Forest Giant (Wainuiomata) Lower Hutt, North Island, New Zealand
By GSEL on 14-Apr-18. Waypoint GC7N2MR

Grand day out despite that wind raging above the trees. Thoroughly enjoying the bush and thinking thats a grand specimen when I remembered the next gz on todays adventure. Quick find soon after. Thanks GSEL for the placement of these hides up here

Today is a size regular dot-day. There are a number of regulars up here, so I thought I would go for a walk and get one (preferably the one at the top of Mt McKerrow) and while about it, see what the times are, could I do one after work on a weekday?I set off a little late - 9am from the Lower Hutt bus terminal, so maybe 9:30 starting on the track, taking the Mt Crowther track to Huff & Puff. Man that road up is STEEP! I am always amazed that vehicles can make it up. Can they actually make it up here? After finding that cache I took the track that cuts across to the Whakanui. At the Whakanui junction I decided to abort this tramp - It is very cold, very wet and I had ruled out the possibility of doing these after work (in winter anyway). I am in cloud and every time I touch something I get drenched. I am wet from top to toe. So I head up the Whakanui and get the first regular up there, then head back down. Passed a cache along the way. It is another regular, so I stopped, found it, then walked on. Didn't even open the container. Saving for another day.I get here... And the phone says the cache is 30m to the left (as I walk downhill). Really? I look over there - no decent trees that I can see, but then I can only see about 20m anyway. There is one tree on the track, but it is not really a giant - more normal size. But yes, there's the cache! And my phone still says it is 30m away. I should probably charge up the Garmin next time I come this way!Thanks for the cache. And the great walk. Even if it is cold. And wet. And muddy!

This was our target cache for an enjoyable walk this afternoon from the end of Sunny Grove.
The tree is an impressive specimen for sure.
The cache was a quick find and is in great condition.
We had managed to lose our pen, so I hope that a photo log is alright.
Thanks very much for the cache. FP added.

Out for a walk on a lovely day. A great tree and spot for a cache. TFTC

Found on our way to Haurangi Hut for the night. TFTC

Enjoying the bush through here - it's a long time since I've been this way. Quick find on our way to Haurangi Hut - tftc

Nice find after a loop walk around Whakanui and Whakanui East tracks to the Orongorongo Valley. Tftc

A decent loop walk doing the Whakanui track to the Orongorongo river and back via Whakanui East track. Straightforward find. Thanks for placing the cache

We had left it a bit late in the day, so had to make this our turnaround spot just where the track appeared to level out after the uphill slog. The cache was a quick find. We will return one day to access the McKerrow track. TFTC

A well placed cache that gave me some respite from the uphill slog - not that I had to spend much time searching for it. All good with the cache and its contents.

On my way around a loop - Whakanui to McKerrow then across to the Crowther access road. Great specimen of a tree (beech is my favourite NZ bush tree!); the cache was a nice quick find. TFTC.

Yay! We found it amongst the webs haha! Gorgeous walk! Tftc
Ps. Dropped our pen on the walk hopefully we find it on way back so photo log for now

TFTC

Thanks, found, nice spot for a rest, phew...

#11,657. Another walk up to this part of the Rimutaka Forest Park. GZ was all quiet at the time of the visit. Quick find. The cache was in good condition, all nice and dry inside. Took nothing, left nothing, signed log.

Thanks for the placement, and for bringing us to this site, and …

.T h a n k s. .f o r. .t h e. .c a c h e.
.M a u r u u r u. .k o e. .n u i. .a t u. .h o k i. .t e. .k e t e r o k i.

Found during a trip with agcnz up Skerrets Creek He did a check on his Kittyhawk Down cache We then carried on up the creek to score Aces High #2 and returned via McKerrow Track
All in good nick here Thanks GSEL

This was the first of our four caches today (with the main goal being the off-track Kittyhawk fuselage at 'Aces High #2'). A nice place to stop on the climb for a water top-up and bonus, a cache to sign too. Nice easy find, thanks for the stop and what a beauty, heaps more lovely podocarps and hinau around too, great stuff!

Found with Gr33nslime. More to follow.

# 1506 Out here today to find a newly placed cache near the site of a historical plane crash, just off McKerrow track. Surprised at the choice of tree as i had seen a few whoppers already. With each of us exploring the circumference of this particular tree, jimmynz came up trump's. Surprised there have been so few visitors to this one. Otherwise all good inside here. The climb continues.

A great day to hike up to McKerrow. Still in the thick of the climbing at this stage so good excuse for a stop at a significant tree. A real mixture of difficulties from GSEL caches today with this one being mercifully straightforward. I thought I remembered signing this as the 9th and photos confirmed I did that for every cache today. TFTC.

Came for a walk up here this afternoon, it’s over 5 years since I was last here and the trees are definitely a lot taller now than they were then. Spotted this magnificent specimen of a tree as I approached and very quickly had the cache in hand. Signed log, thanks for the cache and for giving me the excuse to come here again!

Quick find on a little round in the hills despite the windy and rainy weather today. Indeed a big impressive tree . TFTC. Sherlock Hood.

Easiest find of the day at this mighty fine specimen of a tree. Nice to have an excuse to rest before grinding up the hill again.

I saw this series of caches published yesterday morning and even had a thought about having a crack. However, knowing that my current priority is finding a new job I decided to flag the idea. never thought about it again.

Today I had to go to the city for a couple of meetings and threw some walking gear in the car so I could find a cache after 'work'. As i was parked at Woburn station, I started looking for a likely cache nearby once I got off the train. I saw that these new GSEL caches were still available as potential First's so decided to have a go for the set of three.

This was the second, and a very quick find. All good here and a blank logsheet to greet me. Thanks GSEL for another {FTF}.

Now to head to the top of the hill - I should have plenty of time, but mindful I haven't got a torch or any proper gear, so will be a quick dash up and short search.


Planning is now well underway for a major Event in the Wellington region later this year. Check out the details on the [Wellington Event NZ (WENZ) Website](http://203.118.159.23/index.php). The official cache page is live [GC78NMQ - WENZ Event 2018](https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC78NMQ_wenz-event-2018-wellington). You can also visit the event’s page on [FaceBook](https://www.facebook.com/groups/590545297801072/). If you are planning to attend, please ensure you register each planned attendees geocaching name on the official page and also on our WENZ website.

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