One Thousand Points of Light Challenge (Auckland) Mystery Cache

We all love numbers, don't we? Go on, admit it... Well, anyway, this challenge cache is about having fun with numbers while finding geocaches. Depending on the caches you find, you can complete it in as few as 10 or as many as 250 cache finds.

First of all, the primary objective of this challenge cache is to have fun. As with all the best things in life, if you're not having fun, you're not doing it right!

For this challenge, you must first find and log as many geocaches as you need to score 1000 points, where each cache find you make along the way scores points calculated as their difficulty rating multiplied by their terrain rating multiplied by 4, eg. score = D x T x 4.

This cache can be found at the published coordinates, but in order to find it and log it, you must first complete the challenge requirements: To find and log (at least) 10 geocaches (and up to 250, depending on the difficulty/terrain of the caches you find) making a total score of at least 1000, calculated as described above.

The difficulty and terrain ratings of this cache is a reflection on the challenge as a whole, and not the final cache. The final cache would probably otherwise be rated as about a 1.5D/1.0T.

You do not need to obtain permission from the cache owner to go and find this cache, but if you do not qualify for the challenge, your find log will be disallowed and deleted.

We want to make this easy for you, by not making you get permission first, but we do wish for a specific procedure to be followed. When you complete the challenge, you need to do the following in order to claim a find on this challenge.

To claim this challenge:

- FIRST, log a note to this challenge cache page stating that you are beginning the challenge. This will then become the start date for your qualifying cache finds. You cannot backdate your start of the challenge. If you do, you risk your find being disallowed.

- SECOND, find and log all of the qualifying cache finds necessary for this challenge.

- BEFORE you go out to find the challenge cache itself, you must log a note (or multiple notes, if they don't all fit into one) on this cache page stating your qualifying finds. Include in this note the list of all qualifying caches you found, the date you found each cache, their D/T ratings, and calculated score.

- THEN go out and find this challenge cache. Do not sign the logbook of the challenge cache until you have posted the note(s) as above.

- FINALLY, log your find of the challenge cache on this page. Say whatever you like in your find log as you will have already included your list of qualifying finds in a previously logged note.

For this challenge, cache finds are scored by the Difficulty/Terrain ratings by multiplying the difficulty by the terrain by 4 as shown in the score table on the right.
score = D x T x 4

For the geekier among you, the formula for scoring this challenge could be described as:

Below is a scoring example based on some of our recent finds. These hypothetical 8 finds would give a score so far of 147 towards the challenge.

1. Any geocache worldwide can be used to qualify for this challenge cache, so long as that geocache is not excluded for any other reasons below.

2. Your list of qualifying cache finds must include caches hidden by at least 10 different hiders, and must include at least 3 different cache types.

3. Qualifying cache finds can include any caches found and logged on or after the date of your note stating that you are starting this challenge with the following exclusions:

- Event caches (Event, CITO and Mega) cannot be used as qualifying cache finds because their difficulty and terrain ratings can misrepresent the real ratings for the cache and can be modified after the fact unnoticed.

- Geocaching Challenges, whether they are photos, actions, or whatever, do not qualify.

- Caches owned by, adopted by, originally placed by, previously found by, or replaced by, the finder cannot be used for this challenge. The point is to go out and continue finding caches placed by other people that you've never found before, and also encourage (but not force) you to find more difficult and higher terrain caches.

- Caches that were disabled or archived at the time of finding cannot be used for this challenge, even if the finder replaces them. If a cache is subsequently archived before completing the challenge, indicate this on your log, but the cache find will still qualify.

4. For verification purposes, the difficulty and terrain ratings of qualifying cache finds will be those ratings at the time of logging your challenge find. If one of your cache finds has its ratings, and therefore score, reduced before you complete the challenge, you may need to find another cache in order to qualify - you just need to have a score of 1000 or more.

5. There is absolutely no time limit for completing this challenge - take as short or as long as you like. This isn't intended to be about clocking up cache finds as quickly as possible, but just a bit of fun on the side while you're out there continuing to find whichever caches make you happy!

Please do have fun with this challenge - it's certainly meant to be just a bit of fun. Qualifying caches can be found, well, virtually anywhere in the world, and more are being placed every day, so this challenge will not be out of reach of any geocacher out there.

Happy caching!