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Monday 6 June 2016

Motor Treasure Hunt by Kiwanis

Two of my friends (who have never been on a motor treasure hunt) were eager for the experience and so we signed up for the 33rd Kiwanis Treasure Hunt.  Organised by The Kiwanis Club of Kuala Lumpur (KCKL), this 3 days/2 nights treasure hunt from Kuala Lumpur to Lumut, Perak, was held recently from 28 - 30 May 2016.

KCKL (founded in 1976) organises this treasure hunt on a yearly basis since its inaugural hunt back in 1984. The purpose is to raise funds for the Kiwanis Down Syndrome Centre and other charities that KCKL supports or manages...which they've done so for the past 33 years consecutively.

It has been a long and unending journey for KCKL...and that's why the theme for this year was 'Never Ending Story'!  This year, they aim to raise RM400,000 to fund the operation and maintenance of the Kiwanis Down Syndrome Foundation's National Centre.

This year's hunt took us from KL to Swiss-Garden Beach Resort Damai Laut in Lumut, Perak.  The Entry Fees was RM430 per participant which included two nights accommodation (twin sharing), two breakfasts and two dinners (with third person sharing room @ RM240 and children 4 - 11 years @ RM100 per child excluding extra bed). Since there were just us three gals, we requested for an extra bed @ RM90 per night.

We were required to attend a Registration & Briefing Session about a week before the actual hunt day.

The purpose is to distribute the car stickers (of the sponsors), goody bags, petrol vouchers and T-shirts (that we had to wear on hunt day) and to relay instructions and details for the hunt.

Stickers of the various sponsors that we have to adorn on our car.

The registration and briefing session also gave them the opportunity to sell Raffle (or Lucky) Draw Tickets (we did our small part for charity and bought a few).

Waiting for the briefing to begin :)

The briefing took us through some of the (past years) sample questions for the benefit of the treasure hunters especially those who are joining for the first time.

A session on tulip readings (ie. course direction) was also held for the first-timers.  An understanding on how to read tulips is important, otherwise you might end up in Timbuktu! @_@

Finally, the eagerly awaited hunt day has arrived.  Dragging ourselves out of bed in the early hours of the morning, we reached our Start Control (flag off point) in KDU University College, Glenmarie, at around 6+ am.

Final briefing @ 6.45 am before flag off

Flag off @ 7 am!

Finish Control (submission of questions and answers script + treasures) at Swiss-Garden Beach Resort Damai Laut's Ballroom....phew, arrived in the nick of time before regulation hunt cut-off time of 8 hours 30 minutes (otherwise penalty points will be deducted) and that's because we were over confident (at first) that it wouldn't take so long and stopped for breakfast along the way! >.<

The hunt culminated with the Prize Presentation Dinner on Day 2 where the champions were announced and prizes awarded to at least the top 15 positions.  Many lucky draw prizes were given out as well.  Answers to the treasure hunt questions were revealed and discussed during the course of the dinner (and you'll soon realise just how many answers you got wrong!) :D  You need to know a bit of general knowledge and current happenings around the world to decipher the questions and connect them to the signboards (or just about any signs) along the route...and also some "brain power" to unlock the clues to the treasures.

All in all, it was a fun and engaging event...and tiring too!  Though some of the questions were tricky (and tough), it's not winning that counts but the enjoyment of the journey (with family or friends) that matters...after all, life's a journey, not a destination.  Overall, I think my friends thoroughly enjoyed this new experience of their very first treasure hunt.

And that was pretty much our Day 1.  Games and activities were organised on Day 2...which we didn't participate....coz we went food hunting (but that will be another story for another day)!

For those who have not experienced a motor treasure hunt (organised by Kiwanis), it's a fun (and charitable) activity you could do with your family or friends...and, for those who have gone on their first one, they'll be 'itching' to go for more.  But, more importantly, your participation means support for this noble and worthy cause....so I say, let's do what we can to help! :-) 

19 comments:

  1. Looks like great fun!! :)

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  2. I take it that this is not your first time? I'm not so adventurous, so no treasure hunts for me hah...hah...

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    1. I wouldn't consider treasure hunts as adventurous...haha..it's nothing like jungle trekking, hiking or mountain climbing....it's just a bunch of people sitting in a car (occasionally walking) and looking to break some clues...hehe! :D

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  3. I have been on one motor treasure hunt organised by another charity not Kiwanis. 20 years ago, no smart phone so cannot google for information about answers and tips to the questions but now with smart phone, data plan, can always google or whatsapp friends for help for the answers. Unless Kiwanis rules say you cannot google and ask other friends for help.

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    1. No point in making a rule which you can't enforce. Yeah, you can certainly ask for help....but where's the fun in that! ;)

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    2. Googling for the answer is fun as you still need to figure out which one is the correct answer as there are so much information online.

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    3. Yes, we did google...but not so much as to ask friends for help for the answers to the questions.

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  4. Last I had a treasure hunt was like maybe 20 yrs ago, looks fun.

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    1. Wow, that's a long time ago....that time got driving license ah? :D

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  5. the early wake-up call is one of the reasons i've never gone on any sort of hunt ... but that really sounds like just a lazy excuse on my part! :D but it's great how you chose one with a good cause, and had fun in the process! ;)

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    1. A good cause needs all the support they can get...and this year they didn't meet their target of 100 cars. I guess charities are the first ones to suffer in an economic slowdown.

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  6. Actually no. I've been on one of these motor treasure hunt (not Kiwanis though) and I vowed never again. Not the hunt that pisses me off, merely the stickers that they want you to put on your car. You never know whether they will give you good quality stickers or not, I had trouble peeling them off afterwards, leaving unwanted marks on my car.

    I'll gladly just donate the money and say no to such activities :/ .

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    1. Oh dear, I don't know which hunt you were on but I've not had bad experience with car stickers being difficult to peel off afterwards coz they know these are going on the cars and they would make sure that they're of a quality that will not leave marks on your car, otherwise who would participate the following year (especially if they organise such events on an annual basis).

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    2. I am with RG on this one. I would just donate the money because I have seen car accidents happening during motor treasure hunt when the driver is too engrossed looking for signs and clues along the way and did not pay much attention to the traffic and cars around his car. Hhmmmpphhh!

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    3. The motor treasure hunts I've been on have been 100% accident-free. Yeah, of course donations are always welcome.

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    4. You must be the lucky ones! :)

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