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Carbon Footprint: Zero
Fox - (verb - transitive) to deceive or outwit somebody by means of sly trickery.
“I’ve never seen around these gardens” was the comment from Club Captain Murray as we waited for the start of the Navigational Trial With A Difference ’08. From the car park, the gardens looked spectacular on such a fine, sunny day - they almost made you want to ‘go for a walk’. Little did Murray know.......Little did any of us know!
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Running an event on Easter Saturday was always going to be an unknown quantity, but such is the esteem that Gary’s trials are held, the Muries cut short their South Island holiday so that they could take part and one person had taken time off work to enjoy the fruits of Gary’s labour! In all, six cars turned up full of anticipation, wondering just what Gary had for us this year. He boldly states that “his trials are like a box of chocolates - you never know what you are going to get!”
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| Well, you could have knocked us down with a feather when the instruction sheets were distributed. Gary seemed to be taking the Global Warming issue very seriously here.... the trial was to be held around the Botanic Gardens and not a drop of petrol was to be used. This was to be a foot race! It could be said at this point that this was definitely different. A quick glance at the questions showed there were no clues about where to start or where to go. |
| Questions like ‘What did Virginia King create?’, ‘What is the roof of the tunnel made from?’ and ‘What is in the nest?’ The answer to that had to be ‘eggs’, but knowing Gary, I shouldn’t assume the obvious. What’s this about a submerged dinghy! Be back in the Café by 3:00pm! Easy - no, hard! Have you any idea how big the Botanic Gardens site is? Parked just inside the main entrance were a few mobility scooters. Later, how I wished I strapped one leg up, hobbled up to the reception and begged to use one. |
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| Have you any idea how big the Botanic Gardens site is and how extensive the labyrinth of pathways is? I’ve been there a few times and I had no idea. I would swear that there are 15 “Loop Roads” throughout the site, but the map only shows one. Trying to match the deviousness of the organizer, I reckoned the answers would all be ‘off the beaten track’ so began my wanderings around the boundary areas. I went through native rockeries, palm plantations, Camellias, Magnolias, Succulents, Roses and native forests. |
| At times it appeared I was in some tropical rainforest and expected to see Tarzan swinging from tree to tree, not driving his ‘Mazda tree two tree’ as this was a ‘carbon footprint: zero’ navigational trial. Walking through the native forest was blessing in disguise because at least it was cool in there. It made you appreciate how the natural native forest can easily catch ill-prepared people out, even on hot and sunny days. |
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I noticed on the map there was a back entrance to the gardens in the Northwestern corner and thought of Gary. There was probably an answer to one of his questions there. After walking to what seemed to be Manukau City Centre, through what could have been the South African high veldt (and the spears and shields confirmed this), guess what - nothing. Ahhh...outfoxed by Gary yet again! About now, I wished I’d bought a bottle of water and cut my leg off to get a mobility scooter. Have you any idea how big the Botanic Gardens site is! Nothing at the ‘Manukau City Centre’, so I guessed I’d better walk to Ardmore to check out that area. The Southeastern corner provided rich pickings for answers and there I found ‘The Nest’ in the Children’s Playground. Guess what was in ‘The Nest’....an egg. Ahhh... outfoxed by Gary again. The tunnel was also here, made of ponga logs, but I wasn’t going in to check there wasn’t some obscure lining to the roof to stop the kids from bumping their heads or something by orders of the PC brigade. That’s not the well known Puke Crew led by Mike and Jan, but the other mob we all know and love. Turns out there was nothing, ponga logs was the answer - Haa, I’ve outfoxed Gary this time! |
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A quick time check shows that time is running out and there’s still a few questions to answer. Trying to pick up the pace wasn’t easy because it feels like I’ve power-walked a marathon, but needs must. Collecting all but 1 answer I headed back to the café in time for the 3:00pm deadline. After a flash of oxygen starvation fuelled brilliance (but no petrol because this is a carbon footprint: zero trial), I decide to ask about the one remaining question at the information desk. To my surprise, they haven’t heard of the statue or the inscription.I know that Gary would not put a question in with no answer so, Ahhh...outfoxed by him yet again.
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Off to the café and hand the answer sheet in. Then off to the counter and buy bottles of water in order to replace the litres lost during this jaunt. I wonder how many of my hard won carbon tax credits now have to be traded in for the supply of plastic bottles. At this point, I don’t mind as I’m certain we’ll all be on the right side of the ledger. About a month's worth of exercise I reckon! Judging by the numbers of bottles of liquid refreshment, I’m not the only one feeling the dehydrated pain.
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Around the tables, discussions centre on what answers your got for what questions, did you get an answer for a particular question and groans when finding out what the answer to the statue inscription was. That question was Gary at his most fox-like. At least one person got it, because the winner scored an impressive 14 out of 14. Well done Erena, a new member to the club.
Guess who said - “Now I know why I’ve never walked around these gardens!”
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How do you summarize this event. An unqualified success? Different? Eco-friendly with carbon footprint: zero? Thoroughly enjoyable? A surprise?
Answer: All of the above! As Gary seems to get his inspiration for these events while mowing the lawn, let’s all hope he mows the lawn more often!
Results:
1st: Erena Warrington
2nd: Gavin Agnew
3rd =: Murray and Shirley Grant / Kevin Taylor
5th =: Alan and Shelagh Murie / Stephen and John Millar
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