ALMOST a month after the success of the third Queenie Festival, the £4,000 ‘golden queenie’ has still not been found - and the hunt goes on.
The festival organisers promised that this year's ‘Golden Queenie Conundrum’ would be the “toughest ever” and it looks as though they've been as good as their word, for the location of the Golden Queenie is still a mystery to the many treasure hunters on its trail.
In only its third year, the cryptic challenge, reminiscent of the Cadbury's Golden Egg treasure hunt in the early 1980s, has become a hugely popular tradition. Taking people far and wide to local landmarks and hidden corners, it tests people's knowledge of the Island's geography and history, myth and language.
The conundrum clues were first released in the second week of June via the festival programme and website, and all over the Island people set out to find the golden shell.
Six weeks and much head scratching later, organiser Tim Croft is urging people not to give up. “We asked our cluemaster to make the conundrum particularly fiendish this year because we know the calibre of our treasure hunters - they're a determined, resourceful lot!
“All I can say is, keep puzzling – the prize is out there, just waiting to be claimed! Don't be put off if you're new to the search, you've got just as much chance of cracking the code as someone who's already familiar with the clues”.
The conundrum consists of 14 riddles. Entered into a grid, the answers will yield a 13 digit code; only by texting a mobile number revealed by the 14th answer will participants receive their final instruction, leading them to the location of the treasure.
The cluemaster, who insists on remaining anonymous, refuses to shed light on any of the cryptic clues. Pressed at length, however, he gives the following tips: “The answers may be in Manx or English, and they may be numbers or letters. When the grid is complete, you should have a random alpha-numeric code.
“To search in earnest, you'll need a map (the Ordnance Survey Outdoor Leisure Map, 1:25000)...and a ruler. This is all I can tell you”.
Treasure hunters have been sharing their progress and frustrations on the Queenie Festival website, with one commenting, “I think I'll be very pleased whoever wins, as I'll know they have put in more than enough work to deserve it”.
To join in with the treasure hunters' discussion, visit www.queeniefestival.com and check out the latest Golden Queenie news http://queeniefestival.com/2011/07/28/golden-queenie-still-at-large. You can also visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/queeniefestival
