NZ Native Trees #11 - Ponga (Upper Hutt) Upper Hutt, North Island, New Zealand
By BarnabysTravels on 27-Jul-15. Waypoint GC608W5

Yay found this! Both old and new containers were there, very wet unwriteable log in the new one.

Found it, completely saturated though.

Done mum lost her drink bottle

Love ponga! Thanks for all the info- great place for a breather (just wish it was a little further back!)
Many thanks

Came out for some hill work… why?! Rode out on harnessed lightning, which also meant I could surreptitiously travel along the forest road to the carpark. Quick find. As others have said, there’s 2 containers now and the log is moist. TFTC BarnabysTravels!

Found this on a walk around the Kaitoke road end. There were two containers at the site and the log is saturated such that I didn't try to write anything. Magnificent bush, a sunny day, a magic place to visit. TFTC

Quite steep!

I was glad for the spoiler picture here since there were otherwise a few other candidates to check, TFTC

We decided to have a few days in Wellywood. Largely to start knocking off some of the ACoIaF series, but also to enjoy a bit of a break and go camping .
I would have liked a bit more time and daylight to continue on along this track, but settled for this one and then turned around.
It took a short search before finding the right spot, where I found two containers - one on top of the other and two wet log. I managed to write my name on one (sorry I didn't have any replacements).
Thanks for putting this here for me to find

Had a short look for this one on my way up the track but I and/or the phone GPS was just warming up and I wanted to get on with my walk so decided to hunt for this one on the way back down. While walking I decided to see if my GPSr had this set of ridge track caches loaded onto it and it did (from last year when I walked the other half of the track) so I decided to use that instead of my phone for a change. It worked a treat and led me right to the cache on the way back down - well actually it led me to two caches in the same spot, the red m&m container (unearthed by skaga earlier on this year) and the snap-lock container. The log sheet is very wet despite being in a pill container inside the m&m container. I didn't read the description properly while at GZ so I didn't know which cache was supposed to be the current one and I returned everything as found (in the original m&m container). CO might want to consider which one is more waterproof and remove one of the caches at some point? But the log was still able to be signed, so all good And a lovely walk, thanks! TFTC

OK L2D is here and we can get out and about again. I walked up from the carpark on a rather dank spring morning. Not that that bothered me much, it was great to be able to enjoy the freshness of the bush. I found this one on my way back down the track. A nice quick find using the information provided. Cheers and TFTC

In Petone for a ten pin bowling tournament, lovely day for an afternoon drive up to Rivendell for a adventure lab and some caches in this area. A good walk up to this one. Thanks BarnabysTravels for the cache.

Early morning walk to sneak in a couple more caches before the crew even woke up. GPS was being a butt when we were up here on the 6th but I was determined to track this one down. Ended up finding the original red M&Ms container as well as the replacement cache. 2 for 1! TFTC! Feels good to fill in a gap with a smiley.

I did the west (Te Marua) half of the ridge track a couple of years ago - but I turned around before getting to the Pakuratahi (Forks) side. Today I completed the remaining six caches. There was a gale-force northerly blowing - it sounded scary but it was reasonably calm down at ground level.

Found after a few minutes searching. I didn't have the photos referred to in the hint but it was just a matter of checking each one. I think I now have just six to go in this great and informative series! TFTC.

cGeo totally failed to load the hint again. Then I read only the beginning and end of the description so we were looking for quite some time before the wife found the cache. It makes a lot more sense when you read the info

Well we didn't ride the bikes up here Out and about today in the area
This is a great park and we love riding the Mt bike around here

another quick find where we venture out into this park.
Thanks for the placement and the smiley.

My first find for the year! Found on an enjoyable walk with a muggle friend - tftc and a quick find.

When I saw the name of this I thought uh-oh.. Usually there's a lot of these things about. I found the photo very helpful and GPS wasn't being as slow as usual so it was an easy log and a good place for a quick sit and a drink. Thanks for another one, I was just explaining to a guest yesterday which one was the silver fern - glad I had it right!

Find #3168. Had to make the most of the fine Saturday and headed to Kaitoke to do the Ridge Line walk, not having done it for some time. Started out fine and breezy, ended 5h 30m later fine and windy!
Had to check a few neighbouring pongas first before stumbling onto the right one - no photo available on a gps. The cache had tumbled away from it's hiding spot and had some water inside but the log was dry. SL TFTC

Tftc!

My first one in NZ!!!
Landed in Wellington yesterday and did a short trip to the Rivendell park. Weather was OK. A bit wet from the last days rains. Found cache easily with spot on coords.
TFTC

The ridge track has been on my radar for a long time, and the opportunity finally came today. Teamed up with allepousse and Borrowers_Again to complete the walk. Really enjoyed the beech forest and makuka stands along the ridge.
TFTC BarnabysTravels

Took a few minutes, but got there I the end

Exploring the area and hoping to see some fish in the river. We took the ridge track in for some exercise first. Found this on the way. TFTC

Sveppi and I are visiting the Kaitoke park for the first time, having moved to Porirua back in August. We are experienced trampers and seem to always be looking for a challenge, so today we went up the ridge track, down the river escape route, trying to get to the river for a fish and hoping to walk back to the car via the river. Unfortunately a combination of algal bloom and our mis-estimate of the amounts of water in the gorge meant we had to turn back via the track.
Anyways, cache 1 for the day, GPS not very settled so had to check a few hint items before finding the nice new container. Looks good, hope that brand turns out to be a reliably watertight cache option!

Decided I had a few hours to do some caching so headed over to the Ridge Track. Parked at te wrong co-ords so added another 500m to the walk. Passed some trampers on the way up who told me it was only another 20 minutes to the lookout (which I didn't find) and was well longer than 20 mins to the top. What a slog up the hill. But once at the top was great views, lovely forest apart from the occasional mud puddle (from the rescue the previous night). Struggled to find the cache as the description assumes you are coming from the lake toward Kaitoke and not from Kaitoke. After that was an easy find. Thanks for the cache and walk

A pristine new container and log sheet all in great shape These certainly are elegant examples of ponga TFTC

Cache was missing so have replaced with a new one, same place as before.

Like "Zeglis" before us, found what was definitely the right tree but no cache. Even looked all around the huge tree next door but to no avail. I suspect the more recent "MikyH2" log may be a case of "couch caching" - I don't recall seeing this user in the logs of the other caches along the trail but it could just be my terrible attention to detail. No doubt when the CO next checks his caches along this trail it will be obvious whether or not this is the case.

Tftc

Located exact tree based on owner hint and photos. Dug through brush and mud etc no sign of it at that location. :/

A quick find on the track from Te Marua to Kaitoke with Yeetrees. A lovely day for a walk in the park. All in order. TFTC


Did you know that planning has started for a Major Event in Wellington in 2018? Check out the details on the WENZ Website or visit the event's page on Facebook and don’t forget to log your attendance on the WENZ Event Page.

A quick find signed log and replaced as found while on a afternoon walk over the interesting ridge track walkway. T.F.T.C

1st find today TFTC Sherlock Hood and Squirrel

Cache # 3,620 - went for a walk in Kaitoke with Pufura and got lucky to avoid the rain for our hour there, although it rained both driving to the park and back again. Cache was a quick find behind one of the many hint objects in the area, and a good stretch of the legs to get up here. TNLNSL. TFTC!

Consecutive caching day # 1,379

Found whilst running the track. TFTC.

TFTC. Group find.

TararuaGirl organised a day walk along Kaitoke Ridge to introduce geocaching to members of her tramping club. We started off with a relatively easy one (Lost Treasure of Rivendell), which I had already found so I was able to provide guidance for the trip. This one was found by one of the newbies of the group after a long climb, where there was a lot of excitement. TFTC

Found with ten other members of Tararua Tramping Club on a 'learn about geocaching' tramp. Traversed the ridge track, picked up nine caches, and enthused some new cachers. Lucky to have the expertise of Bruzie on the day and TheFerrett as co-leader of the trip. TFTC

TFTC. Tararua Tramping Club group find. What fun!

Beautiful area. Tftc

Tuftc. Cheers D

nice hide tftc

After performing admirably at three previous cache locations, my GPSr was surprisingly indecisive here. So, like trancer96, I had to check a few places before seeing red.

Deceptively close to Rivendell but requires quite a climb to get here. At GZ there were Ponga everywhere so checked out several before finding the cache. Not leaving here with a DNF after that climb.

Found with Wafflekitties TFTC

Found with Wafflekitties TFTC

We searched around for a good 5 mins or so before realising the what the cache name was! Quick find after that. TFTC

TFTC The climb was a struggle for me I did enjoy the bush and I am now pondering walking the track all the way.

It's been a few years since I came up this track so decided it would be a good one to stretch my legs and get the heart pumping. I made this cache a little harder than it should have been but soon had a find. TFTC!

in the area for the entire weekend as camp supervision for a Scout Patrol camp, so took the time for a quick blat up the hill to find this cache. Know the route fairly well, and knew how much huffing & puffing was required (note the similar theme from previous finders). good fun, and cache was quickly to hand once approximate GZ reached. The little window-view is a delight!

Then it was time to return to camp, have lunch, and keep an eye on the kids swimming(!!) Way too cold at this time of year for me to go in the water.

TFTC!

All good here, TFTC

After a fair amount of huffing and puffing (amd a considerable amount of sweat) I reached gz. a wee search around a few of the wrong C. delabata specimens I spotted a smiley face
now do I continue up or chicken out and find a beer?

Made our way here after a visit to the event cache down below.
I know this ridge and engaged in the required huffing and puffing to get me to where I needed to be.
Proved to be a straightforward find once at GZ.The territory and flora was kind of obvious - thankfully.
All in order; log signed, then safely re-hidden, just as found.
TFTC
The Turtle strikes again

Last o e now off we go to the bottom hit my 10000 steps a when back so am in overdrive now

Came for a walk late this afternoon, just managed to miss the rain. 25 minutes from the car to the cache and back again, and a quick find at the third specimen checked. Third to find after the FTF team, and GSEL who signed the log earlier in the day. An enjoyable walk along a track I'm pretty familiar with. Quite a decent grove of these ferns here. Signed log, thanks for the enjoyable cache!

#1164. FWF. I wandered up here in the late morning after a pleasant stroll along the track from the south. Nice change in forest types between podocarps and beech. Got to the GZ just ahead of three people who I thought might be fellow cachers. They stopped and paused at the same spot while I was trying to remain inconspicuous. I waited to see if they would start looking as well but no must have been a tramping party as they soon headed off. Must have wondered what on earth I was up to when I emerged on the track behind them!! I ended up checking quite a few pongas as the search pattern was disrupted by the visitors and eventually came back and found it at the place I was originally heading to when I ducked for cover off the track. Signed log (second team to arrive). There was blue thermal "thingie" on the track by this cache. Suspect its a type of hat/balaclava as had grey hairs on the inside. Anyone in the FTF team or the CO lost something like this. If so its sitting in the back of my car at present. TFTC

Joint FTF with Yeetrees and huhugrub.

I was at the Meet and Greet Wellington - II c ache last night when Yeetrees said to me as I was leaving "Do you want to go for a walk tonight?". The plan was to meet in Upper Hutt at 11pm and go walkabout to find this cache at midnight - first find in a new month.

I was up for it, however once I had arrived home the plan had changed to an early morning start.

Huhugrub and Yeetrees picked me up on the way to Kaitoke. Wondering whether CalligulaNZ would have had the same idea we were on the lookout for cars by the gate - surely it wouldn't be open yet....

We got to the gate, two vehicles in vicinity - we didn't know if these were cachers or not. The gate was open however, so we got to drive a little closer.

Found an empty log at the cache. We logged as a joint effort soon after 7am.

Thanks for another BarnabysTravel. And thanks for the company this morning huhugrub and yeetrees.

#6890. Joint-{FTF} @ 07:18 with wb1116 and Yeetrees. Hatched up a plan at yorkshirekiwi83’s Meet and Greet - Wellington II event last night for a midnight walk in the park. It was decided later however to change that to a dawn raid instead. Good to get to Pakuratahi bright and early this morning. There was some light drizzle in the park as we arrived, and onward we went up the track from Rivendell. All quiet at this time. A quick find. The cache was in excellent condition, all nice and dry inside.

+ Balko Down Under

Took nothing, signed log.

Enjoyed the company and reading the write-up on more of our New Zealand native trees. Now time for a second breakfast.

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