Dubbo, No Trubbo (Coromandel) Kaimai-Mamaku Forest Park, North Island, New Zealand
By GreenBLAT on 02-Feb-15. Waypoint GC5M7H2

A contingent of 80 from the Auckland University Tramping Club headed down to Dickeys Flat this weekend for our annual summer orientation. This year I was co-running the trip so it was a relief to finally get here and out on the trails after all the planning and organization that went into it beforehand

We split up for the hiking so only 13 of us took this way, which meant 12 people watching me while I looked for the cache. I had to search a few places before finding it but it didn't take so long. Didn't realise it had been so lonely!

Placed it back and kept walking.

Thanks for the cache!

(#1893)

**#14,408**
I had a couple of hours to kill before dinner time so decided a loop in the trails in Karangahake reserve was called for.
Yep no Trubbo at all, chose the correct specimen for the hide but went right around it before spotting the hide behind the veil of spider webs....

Found on tramping trip staying overnight at Dickies Flat. Decided to head back via dubbo96. Perfect place to rest, although we shot past it initially. Quick read of logs and had it in hand, although use of sticks involved thanks to intimidating cobwebs . Tftc.

GPS had us going around in circles. #3 today where persistence has paid off. Tftc

Great wee hiddey spot

Eeek. Web infested.

Found it thanks

Quickly found and signed.

What an impressive tree nearby! How cool to place this here!

Found as a part of a previous group TanjackMüley, aka WanderingSparrow. Now I'm continuing on my own. TFTC

We looked at this tree as we walked towards the cache but GPS took me a good 20m away and didn't jump often so I searched the wrong place for a few minutes until I heard "found it" from a far. Glad we cache as a couple think I'd be on way less than half my finds alone. Tftc.

After a bit of a climb up the track we were pleased to have a break and search for this cache. The local spiders had added some extra webby camo but we didn't take long to spot it.
This is a great track but we imagine it would be a bit of a challenge in wet conditions so are pleased we picked a fine day after a week of fine weather.
TFTC.

Starting our new year with a family trek.
Very wet inside container. Tried to dry it out.
Log book was still easy to sign though.
Tftc

Picked up the kids from their grandparents and decided on a walk through the Karangahake gorge. Starting to get tired and aware of the impending lack to day light we probably didn't give this one a decent go but none the less we did look so feel it needs a log, especially for my record. We have heaps more to do in the area so will be back some other time.

Many thanks!

Actually went past this one and had to backtrack slightly to find it. Heading down.
Thanks for the cache!

Needed to put in some time on the track before heading south to do the Old Ghost Road. Too hot to go to the summit so this made a good loop with plenty of caches along the way. TFTC

Today's program is the Karangahake gorge including all the mining history along the way. It is interesting to see how fast nature takes over when the influence of men is gone. So many buildings are gone and overgrown and all that in a relatively short time.
The trail presents a lot of different types of trail and we started the easy way along the river Whaitawheta with a good path, tunnels and of course geocaches.
The Dubbo track appeared to be much more of a challenge, especially because climbing is not my strongest point. But the totally different track provided us with a new experience and the track is beautifull (and very slippery).
The path for the last part back was less interesting but gave us some extra caches to find.
All together it was a nice experiance and we enjoyed this a lot. There where no other people about after we left to the river track and all the others went back to the carpark along the other side of the river.
We missed the possibility of scenic views over the river, but you cannot have it all.
Team Mavos - Albert and Maria

On arrival I knew where I had to look and made the find quickly. Open cache and log book was wet. And slimey. Ewwww Couldn't be signed so it's photo log instead. Tftc

Found eventually. Log soaked, so unable to sign it. Last one for the day for us, as the light is fading & it's a long walk back to the car.

gps would not cooperate here

Took a wee while checking all likely spots until bingo...TFTC. Log very wet

Went for a walk along the Dubbo 96 track this afternoon for the exercise and to collect a couple of caches. I was with my daughter-in-law and had her toddler in the backpack so the walk was long enough to here for all of us! We're keen to come back again and go up to the summit but maybe without the infant!! TFTC

If every a hiding spot cried out "cache!" this is it. Nice easy find in a great location. TFTC.

Little did I know when we set off to get this cache that we would have to climb 200 meters, loose significant altitude and then climb another 200 meters!!! Ignorance is bliss. It was a great walk and didn't take too long. We had walked up the other side of Karangahake before Christmas and come down and round and nearly took this track back, but didn't so we had to find this one today. Thanks for the excuse to get out into the great outdoors Greenblat, and thanks for the cache.

The GPS gave the beep right on the spot ...it was a quick find which was appreciated after a nice energetic walk...this was the end of the trail for me today as I had collected the other caches previously ...thanks Greenblat for another wonderful placement and all round great cache

It finally occurred to me that I could look for caches on my circuit walk from Dicky's Flat along the pipeline then back along Dubbo 96. Boo hoo missed all the other ones so I'll just have to do it all again. Great walk but the signage was a bit misleading on the return leg. Thankfully an easy cache as time was running out for my pick up. TFTC Greenblat. Not many of us ordinary cachers finding this one I notice.

Once ApacheD and I had set up camp we proceeded to do the loop track and find all the caches on the way. A nice quick find here by Apache. Nearly back at camp for dinner.
Tftc

CZECH
odloveno cestou ke Karangahake Grove
čekal jsem na signál, ten z nebe nepřicházel, tak jsem čekal dál... musel jsem místo odhadnout podle mapy a po přečtení listingu se podařilo, v krabičce je voda

----------
**TFTC** [^]

Today, on a beautiful spring day, we have made a very pleasant 18 km walk, mainly along three trails in the Kaimai-Mamaku Forest Park: (part of) the **Not the HRT walkway**, the **Waitawheta pipeline track** and the **Dubbo 96 track**. Especially the last track was quite a challenging hike and took more time than expected, but overall it was great caching fun and basically the reason that we decided to go caching in this area.

Several caches were not found, in the beginning because they were too well hidden and at the end also because we were running a bit out of time and had to limit the searching time. Two caches were intentionally skipped. In total we have found 14 caches.

Our big thanks to the COs for bringing us to all the interesting places.

*French*
Fini les quelques gouttes de pluie [^] on continue la rando et pas de soucis pour dénicher la cache.

Greenblat, thanks for the geocache
Frank et Muriel
10038
Belgique
Log with GSAK

GPS had us bouncing around a little bit here but found after a couple of minutes. Dropping down the Dubbo back to Dickey Flat after completing the Karangahake Reserve loop. TFTC.

quick morning walk up around the Dubbo track.

15:40
Another one found during a long 40 km walk around the Karangahake Gorge.
TFTC

after two not founds we were glad to have a find this time
thanx for hiding

We were spending a lazy long weekend with friends in Whanga but then, late last night, the rest of the family got the offer of an early morning west coast diving & fishing trip: I'd hardly even blinked & they were gone! I opted to stay behind and meander home today, especially as I was keen to go for another walk in the gorge on my way past. I'd hoped to get up to the summit again but, with heavy early morning rain & low cloud, decided to play safe and stay low. Set off from the gorge carpark to Dickey's flat & now returning via the Dubbo & level 7 tracks in the hope that it'll clear sometime soon & that I can still get up to the summit. Not a soul around so far - guess they're all hoping the forecast of the rain clearing later is correct - and there's already a healthy dose of mud to play in.

Was really glad of a mega-quick find here - the rain is getting heavier & I'm keen to get to the top of the track & outta here. Cache all good, signed & replaced & off to the next. Really glad I opted to walk up along here today - it is such a lovely location, despite the weather and the mud. Thanks for the placement.

Good spot for a breather before the last piece of uphill.
TFTC

A good leg stretcher from Karangahake car park, via the pipeline and Dubbo tracks and back down the mountain. Found 8 caches on the way.Good to have a quick find after all the hard work getting here.
Thank you David.

Met up with a keen 7yr old lad tramping with his Granny, so we introduced him to the joys of finding the way with a GPS and geocaching. Luck would have it that the next cache was going to be off track and up a steepish ridge, so we diplomatically went past and on to this one - No Trubbo, it said...
Great excitement for him counting down the metres and then looking for the cache.
Great excitement for us keeping track of the lad, but aint it great when a good plan comes together.
Granny was almost more excited than the lad, just as well we carry plenty of hand wipes.
Cache replaced as found, all good. TFTC

Today with the start of daylight savings it would have been wrong to not make the most of the extra hours light and the chance to be up the hill all on my own. Today I managed to collect 26 caches and cover 18kms in this part of the gorge. What a magical place up in the upper reaches especillay where there is a distinct lack of others about.
Having taken the wrong track from where I had parked the car (which put me about 40min behind my self imposed schedule) I stopped here as it was my first cache of the day and I was hoping not to have to come back along here.

After having been up to the summit and struck by a spot of madness this was my sixth cache along this upper level track. A nice and simple walk here and am certainly enjoying the more level track that what I had faced earlier in the morning. The track was a lot drier than I had expected it to be. I wish that I had known about this track for longer as I have't seen any other person yet and its been magical for that reason alone
This was my twelvthth cache for the day.

Thanks for the placement and the trek through the hills into areas that I hadn't been before.

The last one for today after a tramp through the regenerating bush. I only heard a couple of tuis and a very few fantails otherwise the silence was deafening. One day, I hope, this bush will be full of the sound of birds. TFTC

Todays Road Trip for us and Squirrel Nutcase was to attempt the Waiawheta Loop Track. Left home about 7am and finally got home about 8pm with mission accomplished plus a few extra caches in between.

11.20am - Great climb up on track. Track in good condition even after all the rain of late. Overgrowth not hampering our finds today. SLTFTC

A very long day of walking ahead... With Gap (of Fap and Gap). We've been wanting to clear out the concentration of caches in the Dickey's Flat/ Karangahake/ Waitawheta areas for a while now.

Down... Down... Down... Taking care not to slip. I lost sight of Gap and had to call out. He'd crossed the stream ahead. Across the other side and... Up... Up... Up... Taking care not to slide. Someone has ridden a trailbike in here and muddied up the track. We arrived at the hint and searched its feet. A quick find. TFTC.

Arrived here at 6.45am and it was very cold still a nice walk to warm by doing the loop track tftc Even going up hill it was too cold to take the swandri off

It was time for me to do the big loop walk starting from the main Karangahake carpark, up the Crown Hill track to the Dubbo and then back down, with a few ups and downs on the way.

Oh no, more ups ahead. My poor legs.

Cheers for the cache.

This was almost a moment that we were starting to regret to take this Dubbo track back. Pfff it was up and down and then down and up and again up. pfff Track was very muddy. I would be very curious how it will be in real rainy wintertime. Happy to have done it, more happy when we reached the more straight track back.
Left Kiwi TB

This entry was edited by MarMis on Saturday, 04 April 2015 at 10:24:23 UTC.

Stayed the night in Hamilton to be able to make it nice and early out Karangahake Gorge to hike the trails and explore some of those tunnels.
It was an awesome day out for a good hike and at the end of the day I walked around 28km .
No Trubbo on this one... TFTC

Every day we are traveling around is same but also different. Today we had again the pleasure to visit some very beautiful spots and were also able to find nearly placed geocaches. I thank every single owner for placing it and giving us with doing this an other good reason to come here.

Mallorcatommy and I were travelling through the northern island of New Zealand. What an amazing, breath-taking landscape! On our way we did some nice walks, enjoyed ourselves and found great geocaches. Thanks to all owners for nice hiding spots... We wouldn't have been to a few places without these little boxes!


Thank you!

Great day for a walk and started from Dickeys Flat - arrived in the car park to find quite a few campers there - neat spot for a camp and I was sad I missed the event. TFTC

Easy find. Love this walk!! Thanks.

Tftc. A nice easy find.

692 Double trouble nearly. 2 muggles doing the loop arrive just as I set off after replacing cache.

Found after gps settled

easyfind -

Nice one

Found (FTF) with the rest of the clockwise event mob! I think I'd lost my stick insect friend, Woody, but this point

Thanks!

We headed off in good company with the clockwise team of cachers all armed with a list of new and unfound caches. In some instances it required everyones eyes to search before the cache was located but most were quickly located. Our group was a mix of some regular attendees of the campout and some new faces so lots of stories were shared along the way. With Alan pushing us all along from the rear we finally found the most perfect spot for our brief lunch break albeit that this was not where he had planned for us to stop and he did take a bit of persuading that this was where we really wanted to stop!
Thanks to Alan and Leon for placing all the new caches and for organising yet another fabulous walk. TFTC.

Group find with the Anti-Clockwise group from the BBQ campout event. TFTC

The penultimate find for the anti-clockwise group from the Waitangi weekend event. Not far to go now.

Found with the anti clockwise group.
Great day for a walk with good bunch of people.
TFTC

Group FTF with anti-clockwise group during the Waitangi BBQ weekend. Thanks Greenblat & KiwiLeon for placing these new caches

Not too difficult a climb so far.
Great group of fellow trampers and a quick find. Tftc.

Another quick find on our group walk ! Thanks ,...

Logged as part of the "Clockwise Team 17" during the weekends event nearby tftf awesome group thanks

Group FTF with the group of cachers walking along the track in the anti-clockwise direction on the hike organised by Greenblat and KiwiLeon for the Dickey's Flat Camp-out Event. Soon spotted the likely hiding spot and the cache was quickly in hand. We signed the log and started the walk back to the campsite. Thanks for the hide!

Group find as part of an event organised by Greenblat and KiwiLeon. This is our second to last find as a group as we head along the Dubbo track back towards Dickey Flat. TFTC

Found this one with everyone in the clockwise group. Thanks Greenblat and KiwiLeon for placing these new caches for us all to find. TFTC!

Carried on our merry way to get to this cache. Nice easy going pace, and a quick find at GZ. Loitered around so that a keen runner could sprint past ahead of us and then continued on at a more leisurely speed. TFTC

Logged as part of the "Clockwise Team 17" during the weekends event nearby. A nice steady climb to get this one but some very fit looking lady sprinted past us all just as we made the find. TFTC

Was part of the Anti-clockwise group taking on the newly published caches, plus a few others along the pipeline and level No. 7 tracks. We signed the logs as ACW everyone, which made signing the log much quicker. A great day was had and the swim in the stream and the end walk was very much a great way to top of the day. Thanks GreenBlat and KiwiLeon for organising the walk.

Had never been on this track before. Nice that most of it was in the shade on such a warm day. Found with the clockwise group.
Many thanks

FTF as we were the Clockwise group! did anyone find the decoy? another hill, this way meant we got the climbs out of the way at the beginning, but we are still climbing and the downhill seems so far away. The dog is coping with journey so far, a bundle of energy!

Found with the Anticlockwise group whilst dodging trail runners everywhere. Mad buggers. Group (FTF) on a nice day out. Almost back at camp now, can hear the cool stream water calling my name.

Found as part of the great Waitangi Weekend Campout Clockwise group. 'Twas truly a good place for a rest after the first upward leg of our tramp. Despite premonitions of death by exercise I was still enjoying the NZ bush.

Published