Netherwood (Marlborough) Waihopai Valley, South Island, New Zealand
By Kiwimykl on 15-Aug-17. Waypoint GC7AMQG

.

8

Found while out caching with Kiwimykl who had already found this one . We had made plans earlier in the week to head south and do some caching in and around Kaikoura today, but as the week progressed the weather in Kaikoura looked like it was going to be pants. So this morning we decided to do a few things around town and then head up the Waihopai Valley after lunch to get a few caches that Kiwimykl already had (or owned), but I hadn't.

This was one of Mr NZDi's caches and when signing it I see that it already had my name on it as with CO when placed, which is what usually happens, however I was not with him when he placed the pre-prepared cache. Never-the-less it was a QEF PnG for me.

TFTC Hubby

After a proper sick day a couple of days ago, I didn't have much more energy today but got up to the next two along the road. Easy find, having seen this type before and glad I had my gloves with me, not knowing what's in there if the cache wasn't.

After GK had finished work and I had been out with the grandchildren we packed up and headed for this valley. We found six caches yesterday and we hoped to find four today as that would take our finds for these two days up to ten, which seems like a nice number. Not that ten a day is a serious goal yet, it just seems like it might be a challenge we set ourselves once the streak has finished.
It has been many years since we had been as far as the power station, we have never been further up the valley until today. This is something I love about geocaching, having the motivation to go further along roads that we have never investigated before.

We were completely surprised at the amount of homes and lifestyle blocks at this end of the valley. We certainly did not expect to see them.

The cache was an instant find in the first place GK looked. All was in good condition, we signed the log and returned it as we found it. Thanks for placing this cache and thank you for the smiley

Finally decided to have a day out geocaching after a long hiatus. Our destination was the Waihopai Valley. Have to admit this one had us beat and scratching our heads before giving up and carrying on; so on our way back we decided to have another look and luckily we came up with the goods. Maybe we just haven't got our geocaching brains into gear yet! TFTC.

I thought this one would be a nice rapid find but the obvious place and signs were bare so I thought it was a gonner. A long way to come back again or to replace so I had another idea and there was the cache all safe and sound. Another planation of young pines all round here securing the place for the future. TFTC # 13,416

Netherwood sounds like it belongs in Lord of the Rings or some other mystical place. A rapid find was made here. tftc

A bridge has been damaged just before this cache. When I came up here today the replacement bridge had its steel framing in place, ready to have the deck laid. I suspect this remainder of this road is out of action for about a week. Cones seem to redirect down a private driveway, if that actually is a bypass, it is likely to be 4x4 only.

Grovetown CITO is over, so lets go exploring Waihopai Valley for the afternoon. The Seagnoids in, great, a navigator!! So lets go!
Nigel Navigator had me going up the fence line along the main road but finally points me in the right direction. Finally snagged and tagged with help from The Seagnoid. Cheers

Time to make another raid from the West as there is a big Bridge tournament on this weekend. But first I found the time to arrive early to do a couple of days caching.
Netherwood is an unusual name. I wonder what its history is.
A quick park and grab.
TFTC

The plan was to head for a cache in Picton, but work delayed me and I was not ready to head out that way until three quarters of an hour later. So I canned that and decided to come out here instead, since I have to be out this way later tonight anyway.
Nice drive out into the countryside with an intriguing destination, and yes, some pretty woods there are, and you could say they are from the nether regions, but that is not really what I would have thought. Still it seems familiar, so I had to look it up. A town and a movie. And Neverwood is a book series set in Neverland, a band and a cabinetry company.
Had trouble retrieving the cache - The more I tried, the more I seemsed to push it further into its hole. But I got there in the end.
Thanks for the cache! And another great drive in the country.
Got back home with the fuel light hard on. Phew!

Continuing our drive up the Waihopai Valley. I had been up as far as the power station before and had no idea there was so much more beyond. So many houses up this way too - - - we speculated about whether there might even be a school up here, but we didn't spot one.
The hint led us to a quick find. TFTC .

Today I was out and about in Blenheim and the surrounding area before heading for home, finding a few caches. As I happened to be in the area, I decided to explore further up the Waihopai Valley then I have ever explored before. I was quite intrigued to see how far up the valley the tar seal went. After here it was onto the gravel with 4WD enabled. TFTC, Biggles.

Second find for us up this road today. Took longer to find than it should have because there are not many options, but we eventually got there. TFTC KM.

Mrs SoBad solo so she stopped a bit short of the cache site when she saw the first mention of Netherwood. Saw there was still 350m to go so drove on a bit further and parked by GZ. The only car she had seen driving on the road up until then went past as she was signing the log. Peaceful area today.
Thanks.

With a sort-of to do list we slowly made our way to Blenheim to attend the GIFF event. With unexpected good progress we decided to go for a scenic drive up the Valley and check out the new placements. We initially overlooked where the cache was but we didn't get fooled. Thank you Kiwimykl

We had come 'over the hill' for the evening GIFF Event and had plenty of time to find the caches which had been published since our last visit. As it turned out we also had plenty of time to make the trip up this valley to find the four trads that had been here for a while.
We left this one to find on our way back down the valley. Another fairly quick find.
Thank you Kiwimykl.

Good spot, and hide.
Will carry on a wee bit further.
Thanks for the cache

In the area for the lure of the other newly listed caches, and only right that I grab this other recent addition to a trip up the valley. When I last headed this far along the valley this was as far as I got before turning round. Added the extra 6 or so kms of unsealed gravel to the Civic's C.V and a good couple of hours caching. T F T C Kiwimykl

After a day out at Duncan Bay yesterday I fully expected these recently placed, and newly released, caches to have been snapped up. Especially with Western Raiders upon the shore in the shape of K_E, Isis, Bullertrout, Marchwood, b&w, and SoBad. Enough to mount an event, bordering upon a Mega! Not sure what the attraction was for all those people, must be the superb Marlborough and local hospitality.
Anyway, I was invited along for the Netherwood find, but had another thing on my calendar and so headed to Anakiwa with my students which was an awesome afternoon.
Awaking early this morning I got up with the working today mrs capperz and headed out the door around 0720 with a trip up the Waihopai Valley planned. 120kms round-trip later I was the proud owner of 4 more finds, with a possible 3 FTFs for the bother too. I scoped out a future power trail and believe it will be viable. I have the containers ready and a good theme so within the next short while it should come to fruition.

*FTF* This cache must be just outside the quick FTF rush zone for most of the local cachers, as it has sat here lonely for a while since being published. I have been meaning to come and find it for a few days now, and finally got a little spare time to make the trip. The C O wisely chose to come along, to prevent another trip being required in the near future due to the self licking icecream nature of caching in these more remote areas. Having successfully found the cache (take care not to push it too far) it was on up the valley, with local guide John along for the ride and providing a history lesson along the way. There are now some more reasons for others to visit.
T F T C Km

Published