How not to find a geocache

While staying at Palliser Bay I found quite a few geocaches while the photographers were busy with their cameras.  One unfortunate geocaching incident was captured by a camera club member.

Here is the story as described in my log on geocaching.com.

GC2DZDH Kupe's Sail

How not to find this cache: 1. Don't cross the fence - the GPS was quite unsettled approaching this one and I climbed the rickety fence with barbed wire on top and found myself in a sea of flax - hmm... most unlikely. Now the GPS was pointing back over the fence towards the road. OK now to climb back over the fence again. Unfortunately just as I was stepping over I lost my balance and fell over the fence on the road side, downhill into some long grass. Even more unfortunately my over trousers got caught and twisted in the top two wires, one of these being barbed wire. My body weight on the downhill side meant that I couldn't free my stuck (and ripped) over trousers and I was left with one leg stuck upwards in the air on the fence and not much I could do about it. 

Owen to the rescue - see my leg stuck in the fence

Exricated at last

 Luckily my husband,  who was sitting in the car did notice my predicament and came to my rescue, freeing my leg and over trousers with quite some difficulty. 2. Best not to do this on a camera club weekend outing to Palliser Bay. The other occupant of the car had a big lens and a journalistic sense "capturing the moment".  Her photos accompany this log. After all this drama it was an easy, typical drive-by find. This rock feature - Kupe's Sail - is truly amazing and very photogenic!

Kupe's sail

Amy and George

25 May - A short visit to see Amy, Paul and George, now 6 months old.

Watching Isla play football

Saturday 25 - May Isla's team playing at Miramar park

Brielle was there too

After-match presentations

Tramp to Longview hut

22 May - Longview hut is one of the higher huts in the Ruahines at 1160m.  We were fortunate to have a perfect day - unusually calm and mild.  It took our group of 22 trampers less than two hours to reach the hut and enjoy magnificent views over the Hawkes Bay.

Lunch at Longview hut

The high peak in the distance is Tunupo - where I had been last week!

A group of us carried on to Rocky Knob (1226m)

Long views indeed!

Stonehenge Aotearoa

19 May - On the way back from Palliser Bay our Camera Club group visited Stonehenge Aotearoa

Palliser Bay weekend

17-19 May - Owen's camera club spent a weekend at Palliser Bay and I was fortunate enough to come along too.  We stayed at Washpool House, which was modern, warm and spacious with views of the sea.However Owen and I stayed in this "overflow accommodation" called "The Whare" which was fine.

Seal colony

Kupe's sail

Lots of this

I climbed the hill above the house for these two views

Camera club in action

Thursday tramp to Tunupo

Reaching the top!

16 May - Tunupo (1568m) is one of the higher peaks in the Ruahine Range.  It is about a 3 1/2 hour climb to the top.  We were fortunate to have perfect calm weather and enjoyed great views while having lunch at the top.

 

 Enjoying the views over lunch

Heading back down

10-12 May Weekend at Ruapehu

A group of us catch up each year at a lodge on Mt Ruapehu.  Various outdoor activities are enjoyed - tramping, mountain biking, photography, 

 geocaching and then we share a gourmet dinner and good wines on the Saturday evening.

Panorama - Top O' The Bruce

Crayfish entree

Autumn colours near Ohakune

Sunset

On the Old Coach Road near Ohakune

At the old viaduct - Old Coach Road near Ohakune

Wednesday tramp - Kaiparoro trig and plane crash

8 May - This tramp goes into the hills near Mount Bruce in the Wairarapa.  A steep climb took us up to the trig point where we had wonderful views of the Tararua range.  I then led 20 trampers down to find a plane wreck.  This is a RNZAF Oxford which crashed in 1952.  There is a great deal of debris still lying around.  The pilot, the sole occupant, was killed.  Deer hunters found the wreckage a year later and and the pilot's body was buried at the site.

Kaiparoro trig (808m)

Looking towards the main Tararua Range

Part of the wing

One of the two engines

Grave of Flying Officer David Leary

Sunday 5 May - Manawatu Gorge Track and Tunnel walk

I took part in an organised charity walk through the Gorge along the railway tracks with my orienteering friend Robyn Davidson.  The 8km walk took two hours including many photo stops.  Altogether about 1500 people did this walk.

We were taken by bus from Ashhurst Domain to the Woodville side.  One of the many shuttle buses on the Manawatu River Bridge.

Robyn setting off

One of many slips visible from this side.  This is not the BIG slip!

Entering the first tunnel - torches essential!

Entering the second and longest tunnel.  It took eight minutes to walk through this one.  The big slip can be seen across the river.

Hard to see, but the Pohangina River joins the Manawatu River on the right

A rare view of the Pohangina river rail bridge.  Ashhurst Domain is on the far left.

Another view of where the Manawatu River and Pohangina rivers join (mid-left)

End of the walk, under the Pohangina rail bridge and back through Ashhurst domain to our car park