Horatio's View Multi-Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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Alsume’s 5th cache is a multi-cache in the shadow of the highest peak (137.3m) in the Melbourne metropolitan area. Named for the first farmer in the region, Horatio Cooper, Mt Cooper is part of Bundoora Park. Located on the site of a horse stud established by Samuel Gardiner in 1877, Bundoora Park is a 180ha nature park in the heart of north-west Melbourne suburbia.
“Bundoora Homestead”, built in 1900, remains one of architect Sydney Wilson's most distinguished works and a prominent example of the English Queen Anne Style as adapted to the Australian environment. From the balconies of the fourteen room mansion, the city of Melbourne could be seen in the distance, along with sweeping vistas from the Dandenong Ranges to the south-east across to Mt. Macedon to the north-west.
The horse Wallace, son of the 1890 Melbourne Cup winner, Carbine, was destined to become Bundoora Park's best known resident. A majestic galloper, Wallace had won the Caulfield Guineas, Victoria Derby and Sydney Cup by the time he was three years old. It was his 22 years at stud however, for which he is most renowned - the progeny of Wallace competed in a total of 949 races, winning $246,000 pounds in prize money. In 1917, aged 25, Wallace died and was buried close to the Bundoora Park stables where his grave was originally marked by a flat stone cairn inscribed with his name. Legend claims that Wallace is watched over by a ghost horse. Late at night, if you walk close to his grave and hear the clip clop of hooves, it is thought to be his stable mate, a mare called Lurline, coming to see who goes near him.
The Homestead later became part of the Repatriation Hospital, Bundoora and was used as a day hospital for returned servicemen. The Repatriation Hospital at Bundoora was de-commissioned in 1993 and ownership of the site was transferred from Commonwealth to State in 1995. By December 1996, the majority of the buildings, covered ways, paths and other features that had formed the hospital complex were demolished, leaving the former JMV Smith mansion standing alone and unoccupied. The former Bundoora Park stables, stud master's cottage and blacksmith's shop and sheds, which stand well to the west of the mansion, survive in the custody of the Preston Historical Society and are used for historical museum purposes. With the assistance of La Trobe University and the Commonwealth Government through the Federation fund, Darebin City Council restored Bundoora Homestead and opened it to the community, in September 2001, as a heritage and cultural space. Bundoora Homestead is registered by Heritage Victoria and certified by the National Trust.
Stage 1: The Trail S 37º 42.498 E 145º 02.747 At the listed coordinates, you will find a sign indicating the start of the Homestead Trail. How long is the Homestead Trail? Number of metres = A Including the arrow and the distance, how many lines of writing are on the sign? Lines = B
Stage 2: The Homestead S 37º 42.[(A/2) – (6xB) -2] E 145º 03.0[(A/10) – (3xB)] If you have the time it is well worth a look inside at a truly magnificent old mansion. But while you are at the stage 2 coordinates : How many fierce looking gargoyles are there on the roof? Gargoyles = C How many steps lead to the former front door? Steps = D
Stage 3: The Sculpture S 37º 42.[(A/2) + (10xD) + (BxC) – 2] E 145º 02.[A + B -1] This could have been one for the dak’s emu mob’s Yes, But Is It Art series! It is quite striking as you approach. How many white, roughly cubic shaped blocks sit at the base of the sculpture? Blocks = E How many white, cylindrical shaped blocks sit at the base of the sculpture? Cylinders = F
Stage 4: Horatio’s View S 37º 42.0[(4xB) + C – D + E – (2xF)] E 145º 02.[A + (10xB) + (CxDxE) +(3xF)] Stunning views of the city skyline and northern suburbs from the highest point in the metropolitan area as you collect the final piece of information on the trail to the cache. How many separate wires are there in the transmission lines above? Wires = GH
Stage 5: The cache S 37º 42.0[(A/4) + (Bx(H-G)) + (DxC) + E – (2xF) - 203] E 145º 02.[A + B – E +F+54]
The cache is a 200 ml Sistema, camouflaged to suit its surroundings. ** THE FINAL LOCATION WAS CHANGED ON 22/10/2010 DUE TO PERSISTENT MUGGLING.** Please replace the cache as you found it. To complete this cache by walking you will need to cover about 2.8 km, however with paths and roads throughout the park, you could do almost all of it on a bike, or you could even do the majority of it in the car. Bundoora Park has plenty of facilities, including picnic facilities, café & visitors centre with interactive historical display, Cooper’s Settlement (for hands on farm activities, Heritage Village & wildlife reserve), playgrounds, fauna park, 18 hole golf course, the historic homestead and more. You could make a day of it and wander among 300-year-old red gums, fly a kite, set up the easel before bushland scenes that have not changed since they enchanted the likes of Frederick McCubbin and Tom Roberts, relax over a BBQ lunch, point the camera at a kangaroo or the native birds, check out the wetlands, native woodland areas, a Historical Homestead Museum, Fauna Park and a scenic drive to Mount Cooper offering magnificent views of Melbourne's skyline. Please note that the Park is open until sunset each day.
Additional Hints
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