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Home / Lifestyle

The campsite riddle puzzling the internet

Herald online
29 Mar, 2016 08:54 PM4 mins to read

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This image from an old children's magazine has the internet scratching its head.

This image from an old children's magazine has the internet scratching its head.

A spate of Where's Wally-style puzzles that involve finding hidden animals such as pandas and owls have left people bewildered in recent weeks.

Now a logic puzzle for children has left the internet scratching its head.

This latest confusing image, thought to be from an old children's magazine, has recently resurfaced online. While originally touted as a children's puzzle, according to The Independent, the riddle is doing a good job of challenging adults.

The sketch shows three tourists at a campsite and is accompanied by a series of nine questions, based on the picture.

READ MORE: • Easter egg hunt: Can you spot the Easter egg?

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Of the three characters, one stands by a cooking pot, another is taking photos and a third is searching through a back pack.

A sign nailed to a tree reads: "On duty. Colin, 7. Peter, 8. James, 9". While the final name is obscured, the number 10 can be made out.

The questions begin simply enough, asking how many people are staying at the camp.

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But as they progress they become tougher, asking people to figure out whether the group arrived at the campsite that day or a few days earlier, how they got there and how far away the closest town is.

In addition, they ask whether the wind is blowing from north or south and what time of day it is.

One question asks where someone called Alex went while finally, they must figure out who was on duty yesterday and what day of the week it is.

Can you solve the puzzle by answering these questions?

1. How many tourists are staying at this camp?
2. When did they arrive: today or a few days ago?
3. How did they get here?
4. Is there a town nearby?
5. Where does the wind blow from: north or south?
6. What time of day is it?
7. Where did Alex go?
8. Who was on duty yesterday?
9. What date is it today?

Discover more

Lifestyle

Can you solve the jelly bean riddle?

15 Apr 08:08 PM
The answers to nine tricky questions are in this picture.
The answers to nine tricky questions are in this picture.

Unlike other puzzles that have swept the internet recently, the answers to this one can be found through a process of deduction.

Can you spot the panda among the snowmen. Photo / Facebook, Dudolf
Can you spot the panda among the snowmen. Photo / Facebook, Dudolf

Did you guess correctly?

1. The answer to how many tourists are staying at the camp is revealed by the four spoons and plates on the picnic blanket, and the four names listed on the duty notice.

2. As to when the group arrived, a cobweb strung from the tent to a tree is noted as the hint to suggest they have been there a few days.

3. An oar leaning against a tree serves as the key to figuring out how they got to the campsite: by boat.

4. A hen in the picture is said to be the clue to a town being nearby, from which the hen has wandered.

5. A flag blowing is part of the clue to work out that the wind is coming from the south. As to the direction, the answer is said to be from the fact that, in the Northern Hemisphere, branches are usually larger on the southern side of a tree, as is evidenced in the drawing.

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6. If you can figure out the answer to question five, you can then work out where east and west lie then work out the time based on the shadows.

7. Spying a net behind the tent reveals Alex is catching butterflies.

8. Through a process of deduction, it can be established that Colin was on duty yesterday:

Colin is rummaging through his backpack (marked with a 'c'); Alex is catching butterflies; James is taking photos as his tripod can be seen sticking out of his bag. This leaves Peter - then, according to the list, that means Colin was on duty yesterday.

9. The date is August 8. While the duty list's numbers can be assumed to correspond to the days of the month, the inclusion of a watermelon, said to ripen in August in the Northern Hemisphere. is the clue to the month of the year.

- nzherald.co.nz

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