Today was our first day of our New Years Road Trip to Palmerstone North.  We left home just before 8am and our first stop was breakfast in Mercer food court to have the delicious Pokeno bacon.  We decided not to cache along the way as we could do them another day on a day trip, and we had a long drive to get to our destination of Tokaanu.

The first cache we did was GC2KCY9 Ohinewai Interchange (Waikato).  This was one of the caches that we were going to get for the FTF on our way home from the Hamilton event GC2HWZN Twelve Days of Christmas (Hamilton South, Waikato) a couple of weekends ago but FMZ bet us to it.  With not much traffic around, I quickly jumped out of the car for a nice easy find.

Remember on the way to GC2HWZN Twelve Days of Christmas (Hamilton South, Waikato we logged a DNF for GC2EZEC D.E.K.A. (Waikato) but a few other people found it on the way down – well we went for it again and still couldn’t find it!  We just looked everywhere but had no luck – we are planning a day trip to Hamilton in the near future and need to go in a convoy so someone can find this cache for us!  I’ve decided that D.E.K.A stands for “Double Envious Kevs_Team Anger!”.

We had better luck at the next cache GCWQY1 Sweet stopover (Waikato).  The biggest success of this cache was not finding it, but resisting entering the lolly shop!

Kev and I really enjoyed the next cache GC1KQ0R Bark Simpson (Waikato).  It’s a lovely little park with plenty of nearby parking, it’s off the main road, and a simple but cool hiding location – exactly where we would put it.  We left the travel bug White Jeep Travel Bug "Vern".

We were meant to by-pass Hamilton but somehow took a wrong turn, so on our way out we quickly grabbed GC15T4C Turbine (Waikato).  Hamilton is full of caches and we are looking forward to that upcoming caching day trip.  Have no idea what’s going on with my hair lol, one of those crazy pics.  I must say I’m loving the camera on my iPhone 4.  It has a feature that you can do reverse photos – so I can see myself on the screen and take a pic, very useful when it’s just me by myself.

Our favourite cache of the day was GC2AEPN You can’t eat this berry (Waikato).  Not because it was a easy find, but because we found a berry we could eat – delicious blackberry ice-cream!!!  Kev also brought me a big punnet of strawberries which are so yummy – the strawberries I have been having lately have been rather tasteless.  These ice-creams were yum yum yum and I was not impressed when I asked Kev to hold my ice-cream and his tongue fell into it!

The next cache GC21352 Welcome to Cambridge from Hamilton (Waikato) was such a simple hide, there didn’t seem to be much of an effort to disguise it. 

Cambridge is such a pretty location and we had a quick stop to pick up a few nearby caches.  The first one was GCX5Q4 Jubilee NANO (Waikato).  Again it was a beautiful location and we took a few photos here after Kev made the quick find.

A short drive away we entered a lovely little Japanese inspired garden for GC1BMTY easy peezy (japaneezy) Waikato – one of Kai_Gotti’s favourite sayings! I quickly discovered the cache and took a photo.

We entered the always highly busy little town of Tirau next.  As Kev was at the petrol station getting an Red Bull, I quickly walked to GC10F5G Good Shepherd (Waikato).  As I was looking for this one someone came up to me and said I know what you are doing.  Luckily he had his GPS in his hand so I knew I was safe.  Once I figured out that the hint said HIS right and not my right lol, I made a quick discovering.  My fellow geocacher asked if I was Kevs_Team and I said yes thinking he must be a fan of the blog but no, he was returning to Wellington and the caches he was finding on his way, we were just getting before him.  With my ego deflated I completely forgot to take a picture, so here is Kev getting back on the road with all the busy holiday traffic (and does everyone but us own a boat? lol).

Further up the road was the Wood Museum which had the cache GC10FRH Log Shunter (Waikato).  The museum is closed for renovations but looks like it could be quite interesting.  I know my boys will love a visit, they have all sorts of big machinery out the front where you can sit in and play.  A nice simple hide.

The next cache GC26G02 Lichfield cheese (South Waikato) restored my ego.  This cache is just off the main road and Kev parked a short distance away but you couldn’t see the car from the main road.  As I was signing the log a elderly couple drove up to me – I assumed they were looking for this cache too but instead they asked me if I was alone and needed any help.  Kev started the car and drove towards me as I thanked them and said I was fine, and Kev was just coming to get me.  They must have wondered what I was doing but wasn’t it so nice and caring of them to check on me, someone has some lovely grandparents!

Next stop was GCNF70 Dunham Park (Waikato).  Without sounding repetitive, this was also a lovely park with the added bonus of a stream which you can see a little of it in the background of this photo.

It was a big cache but with all the park to choose from, it was put in a massive flax bush.  I rolled my eyes thinking I could be here a long time, but with a bit of luck, it didn’t take me that long.  When I returned Kev was at the picnic table with my Diet coke poured and ready for me as he was planning the next caches.

Up the hill at a lookout was the next cache GC1A6VB South Waikato Vantage Point (Waikato).  This should have been a simple find but I think the cache is missing.  The previous log was also a DNF and the owner has now disable this cache until she can check on it.  I took two photos of Kev, the first one of my poor Kev is looking a bit tired.  It was now approaching 2pm and Kev has been driving for around five hours (I don’t drive and not motivated enough to do anything about it!).

Here he is with the city view in the background.

We decided we should just go to the Huka Falls now and concentrate on the two caches we wanted.  As we approached we debated if we should go to our accommodation first to unpack the car of just do it.  We thought if we unpacked the car it will deter the car thieves as we didn’t look so touristy (our car was packed with bags and blankets and pillows etc).  We drove through Taupo and decided to come back and do the Earth caches and have dinner.  We drove and drove, thinking our accommodation was just ten or so minutes on the outskirts of Taupo, but it was at least half an hour.  We arrived at Oasis Motor and Caravan Camp at Tokaanu and booked our cabin for the night.  It’s just a basic room with three single beds but for $25 a night (pp) we highly recommend it.  The toilets and showers are nice and clean, they have hot pools which are great for soaking and are open 24 hours, and the owners are really nice.  Next door is a cafe and take away but  unfortunately when we leave tomorrow morning they won’t be opened for breakfast.  On our way back from Palmerstone North we will come back here for another night just to break the drive up for Kev and allow us plenty of time to get the Taupo caches.

We were both tired so had a rest before going out for a couple caches.  The first one was the Earth cache GC1JNRT Wonderstuff’s Wonderland – The Sequel.  There were some hot pools here (just $6 an adult I think) but it also has reserve with geothermic activity.  We had a nice walk around and you definitely could feel the heat.  We reflected about the recent tragedy in Rotorua in which an eight year old tragically died when he fell into one of the local park hot pools.

We walked around the track (a couple of times as I’m not that good at entering way points!) and answered the appropriate questions.

After an ice-block and cold drink we went on a tiki tour to grab a couple of caches but as we were so tired and realised a little bit of walking was involved we turned around to come back home.  Just up the road from where we are staying there was a cache that was close to the parking so we went for it, GC1GAZC Tokaanu Overnighter (Central Plateau).  The GPS was going a bit crazy and it led me to blackberry bushes and I was thinking surely they would not put a cache in there.  I powered up my iPhone 4 and it led me elsewhere, the correct location.  Kev suggested how to find it and he was right – I’m not sure if I am fond of its location but if done correctly no harm will be done (it’s just something a bit broken and rusty).  I left the travel bug Hi Ho Hi Ho its off to WORK I go which we found in Mercer a couple of weeks ago and Kai had actually found in Auckland the month before. 

With the light fading I took a photo of Kev and the lake and we returned back to our accommodation. 

We walked to the cafe and had coffee and the apple crumble looked really good and at $6 was a bargain, but we decided we didn’t need it.  We then had a nice soak in the hot pools then a shower.  Kev is having a good sleep and I will be joining him very shortly.  Tomorrow we will leave early and find somewhere to have breakfast and do some more caches on the way to Palmerstone North.  We are planning on arriving early afternoon.  We now have 475 caches, just 25 left to hit the big 500!  I’m not sure if we will get it tomorrow but definitely by Wednesday (just to give you a bit of warning kiwifamily hehe).

Time for a good night’s sleep!
*** Caching Cath ***

Happy New Years everyone!  For me the exciting part of the day was knowing we didn’t need to get a cache but a flurry of publications changed my mind.

The first cache we went to was GC2938N Welcome to Te Atatu (Auckland).  I think there should be a new acronym, FTC – first to cache.  We arrived at GZ a good five minutes until Mrs Kiwicouple turned up but as usual, we didn’t find it.  With her finding skills we were able to claim a joint FTF for the 1/1/11.

While we were searching for this cache, finally our GC2K5EM I Want An Iphone (Auckland) was published.  On our way home we decided to drive by to see if anyone was there.  We waited and waited and no one turned up, and just as we decided to go home to the family New Years Day BBQ, we received the notification for GC2KTJV Treated to fit 4 (Auckland) which was a quick drive away.

We easily found GZ but a couple of muggles were nearby.  Kev and I slowly moved over and they left.  Kev spotted the cache from afar so he was able to go in discretely and get it out.

Totally starving we started to go home when I said let’s just go check out our cache to see if anyone was there.  We arrived to the car park to see a couple of cars, including a familiar Mrs Kiwicouple truck.  The other cachers who were there was ssgbme and Kwassie, a family of cachers.  They all shared a joint FTF. 

We then went home to enjoy the BBQ.  Later in the evening our phone went again and Kev shouted it was another cache up the road, GC2KWGW Treated to fit 5 (Auckland).  I didn’t have the energy to go so told him to take Dad and don’t forget the picture.  They zoomed off and once again managed to find the cache quickly and the empty log book.  As they were returning kiwicouple approached – no joint FTF this time!  And yes they forgot to take the pic so Kev took one of Kev Snr in the car.

Now we are busy packing the car for tomorrow’s big caching road trip down to Taupo then Palmerstone North.

Have a great 2011 caching year everyone!