cat waylaid us and wouldn't let us pass without a great deal of patting (from us) and purring (from her). Met the owners who live across the road. They told us that her name is Cookie and she loves getting attention from passersby. After missing out on meeting the famous Monkey who accompanies many cachers when they follow the fire tacks in Karori Cemetery's Night Terrors, it was great to meet Cookie and I hope she makes herself known to others.

Thanks for another nice wee puzzle.

#5856. Troodles solved the puzzle a wee while back and today we were in the area. Bit more bush bashing to get to GZ than I expected. Was pleased when I spotted large object which looked promising, and sure enough the cache was soon located. We enjoyed our meeting withe Cookie (+ family) on the way back to the car. TFTC.

Stormed through the puzzle a week ago, then opted to collect the final in today's weather equivalent ... Thankfully, GZ was quite sheltered as JardisLikeTardis and myself had to contend with hail, driving rain and winds that threatened to turn us into Mary Poppins' mimics at other cache locations. Keeping to our strengths, she hunted high while I hunted low - and just as I was sick of being stabbed by gorse, a cry of 'Found it' rang out.
Like previous visitors, I too felt the terrain rating was a bit lightweight. In summer, it's probably apt but in winter, the slippery surroundings are worthy of at least a 2.5 or 3 IMHO.

Another terrifying weather weekend...why not go caching with kjwx? This was a much easier solve than I had initially expected, and a harder find than I had initially expected! In the rainy, windy weather, the area leading to GZ was soggy and slippery, and the GPS signal was all over the place. Kjwx and I split up to cover more ground, and I attacked the higher terrain rating direction. After some sliding around and fruitless hunting, I spotted a likely hiding spot and some tell-tale geoprints. Nice! TFTC

To celebrate the beginning of the holidays Natsuej and I went out in the rain. Found relatively easily but got a bit wet . Cache is lovely and dry. TFTC redants see you next term #436

Found with Elkaymac
TFTC

Came here on a drive this afternoon to pick up some unfound caches, this was the last of the day. The GPSr was wandering a bit and I found the well-hidden cache after about 10 - 15 minutes searching in a spot very close to where I had started looking and had missed it. Signed log, TFTC

Stopped by to complete the formalities.

Took a route that was at least 3, 3.5 terrain, almost gave up as thought I must have put in phone incorrectly. Previous logs egged me on.

Found after some searching, definitely deserves a higher terrain rating, even by a direct route.

Nice puzzle, and final in good order.

TFTC

[D:] Enjoyed the puzzle, cunning! With the recent storm there was plenty of debris and soggy ground. I guess after an earlier storm produced the cache resting place. TFTC SL

Finding the cache was perhaps as tricky as solving the clue to find the coordinates. Had a quick look yesterday without success, then came back today. Some new geotrails had appeared, not necessarily heading in the right direction. Scrambled around for a few minutes and spotted the well-camouflaged cache. Retrieved Scouting TB. TFTC.

No problems with getting a quick solution to the puzzle however location the container was not quite so straight foward. Thankfully Mr huhgrub came up with the find in a spot that had already been searched. TFTC

When I saw this cache published, I was immediately reminded of some caching adventures I had in Dunedin last year. There is a cacher there called stegan who seems to enjoy putting out difficult to find caches.

I was able to crack this code very quickly. I wonder if there are more Redants caches to follow that have hidden messages are going to require more brain power to discover?

I expected the actual cache find to also be a straightforward exercise given the D/T ratings. I hadn't noticed the final two attributes before I headed out. GPS reception was not good and I spent about 10 - 15 minutes working out where I needed to be. Even then, the well hidden container was difficult to spot. I think the terrain rating should be at least 2.5.

Anyway, I am pleased to be the second to find. A good fun puzzle cache.

#4430. 3TF. Nice puzzle. Arrived to find a challenging area, both in terms of GPS signals and terrain (well above 1.5 star territory). Negotiated close to GZ, and soon heard voices - fozzmiester and Yeetrees appeared and joined in the search. Took a little hunting, and found in a well hidden spot that earlier examinations had missed.
- Redants Red Ant
+ Logan's 100 Years of Scouting Tag
TFTC.

Very good indeed! May be the weekend before we get there.

Nice concealment!

Will grab in the morning if time allows.

First to DNF at 20:45 as I had promised Creathnach that I'd have sammo75359 in bed by 9pm as it was a school night
Will definitely be back when daylight allows us to see better (and we don't have to wear clothes thrown hurriedly over pyjamas in order to log our first FTF!)

Tb drop

FTF, I was lucky to get a very quick solve of the puzzle, so straight out the door and logbook signed at 2010hrs. Terrain near GZ was a little tricky, and I'd recommended caution if you're in your office work clothes etc, but I managed to come away unscathed. I was initially a little worried that my torch might be spotted by overlooking houses but that didn't turn out to be an issue.

Liked the interesting puzzle, plus the very well done container and hide, many thanks Redants

Published