Fallen Ent (Mavora Lakes, Southland) The Dale, South Island, New Zealand
By Donovan on 29-Dec-02. Waypoint GCBEC1

Drove up here to see the spot, was not searching for the cache. Beautiful spot and even if it is not longer active, worth the trip!!!

I searched for this cache for a long time, but then ran out of daylight. The cache appears to be missing in action. So, I have archived it. Cheers, Donovan.

My last cache before leaving Fiordland. For LOTR fan this is a ‘must to do’ location. I saw magnificent sunset and beautiful sunrise around the lakes. At morning scratched about half a centimetre of frost from my car and on way back from the campsite I had to slalom between orcs cutting down trees.
+ Canadian GC
- TB Blue whistle

An absolutely beautiful cache. It took us some time to find but as it turned out our GPS had taken us straight to the spot but we had drifted away. Took nothing but left Blue Whistler Traveller TB. TFTC

Counting kilometers!

Really interessting spot! I think we could see the place where they burnt the Orcs... TFTC TNLN

On our trip around The Catlins and Fiordland we re-visited many beautiful places. We have been down that way many a times, before geocaching. So this time we didn't just enjoy the beauty. But we have to admit there was one or the other cache that brought us to new wonderful spots. So thank you for all you out there who put so much thought into showing others your home.
On our way we collected many TB's and Geo Coins that will soon discover a new place.
TFTC

Searched for half an hour yesterday, but failed to find it. We were camping at the Mavora Lakes campground, so I had the opportunity for a 2nd attempt this morning. And now with the help of an umbrella I was able to find it. Coords. appeared to be spot on!
TFTC

Nice to have a cache at the end of a long bike ride. We'd ridden from the Greenstone, having done the Mavora to Glenorch bike race the day before. Great ride, will be held again about this time next year.

THIS WAS ONE OUR MOST ENJOYABLE CACHES WHILST TRAVELLING AROUND NZ. WE STOPPED AT THE LAKES AND IT IS SURPRISING AFTER THE GRAVEL ROAD HOW MANY CAMPERS WERE THERE. WE ENJOYED TRYING TO ENVISAGE THE SCENES FROM LORD OF THE RINGS. THE GEEN PATCH WAS GONE BUT THE NEW STEEL GATE IS A GIVE AWAY FOR WHERE THE CREW MUST HAVE ENTERED TO FILM. THE CACHE WAS WELL DOWN A HOLE SO IT TOOK US A LITTLE WHILE TO FIND. DEFINATELY AN ENT FOREST WITH LOTS OF MOSS AND FALLEN TREE'S THANKS FOR A TERRIFIC CACHE ONE OF THE BEST THAT MAKES US REALISE WHY WE GO CACHING
JOHN AND HELEN

Hello,

We decided not to do these. With our camper-van 35 km gravel road it takes too long. But when we drive by we saw that was not a gravel road for at least 500mtr.

Also we are not fans of LOTR

Bye,
j3 The Netherlands

It was great to see some of the Lord of the Rings locations - Sam and Frodos crossing is one of our favourite parts in the movie, (well sams loyalty actually) It took the hint to find the cache it was spot on. Thanks. Picked up Scaw's Ellis Island Geocoin.

A year ago, I'd been guiding a tour group (LOTR fans), and had a brief look for this cache with no luck. So now I was back again with another LOTR group, and we had more time available, so I wandered down into the bush, and decided to have another look. Through some undergrowth, I spied a large "Fallen Ent" - I wonder if??? And there it was, in the first hidey-hole I looked into. I happened to be carrying TB Gandalf the White on the LOTR tour, so he can get photographed at many locations, so I'll try logging him in and out again. No other swaps, thanks and cheers from Grandalf(860)

Left it up to the girls to find, Emma(12), Georgia(9), Shannon(9).
It was snowing.
They had quite an adventure.

Awesome spot. Carried on up the road a bit to see the spot where Sam and Frodo crossed the "river". Nof's junior was a bit timid looking for the cache - thought that Sheolob may have been in residence! Thanks.

Im not aLOTR fan, but enjoyed this little forest and the cache,and after a little research I now know what an Ent is.{I think}I thought it meant ear nose and throat.TN/LNTFTC

An interesting place for a film location, needed the clue to find the cache as the GPS was patchy.Spent some time looking around for the filming sites.
TFTC.

Found on my ride out from Walter Peak station (shipped the motorbike across from Queenstown on the TSS Earnslaw - very cool). Bit of a search but found OK. Cache is in danger of slipping down into a deep hole if not replaced carefully I thought.

TNLNSL TFTC

A team effort with whiskers & petal who we had just been camping with at Mavora Lakes. Tree conopy made GPS almost useless so had to take bearings from in the open. Started to rain just as we finished, got wet getting back to our vehicles.
-chicken
+ kiwi
TFTC

A team effort with Kev n Chris who we had just been camping with at Mavora Lakes. Tree conopy made GPS almost useless so had to take bearings from in the open. Started to rain just as we finished, got wet getting back to our vehicles.
TNLN SL TFTC

Awesome cache location.
TNLNSL.

it was little bit more easy than "kiwi burn", but we spend here quite lot time.
we took The Matthew explorer and we want drop him on more popular place for better chance to get to Australia.
TFTC
+ music tape
- red eletrical tape

Dropped off Matthew explorer TB to continue his tour of NZ

Geocacher Grandalf also happens to be a LOTR tour guide - I'll be visiting this cache next week on Wednesday 22nd Feb, while guiding for Red Carpet Tours. So I'll take some silica gel and an extra logbook with snaplock bag, in case things are still wet.

Found this reasonably easily. Who would have thought such a small patch of forest! Another Beautiful day in Fiordland.

When we found this cache yesterday we noted that the log book is getting damp even though well sealed. Maybe someone could drop in some dessicant packages to combat this.

I lost Patrick's no. but he's officially here now.

Went straight to it. But had to wait for LOTR muggles to depart. Left TB Patrick as surrounding area was pretty Spongeboby.

We are visitors from Finland. We started spotting LOTR shooting locations near Queenstown this morning, and continued here. I was pleasantly surprised there was a cache too right near the orc mound. Luckily I found it fast, since I didn't have any description with me, just the coordinates on my GPSr. Of course we went to see the places at the lakes too. TFTC. TNLN.

Took a bit of finding but finally found it. A great spot, took a photo of the family piled up like burnt Orcs.

+ Bouncy Ball
- McDonalds Toy

We made the drive out to find the caches and to see a couple of LOTR sites. The cache was tough to find with a very weak signal under the spooky trees. I finally spotted it and signed in. We then drove out to the lakes to see the other sites. Thanks for the tour.

Been here a bit late, just before sunset. Took a bit until we got it. Nice smell. I felt a bit like Frodo
Took the Spaceman to his nixt journy (maybe to Germany)

we found it after searching with really compass
hidden very good

thanks

2nd find for the day, awosome location never would have been in the area otherwise beautiful location left the space cadet tb, sad to see him go we traveled a long way together

Nice quick find in an awesome spot - thanks for the great diversion! Took a dolphin to find the sea, left a green star stone. TFTC!

Found quite quickly. great spot .took our niece and nephew to show them geocaching. on the way back from camping at Mavora lakes.
took turtle keyring
left green frog and Timothy Shand (ski pass)

Very squishy underfoot but managed to get through to the cache. TNLN. Greg and Bev

There's no way I would have gone out to this lovely region if there hadn't been a cache to lure me to it. I took the abalone shell and left whale and turtle keychains, a piece of turquoise and a Sacajawea.
Since I didn't make your Table Hill cache, this one made me feel better. Hope to get out this way again. Thanks for the other LOTR locations, too!

Drove into the lake and saw where Sam & Frodo crossed. Also found the "secret" swing bridge. Iris resisted the urge to go across to the other side!! had difficulty working out where we should start from for the cache hunt. Ended up running across a paddock and into the trees, Once at the site, found the cache quickly.
+ keyring - cat
Thanks
Iris & Rodney [500 NZ cache finds]

[This entry was edited by Sallies on Wednesday, January 19, 2005 at 1:44:24 AM.]

Hopped the fence. Went into the woods one way. Walked out again. Followed to clue. Finally found the box. Another beautiful forest in NZ.

We couldn't resist the detour to this one on our way from Te Anu to Queenstown. It was a cold, cloudy day but the rain had stopped when we headed out to find this one. After searching many, many stumps we resorted to using the clue and entered the forest from the correct location. After that, finding the cache was pretty straightforward. TNLN. Thanks for bringing us to the cool forest.

Great find!! Once we worked out which stump we were looking for!! Ritchie and Daniel (4 1/2yrs) on another geocaching mission. 2nd one for the day. Very hot day, but what great scenery and good fishing near by.
+ Matchbox car
- handblasters

Thanks Donavan

Nice area for a cache. visited mavora lakes nearby. took flashing light, left 8ball ball. Thanks.

Visited again while showing Mum & Dad the joys of 'caching & also the beautiful lake area. Also first to find Tazzie & Lizzies nearby cache 4km south at a very nice swing bridge spot. Left a flashing red bike light, took nothing.

Nice hide! We got bitten by the sandflies. Took out: the survivalwhistle, put in: a badge with a big sandfly on it.

A good LOR location found witout too much trouble.

Enjoyed looking at the Ork mound, and the sites on the lake. Of course Lizzie wanted photos to send to LOR fans overseas

Had a really good hunt for this one! Spent a few hours checking out the sights and having a picnic lunch. Awesome bit of LOTR history, saw some familiar spots.

Took the dinosaur and left the hand blaster from Flagstaff.

What nice lovely spot, had to use the hint to find it we were on the wrong side of the bush, this was a nice close one as we are staying 15km up the road for the weekend, if all goes well will do the rest in the area..

+ Survival Whistle
- Space Station Super Flyer

Many Thanks Robert ( Bitsprayer )

Although living close by have taken ages to get around to finding this one during a glorious sunny calm day with quite thick snow still on the ground and melting from the beech trees. We did not relish the prospect of scratching 'round for this one! Used the clue to check our other 2 bearings and after a few minutes located the main feature. We were very pleased to find it was not buried but just well concealed. Took the glider and left a Daffodil pen (Cancer Society) and the purple dinosaur that brother Steve & Ruth (SSARC) had left at Cavernous (Takaka Hill in Nelson).

We carried on up the lakes and thoroughly enjoyed a crisp calm sunny day with snow all about.

Thanks ~ Tony & Anita

We came all the way from Canada to be the first! It took a while stumbling around in the forest but we knew the Ent when we saw it. The cache was extremely well-hidden... maybe even a little too well?

There were plenty of friendly robins who kept us company during the search. We enjoyed the movie connection to this cache and checked out the site of the Orc bonfire. It looked eerily familiar. Well worth the trouble. We took nothing and left nothing... we're trying to travel light!

Thanks for the cache- Our 11th in NZ.

[last edit: 3/27/2003 12:43:35 PM PST]

sp00k and Ciotach, I'm sorry you could not find it. It had to be well hidden to prevent non caches from finding it too. If you found the rock mentioned in the clue, then the cache is at the other end of the boggy ground mentioned in the cache report. I hope this helps future caches too. Cheers, Donovan.

It was wet, it was cold, it was an unlikely place for a cache but we thrashed around in the bush for nearly an hours searching before we gave up and retreated to the warmth of the truck. Even decrypting the clue was no help.
Ciotach, sp00k (NZ) and Varuna (Perth, Au) on a sightseeing and Geocaching tour of the South Island went hunting for this cache near the Mavora Lakes. At the roadside it looked like we had to cross farmland to get to the bush but deciding that Donovan wouldn't have sent us in there if it had been private land we charged off into the bush under threatening skies... which proceeded to dump their contents upon us while we searched. Two GPS's were used and the co-ordinates matched nearly exactly but we were unable to find anything even remotely resembling a 5.3 l container. Were we in the right place?? Were the co-ords correct?? Who knows?? We will have to wait until next year for another chance to find out I guess.. watch this space..

Accompanied sp00k and Ciotach to this site. We have been searched under the hail rain and could not find - run out of time. Will try again next time if luck.