LETTER TO ALL NAMAQUALAND TREASURE HUNTERS AND FRIENDS
Dear Friends,
First and foremost, thank you to everyone who joined us on this exciting journey to find the buried treasure chest in Namaqualand.
We have exciting news and want to share it with you. As you know, and as you have seen during the first leg of this treasure hunt, this project and treasure hunting game aim to raise awareness about nature conservation in Namaqualand.
From the start (and we haven’t stopped), we have been searching for appropriate sponsors and partners, locally and abroad, to help us spread the word and assist us in promoting this treasure hunt as far and wide as possible.
The reasons are clear: the more people we can get to join the hunt, the more awareness we can create. The income generated from selling access to the treasure hunt and treasure map helps us pay for the creation of this treasure hunt and the ongoing administration thereof. But more importantly, it will help us generate funds to kickstart the Wild Flower Garden project on Na-Koi-Ja-Ma Island in the Namaqualand Sandveld.
Here is the exciting news: we are in negotiations with a few big sponsors to help us promote this treasure hunt to a larger audience and to maybe even help us increase the “prize money.” Unfortunately, these types of negotiations take time, and some sponsors have very specific ideas and requirements before they can add their brand or name to any project.
The great news is – the sponsors we are currently talking to love the treasure hunt just as it is. The way we see it – very little would change, however they may want us to re-launch the treasure hunt in a bigger, smarter, and more professional way. This is fine with us, and we would be happy to assist and help our partners and sponsors in any way we can.
We have only ONE provision: the current group of treasure hunters, no matter where they are in the game, keep their place on the game board and will simply continue where they stopped after the re-launch. We think this is a fair and just ruling, and everyone we have talked to is happy and on the same page about this important provision. We are sure you will be too.
What is the Status Quo?
Nothing on the surface has changed. The website where the treasure hunt is played is unchanged. In fact, you would have noticed that all 52 riddle cards are now loaded, ready to be solved.
However, the only riddle card that is currently “missing” on the site is the riddle card we call the “WINE” card. This card/riddle is the card that takes the treasure hunter from leg one to leg two.
Once the “WINE” card goes live, the game continues – and THIS date will be announced by us together with our new sponsors – hopefully soon.
Where to from here?
Existing hunters who already solved all the cards in round one [leg 1], please sit tight and wait for us to give you the new re-launch date. In the meantime, know this – the 2nd leg is much harder than the first, and it would be a good idea to read up on the history of Namaqualand during the last 200 years. Enjoy!
To all the other hunters, keep going – the site is live and works perfectly. Solve all the riddles up to card/riddle number 22 [twenty-two is the last card of leg 1]. Help us spread the word and ask your friends to join the hunt. It’s not only great fun for all but it is also a special “tool” that helps to unlock that adventurous spirit in all of us. We want more teams and schools to embark on this fascinating and exciting journey.
At this stage of the negotiations, it is very hard to announce a specific re-launch date, but we can share the following news.
There is a very likely chance that this Namaqualand Treasure Hunt will be exhibited [and be promoted] at the annual AFRICA TRAVEL INDABA AND TRADE SHOW in Durban in May 2024. We will keep you updated.
In the meantime, once again, thank you for your interest and support in this project.
Your Sincerely,
___________________________
Trustees: Friends of Namaqualand,
[Website: https://namaqualand.org.za]
Treasure Hunt Site: [https://go-get-it.org]
PS: The easiest way to contact us is via email: office@namaqualand.org.za
PSS: Please read below:
Important Game Keeping Rules:
We want to use this opportunity to share some very important rules with you – especially to those individuals [and groups] who started this treasure hunt and to those [although only a few] who completed the first leg.
First of all: Things are going really well, and the feedback we’ve received so far is simply very positive and fantastic.
Most of the small hiccups [online] from last year have been quickly sorted out — thank you for your assistance and patience.
In the meantime, we have also enhanced the security and back-office systems to ensure a smooth game for all current and future participants.
Individuals from all around the world have joined us in this treasure hunt thus far. From what we can see in the stats, many are South Africans working and living abroad.
Welcome to you all, whether you are from the UK, USA, Australia, or somewhere in Europe — we hope this treasure hunt will make you feel at home.
We have a good number of individuals, basically from all provinces in South Africa, and a few groups who are actively working hard to find the final resting place of the treasure chest.
Good luck to you all.
VERY IMPORTANT:
Although this is a fun game for all who joined and purchased an official Hunter’s ID Card, there is still a very real treasure chest buried with real Gold, Silver, Copper, Diamonds, and more inside. It is therefore important for all hunters to follow the rules to avoid disqualification.
As we will soon enter the second phase of this hunt, where only a small group of people made it to the last card in round one [card number 22] thus far, you need to know that no one/no person is allowed to share any answers, clues, cards, or riddles publicly.
This is a RED LINE RULE, and disqualification (that may come with public humiliation) is automatic and immediate. Please keep your cards, riddles, and answers for yourself. We have a team of volunteers countrywide who help us monitor this treasure hunt to ensure the best possible outcome for all. Thank you for your understanding and support.
ENJOY THE HUNT AND SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE
It is very important to us that you and every treasure hunter truly enjoy this treasure hunt game and have fun solving the riddles and collecting all the maps, clues, and cards.
But just as important for us is to share the purpose and reasons with you why we developed this treasure hunt in the first place.
As you have now seen, during the treasure hunt, we share the fascinating history of Namaqualand with you and show you why NAMAQUALAND is one of our planet’s richest botanical treasures.
Allow us a few minutes to recap and tell you again why we embarked on this project in the first place and why it is so important to us.
The Friends of Namaqualand [FoN] is a Non-Profit Organisation [NPO].
Mission Statement: Our mission is to raise global awareness about nature conservation in the Namaqualand Sandveld desert region. We also want to encourage a small number of individuals to become Citizen Scientists and participate in preserving this unique land, including Namaqualand’s distinct Fauna & Flora, particularly her succulent plants.
Launching Projects to Generate Funding:
Our secondary aim involves developing business projects and systems aligned with our mission statement. With these projects, we aim to generate an income capable of funding all our Non-profit Nature Conservation activities, for example, to kick-start the Wild Flower Gardens on Na-Koi-Ja-Ma Island.
It is still early days, but we believe that if the Namaqualand Treasure Hunt can reach big participation numbers [with the right sponsors and partners help] it will be easier for us to soon eliminate any further external funding or grants to achieve our goals of the NPO.
Your participation and our partners in this treasure hunt gives us the hope and opportunity to roll out all our nature conservation plans mentioned above.
If you think that company may be interested in becoming a partner or sponsor for this project, please make contact with Amy at our office at: office@namaqualand.org.za
