First attempts at geocaching .....

We woke up late but determined that we would have a go at the sport of Geocaching. There are many caches hidden around Turangi and I’ve downloaded details of half a dozen to my hand-held GPS. It doesn’t take us long to discover that we need more than the coordinates - on the website, Geocaching.com, there are instructions, and photographs and clues, all of which help to point us in the right direction and know when we’ve got there.

The first cache we aim for is called Settler’s Corner. We know from the website that it’s at the south end of town and there is an anchor nearby. Amazingly, we go straight to it. There was the anchor just where we expected it to be. The website also tells us the cache is a small plastic box inside a camouflage bag. There is a coded clue also which translates as CORNER TREE GROUND LEVEL. Too easy! Find the cache, sign the log and conceal it again. Then it’s off to the next cache, only 650m away, called Turangi Angler.

The site is a large statue of an angler at the entrance to town, the coded clue is CAUGHT and there is the cache next to the fish on the end of the angler’s line. That’s two down.

We’ve walked about 2 kilometres and found 2 caches and it’s already 12.30pm, but there are four more to find before the day is out. It takes lots more walking and the next ones are not as simple but we finally find them all. We’re tired and a little foot-sore but we have seen some lovely areas and are very satisfied with a good day’s work.