Long Spur Trig (Upper Hutt) Upper Hutt, North Island, New Zealand
By Gr33nslime on 18-Jul-14. Waypoint GC5951W

Came in from Blue Mountain Road above the mist. The dirt road was soon overgrown & looked unused — I was surprised to see cars at the house. Lost the track in the ‘glade’ and ended up having to backtrack slightly further along as the vegetation turned more solid. Went further on to claim (see) the trig then back for the cache. Followed satnav for a quick find in an unremarkable spot per hint. Lovely patch of bush and enjoyed the unmaintained track. Another June ‘streak’ day down for the souvenir challenge, but now there’s another month of them Thanks Gr33nslime!

Took the shorter route in here today for a nice scenic walk. Cache found spot on coordinates, all safe and dry. TFTC

I was keen for a good walk today and decided to start from the Freyberg Road entrance to cover some ground I don't see as often as other parts of the Reserve. The CO is no longer living locally so I checked to see how things were with the cache. Everything is fine except the low number of visitors; it's going to be another 14 years, at this rate, before the raffle can be drawn.

Kia ora / gracias

DANGER: Please note that if you approach it from Witako (Pineheaven/Silverstream) you will have to walk by a extremely dangerous dead tree. Please see photo.

Headed up from Chichester St and took about 45 min to cruise up.

Took longer than expected and further from both the trig and the track than expected so unlikely to ever be muggled! Once found the GPS settled down and pointed straight at the cache as usual.

Picked up "Technology" travel bug to move it onwards. Always a pleasant surprise to find TBs in such remote caches.

Had a great walk to the trig, heading up from Chichester Road. The track wasn't as overgrown as I thought it might be and I had no navigation problems. The cache was a quick find. I dropped off a trackable, signed the log and made my way back to the car just as it was starting to rain. Adding a favourite point as I enjoy visiting trigs and caching in this type of area. TFTC

Great adventure getting up here. Track not bad, but care required to identify correct path at some points. Trust your GPS on this one or it will be tricky to find. TFTC.

Found on a walk from Ecclesfield. We had some difficulty, gave up four times and found it just before the fifth. TFTC

Great walk. I thibk i took the long way, but it was good fun

So I wasn't too far away from this cache collecting another one. Well it didn't *look* too far but as I'd come from Chichester Road I had a whole lot of climbing to do first to get onto the ridge. That was kind of hard work as I'd burnt most of my energy on the other cache. But once up on the ridge I could pick up the pace again. Got to within 40 metres or so and I came across a "track closed" sign. What? Oh it's just one of those paranoid nothing-actually-wrong signs. Also when I got to the trig 30m away there a "track closed" sign facing the other way implying that tiny section was "closed". What the hell? Anyway, where's the cache? I followed the GPS around a bit and it led me to the prize quite quickly which suggests good coords.

On the way back it was quite hard not to break into a jog and the track has a great flow to it when moving quickly which gave me some insight into why the CO might jog here. There's a bit of an adrenaline rush when you charge into an overgrown section and hope the foliage gives way.

Thoroughly enjoyed the whole journey on a stunning still summer evening. A decent cache made for a good objective. +FP for several reasons. TFTC! A little surprised to be the first finder for a year.

What a great adventure! Great hike, lots of fun.

Embarked on a short hike today to gather this cache. I started off from the blue mountains end and I drive up the clay road without too much terrible. I drove up to the start of the walking track and hiked in from there.

Once at the cache site it was an easy find once I read the cache listing. I followed my way down the bait trail and the cache was an easy find from there. Tftc today

I was up on the hill grabbing nearby puzzle cache when my GPS told me that this was the next closest (I hope I'm not giving away too much information there!). It wasn't too far so decided to head down the track. I'm glad I was wearing fruit of the tree from further down the road! In some places the track couldn't be seen due to the ferns growing over so while my feet were saved from the mud, my jeans got quite wet. Came across the big old pine and carried on down the track, concerned that surely it should be heading uphill towards a trig?

Found the turn off and soon spotted the cache - bingo! Everything still safe and sound in there. Replaced and headed my way back to the car. TFTC

I had my eye on this cache quite a while however never got around to doing it. On the way home I decided that I was going to grab my lights and head out for it.

The slippery clay track at the start has been covered with base coarse and although a steep climb it is not at all slippery now - even in the rain. A good climb and then past the house. It seemed nobody home - no lights on and no goat to say g'day.

Following the instruction I eventually found my way to GZ within just on 20 mins, no jogging just a good walk. Within moments I had the cache in hand - all good here will a dry container and log.

Thanks for another smilie and the gentle evening stroll. I enjoyed it. To be honest it wasn't quite the challenge I had led myself to expect.

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Thanks to the Cache Owner who has gone to the trouble of creating this cache, determining the coordinates and then averaging them to make sure they are accurate, placing the cache and registering it online for our enjoyment. Without Cache Owners doing their bit, there wouldn't be a fun hobby that we all love - so again a big THANK YOU. For our bit, all we need to do is find and log the cache that was carefully placed for our personal enjoyment. As we log it we should consider that the Cache Owner also needs to maintain it - when the log sheet fills up, they must replace it. When the container becomes full of water, they need to empty it. When the container is broken, they need to repair it. When it goes missing they need to find or replace it. Well..... the great news is we can do our bit too - make sure your log doesn't take an entire page - just a name and date. If full of water, empty and dry the cache as best as possible. Be careful when handling the cache and make sure you replace it where you found it. If it has a bag, seal it. Just remember - the Cache Owner showed respect to you by placing the cache - please respect them and fellow cachers that follow you by being careful with the cache. And if you have a spare log sheet and the cache you are at needs one, please leave it behind. Finally, if the cache does need maintenance, please let the Cache Owner know - you can log a Maintenance Log or you can drop a line to the Cache Owner. Above all - have fun and remember the Geocaching Code.

Easy find. Thanks

Apart from the odd boggy spot here and there, which one would expect after the recent weather, it was quite reasonable going. The cache was a QEF in the first spot I checked. TFTC

Cache # 3,380 - Was anticipating a significant bush-bash journey after reading the cache description, but was delighted to find a clear path all the way to the cache. A bit muddy in spots, and wish I had the kids with me, as it is an easy stroll. Cache in good shape, and soon found, especially as it was uncovered. Re-covered it upon returning it, but suspect if it is another 6+ months before the next finder comes along it will be uncovered again. Signs still up by the trig saying the route beyond is closed by Dept of Corrections, so the recommended route here is the best way to get here. TNLNSL. TFTC!

Consecutive caching day # 1,249

#1997. Headed along the track past the goat house to find this one. Certainly a cryptic track. Just enough activity on it to keep following a trail that slowly but surely got closer to the cache. The find itself was straightforward thanks to the description and hint. Signed the logbook which was dry. All good here. Followed the blue line on the GPS back out on the overgrown trail and back past the friendly tethered goat and eventually to the car. Some nice mature hard beech forest on this track. Thanks for showing me another Wellington forestry trail.

This one not on the plan to complete on our hike. We entered Eccelsfield Reserve to complete the GC's in Witako Reserve, where we completed 4 and then planned to turn left and complete a further 2 heading towards Heretaunga, but in the bush, turning left is turning right, and the track we were on suddenly had us very near this one and the Trig. So completed the find and made our way to Blue Mountains road and a phone call home for a pick up and lift home. TFTC

Another great find with Just-Lookin.
Nice walk to the cache site - track tough to follow in places.
Quickly located and signed, cache in good order.
TFTC

A pleasant walk, tough to follow in places and becoming quite overgrown. Did with tmann421 while collecting some of these local caches.

Found after a short search and cache in good order. TFTC

Hadn't been on this track for something like 30 years when in a previous life we ran from Trentham Camp up to the top of Blue Mountain Road and then down the firebreak into the Cuckoo Valley storage area and then back past what was then call Witako Prison. Today was much more sedate.

A quick find today with TregearP. All in good order.

TNLNSL, TFTC.

A great bush walk after puzzle time, cache all in good order. TFTC

Bit of a challenge to get to this one! Started out from the Blue Mountains Road. Not 100% sure that the track was supposed to be public - at one point it went very close to what looked like a private residence. Hunted for a while at GZ without any luck until I read the description properly and then quickly had the cache in hand. TFTC.

Came up the track from the water tanks. Easy to navigate - just keep going up! The only thing to watch out for is the turnoff up the ridge - the main track starts descending again as it drops to the entrance at Chichester Drive.

I hadn't realized the given directions were for those arriving from the other direction. Didn't take too long to find after i sorted that out.

Find number 10 for the trip. TFTC.

Second of the day. Tftc

Ran in from Tank end of ridge. Great to 'discover' new tracks - more than planned GPS awol due to o/night rain in o/head foliage so explored plenty of side tracks. GPS placed me at (A) Trentham Racecourse (B) Isle of Man. Put phone away and used bush-sense in the end. Thanks for not hiding cache under pine-needles - no bushbashing required either. TFTC TNLN

I was nearby, so I decided to attempt this cache.
The track was pretty good and the location was nice.
The cache was easy to find with the good description and the hint.
Thanks.

Carried on to this one after finding another cache in the area. I'd never been up here before: trails pretty easy to follow, but got cut a little not being careful enough going over (through) some toetoe . Took a couple of photos, including the tethered goat, who seemed very interested to see me on the way up, but was in his/her shelter on my way back down. Was getting pretty hot in the sun by then, around midday. Cache was an easy find once at GZ using the hint and co-ordinates were good. TFTC

This was the second cache that I did with jojo&dobby, this was another cache on a track that I havent being on before and really didnt even know that this track was here.

One our way to GZ I was amazed as to the views and along the track we came across a humungous Pine tree, what a magnificent specimen and a great tree that is definitely worth a visit. After a bit more of a walk following dobby as he showed us the way towards GZ.

Finally getting to the trig and managed to over shoot GZ and then we back tracked to an obvious spot and JoJo managed to track down the cache in the first spot that she checked, oh no being out witted by a newby [:o)]. Glad to get another cache off my unfound list, another great spot for a cache, and another venture into another track that I havent being on before, thanks for placing this cache here and for bringing me to this lovely spot, TFTC TNLNSL (8555)

Out with yeetrees for a FTF got this one at the same time. Perfect now i now know how the track links up with ecclesfield reserve tracks I will be able to walk right through to Blue Mountains hill and increase my walk.
thanks to Barnabys for taking a picture of the big tree it was an amazing site to see biggest pine tree I have ever seen. worth the walk in just for this alone.
and yes Dobby was pretty keen on the goat also but lucky for him he was a good boy and came when he was called. good Dobby.

This entry was edited by jojo&dobby on Wednesday, 24 December 2014 at 05:17:22 UTC.

Started walking to cache from Chatsworth Rd. by Blue Mountains Rd. to the trail head way point S41*09.989 E175*01.517
Then up the clay driveway which looks as though it could have been a forest access road then past the house with the goat still teathered outside and onto the next two reference points arriving at cache site with no trouble. Spent some time before finally finding the cache. This was only because did not read the hint for the junction of the bait trail correctly. Signed log and replaced as found. Coordinate and hint spot on. Returned by way of the long spur bush track down through the Witako Reserve towards Tank Hill and back to Chatsworth Rd. The round trip took just under 2 hours walking time. Thanks for a very interesting walk and cache.

Nice little walk in this area of the hill. Out : TB. Quick find. TFTC. Sherlock Hood.

#5747. Nice day for a walk, despite the light drizzle at the start. Passed the house with the goat, and spotted a couple of low-hung sport cars ... wondered how it drove up here. Continued on the walk to GZ, dodging several muddy spots, but no issues. Continued onto the trig and had a look see ... obviously disused with only bush views there.
- Co(w)ra
- Team Itchy & Scratchy - 2013 Down Under pathtag
+ Half Blue Snowflake
TFTC.

Out for a run run with Greenslime, starting in Sliverstream, up the Sliverstream ridge along the side of the dump to Avro Rd, down Blue Mountains Rd for a wee bit, then nipped up into the bush along some trails that lead us past this cache, and in fact Greenslimes other cache and my Tanks for the View one further along. Nice day for it, didn't expect the sun to poke through. Another great little unknown spot. TFTC.

An enjoyable cache in an area familiar to me from past years, long before geocaching days. I found a good park about 50 metres up Blue Mountains Road from the entrance and walked up the 4WD track from there. I seem to recall coming up here in a 2WD car in the past but it was in summer so a lot drier. Definitely 4WD territory today. The track was pretty wet and boggy in places, particularly along the ridge towards the cache so I'm glad I had decent footwear. Definitely not a cache to attempt in business attire at this time of year! The cache was found very quickly with good accurate coordinates and I went on to the trig before heading back. Signed log, thanks for the cache and for bringing me to this great spot again. Definitely worth a favourite point.

[Green] YAHOO !!! First to find at 11:13 a.m. [/Green]

[Blue] I hadn't yet decided what, if any, caching adventures I was going to undertake today. I then spotted a notification of a new cache less than 2 kms from home. Further investigation revealed it was a Gr33nslime cache so I was pretty sure it was going to be of the variety I enjoy. After reading the cache description, I decided to give it a go even though it would be easier left for a finer day.

I already had some familiarity with the other entrances so I checked out the parking situation at Blue Mountains Road using Google Earth. I decided it would be best to go to the top, turn around and park on the downhill side just short of the track start (providing the space wasn't already occupied by another cacher's vehicle!)

I made my way to the start and was heartened to see no other cars there. I made my way up the track without any navigational issues although there was no way of not getting my shoes wet and muddy. It was interesting that the unmarked trail that was not on my GPSr was easier to follow than the tracks I was on yesterday (to Goat Rock and Tunnel Summit) that were. Still, it is not the easiest of caching hikes so I agree with the cautionary comments stated by the cache owner.

The cache was quickly located. It is sensibly hidden so it is easy to get to but not easy to see. The container is immaculate in terms of its sturdiness, camo and contents. I should have expected the type of notebook but I hadn't thought about it so I had to chuckle when I opened it.

Not being sure if this expedition would help me towards the Peak Performance Challenge, I took some photos anyway and made my way back to my car before the rainfall got heavier.

TVMFTC, Gr33nslime.[/blue]

Co(w)ra TB dropped off here for the FTF!

Published

Well done Brucewwnz on finding this cache only 2 h 15 minutes after it was published! Only brave souls venture out into that kind of weather. I was mucking around on the ridge on the other side of the valley, scoping out another cache placement. Stand by!