Matarangi to Auckland

Finally I am back to continuing the MAGIC journey on the way to Ulearn...

Barbs, Allanah and I said our fond farewells to the beach and heading off on another adventure - destination Auckland, ETA 4pm.  Leaving Matarangi at 11am makes this completely achievable... but you know us...
Anyway off we went, caching before we went far...
First cache - "Over and Out" Coromandel. A quick easy find with stunning views, then "Kiwi Zone".

Another find, "Double Trouble" and a stop to hug a gorgeous Kauri tree and on we go again.

Travelling on we arrived at the gorgeous Tairua!  What an amazing little town.  We arrived while they are celebrating a British weekend...

First stop, a cache to find across the bridge then scallops and fish at the park... YUM!

Well, with a tummy full of fish, chips, scallops and ginger beer Barbs thought it would be a good idea if I 'popped' up the steps to find cache "Lookout ! for the gazebo".  I said sure - just 130 steps... well it's actually 205 steps up and it is right at the top of the hill overlooking Tairua.  The walk up nearly killed me on a full tummy... then I had to wait for tourists to leave before I could scurry down under the gazebo to reach the cache... Poor Barbs and Allanah probably thought I was never returning...

Finally back to the car and off we went in search of a MUST FIND cache for me "The MAGIC tree".  (No, not magic mushrooms, Jane).  Well, this sure is a very well named!  I could live here...  We found three girls 'holidaying' in the MAGIC tree and they helped us find the cache, and I think three young cachers were born!

If you look closely you will see the hammock and seats set up where the girls were 'holidaying' in the tree.
On we heading towards Auckland, realising that our ETA for the tweet-up at Garrisons was going to be a little out.  
We had a wonderful catchup with friends then Barbs and Allanah 'handed me over' to Helen and the Princess for the night.
What an awesome time Princess and I had with the dress ups again and a much needed early night!

Pre Ulearn12 MAGIC at Matarangi

Before heading into the most intensely inspiring week of the year Barbs, Allanah and I are chilling in and around the Coromandel.

I will attempt to share some of the MAGIC since I arrived and the pre Ulearn holiday began…

Barbs picked Allanah and I up from the airport and we headed off to Pizza Box where we had lunch with Rachel.  We then meandered our way towards Matarangi caching as we went.  Oh the adventures, the giggles, the fun!  Gorgeous New Zealand scenery, great company and a very relaxed timetable – what more could we ask for? 

Finally arriving at Matarangi the true MAGIC of my beach adventure became apparent – Barbs house is “ON THE BEACH’.  I really don’t know if I have every stayed this close to the water…  What an amazing time…

I just had to swim in the ocean.  Although it was cold to get in, once I was in it was MAGIC.  I just loved it. 

There really is nothing better than watching a sunrise over the water or swimming in the ocean at daybreak or dusk.  

I swam in the ocean many times.  I gathered treasures on the beach.  We cached and coffeed, talked and toured.  We had a wonderful shopping time in Whitianga where I bought a dress for Katie’s graduation, a top and gorgeous purple sandals.  We travelled to bays, and took photos too numerous to mention.  We even fitted in time for a visit to Lost Springs Day Spa!

We had pizza on the beach with ginger beer!  We saw horses galloping in the sand.  We saw the Pohutakawa bursting into flower.  New Zealand - you really are a beautiful place.  

The true MAGIC in the adventure though, undoubtedly, was the wonderful company.  I think back to a time before I knew either of these two and I count my blessings for the richness you add to my life.  

Geocaching good times - Licence to PLAY

In March this year I had my first experience with geocaching with Allanah at the Jester cafe in Nelson.

I clearly remember the buzz of finding my first ever 'treasure'.  I remember thinking then, that I needed to move from my pear tree, into the ''Apple" tree! (With great ribbing from Allanah, that I wouldn't need my triumverate...)

My next experience with geocaching was in the Waikato with Barbs when I was to be found acting like a troll under a bridge...  The excitement of finding the 'treasure' again was a great buzz and it was even more exciting to find a temporary home for a travel bug named Phillipe...  http://annekcam.blogspot.com/2011/07/day-2-in-waikato.html

 I even managed to find a cache in the centre of Hamilton on my own.  I was starting to feel the buzz of this!

In August I finally got a smartphone and caching finally became possible!  When Jo came down for educampdunners we cached around my home patch!  Hmmmm it really is easier to cache where you are not known, it is so much harder to look inconspicuous in your own town.

My next big caching experience was the journey from Cambridge to Rotorua for Ulearn.  Now, this journey should take a couple of hours max... We managed to drag it out somewhat and have a MAGIC day, filled with laughter, challenge and many successes.

We even managed to "Find Nemo", a little travel bug who had an awesome time in and around Rotorua.

Nemo returned to Dunedin with me where he was 'released' by the sea at Broad Bay, to continue his travels.

I cached in and around Raumati beach with Jo and even took in a pilgrimage up the hill and found a cache at the top near Mary.

Caching adventures since then have been very memorable.  Barbs, Jo and I set a target of 11 caches on the 11-11-11 and we managed it with a very memorable 11th find at the memorial. 

 The next day we traveled south for educampinvers and cached along the way... followed by a caching session down the bay to Port Chalmers with Barbs and Jane.

I had an awesome weekend in Queenstown and managed a walk around the gardens and the lakefront and found travel bugs everywhere, arriving into New Zealand for travelling adventures.

Recently geocaching made the front page of the local Star paper with reference to the danger element, referring to a cache in the middle of a roundabout in Mosgiel (which had been removed some time ago) and a cache down the bay with a very dangerous, narrow track out over the sea).  The profile of caching has really been lifted.

Yesterday Claire and I caught up and headed off on a caching drive.  Many hours, much laughter and 13 successful caches later...

Very clever mushroom!  This cache was set up to race Travel Bugs from.  http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=f94a9dfd-0527-4b2e-9769-b5b83280a7dc

This got us thinking about the fun involved in sending off class travel bugs on and expedition and tracking their progress.  This is definitely in our plans for 2012 with our classes.  

And I thought this Krupp Gun down at Portobello might bring back some great Rotorua memories girls!

 Above and below are the access to the cache referred to in the article with dangerous access.  Maybe the photo doesn't show the full extent of the danger, but it was blowing sooo hard we could hardly stand up and the track across is very steep and narrow.  We will let you know when we conquer it!

 Below is perhaps, my favourite cache of the day!  How clever is this?  This is at a whole nother level I believe.

So now for the BIG question - WHY?

Because it is FUN!  It takes you to places you wouldn't normally go!  It challenges your thinking! It gets you out and about! And above all - it gives you licence to PLAY!  I have some amazing memories of times spent playing with friends this year.

 A HUGE thank you to you all - I just love the licence to PLAY...