Invitation to Autoworld Treasure Hunt 2006

[jaimecheng]

Frist prize worth more than RM5000 to be won!

Autoworld Motor Treasure Hunt (Autoworld Member Get Together 2006)

Date : 15th - 16th July 2006
Flag-off Time : 8.00 am
Flag-off Venue : Wisma Hong Leong - KL
Destination : Melaka (Century Mahkota Hotel)
Fees per person : RM180 (12 years old and above); RM80 (4-12 years old)
Briefing Session : 14th July 2006 (Friday)
Briefing Location : Level 1 Wisma Hong Leong 18 Jalan Perak 50450 Kuala Lumpur

Note: Fees includes one night stay at Century Mahkota Hotel, one BBQ buffet dinner and one buffet breakfast. Lots of goodies and attractive prizes will be given away too. Each participants will also get a free t-shirt.
Registration ends 30th June, please try to register early or by 15th June if possible.

More details can be obtained here:
http://www.autoworld.com.my/GT06/index.htm

[jaimecheng]

Just to update all, here's more information about what Motor Treasure Hunt is about.

Treasure Hunting – Join the Autoworld Treasure Hunt and find out why Treasure Hunting is called Mala
Thursday, June 01, 2006 By YS Khong
Treasure hunting in the Malaysian context is not going out to the jungles or to a deserted island with an old parchment with a treasure map, on which ‘X’ marks the spot, and digging for pirate treasure. Neither is it diving in the Straits of Melaka looking for sunken Dutch or Portuguese ships, although you may find a Portuguese man-of-war or two, the jellyfish, that is.

The type of treasure hunting here in Malaysia is the motorized kind, where you get into a car with a group of your friends for a weekend of fun and games, perhaps stay overnight at a resort or hotel, get a chance to win some prizes as well.

It all started in the sixties, when British army personnel organized these events on weekends to bring some colour to their lives on weekends. It was a reason to get their families together, to go on a quest or mission, and finish the day off with a barbecue by the beach, or lots of beer at the local clubhouse. A hunt setter or Huntmaster would chart a route using ‘tulips’, (a popular system that is still being used for car rally events today), or by using ma co-ordinates. Along the route, participants are given ‘clues’ often in the form of riddles or puzzles, to which they have to provide answers. The answers are generally found on signboards, or physical features, monuments, or buildings along the route. Sometimes, the teams are also required to solve riddles asking for specific items to be handed in, and these are called ‘treasures’. The winning team is the one that scored the highest in the competition.

What happened was that some of our locals latched on to the sport and started to organize such events, usually for sports clubs, or community groups as a weekend recreational activity. The earliest hunt I remember was in the early 1970’s, when I attended one organized by the local motor club. Later on, members of the motor clubs introduced treasure hunting to service clubs like the Rotary Club and Kiwanis Clubs. Sports clubs and others also caught the fever, and today, it is quite common to see many cars with competition number stickers stuck onto their cars and traipsing all over the country during weekends.

For people who work all week cooped up in offices, a treasure hunt provides a healthy break. It also gives them a chance to get out of their homes, and on outstation events, it also gives them a chance to see the country or visit places of interest. In fact, if not for treasure hunts, there would be many places that I would never have even thought of visiting.

Today, treasure hunts have progressed very much indeed; no longer are there questions that ask you how many flagpoles are there in some government building courtyard, nor will any Huntmaster ask you to count the number of lampposts along Jalan Bangsar; the questions really test your general knowledge, lateral thinking, and observation skills. Crossword puzzle-type clues are common, as well as anagrams, hidden words, and such. In fact the treasure hunt community were solving Da Vinci Code type clues long before the book was written.

Another reason why treasure hunting is so popular here is that it also gives young people a chance to meet other people. There are many stories, good ones at that, of people getting to make new friends, falling in love, and getting married, all because of treasure hunting.

Autoworld is organizing its second treasure hunt, having started the ball rolling in 2005, when the inaugural event took about 200 participants from Kuala Lumpur to Penang, for an overnight stay at the Holiday Inn, Batu Ferringhi, where the prize presentation dinner was held. In addition to prizes for the winners, there were lucky draws and novelty prizes for funny answers and ‘strange’ treasures submitted.

This year, the Autoworld Treasure hunt is scheduled for 15 July, and we will be going to Historical Melaka, a city teeming with culture and history. The treasure hunt will end at Century Mahkota hotel where the participants will spend the night and a grand prize presentation dinner is thrown in with the hotel stay.

There are great prizes to be won, and the first prize will be worth RM5,000. In addition, there will be lucky draws, so even if you don’t win the hunt, there are chances for other prizes. Entry fee is RM180 per adult, and teams can have form 2 to 4 participants in a car. Children are welcome too, with reduced fees for kids under 12 years old.

So, of you have not taken part in a treasure hunt before, log onto www.autoworld.com.my, sign up as a member for free, and register yourself as a participant. Of course, you have to get a team of friends to go with you, because you will need a navigator to read the route instructions, and also ‘spotters’ who will help you look for answers to the clues. For beginners, there is a special category of prizes; this is so that everybody has a chance to win. See you at the Autoworld Treasure hunt 2006. Hurry, as only 50 cars are allowed.

http://www.autoworld.com.my/emzine/review/viewarticle.asp?awReviewId=2083&awCatId=RT.ATC.CAR.MTR

[jaimecheng]

Are you or you know any of your friends driving Fiat cars? If yes, email me your name or contact details.. you may be entitled to participate in the hunt for free... sponsored fee.