2016-09-06 -37 176

Location

Fraser Cove, Tauranga Harbour

Participants

The Quaternary (talk) family geohashers, with Hugh and Heather

Plans

I had arrived in Tauranga the evening before in order to watch Hugh Jnr compete in the annual AIMS Games. Not being asleep in the early hours of the morning, and realising that the Dow Jones would have opened for the day many lines of latitudes away to the east*, I checked my favourite Geohashing app. And low and behold, a mere 8.4 miles away as the crow flies was a geohash! The geohashing god was indeed shining benevolently upon me.

It appeared to be in water, although tidal in nature. Checking the tide almanac, low tide was at 1630 that day. I drifted off to sleep dreaming of Geohashing adventures I was to have following my repose ...

* Actually this was not the case - it had been a public holiday in the US on the day, so the hash had been up already for 24 hours (Labour Day)

Expedition

Happily breakfast that morning with my hosts Hugh and Heather wasn't as awkward as it could have been, as they had accompanied me on a previous (but failed) geohash expedition some years earlier. So total explanation of the Ways of the Geohash wasn't completely necessary - only a mild refresh was required ("remember that time when we ..."). "Can't wait to do it again!" exclaimed Hugh senior.

We had two games of hockey to watch today, so between the first two games we did a reccie of the location. We were standing on the tip of a promontory, and the hashpoint was about 110 metres off shore. I was sorely tempted to there and then remove my attire in order to claim the hash for the Geohashing Community, but it was likely the water may have been over my head. Patience was required.

So we returned to the hash at 1500, and like the dividing of the Red Sea, my objective was now eminently achievable. There was some doubt that the hash may be in the channel, requiring me to get wet, so I removed my outer garments, just in case.

However, as the hash had been planted by a benevolent statistical geohashing deity, the hashpoint was just shy of the channel. The hash was snatched.

Tracklog

Photos

The tide was still high at 1200.
At 1500 the water had receded.
I set out across the tidal mudflats in my Dan Carter underwear, and waved to my shoreline supporters.
Muddy feet, but at least I was dry.
At the hashpoint! And the obligatory selphie.
My somewhat circuitous path from the bank across the mudflat glistening in the spring sunshine.
View with the hashpoint staked.
View to the North East.
Panorama.
Back on dry land, we bid farewell to the hash.
A surreptitious snap of the clean-up.
With thanks to my supporters (this photo snapped a few hours earlier at The Mount).