Dead centre of Kerikeri (Northland) Kerikeri, North Island, New Zealand
By HairyLittleDwarf on 08-Dec-02. Waypoint GCB290

Cache removed and archived.
Ruins are still worth a quick visit though.

Cheers
HLD

Very disappointing not to score a find. No trouble at the first set of coordinates. No trouble finding the "house fallen down" - we read all the information on a tourist map and figured it out without local input. No trouble finding the cannon. We appreciated the humour and loved the micro-clue. It is an idea worth copying. The trouble began when four pairs of eyes failed to find the final cache. We are 1153km from home and would have liked to log this one as a find.

Back for our second attempt at this. Took note of another log stating that distance from path was more like 8ms and quickly located the goods. Then continued driving to end of road for a short climb and splendid views over the inlet and a quick stroll to Waitangi Wetlands. Well worth the extra 1km drive!

No problems finding the old place and we really enjoyed looking around at dusk. Cache soon in hand.

Found!

A very interesting area.

Yes ... we did ask a local for some help - however without the local knowledge we really would not have found this cache.

Wow! that wooden cannon was awesome! It's amazing what nature comes up with.

Found GZ with few hassles.

It is also unfortunate to have to tell that the cache has been at some stage waterlogged and as such the log book is wet, and a new one is required

TFTC

TNLNSL

This was a great cache. Friendly staff at the Stone Store assisted with some local knowledge. The final cache container was a little wet inside so we dried it out. We did find, however, that the final cache was closer to 8 metres from the path than the suggested 4 metres... (maybe it has been moved!?). Anyhow a few hours well spent! TFTC

Still there.

Having found part one and two of the puzzle, we ventured to find the last and final clue but unfortunately it got dark before we could explore more possibilities.
Certainly a very clever cache.
We will have to try some other time.

Thought i would try again this time had Gazzah with the GPS, Spent 30minutes at the final place but no find. A broken white plastic container on edge of track, hope this was not the cache. Will try again one day. This will not bet me

Spent about four hours on this one with my two boys and their cousin. We had trouble with the first clue, couldn't find any names that matched the clue (unless we were doing the addition wrong). However we popped inside and enjoyed some of the history on the hill.

We mentioned the second part of the clue to a local I knew, she sent us in the right direction for part two. (That really wasn't meant to rhyme)

Had more difficulty there (none of us knew what a eucalypt looked like, duh!), but eventually we found our cannon! Great feeling, knew we were on track! Unfortunately we ran out of light and had to leave. Looking at the spoilers shows we were about two feet from the cache. Drat!

Great way to spend the afternoon anyway though... Thanks!!

Couldn't get a start on this one, just too tricky for us.
Will have to come and try again one day, thanks for taking us to this interesting spot though.

new place to visit and very interesting took 1 and a quater hours, while ladys shoped in keri.
- dragon broche
- shot glass
- sunnys
+ empty bullet shell
+ hakey sack
+ horse
TFTC

That was a tricky one but due to my POI-Database I was able to find it. TFTC!

Well this was a spur of the moment "lets find it seen as we are here" cache Very good cache.

Yet another awesomely done cache by HLD, found with Grobyc.

Was looking forward to an interesting hunt. Got all the clues (helpful ladies at the Stone store) but was disappointed to then find the final location was many many km away - no time to complete. I should have seen the 3 hour warning.

As the owner says - the cache is alive and well. Coming from Christchurch, I'd taken the precaution of getting a local (my sister) to check on a few things for me. So we knew the general direction to the ruins. Once on site, I had to give this one a good bit of thought, and use all the hints (which were decidedly cryptic). Widened the search a little, and there it was staring me in the face. It is a fascinating bit of history. No swaps, thanks and cheers from Grandalf(831)

Checked and all OK.

Cache is not hidden, and is clearly visible from the right angle.

Great way to see the out of way parts of Kerikeri. Found 2 of the parts but not the final cache.

Collected the clues on day one. Solved the puzzle overnight and headed out the next morning. Looked around and found something that looked right, but I think we were wrong. No find for us.

Percentage dropped today. Three caches attempted. Two no finds.

Got the mobile phone working though.

Nice idea, like the use of local history

Admittedly we guessed the final destination from the clue, but decided to do the whole lot anyway since this was "our" first.

The Puketi Pixies

Very interesting challenge. It helped to study the history of Kerikeri before embarking on this one to cut down the time frame.

Enjoyable and clever multi, loved the historical aspect as well.
The micro had us stumped for a while, but just had to broaden the search area a bit then all became very clear, loved the varmin proof “containerâ€
The final waypoint seemed a bit off to us, but it may have been the trees, but vaguely remembered the photos from a couple of weeks ago, and then the obvious to a cacher kicked in
TFTC HLD, TNLNSL as we left the swaps in the car

This is a great multi cache in an interesting area. Its a pity more people don't visit. Have to admit we didn't visit the first spot because we were reading some local info and stumbled across the information, put two and two together....!!! On our first trip down the road we didn't go far enough and had to come back a second time, but once there just loved the remote history and found the rest easy.

After knowing we were so close to part two of this cache all weekend it was frustrating not to have time to get to part one and verify we were correct and gather the information there incase we needed the numbers for part two and three, then back to finish the find. Oh well next time we're up this way we'll have to go to part one before heading off to our friends.

On a roll (of no finds) quickly realised that this one wasn't likely to be doable either without having the cache description on hand. Had a little wander around the headstones pondering which one might be "the clue" before heading off to try our luck at the "Bridge to Somewhere" instead.

[This entry was edited by evilC on Sunday, July 17, 2005 at 1:07:07 AM.]

[Well, found it after getting the spoiler picture... But... if we haven't used the hint we probably would've been better off... Next time we're around, we're gonna bring measuring tap - we'd swear the cache was] six to eight meters from the path [rather than what the hint said!!! Maybe we're just learning HLD's techniques... to put people off Geocaching!!!! - hah... anyway, besides the final stage, we loved this multi-cache. Thanks for showing us the "house", but funny thing is when we asked a local about the "house", they told us (literally) "DON'T GO THERE, THERE'S NOTHING TO SEE THERE!!!". We don't agree with the local, we thought it was quite nice to visit the "house"!!! - In the end - THANKS HLD ]

[Oh how frustrating... But let's start from the beginning... We got the first and second clues... but for the final one, we were completely stuck. We spent 2 hours bush bashing in the vicinity of] 3-6 meters [from the track all the way from the] gate for about 50 meters... [The GPS was all over the place, but there was one definite spot that the GPS was swearing its head off that it's exactly "here"... So we turned the place around, but no luck. We had some muggle-fan-tails following us, and 2 lots of man-muggles walking past us... 2 hours was enough, as we ran out of the supply of (sugar-) water (Sprite 1.5L!!!), being very hot day, we decided to abandon the chase. For today... We just logged on the tonight to see there was a spoiler photo, and with sigh of relief decided to visit the place again... "We'll be back"]

Our first multi cache .... thank you HLD for introducing us to these ...

As it turned out we were staying with friends for the week, and thier place is only 800m away from the final location .... so we soon had the location, once we had the name.

Found the TB "Cat Bait" who had patiently been waiting on the old lava flow to move on, have brought him down to the central north island to find a new home closer to a active volcano ......

The cannon is fine and still holds her load of information ....

Took a little while to work out how the math should be done.
Got some info from a local. Still drove past it a couple of times before stopping to ask some builders for directions.
Loved the ruins and the wooden cannon.

Out - Nech-chain
In - NZ souvenir keyring

Cheers

Using a very informative tourist information booklet found the fallen down house, and the micro clue but wish we had had the photo as spent ages rummaging about 1/2 metre away from final location!! (GPS running out of battery and kept cutting out!

Released Cat Bait back into the wild after his prolonged stay in my geocache drawer (oops).

we were at that time unregistered but got our info from The Rufty Tufty Boys in the UK. We are relatives on holiday.
Local knowledge was of highest order - experienced navigator and born Kerikeri! so second site identified from clue before confirmation at first.
Gps a little dated (8 satellites) so had a bit of fun finding well placed cache.
Took nothing left GBpound coin, signed record in name of dog BilboBaggins. Note, another group had preceded us that morning;see they haven't registered yet.
Also third group came as we were searching, did not disturb our search or establish final location.
now back in UK and registered.19/01/2004

While I was intently studying tombstones, an old gent, exiting a church function, came over to check me out. He did not speak but was obviously agitated to see this scruffy old reprobate with pen and paper in hand, wandering round the churchyard.

However another party of locals leaving the church provided the necessary local knowledge and off I went. Found the area but had only a rough sketch of the spoiler photo and a shaky memory to finally locate the goodies.
A few minutes scratching around and voila!

A very peaceful spot and no muggle problems.
TNLN
Thanks HLD

Willbuild
Second try at this one, Started look at the Grid Ref, I got last time at the 2nd site, No luck, Photos did not fit. What happend to the rat free steel box nail to the tree? did they take the whole tree???? When to check 2nd site and found grid ref, had changed, found very quickly after this. Main drive under water, No swop

Hooray!! Finally put this stubborn one to bed. Looks like someone had a real nasty fight with the gorse at the old coords [B)]. And what's that monstrosity they're building right behind the 'cheapest motel'!?
+ calculator watch
- keyring lanyard
Cheers, M@

The J in the clues stopped us for a while till we ignored it. Found surname and correct date. The locals then helped us to find the next area. Neat clues here. Interesting house and area.
Put in Lavender oil took out Radiator fix.

Thanks taking us to two interesting sites.

[last edit: 8/9/2003 10:32:43 PM PST]

The rain came down, the church was in,and there we stood us three
Adding many numbers up and looking for an 'E'

A cry went up I've got one here, I think I've made your day
Just look again you silly bugger there is no bloody 'J'.

It's time I think for outside help, we've got to find a local
No not the pub they both cried out, a local Keri yokel.

No time at all had passed and we were racing out of town
To find the second clue we craved by looking upside down.

The rain got worse the day got dark the GPS was beat
Until at last the cache was found, it's hiding place is neat.


In shampoo, out snoopy


[last edit: 8/10/2003 4:26:11 PM PST]

Returned to complete the final leg. Much easier with the corrected co-ordinates and no prickles either. Plastic ties out. Key clip in. Thanks to HLD for the peace gift.

Family outing tramping around in the drizzling rain got as far as the wooden cannon without too much problem, then the rodent proof clue had us rummaging around in the gorse. came home with nothing but a few prickles and some mud!
Will have to go back again.

Dang! Getting closer though. I like the new rodent-proof middle clue, the message nearly had me fooled though (or did it!?). The co-ords sent me to a patch of thick gorse! Gee, this one beats 'Eskdale Bush' for geocacher punnishment. Didn't hang around too long - gave up.
M@

2nd cache of the day - with owner Hairy Little Dwarf. Had fun watching HLD trying to find his middle clue - he blamed the local wildlife and replaced the clue again. Caching in a cloudburst can be fun.

Willbuild
found the house, the front door was open so had a good look around, no one home. could not find clue in tree today (Sat) called back on Sunday to find the Dwarf had been so found clue, looked for cache but could not find so gave up when rain set in. will try again next time I come north.

3rd time lucky liked this one made you work for it.Learnt some history which is always a good thing Thanks HairyLittleDwarf

I got as far as finding the 'key', but couldn't find anyone who could tell me where to look for the house. The lady at the Stone Store told me to try looking in the Hone Heka reserve; the lady in Kemp house had at least heard of the guy but only because he was mentioned in a book she was trying to sell me!

ran out of time unfortunately will have to go back for this one really having to put the thinking cap on.Haven't been back to this town in 20 years nice to see so many changes