See the Peak - Te Matai O Kia
Event time: Saturday 16th October 2021, 11.00am - 12.00pm
Bring some lunch and take the time afterwards to explore this beautiful area! Event is at the base of Te Matai O Kia and climbing to the summit is of course optional.
THERE IS NO PHONE SIGNAL SO PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU DOWNLOAD THE EVENT FOR OFFLINE USE.
On this day, October 16th 1986, Italian Mountaineer, Reinhold Messner, scaled the Lhotse, in Nepal. Lhotse is the fourth highest mountain in the world at 8,516 metres. He became the first climber to complete all fourteen eight-thousanders - peaks over 8,000 metres above sea level.
Lhotse is not one of the "Reach the Peak" challenges (Further information at bottom of Event Page) and many of the Peaks us geocachers have conquered do not quite reach these heights!!!
Let us join together to talk about our own climbing accomplishments (and perhaps upcoming adventures) near one of my favourite peaks in Dunedin, our very own pyramids in the Okia Reserve and nearby Victory Beach.
Okia Reserve is a mixture of wetland and dune country and the pyramids are made up of perfectly geometric basalt volcanic columns. These awe-inspiring features were formed millions of years ago during the active birth of Rakiriri, the long-extinct volcano on which Dunedin is built. The larger pyramid is Pu-wheke-o-Kia. You can climb the smaller pyramid Te Matai O Kia for amazing 360 degree views of the ocean and across the wetlands and plains of the 231 hectare Okia Reserve. There is also a cave at its base, carved out by the sea long ago, which has historical significance and is listed as an important archeological site. According to local Maori history it was once used as a shelter by a wounded warrior. Several Maori settlement sites have been identified within Okia Reserve and artefacts have been uncovered here including stone adzes, moa bones and human bones dating back 500 years.
Victory Beach is 3.2 kilometres long making it the longest beach on the Otago Peninsula. It is named after the SS Victory ship that sunk off its shores in 1861. The ships flywheel is still visible at low tide. It was grounded by a drunken sailor (carrying mail and passengers) but luckily he struck sand and not the rocks further up the bay, so there were no casualties. Victory Beach is also home to sea lions, fur seals, blue and yellow-eyed penguins. If approaching the beach caution is advised as sea lions could be resting on the sand dunes. It is one of two places outside of the Auckland Islands where the New Zealand sea lion is known to give birth. Yellow-eyed penguins are one of the rarest penguins in the world and in 1991 Okia Reserve was jointly purchased by the Yellow-Eyed Penguin Trust and the Dunedin City Council, primarily to protect the endangered birds.
Located approximately 24km drive from Dunedin city centre and 7km from Portobello. To get to Okia Reserve/Victory Beach, take Portobello Road down the Peninsula. Turn inland near Portobello on Allans Beach Road, turn onto Sheppard Road, then continue onto Dick Road past Papanui Inlet. The carpark is at the end of the road. THERE ARE NO TOILETS HERE and the closest would be in Portobello.
The base of the pyramids are a 15 - 20 minute (flat) walk from the carpark on a well maintained track. Another 10 minutes will take you to the beach and there are track loops around the reserve. The full loop can take up to two and a half hours. There is limited cover so remember sunscreen!
"Reach the Peak" (From the Geocaching Official Blog):
Inspired by the mountaineering challenge of reaching the summits of the tallest mountains on all seven continents, we’re inviting you on a challenge to reach new heights in geocaching. Over seven months, geocachers have the chance to earn up to two souvenirs each month. Players who earn all 14 souvenirs will earn an additional meta souvenir for completing each month of the challenge.
The challenge begins with our first mountain, Puncak Jaya, the highest peak on the continent of Oceania. Starting August 2, find geocaches and Adventures to earn up to two souvenirs, the Puncak Jaya Basecamp and Puncak Jaya Summit souvenirs.
How do I participate?
From August 2 at noon UTC through March 6, 2022, collect points by logging geocaches and Adventure Locations. Earn up to two new souvenirs each month of the challenge by collecting enough points to “reach the summit” of each month’s mountain.
Can I join the challenge at any time?
Yes! The challenge is ongoing from August 2 at noon UTC through March 6, 2022. Cachers who join in the challenge later on will only be able to earn souvenirs available for the specific months when their finds are logged.
Can I still earn the Peak Performer meta souvenir if I start after August?
To earn the Peak Performer meta souvenir you must earn the two available souvenirs for each month of the challenge. It is not possible to complete past months’ challenges. If you want to earn the Peak Performer souvenir you have to start with the August challenge.
How can I earn points?
Each month will have different point values for different types of finds. We will share the new set of values on the last Tuesday of every month before the leaderboard refreshes and resets to zero on the first Monday of each month during the challenge.
What are the souvenirs I can earn?
Reach the Peak: Puncak Jaya Basecamp
Reach the Peak: Puncak Jaya Summit (4884m)
Reach the Peak: Vinson Basecamp
Reach the Peak: Vinson Summit (4892m)
Reach the Peak: Elbrus Basecamp
Reach the Peak: Elbrus Summit (5642m)
Reach the Peak: Kilimanjaro Basecamp
Reach the Peak: Kilimanjaro Summit (5895m)
Reach the Peak: Denali Basecamp
Reach the Peak: Denali Summit (6190m)
Reach the Peak: Aconcagua Basecamp
Reach the Peak: Aconcagua Summit (6961m)
Reach the Peak: Everest Basecamp
Reach the Peak: Everest Summit (8849m)
Reach the Peak: Peak Performer
How to play
From Monday August 2 at noon UTC through March 6, 2022, find geocaches and Adventures to collect points on the geocaching leaderboard and earn new souvenirs.
Each month features one of seven mountains and geocachers can earn up to two souvenirs for each, a basecamp souvenir and a summit souvenir. The points required to earn the summit souvenir each month will correspond to the height of that month’s mountain. For example, Puncak Jaya is 4,884 meters tall so cachers must “reach the height” of 4,884 points to earn the Puncak Jaya summit souvenir.
The leaderboard will refresh with a new mountain and goal on the first Monday of each month and will reset to zero points. Each month the leaderboard will have different point values for different types of finds. Geocachers who earn all 14 souvenirs will earn an additional meta souvenir.