The 2nd Challenge (Canterbury) Craigieburn Forest Park, South Island, New Zealand
By grantn4 on 07-Jan-13. Waypoint GC442FN

Found after a nice hike up the Helicopter Hill from the Lodge Track. Cache was a quick find and in great shape. First NZ find. Thanks for sharing!

A beautiful winter's day was forecast, so we decided to finally tackle this hill. The track was actually busy, but no one was hanging around at the top due to the cold wind.The cache was a quick find. TFTC

1,215. Thought this was going to be harder to find and glad it wasnt. TFTC

Great weather today. As I was making my way to the cache I spotted a small wilding pine which I removed. After I found the cache I had a look around and found a few more pines and they were soon out of the ground. TFTC
From DOC website. Wilding conifers are invasive weeds that threaten to permanently alter the unique landscapes that are only found in New Zealand.

Quick easy find. Hebe looks dead..

What a beautiful spot for a cache! Unfortunately I hadn't planned on coming up to the top so didn't have a pen, unable to sign! TFTC

Quick hike and a great find! Forgot my pen

Decided on a walk up Helicopter hill and grab the caches on the way. We had some great views from up here but was quite windy so no very pleasant for a break. Found the cache easily but unfortunately the hebe is dead a by product of the wildering pine spray we assumed. Thanks for the cache.

I have been warned that trying to fit this hike in after work on a weekday may be a bit challenging, but I was all up to it with the still long days. Lovely walk up, and absolutely no one around. I enjoyed some solitude at the top before heading back down. I did consider staying until sunset, but I made the sensible decision not to and get home at a slightly more reasonable time. TFTC!!

FITW Kochurani
A beautiful walk up the Helicopter hill.GPS was jumping all around. Once it settled, had no trouble in finding the cache. Cache is all good here. TFTC.

Easy find after the climb up!
Came the long way around a loop walk from the carpark. Clear views although a bit breezy . Thanks

Came here few times before but only this time I remembered to have a look if there are any caches here. So pleased there was.
I have signed for Dloach85 as requested.
Update required on a hint as the hebe is now a dead hebe.
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Our highest find so far. Forgot our pen so if the next up could sign it DKLP 19/01/20 I would appreciate it

Fortunately I had a pen. The cache had dried out when I got it today. Fantastic vies from the top. TFTC

The place is nice, but the cache is not in good condition. Need maintenance. Anyway I did not have a pen.

Beautiful view. Tftc

Sorry for very late log

12:25
FITW GreenMenace
Found on a dog walk.
I'm assuming that the hill has gotten it's name thanks to the fact that there is a good place where to land a helicopter on the summit?
Went on a hike up to mark the beginning of summer. The weather was quite cloudy and very humid. Luckily, it wasn't too cloudy and we could still see the views from the top. Been on some other hikes before where instead of the breathtaking scenery you are only staring at the impenetrable white fog wall.

Cache was fairly easy to find indeed. For some reason there is a hole on top of the lid, unfortunately, I didn't have a jar to replace it. Logbook is still semi-decent though.

TFTC!
#6323

I had to walk to the top for work, so had to get the cache. Great view. Thanks for the cache.

On a bit of a weather dependent mission in the area but first a few extras while the sun is still shining and hot nice quick find great views tftc

My second run/walk for the day. I am exhausted. Was hard to make it to the top. Now to head back down. Wonderful views however. Tftc

TFTC! Great views up here!

Wonderful walk absoutly amazing views - but we'd TFTC

Came out to the Mistletoe track for a FTF attempt on another cache. Overcast and clagged in. Having found the puzzle cache...I saw that it wasn't tooooo much further (well; in a straight line!) to this cache...bit of up involved though!! Well; I was here....and half way; when else would I have the opportunity??! So I continued up...and up...and up...into the clouds and the top of Helicopter Hill. DOC sign way down the bottom somewhere said it'd take 1.5Hr to reach the top but I managed to get there in 45min. Bit hot now though! No views from the top with my head in the clouds. Way cool though - and a funky flat top! Much easier heading back down! Sweet spot. Cheers.

Quick run up the track and a great view at the top. Log was full so I added a sheet of waterproof paper. Thanks to all cache owners for taking the time to place and maintain your caches. BJ25.

Took 45min up and about 45 biking down to the bottom of the track near flock hill TFTC little wind and clear skies

Introduced some newbies to the game! They are quite fascinated!! TFTC:-)

Great view from the top thanks

Quick find.

True, its a easy find. Climbed the hill on our mountainbike tour. Impressiv scenery. Thanks

We decided to head out for a walk but needed something not too long in case the rain came. We had some light rain but it was clear enough to see the stunning view from the top. The heavier rain came just as we got back to the truck. Perfect. Amazing bird life along the track. Very serene. Took breast cancer TB. TFTC

Great view, sadly this is not the best year for snow but nice walk.
The cache is a bit soggy, but TFTC.

Blommin magic day. Wandered up with the family in tow aged 6months to 'thirtyeleven'. A search of all the requiste shrubs soon showed the cache, discovered by 6 year old twin A. Tftc, great walkabout.

No luck despite spending some time looking. On mtb ride in Craigeburn Valley. Great diversion

This my 136th Cache and my last of 91 Caches in New Zealand! It was an amazing and vvery Steep climb to get it but, of course, totally worth it! At the peak is an amazing Panorama, however, clouds covered the Peaks, surronding this Hill.
I will use this log to say thank you to all the people who hide Caches on such Beautifull places like this! You have an amazing country and in my opinion, Cache is one of the best options to explore it!
So cheers and see you when i come back in a couple of years maybe

I havn't been up here for quite a few years so the cache was great encouragement to do it again. Some rather energetic folk pushed, dragged or carried their MtBs all the way to the top and arrived soom after wee did. we out waited them and the cache was an easy find. There is a hole in the lid so we re hid it top down.

This will go toward my attempt on the Ramblers reward cache http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LUID=ebffaf1c-54b5-4114-ad6d-4f321e8e45ed

Cheers and thanks for a really cool cache.
S.t.

This entry was edited by Sandfly tucker on Saturday, 06 April 2013 at 08:07:40 UTC.

Don't you hate it when someone beats you to the punch? I had selected this location as one where I was going to place a cache when next in the area. I guess it a case of "Snooze You Lose". But even so I am a winner, for I get now to use this cache as one of the qualifiers for Moneydork's "Get Your Boots On Challenge Cache". Walked up Mistletoe Track from the Day Shelter. I found DOC's times to be right on the money. I will admit that the Mistletoe Track is in fine shape these days - much better than when I MTBed down it about 10 years ago. Very hot here today, but quite pleasant when in the shade of the beech trees. Thanks for the cache grantn4. PS. I left some silica gel.

What an amazing view. Bit of a grunt to the top but well worth it. Cache was empty apart from log so we left a swap for the next to find. Thanks for enticing us up here.

Great afternoon for a walk up Helicopter Hill. Perfect weather for this and great views all about. Came across a mountain runner who got a bit mixed up as to which tack was what and she was off back to the bottom to start again.The stream at the start was welcome to wash my face in afterwards.

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