About 10 Metres Off The Main Track @ Holdsworth Tararua Forest Park, North Island, New Zealand
By skindo on 28-Jun-14. Waypoint GC57WBM

*Catching up on some loooooong overdue logs*A call was put out in our puzzling group that there was going to be a hike into Totara Flats to hunt down T-2, as it is one of the oldest caches in the North Island, therefore required for the challenge cache GC325CX Old School Challenge. The group of willing participants are myself, Itchyfeet2020, Matagouri, TwigNZ, and The Seagnoid, so we are signing logs as LIMiTS.A great time had by all, and some great caching along the way.Thanks for the cache.

T2 (GC137) is currently the second oldest extant cache in the North Island, and as such is on the list of 10 oldest NI caches required to be found in order to qualify for GC325CX Old School Challenge - North Island. This means that I've wanted to do a tramp to find T2 for yonks, and this weekend it finally happened.

A group of 5 of us set off early on Saturday, leaving one car at the end of Waiohine Gorge Campsite and then driving to Holdsworth Campsite in the other car, to make our way from there to Totara Flats Hut for 1 night and then back out via the Waiohine Gorge. Those 5 are LL113, Itchyfeet2020, Matagouri, TwigNZ and the Seagnoid, and so we have signed all logs as LIMiTS.

It's been a while since I was last up this way, and back then I was only looking for 'live' caches. But I was making sure to have a good look for all the archived ones we would pass today, including this one.

This cache reminds me of one of the first jokes I can remembered from my childhood. Namely "When is a door not a door? When it's ajar!"
So when is a cache not a cache? Seems like a 'Ship of Theseus' conundrum here.
I did debate with myself for some time before I decided to log this one as a find. My criteria was "did it achieve 2 out of 3?" The 3 being;
Location - are the co-ordinates exactly the same?
Container - same as the one the CO put out? (IE not a throwdown)
Logbook - same as the the the CO put out?

So in this case, it is the same container (it even has the CO's name on it) and it's in the same hidey hole. Certainly more clear cut than [Trigger's Broom](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56yN2zHtofM) (for those that know that reference).

Thanks for setting this up in the first place.

I remember this little side track. I used to bring kids up here as part of a Duke of Edinborough training scheme. If they were not particularly fit we walked back to Donnelly Flat via this track.
Has the cache been moved? it's about 16m from the main track and 1-2 m from the side track.

At last - I have been wanting to do this trip since... since... well, since I was in nappies, probably. I have been up Holdsworth a number of times, and down to Totara Flats once, but never out the Waiohine gorge. So armed with the intent of finding T2, one of New Zealand's oldest caches, I set of with a bunch of geocaching friends after having dropped a car off at the Waiohine road end. It was grey and overcast, perfect tramping weather apart from a little drizzle, but we only really needed the raincoats once. Everything looks all fresh and new. Shiny and clean. Nearly at the the first marker - rocky lookout. Oh, but first this cache. Hey, nice and easy - Twig had the find in no time

Log signed as Limits for LL113, Itchyfeet2020, Matagouri, TwigNZ and the Seagnoid. And yes, there were limits to our caching today. Today we decided to limit it to New Zealand!
Fourteen caches between Holdsworth road end to Totara Flats hut, and another fifteen tomorrow, between Totara Flats and the Waiohine road end.

Found during our tour

#10,879. I was heading up the Gentle Annie Track today to Powell Hut and stopped here on the way up. At GZ I saw on my GPS that I had two geocaches showing up at the same spot and even with the same name. WTF? Then realised there was new cache placed here where the old skindo cache had been hidden - repurposing the original hide name and concept. Well we found the hidden container at GZ at the same coordinates and as this one was hidden at the same spot I will claim this find.

I'm not able to maintain this cache.

After climbing the trail here I didn't realise I was so close to the top and almost wandered straight past. However, the cache was easily spotted, thanks to the clue. The contents were pretty wet and the log partially fell apart as I signed it. I didn't have a spare with me today, but if I am back this way in the near future (which is highly likely) I will try to bring one with me. TFTC Skindo

Quickly found. Thanks for the Cache

Took a few wrong turns getting to this one, certainly went more than the required distance of track.
Another classic example of finding it just before giving up!

Thanks for the cache

(# 4686). On a trip to the 'Rapa to meet Yeetrees,agcnz and cartertonic for a walk in the Mt Holdsworth area. As I hadn't been in the area before I was really keen to check the area out. We branched off the main track onto a lesser trail up to Rocky Lookout which was in very good condition. Thanks to the other guys for stopping for me to grab this one. A lovely fine day to go caching. Everything in order. TFTC

Found it this time! Not quite where the GPS was pointing but got it eventually. Great reward for the kids after a steep climb from Donnelly Flat Loop Walk below. TFTC!

Found while hiking

The second DNF in a row. Thought the cache is probably gone as it hasn't been found since January

It's tempting to follow this track to see where it goes... presumably it's the old track before the Gentle Annie route was constructed? Replacement log was dry; pet rock was still there

I made another trip over the hill today to find a few more skindo caches to meet the requirements of a Challenge Cache I was keen to claim the find on. A rather stimulating walk in the cool valley air this morning at 7:15. This one took me the longest to find. Two objects of interest @ the 10 M mark, and of course I chose the wrong one to search first. Cheers and TFTC

We decided to come to the Holdsworth area this weekend and stay at the lodge due to the bad weather, but we were in luck today it was an overcast day, but great for walking in this area. we came across a side track we have no idea where it leafs to but is a definite track being used for something. the GPS was not kind to us today so it was all up to the clue. But couldn't load it so it was all up to the name of the cache and thankfully it helped a lot. finally found the cache it was all mush so placed in a new log and in a new plastic bag log was signed and cache placed back where we found it. Thank you for the cache and the lovely walk up here.TFTC no on to the next cache hope the GPS is more helpful there.

Spotted the little off track, but the GPS was jumping around a little & we were having trouble pin pointing the exact GZ. There were a few likely area's that matched the clue, so it was just a matter of checking each, although we missed it on the first sweep.
The logs pretty tatty but still signable - sorry we weren't carrying any spares.
We left a pet rock - a gopher. Thanks for another great cache skindo

Quick find on the way out this morning after completing the loop. TFTC!

A quickish find on my way up the track, I nearly missed it though.

TFTC

Found while on school camp as parent help. Nice hide, walk to Mountain shelter (I remember when it was Mountain House and there were some local four legged and tail occupants). Container a little wet, log signable. It is the bigger one. TFTC

Am pretty certain I had the correct track and tree, but unfortunately couldn't find any cache. Only dnf for the day.

Quick and easy find, TFTC.

Log is very damp though, didn't have anything to replace it with.

Looked left, looked right. Found it eventually

tftc mmmmm nearly back to the car sadly.

#2126 Quick find with great coords. Thanks for another skindo special.

The credit goes to The Wandering Dragons for this one - I took the opportunity to try and prevent a blister developing as my boots were rubbing. TFTC.

Cache # 3,138 - This one took way longer than it should have, mainly because the tree cover caused the GPS to point at the wrong spot. So after a thorough search of "Ground Wrong", I then did a casual search of GZ, without luck. Another thorough search of GW and I was thinking of throwing the towel in. Decided to give the spot the GPS was not pointing at another go, and quickly found the cache this time. Relief flowed through me! Cache container was very damp inside, and we left a new log sheet. TNSL. Did with Infoferret on way to Powell Hut. TFTC!

Quick find. Nice spot. Tftc

Found as we made our way upward on Holdsworth, destined for Powell Hut and thence to the Holdsworth-Jumbo circuit. Might we find our way to Angle Knob and beyond I wondered as I slogged uphill.
It was a warm, cloudy and humid afternoon. I was pretty warm and humid too!
We made a straightforward find on the cache; signed the log, and then safely re-hidden, just as found.
TFTC found with team cacher Sweet P too
The Turtle strikes again!

Heading up to Powell Hut, and stopped here along the way, brilliant day, and all is good with the cache, TFTC

Found on my way down.
Unfortunately, that wasn't all I found... someone hadn't been a tidy Kiwi nearby.
TFTC

GPS was a bit dodgy under the trees, but finally circled in on GZ and cache was found.

TFTC !

Nice find - TFTC

Great cache along the weekend's tramping trail - TFTC

We don't have a pen but we found it! Nice deviation from the main path.

Should have picked this straight away, but due to approaching darkness had to look in a couple of places before coming back to where I started. TFTC

Found on the way up to Powell Hut. TFTC

Quick find on a Sunday walk to Powell. Tftc

Quick find once I had the right tree. Tftc

On a day walk from the camp ground to Mt. Holdsworth summit and back, we walked all the way to the top and then searched for the caches we hadn't found before on the way down. This was our fifth of the trip. We walked past the side track without even seeing it: I think it is more visible on the way up than the way down and we had just past a massive fallen tree that hadn't been there last year and were examining that at the time. Never knew about this track before, that's for sure. We had a few problems here, with the GPSr resolutely pointing to one large tree (where I searched), but Mrs B soon "branched" out to the other side of the track, just in case. On our combined second round of searching she found it...on the "her" side after all. TFTC

Have been down this old track a number of times over the past few years - makes a nice change. Quick find here today to fill a dot day. tftc

Nice tramp to Rocky Lookout via the Carrington Track

Out with a group of 16 Thursday trampers from the Manawatu Tramping and Skiing Club. We had climbed the lookout track, then crossed the Gentle Annie saddle and on to Carrington Ridge to Rocky Lookout. Now heading downhill on the main track. Enjoying this beautiful bush. This is an interesting little side track - wonder where it goes? No problems finding the container, thanks skindo.

I set off early today from Holdsworth to head out to Totara Flats and return again the same way - with the main purpose of my hike being to find the old 'T-2' cache. It was a very long day hiking in the Tararuas, but was a fantastic day out, with great scenery and bird life. Another quick find, TFTC!

Found with Frenchm.
Managed to find a good hour or 2 of weather!
TFTC

Found quickly, this track takes you down to the Donnelly flats loop track, just an old track we think, it is a nice alternative walk down.
Thanks

These 4 new skindo caches on the Gentle Annie track were a good enough excuse for us to head for the hills and the snow on this beautiful Sunday. This was the 3rd of 3 finds on the way up to Mountainhouse Shelter for lunch, (and then the final on the way back down after spotting it earlier but leaving it because of excess muggle traffic). Reasonably quick find with the co-ordinates being pretty much on the money even though there were several potential hides within the +/-5m accuracy of my GPS.
Even though I've walked the main track often enough, I'd never noticed this side track before and now I'm wondering where it goes. It appears to be heading for the Atiwhakatu track or maybe the East Holdsworth. Some exploration would seem to be called for!
TFTC skindo.

The weather was perfect this morning so I went for a walk up to Rocky Lookout to hunt out the four new caches on the way. This was the most difficult for me of the four caches along here - the GPSr was pointing me to a tree across the track from the correct one and by the look of the ground around it, this one had been searched fairly thoroughly by others. No luck there so tried the next closest and made a quick find. Signed log, TFTC

Found on a tramping trip from Holdsworth to Walls Whare with four St Orans doing a Duke of Edinburgh Bronze expedition. Very low temperatures around - 5C but the rain held off. TFTC

tftc

on now disussed track down to Donnleys flat. tftc

3TF. I saw these four new caches published Sunday night, but was unable to come this way until today. I really enjoyed walking this track, as far as Rocky Lookout. Thanks Skindo for the caches.

This entry was edited by Popmac on Sunday, 06 July 2014 at 09:03:00 UTC.

Third cache and another joint FTF with Yeetrees for the night - yippee . The GPS beeped and pointed off to the side of the main track so down we headed. Initially we had the wrong side of the track but after a quick search without any results we switched sides and soon located the cache. Another clean log. We made our marks, returned the cache and carried on up the track.
Thanks Skindo for placing this series of caches [^] and for the opportunity to pop over the hill for a few FTF's.

Published