Super Secret WW2 Airfield (Canterbury) Hororata, South Island, New Zealand
By Kiwi Moose on 28-Aug-14. Waypoint GC5BWEQ

Great spot for a cache with an awesome historical story

Out for a drive around the area. This cache was a quick find. TFTC.

A quiet morning with some good weather was the perfect opportunity for a country drive to find a few caches. This was the first one I came to. Found in the first place I checked. Thanks for the interesting listing. Amazing to think what must have gone on around here 80 years ago. TFTC, Biggles.

We're cleaning up some strays after previous expeditions and finding newer placements. The weather is superb and we're having a ball. We stuck to the established roads rather than the GPS suggested paper road that might or might not have been able to get us at GZ. Thank you for the cache.

Continuing our caching for a second day we set off in mild temperatures and bright sunshine.
A quick find as we continued our trip around the area.
Thank you for the cache.

Out collecting a few caches out of the city, and get some more points for the Wheel of Challenges for this month.

Oh this is great... sure enough I can see what used to be the airfield on Google Earth, thanks for bringing this to my attention.

TFTC Kiwi Moose, the cache was found in good order Signed, sealed and returned to GZ. 25 find(s) of 25 today, making this find #3955

Quick find here. Thanks.

Not sure why I came this way from The Williws on my way to Ashburton.thanks for the cache

2nd cache found!

Fascinating history! I did wonder about using the road that looks more like a paper road when Google suggested I could to get to my next festination but decided discretion might be better. A nice quick find at gz. Thanks, Kiwi Moose.
#8593

Found with paddle chick on the way to go tramping. TFTC

On the way to go tramping with Sir Belac, this cache fits criteria for a challenge I'm working on, so made a slight detour. Who would have known about the airfield if it wasn't for caching. Thanks for the cache Kiwi Moose

#12837

In the area getting some caches for a challenge. All good with the cache. Thanks

Ed

Kox

This cache has been on the list for awhile to do. Took back roads to Darfield today

Thanks for the great cache!

Great day for finding caches in Canterbury. Can see why would put airstrip around here, wide open spaces

Easy find. Thanks!

A quick, albeit prickly find. Certainly no sign of the airfield these days. TFTC

We'd been out to Terrace Station for their open day (& to spend way too much on plants) and called in to Hororata for a coffee.

I'd seen this cache listing and was keen to get as close by land as I could. I'd only seen it from the air before - my flight instructor had pointed it out (& told me the history) on a cross country in 2006. The runway was still visible back then.

TFTC Kiwi Moose
Find # 3933

Out and about in Canterbury today grabbing a few caches - Many Thanks Bitsprayer

First find for a while.

Cache check, smashed container replaced. All good to go.

A quick find and Busypaws replaced the wet logbook. Interesting history.

Very interesting history, have put a pill pottle in the smashed cache to enable others to continue logging, hope CO doesn't mind. Found with Lytteltonwitch. TFTH

It's International Geocaching Day and what better way to hit on out into here to find an historical fine. didn't take long to get my hands on the rascal it was quite open and visible from this road if you know what you're looking for.
put logbook back in it's plastic bag and sealed it up hopefully it might dry out but I don't think it will the other sheets of paper were quite damp as well but that's ok the stamp worked wonders and managed to log the find. favourite Point from me because of the history thanks very much for all of that Who Knew quite a special place I guess.
Thank you for bringing me to this area Kiwi Moose and for placing and maintaining Super Secret WW2 Airfield (Canterbury) geocache from Mr Cuddly Brick
Found on this awesome day the 18 August 2018.
Cache number # 2147
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As suggested quick drive by; TFTC

Bit wet so changed papper and bag .

TFTC nice hide and great history, the log is very wet may need looking at

??

?

Was bit hard even with the hint found it in the end

Lived next door to the for 5 years!! New to geo. Needed the hint to find

Have not gone to cache yet, but noticed on GPS as driving passed today.
This airfield was originally discovered by the local young farmers club quite a long time ago. It is at the end of what used to be my father's sheep farm.

He used to watch the bombers land when he was a child. He also used to shoot hares at night along the massive runway.
I will go to this cache very soon as it's quite special to me. Wonderful idea to put a cache there.

Quick find. Very interesting bit of history. Enjoyed it. Thanks. GLB1721 TFTC (4099)

Found today with BDP82. Left a diamond. Did not know about this airfield. Very cool. Our very own Area 51. Thank you for the cache.

Found with LadyE

Out for a drive with my nonagenarian parents and my geocaching North Island sister. Dunsandel, Hororata, West Melton and back to Christchurch. One of several caches we located along the way. Drove along a rather bumpy shingle road to get to this one! Had to picture where the airfield might have been. #1531. TFTC.

Out for a circuit today - down to Dunsandel, over to Hororata and back to Christchurch through West Melton. Picked up several caches along the way and had a lovely sunny day with family members. Enjoyed this spot, although we were unsure of where the airfield was, TFTC

TFTC - close by to where my daughters lives, just driving out to visit the grandchildren.
How interesting to know there was plans for an airfield here.
quick find

07/09/2017 3:50:00 PM
8389
I have so little time left of maternity leave - only just over a week - and so many caches still to find in my 80km radius!! Turns out, caching on maternity leave isn't as easy as expected, as you have a baby that you have to take everywhere! Haha! But so I'm trying to quickly clear out some of these cache where possible. And today, I decided, yes I know the baby hates drives in the car seat, but we will manage... and there were a few tears - from both of us, but 16 caches were found!! Wahoo!!

Speedy find here - lots of people making dust on the road today!

TFTC!!

Interesting history, will check google to see how it looked like just 10 years ago. Thanks for bringing us to this spot.

A nice quick find. Tftc.

#14101. Thanks for the historical information; most interesting. TFTC.

Despite the drizzly weather, StreetWalker and I set out to find some caches today to bring our total finds for 27th May over the 20 mark.
Heading back to ChCh after a morning of caching, we decided to go past this cache. A navigational glitch had us heading down the wrong road, so SW decided to ignore the GPSr advice as it has an aversion to travelling down gravel roads, and got us to GZ. Not sure where we would have ended up if we followed the GPsr! A bit of wet foliage to wade through to GZ but once there, a quick find. Thanks for the interesting info and TFTC.

Had some time between finishing work in ashburton and needing to be home so caching I went.

Drove around in circles gettng to this GZ. Thanks for bringing me to this spot of history.

Got some cheap flights a few weeks ago so the plan was to come down for a big run in Ashburton to achieve the 120 in one day and get the gemstone. OMG! We started at the crack of dawn and finished in the dark. Foggy and cool but cleared by lunchtime. It should have been achieved much quicker. We had not really planned a route and detoured a bit. Some of this backfired as we ended up on some long gravel roads that had missing caches and was most disappointing. We got stuck for about an hour on a multi I specially wanted for qualifying for another cache which was frustrating. However, we made it - with a few to spare I believe - but are totally shattered. Too many to log individually so are doing the copy and paste. Many thanks to all who placed caches. What beautiful countryside and we love the fact we could pull over and park safely. Not keen on the many prickly pine trees so many were hidden under. The breeze only got up in the afternoon and it was a lovely warm breeze - not like Manawatu freezing winds even at this time of the year. More traffic on the roads than we expected and they fair motor along. Many thanks for the caches. It has made the whole trip worthwhile.
Wished we had not gone for this as too far on too much gravel. Not a good plan when we are trying to get to the 120 in one day. Easy find though. Miles from nowhere. Aaaarrrrggghh.

Interesting history TFTC Find number four for the day!

Great cache fantastic history of the site

Heading home from spending the day grabbing some of the smurf series caches and headed past this one on the way home. I really like places like this and caches like this, History and very interesting all rolled into one and I would have never known about this if it wasn't for this cache so thanks. I will definately be looking up the google images archives to see the remnants of this airfield. Thanks for bringing me here, this will be getting a favourite from me. tftc

Loved this one - not so much as the cache as the history. So - excellent cache

Was in the area and it would be a shame to leave 1 cache unfound so did the detour to GZ where the cache was found the second place looked. Interesting history for the area.

A very hot caching day for us today.tftc

Was in the area for a couple of nights, so while Mrs. 2wombles looked after the wee womble, I took grandma womble out on her first caching trip. Thanks for the cache.

Found it. We knew about the airfield having been to the fuel dump ages ago out of bumbling interest. Shame you can't see anything here anymore

I decided to venture out on a random drive to find some caches and get to know places. Both aims accomplished successfully in around 8.5 hours, covering a mere 180-ish k's, with plenty of interesting caches along the way. It was a good day for caching, overcast, turning to rain and showers, keeping muggles indoors. Got back home late, wet, and happy. Thanks to all the CO's for great hides that gave me hours of entertainment!
Thanks for the info, very interesting!!!

After a full on day yesterday conquering Mt Bealey and swimming across lake Pearson a leisurely drive back to Geraldine today picking up a few P and G s along the way was a good plan.

slight detour to tidy up a few caches now that's the size of container I like to see nice easy find tftc

We went down the bumpy road, the navman fault, thanks for the cache

Out on a Monday Night Mission with TG. We attempted an Alpine assult on a new puzzle but were foiled by wind and rain!!! We headed out to Rakaia for a FTF attempt and rounded up the night with some smurfs. We were rained on, saw a spectacular sunset. Drove down some 'no exit' roads to find an exit and had a great old time.

Thanks for the cache.
#4059

We read about this place ages ago but it is not in a spot that is not very easy to approach by car. Finally came from a good direction today. It is a pity you cannot really figure out where the airfield is now that all the dairying has taken over the area. History is very interesting.

It was 28 degrees outside and I had no work today. I decided to go on a country drive with the air-conditioning on full blast.
An interesting spot. A pity it is so out of the way.

GPS took us in circles took us a while. Nice spot

All quiet out here today. TFTC

Lucky theres a clue cos the phones gps kept taking us in circles. Would love to find out more about this location. TFTC.

Interesting that this historic site now has some pipeline of the new central plains water scheme being developed running through it. History in the making.

What a great spot and history as l did not know about this place. Easy find and l added some swaps to the cache. Thanks KM for bringing me here on this great day.

Great bit of history thanks for the info and the cache

Nothing to see other then cows and grass. Tftc

Watch those prickles!!!

GPS sent me down a road that the mighty Caldina would never have gone, complete with a river crossing at the end. Wahoo for the new AWD soobie. A quick find then off we went.

Found on a trip to Dunedin.

Thanks for the hide.

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Out and about at night and "in the area" ish......so detoured down a few gravel roads to this spot. Awesome piece of history - shame that it has been all but wiped out by the dairy farms.
During the night is is a lot easier to see the dairy expansion over the plains...you can see the pump lights flashing for africa....I lost count when I was travelling down these roads....

Went for a drive and found it out in the open so put it back.

Glad we went there and an interesting historical spot . Noticed the roads were abnormally wide and can now see why. Thanks for that.

Great history, that I knew nothing about. TFTC

Not much to see now but farms.. and gorse lol.. havw to check out on ge aa suggested! Cache on plain sight.. better camo'd.. dry inside

This entry was edited by alligatorsnz on Saturday, 25 October 2014 at 03:57:07 UTC.

Very cool history... Who knew! Found with twosharpe. TFTC

Love this!!! (Not so secret now though) Found with Victoriousone, a very prickly find.

Went the long way down farm track

Quick find. I knew there was an old airstrip out this way but nice to finally know where. TFTC.

Took a wee trip out to the Countryside,found quickly and yes there were two TB's in there but only one now.It looks like a grader had backed up and came very close to the Wattle Tree.
This Hint amused us,as before the Earthquakes we lived in Wattle Drive,sadly all gone now.TTB TFTH

Heavy fog today. Pleased we found this cache before the gorse started growing again. Didn't notice any travel bugs. TFTC

Fantastic! It wasn't secret enough that I didn't know it existed but secret enough that I hadn't found out exactly where it was. Went looking for it once but didn't go far enough off the beaten track. I look forward to finding this cache.

First to find at 11:37am. It was a quiet morning around the house until we had a look for new caches. There was one close to us! We quickly downloaded the coords and got into the car only to find out that there was no gas. Went to the gas station and were finally on our way. Thanks for taking us to this spot. A true area of Kiwi history. Left two TB

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