Tom. You found dad 😭 THANK YOU so, so much 😭🙏 I’m in Jakarta right now and when I saw this was published about an hour ago, I had to cancel dinner plans. I have that weird stinging in my sinuses haha - where it feels like tears are incoming, but they just won’t come… it’s just sheer excitement for when I’ll be in Taiwan with time to rent a motorcycle to stand right where my father stood. It doesn’t bother me that the mountain is concealed - to be able to just stand where dad stood well before I was even born is so much more than I could’ve ever imagined possible. THANK YOU 🙏
While that is of course the correct mountain in the photo, it is _not_ Gorilla Rock. Gorilla Rock is a formation sticking out the side of the next mountain down the road, very clearly in the shape of a gorilla's head. The correct name for the mountain in the picture is Xiaojianshan. It's 128 meters high, and because it somewhat resembles a bamboo hat, it is also called Douli Mountain.
I’ve been geodetecting places from photos since before streetview / Google Earth but only for places I knew or could visit in person back then, and I’m still hooked now - and there is always a mixed feeling when you find somewhere so quickly that you thought would be tough. The relief and joy, but also a disappointment that the challenge is over so soon :) My latest thing is finding filming locations used in music videos - kinda like the one you did from old adverts. I was particularly pleased to find a spot which had been put through an AI filter to turn it into a sci fi looking city just the other day (I was fairly sure which city it had been filmed in, and there were features the AI kept returning to showing that i worked out what they were and then found the spot). Anyhow - great video that was particularly poignant - I happen to have been looking through old family photos of holidays and finding the exact spot my parents had stood, where my nan had been etc just this last week so I totally get why this would mean a lot to someone.
Was it just me that thought the satchel on Maurices pops bike was a toy horse head haha? But yeah seriously, what a touching story, I can't imagine what it's like to lose your dad, I love mine he's a legend, and I know how much this would mean to me to go see places in Tahiti he sailed to in the 60s.. Really cool of you to track this down while he's able to visit it man. Definitely subscribing
The date the road was changed was easily findable - by just entering Chinese language version of the Wikipedia article. 1994 was the opening date. And it says that it partially replaced province highway 1 with map of how the road went. Of course it's not too accurate. Just a hint for future searches.
@@fdagpigjlol i mean the takeaway is to go to the obviously more relevant language wiki page where it’ll have more info. And dates in most any language are usually all in our arabic numeral system. Plus you can hit “translate” in most browsers. Then you have much more info - and it’s back in your language.
@@fdagpigj To echo the comment above, use google translate and local language wikis often have a lot more information vs English. Sometimes there isn't even an entry in English.
I just started the video and that mountain in the background looks VERY familiar! If it's the one I'm thinking of, it's in Pingtung County, south Taiwan. I know EXACTLY where this is! I know because I've drove past it on scooter before! I even have it in a couple of my RUclips videos! Travelling Taiwan: The Coastal Road, Day 6! Edit: Just re-watched the intro and read the description and that basically confirmed it! 6:21 Exactly! It IS a nice thing to do! 7:11 Yes! It's Yehliu Geopark. (I've made a video there too!) 13:24 That's it! 16:38 Just to let you know, Gorilla Rock is the name of a rock formation on the side of the hill. The hill's name is 車城小尖山 (Checheng Xiaojianshan)
It is interesting how much knowledge humans have collectively. Imagine if Tom did not find the rock on the map he would have probably not made this video. But if he made a 'fail' video then your comment would have provided us the answer any way.
I wouldn't be too sad about the trees. In this story, the trees are a Symbol of the renewal of life. The trees are a symbol for the son, who is growing up, becoming taller and taller.
At 20:30 you can see an article titled "Pinge highway Planting Trees Project" i wonder if those are the trees that were planted which blocked the view of the rock
geowitchcraft aside, this is truly one beautiful picture! the smile, the motorcycle, the mountain... it looks like Maurice's old man was having a truly wonderful time!
The name of the mountain is 車城小尖山 (Checheng Xiaojianshan), not Gorilla Rock (which is nearby nevertheless). It is apparently a (minor?) tourist attraction in Southern Taiwan.
Even if he can't get the exact photo with the rock in the background, he can still get a photo where his father stood and I'm sure that is the most important thing. Great work Tom.
And if he goes up the road a bit he could get a photo that nearly looks the same. So he should definitely take a photo in that spot, but if he wants to show people side by side of him and his father, then he should go up the road a couple hundred feet and take another one with the same background. I really hope he thinks of that.
Thanks Tom I love this, my father lived in and died in Spain 20 years ago I'm 37 now and I spent a lot of the past couple of years looking for where he is buried if he is buried at all. But to no joy. I hope this man can take his photo and find his solace.
Hi, do you live in Spain too or have contacts there who can help you? Why do you have doubts about him being buried if is not much to ask? Maybe I can help somehow, I'm from Spain actually, and my dad works as a manager in a funeral parlour. We aren't probably from the same region in Spain as your father, but if you don't have anyone here maybe I can give you some kind of useful info idk, let me know if you need it.
@@lucyorwell that is so nice of you thank you. I live in England near to London and my dad lived in Albox, Andalusia I believe he was murdered by my stepmother but the death certificate says he died with a stomach ulcer. It’s a longgggg story. I have a death certificate and I’ve spoken to albox town hall and the incineration place in Albox they said that if nobody claims the remains then the Spanish pay for incineration which is what happened. But that was in 2005 so there’s no trace of where the remains went. Hopefully he is in the cemetery of La Hoya but every grave stone would have to be checked. I say La Hoya because Albox said he wasn’t there
@mitchellhiggon547 I'm so so sorry. So cruel. Even if it was just about denying him a proper burial site and for his family a place to visit she is already a terrible human being for that reason, that's such a lack of respect and empathy that your doubts about his cause of death are honestly justified. If I understood correctly no one claimed his body? Or it was just the remains after cremation that weren't claimed? Because as far as I know there's different procedures, I'm guessing no one claimed him at all from the beginning. In any case the info about the burial site should be in the certificate, and I'm not sure about the legality of not having that information available. Not sure about for how long they have to keep records at the funeral place neither, but I'm shocked at the lack of information/help at the town hall. I'm from the north of Spain, so there may be some differences, but is weird nonetheless. Anyways I'm just speculating at the moment, I will ask my father tomorrow until which degree this is normal or legal, but I don't think they can get away with that many missing info. If it's not much to ask, do you know if he passed at a healthcare facility or it was anywhere else? If you prefer to speak about it in private I can maybe give you my socials or email. But I will let you know what I get from my dad tomorrow anyway.
@@Dohnjoe5940 Albox are claiming that he 100% will be buried as nobody claimed the ashes but they deny he’s in Albox. They say there’s no record of what happened to the ashes I fear the worst tbh.
How on god green earth do you keep managing to find these 1 in a billion locations literally 4 seconds after you commence your arduous search. It's absolutely maddening!
He walks us through his reasoning, which is built on years of knowledge and a ton of intuition from his years of exploring maps and playing geoguessr. He knew it was Taiwan, his geoguessr intuition told him it felt southern and coastal, and the road trip part was good reasoning on top of that. This crazy lucky in this one was mainly the 50/50 he chose clockwise that spared him who knows how long, and a bit of luck that it was pretty damn far south close to his starting area!
@@Michael-kp4bd I would say geoguessr only accounts for a small percentage of his skill on GeoDetective. The Geoguessrs might nail down the country, but Tom's skill comes from experience in the field, especially when he plans out his missions. It's translating maps into real world locations, especially regarding topography and architecture in a way geoguessr players aren't doing.
@@ApathyBM in addition to everything that's already been said, I'll add persistence and dedication. I can't imagine having the patience and care to embark on a search through all of Taiwan for a single mountain, even for a great cause like this, but Tom is up for the challenge.
He could stand in the spot , but send a drone up to get a photograph but from a different angle. One that includes Gorilla rock and him standing where his father did, just from a different perspective.
Just want to point out the mountain is not called Gorilla Rock, that's just a rock formation on the side of this mountain. The mountain is called 車城小尖山 (Checheng Xiaojianshan).
17:28 the shadows are a PERFECT match on the left side of the mountain. that right there is the exact location of the photo. it pained me that he was like ok now to just find the exact location.... haha you've already found it brother! Great video and you've done Maurice a wonderful service Tom.
yeah I disagree as well. The smaller hill on the right side in front of the pointy mountain is higher in the photo, indicating it was taken closer to the hill than compared to the google street view position you're referring to.
@@lisveLooks right to me. The difference might be the foliage and everything. That place has changed a lot. It looks even more different now on Google Maps. The hill to the right looks different, but... Well, it's different. In the photo it's a bit rocky and uneven. In the newer image it's smooth. Also, everything between the man and the hill has changed. The sharpness of the mountain might also be because of foliage. I'm no expert, but it's what I see.
0:06 - of all the online geography-based detective series in which GeoWizard attempts to locate the exact whereabouts of a subject in a photograph (from all the towns in all the world) - this is indeed my favourite.
Well done, sir! When I saw the preview thumb on my YT home page, I knew it was Taiwan, so I clicked on it. I have lived here for 23+ years, and immediately assumed the photo was taken in the south, as I have traveled that stretch of road countless times. I couldn't have said exactly where it was, but as you drew closer to your conclusion, I was super chuffed to find out my basic instinct was correct. I actually teach geography here at the middle school level, so I geek out about this kind of thing. So cool you found it, and so quickly! Kudos to you, and I hope that Maurice has a great time reconstructing things. Indeed, it is a very cool world we live in, despite all the challenges.
I have a lot of bad stuff in my life right now and often feel hopeless but your videos always makes me feel better for a while at least. Just want to say thank you for making these videos.
For this one he actually used the real first name, check the pinned comment. He said it's not "quite" the real name because it's the real first name but a made up last name.
ROFL when I realized you got tasked with finding that mount in Taiwan. From that picture. ROFL. Jaw dropped when you stumbled across it like a boss. WHAT?!? Unbelievable find.
Tom, just wanted you to know that Great Aunt's Painting was of Pont Neuf, Paris and was VERY accurate! Hopefully you can update your spreadsheet (and perhaps revisit it in an update video?). Great work on this one! Can't believe you just immediately got it.
@@ReyNicoHere's hoping! I was playing along with him on the Great Aunt video and eventually found the similar looking square at the end of the Pont Neuf bridge. Messing with the year allowed me to see just how good the painting was. I was impressed! Hoping he returns to update it, because it is interesting.
Amazing work Tom, your brain never ceases to amaze me. Love a story like this too, my sympathy to Maurice but this is a really poetic way to follow in his father's footsteps, literally. Using the internet to piece together these stories and help people, even in somewhat trivial ways. It's truly incredible. So glad you found it, and so quickly too.
Beautiful. Most people drive by this spot without a second thought but Maurice has such a deep connection to it. Really makes you stop and appreciate the world around you.
Beautiful video! Thanks for the Plonk It Guide shoutout. Even though it didn't mention the agava plants, glad to see it could still be at least of some help, confirming the thought about the photo looking tropical (and therefore south). Kind regards from the Plonk It guide editors :)
Just leaving a comment from a different country, so the algorithm gets confused. Greetings from Germany. Will keep watching all Videos till the end of this chanel. And the classics will be rewatched for years. Like Home alone in Christmas.
BY FAR, your most incredible episode. Hopefully, Maurice can experience some form of peace during his visit - traveling alongside his father, albeit a few decades later. Great work, Tom.
I know you likely figured this out towards the end of the clip, but the new road has the power lines to the left from your view. The old road which we cannot get to via street view would be power lines to the right which is how it shows in the original photo. Stunning work! I just found this channel as we recently moved to Oregon and are starting to do some geocaching.
To get a photo that's "close enough", Maurice could stand roughly where the little dirt road loops to the left. there he'll at least see the mountain in the back
As soon as Tom found the rock shape i knew the photo wouldn't be possible to imitate. It feels like time has erased this moment. I don't know why this makes me so sad.
Since some of us spend our entire lives to leave a legacy behind us, I guess it’s kinda natural feel like that, I would feel bad if I knew my legacy would be snuffed out by time, but I guess it’s only natural.
I get that feeling when looking around my local area on Google maps. I'm only 31 but there's been such immense change around here even in that time that some places are unrecognisable. I know it's the steady march of time and things have to move on, it's just sad seeing quaint English countryside turn into dual carriageways, industrial estates and houses.
Amazing find and story, I hope Maurice can find some solace in his trip. I will also say, it seemed like just around the bend, the view of 小霸尖山 was quite a bit clearer. A photo in the exact location, and then a photo down the road (or from the side road or something), that evokes a greater similarity to the background from the original, would be very sweet.
This is my first video of yours to have watched. I work on environmental investigations and I want to recommend some resources we use for “detective” work. Some cost money but they are helpful! Nearmap; historical typos from USGS; sanborn maps; RealQuest; gis tax parcel maps/land records viewers; EDR (definitely not cheap but gives you sanborn maps, aerials, topos, groundwater flow direction…)
It has to be the right mountain, but somehow the direction he is facing the sun doesn't add up for me with the road orientation and length of the shadows. So maybe the road was not only widened but also straightened since the photo was made. In that case the historical road would have been facing a bit more towards an east - west direction, which would also explain the difference in how the two hills match up.
Welcome to the club. Patreon is linked somewhere and is 100% worth supporting. Like I am not even joking. Tom is one of the few creators that actually makes posts on patreon frequently and getting early access to most videos is super nice.
This was awesome to watch!! Congrats on helping Maurice. On a side note, power lines rarely every move. Sometimes powerlines will get abandoned in place. If power lines get upgraded the path usually stays the same.
I did this one with you and paused the video when you started doing new methods and tried applying myself first before seeing what you did next. I learned a lot from this video about features I wasn't even aware of, awesome content and amazing work!
Hit 18:10 - he's still questioning - but when he throws the pictures up side by side - it;s like everything else, people see what they see - I see Dr Doom's Mask under his hood exactly matching both pictures - in the mountain. This is a great video
When doing these, it's good to remember that road trips are often to distant locations, where photos are taken with distinct local features. If this hill was right near the capital city, it probably would not be photographed because people see it everyday. Also the family members would recognize common features that they saw all the time, so the fact the relatives didn't recognize it probably means it's a remote, scenic location. In this case, it's about as far away from where most all the population live in the north as possible.
Taiwanese here, my hunch is also around the southern tip of Taiwan! Glad you were able to find the spot. It would have been a much more strenuous search if you did counter-clockwise😅 The road layout looks pretty much the same since 1985 based on an online map archive I found, but there's limited info since the area is quite rural. For most people, the only reason to be on that road would be en route to Kenting, which is a major tourist destination. It's possible that Maurice's father took this picture during a break on his road trip to Kenting!
18:02 : Warning ! you are forgetting how the different cameras used (google 360° cam vs old (probably film) camera) may drastically change the appearance of objects in terms of shape because of their f ratio. Aside : damn, this is really impressive and I found a great series I am going to follow
This is absolutely insane! The level of skill and sheer luck combined on this one made for one of the most impressive finds in geodetective history honestly! I was so convinced it would take you days to find it looking at how big Taiwan is but jeez this is beyond impressive :D
I've never noticed that you say "Telegraph Poles" before now! Growing up here in the states, we always referenced to them as "Telephone poles", though these days I think of them as "power lines". Was interesting to me is all lol. Good job on this, amazingly fast!
I think the actual location is on that dirt track lay-by to the left of the road. If you look at the pylons in the photo, they could be following the side of the main road, as they do in google maps.
Absolutely wonderful! Isn't it amazing how seeing you find place, from a picture of a bloke I have never met and obviously do not know, could be so emotional. He looks like a lovely chap too.
Wow can’t wait to see the Isle of Man video. In June I’m running four marathons in four days around the island fundraising for the British Heart Foundation! (Shameless plug who cares). So really looking forward to the scenery and maybe some ideas of what I’ll be up against ☺️
By the way, Dulan is the famous exotic town for foreign expats --- a quiet coastal town just 20 km north of Taitung City.There is no public transportation to Dulan other than by bus, so do not expect large crowds.
viewer from Taiwan here, lovely to see this island is explored (havent the foggiest where that photo is taken myself)! looking forward to the upcoming adventures!
Wow mate, long time follower myself. What a guy are for taking the time to do this for a follower of yours. Kudos! Just what I needed to restore my faith in humanity!
wait, is that the guy I think it is? (japanese dude who plays pachinko friends with tiny appartment tokio youtuber ? ) if so the interwebs are a small place , no matter what they say
Thank you for what you're doing... Using your knowledge to help other people around the world like this is just precious, makes me really happy to see people like you on the internet. Just found out about this channel and I'm really happy to get here, also I'm a Spanish native speaker so if you need someone for Spanish subtitles you can tell me :) because I really would like for more people to know about this channel. As a psychologist I also know how much of importance it has for someone to spot places where important people for us were in the past, it's a closure and it's also a very liberating experience
How amazing and moving that you can use your exceptional geographical talent to do something so meaningful and poignant for someone. Brilliant work Tom, and all the best to Maurice in travelling to the spot your dad once stood in ☺️🙏🏻
My bf sent me this vid, I am Taiwanese, my hometown is Taitung, and I am aboriginal people in Taiwan too! I shared this to my dad, told him just looked at the old pic of Maurice’s dad, he answered the name of the road immediately lol And then I continued the vid, I found out oh my god that is the road we always have to passing through from Taitung to my mom’s hometown Kaohsiung, and my dad is always driving…. No wonder he can recognized right away…. So happy for you Maurice, have a lovely one in finding the trace! p.s. my dad went to Louvre 24 years ago, cus I am currently living in paris, so I did the same imitation picture too on Father’s Day then sent him the pic! So I can feel Maurice why you wanted to do this! It’s so amazing and such meaningful!
Tom. I've watched your progress on GeoGessr and I've also followed you on your straight-line and across xxx adventures and all I can say is Well done Sir! You have triggered me into joining GeoGessr and also to start thinking to do stupid straight line missions across where I'm living.. You are truly an inspiration. Keep up the good work and if you take requests, I'm very fond or your urban straight line episods, but then again the play alongs are also top notch. 🙂
Really expected a Fraggle Rock reference at 16:50 there Tom. You're letting the side down missing educational opportunities like this slip through the fingers.
Fantastic work. I was going to counter you on the pin because I was convinced the electrical poles on the East side of the road (the shot is facing South) were the same one's to the West of Maurice's father. However, I found a pole in a 2009 street view, further up to that building, between it an the mound, facing West, that seems very likely to be remnant of that sequence of poles in the photo. That pole is just behind the mound, and the electrical wires no longer continue North, but now turn towards the street view car, that is to the East of the pole. There is also a pole on the West side of the road, a little further back in the North, that is plausibly a remnant in that sequence that runs close to the west side of that road. I have a connection to Taiwan, so loved this. Again, great work.
Really beautiful, moving video. I know it means so much to connect with things from the past, and this is especially poignant. So happy for you, Maurice. This was kind of like looking for a needle in a haystack, and having a haystack falling on you and the needle dropping into your palm. It does look like morning light in the original photo, but now you know where it is I think it's early afternoon? Might have that flipped; course it was always one or the other, but whichever it is can be confirmed now. I'm sure a better Sherlock than I could deduce the exact time of day and even the month or week this was taken.
A good idea to consider in the future. A good understanding of Flora will really go a long way. Knowing what grows where and when, or common bushes etc etc.
![“Please help me locate (and recreate) this photograph of my deceased mother” [GEO DETECTIVE #26]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/_RyJHJlNFEg/mqdefault.jpg)
Tom. You found dad 😭 THANK YOU so, so much 😭🙏 I’m in Jakarta right now and when I saw this was published about an hour ago, I had to cancel dinner plans. I have that weird stinging in my sinuses haha - where it feels like tears are incoming, but they just won’t come… it’s just sheer excitement for when I’ll be in Taiwan with time to rent a motorcycle to stand right where my father stood. It doesn’t bother me that the mountain is concealed - to be able to just stand where dad stood well before I was even born is so much more than I could’ve ever imagined possible. THANK YOU 🙏
So glad it could be found - and what an incredible story! Hopefully Tom can share that photo of you when it gets taken.
👏🏼👏🏼
I'm so happy for you Maurice!!!
❤
Please ask Maurice to post a follow-up showing his visit to the location
I would love to see the photos he takes here!
He's a long time watcher, he'll certainly see your comment! I'm sure he'll update us with a photo!
Yesssss I want to see the photo. Was a good completion to this story it will be
Yes please, we want to see it!!
Staying tuned for Maurices vlog there!
While that is of course the correct mountain in the photo, it is _not_ Gorilla Rock. Gorilla Rock is a formation sticking out the side of the next mountain down the road, very clearly in the shape of a gorilla's head. The correct name for the mountain in the picture is Xiaojianshan. It's 128 meters high, and because it somewhat resembles a bamboo hat, it is also called Douli Mountain.
Dude sweet knowledge, thank you 🙏
Commenting to bring attention.
bumping this one towards the top
Chinese transcription of Xiaojianshan: 小尖山
"Small Pointy Mountain". Valid name.
Imagine if Tom went counter-clockwise!🤯
OMG I didn't think about that
Yep that would have been grrrrreeeeeeeaaaaaatt
Bruh.
I was thinking this very thing throughout most of this video
LOL
At 20:26 in the google search, you can see there was an initiative to plant trees along the highway. That probably explains the new foliage.
Innitive?
@@mip4422 Initiative
@@mip4422initiative
@@mip4422he meant initiative
Well spotted!
What an experience. Lots of love to Maurice and his family.
Appreciate all them likes too!
I’ve been geodetecting places from photos since before streetview / Google Earth but only for places I knew or could visit in person back then, and I’m still hooked now - and there is always a mixed feeling when you find somewhere so quickly that you thought would be tough. The relief and joy, but also a disappointment that the challenge is over so soon :)
My latest thing is finding filming locations used in music videos - kinda like the one you did from old adverts. I was particularly pleased to find a spot which had been put through an AI filter to turn it into a sci fi looking city just the other day (I was fairly sure which city it had been filmed in, and there were features the AI kept returning to showing that i worked out what they were and then found the spot).
Anyhow - great video that was particularly poignant - I happen to have been looking through old family photos of holidays and finding the exact spot my parents had stood, where my nan had been etc just this last week so I totally get why this would mean a lot to someone.
Beautiful. Lost for words on this one. Powerful stuff!
Use historic aerials form older imagery
Is the plant at 16:14 the same as the one you googled?
Was it just me that thought the satchel on Maurices pops bike was a toy horse head haha?
But yeah seriously, what a touching story, I can't imagine what it's like to lose your dad, I love mine he's a legend, and I know how much this would mean to me to go see places in Tahiti he sailed to in the 60s..
Really cool of you to track this down while he's able to visit it man. Definitely subscribing
In an alternate universe Tom went counter-clockwise and is in his 30 hour long trip around Taiwan.😂
he would call it anticlockwise because he is English
@@Thomashorsman who cares
@@Thomashorsman LOL
I was thinking 'nah, I'd go counterclockwise' when he started. Dunno why.
24 people clearly@@kryspy5160
The date the road was changed was easily findable - by just entering Chinese language version of the Wikipedia article. 1994 was the opening date. And it says that it partially replaced province highway 1 with map of how the road went. Of course it's not too accurate. Just a hint for future searches.
Yup, just learn every written language in the world.
@@fdagpigjlol i mean the takeaway is to go to the obviously more relevant language wiki page where it’ll have more info. And dates in most any language are usually all in our arabic numeral system. Plus you can hit “translate” in most browsers. Then you have much more info - and it’s back in your language.
@@fdagpigj To echo the comment above, use google translate and local language wikis often have a lot more information vs English. Sometimes there isn't even an entry in English.
@@Michael-kp4bd I know, I was just joking because the OP didn't directly mention the need for translation, but said it's "easily findable".
@fdagpigj You can't joke on the internet without somebody explaining why you're wrong my friend.
We can just be glad this was pretty civil. 😂
I just started the video and that mountain in the background looks VERY familiar! If it's the one I'm thinking of, it's in Pingtung County, south Taiwan. I know EXACTLY where this is!
I know because I've drove past it on scooter before! I even have it in a couple of my RUclips videos! Travelling Taiwan: The Coastal Road, Day 6!
Edit: Just re-watched the intro and read the description and that basically confirmed it!
6:21 Exactly! It IS a nice thing to do!
7:11 Yes! It's Yehliu Geopark. (I've made a video there too!)
13:24 That's it!
16:38 Just to let you know, Gorilla Rock is the name of a rock formation on the side of the hill. The hill's name is 車城小尖山 (Checheng Xiaojianshan)
👏👏👏👏💯
It is interesting how much knowledge humans have collectively. Imagine if Tom did not find the rock on the map he would have probably not made this video. But if he made a 'fail' video then your comment would have provided us the answer any way.
Jesus loves yall, died for us, and rose again! Jesus calls for all of us to repent! He's coming back
I wouldn't be too sad about the trees. In this story, the trees are a Symbol of the renewal of life. The trees are a symbol for the son, who is growing up, becoming taller and taller.
So cute
Jesus loves yall, died for us, and rose again! Jesus calls for all of us to repent! He's coming back
Beautiful
Well now you've just made me cry.
Yeah but the trees are blocking the mountain now and that's sad 😢
I'm sure that being able to get so near to the spot where the photo was taken will mean a lot to Maurice. That was very kind of you, Tom.
Thank you David 😊
Jesus loves yall, died for us, and rose again! Jesus calls for all of us to repent! He's coming back
At 20:30 you can see an article titled "Pinge highway Planting Trees Project" i wonder if those are the trees that were planted which blocked the view of the rock
Probably
Jesus loves yall, died for us, and rose again! Jesus calls for all of us to repent! He's coming back
geowitchcraft aside, this is truly one beautiful picture! the smile, the motorcycle, the mountain... it looks like Maurice's old man was having a truly wonderful time!
Jesus loves yall, died for us, and rose again! Jesus calls for all of us to repent! He's coming back
The name of the mountain is 車城小尖山 (Checheng Xiaojianshan), not Gorilla Rock (which is nearby nevertheless). It is apparently a (minor?) tourist attraction in Southern Taiwan.
Even if he can't get the exact photo with the rock in the background, he can still get a photo where his father stood and I'm sure that is the most important thing. Great work Tom.
And if he goes up the road a bit he could get a photo that nearly looks the same. So he should definitely take a photo in that spot, but if he wants to show people side by side of him and his father, then he should go up the road a couple hundred feet and take another one with the same background. I really hope he thinks of that.
Jesus loves yall, died for us, and rose again! Jesus calls for all of us to repent! He's coming back
THE BUSH!!! At 22:42!!! Look at the BUSH! It's right by a little fence! There it is! @22:51!
Damn you're right!
I hope tom does a follow up to this!
Good catch! Perhaps one of its descendants, it surely looks like the same species😊
No. That bush was planted just before 2009. Check that year on google maps how the bush was only a little plant...
Wow you are right!!!!!!
Thanks Tom I love this, my father lived in and died in Spain 20 years ago I'm 37 now and I spent a lot of the past couple of years looking for where he is buried if he is buried at all. But to no joy. I hope this man can take his photo and find his solace.
Hi, do you live in Spain too or have contacts there who can help you? Why do you have doubts about him being buried if is not much to ask? Maybe I can help somehow, I'm from Spain actually, and my dad works as a manager in a funeral parlour. We aren't probably from the same region in Spain as your father, but if you don't have anyone here maybe I can give you some kind of useful info idk, let me know if you need it.
@@lucyorwell that is so nice of you thank you. I live in England near to London and my dad lived in Albox, Andalusia I believe he was murdered by my stepmother but the death certificate says he died with a stomach ulcer. It’s a longgggg story. I have a death certificate and I’ve spoken to albox town hall and the incineration place in Albox they said that if nobody claims the remains then the Spanish pay for incineration which is what happened. But that was in 2005 so there’s no trace of where the remains went. Hopefully he is in the cemetery of La Hoya but every grave stone would have to be checked. I say La Hoya because Albox said he wasn’t there
@@mitchellhiggon547 the ministry of Albox does not have a certificate of where he was buried? Man that is plain incopetent from their part.
@mitchellhiggon547 I'm so so sorry. So cruel. Even if it was just about denying him a proper burial site and for his family a place to visit she is already a terrible human being for that reason, that's such a lack of respect and empathy that your doubts about his cause of death are honestly justified.
If I understood correctly no one claimed his body? Or it was just the remains after cremation that weren't claimed? Because as far as I know there's different procedures, I'm guessing no one claimed him at all from the beginning. In any case the info about the burial site should be in the certificate, and I'm not sure about the legality of not having that information available. Not sure about for how long they have to keep records at the funeral place neither, but I'm shocked at the lack of information/help at the town hall. I'm from the north of Spain, so there may be some differences, but is weird nonetheless. Anyways I'm just speculating at the moment, I will ask my father tomorrow until which degree this is normal or legal, but I don't think they can get away with that many missing info. If it's not much to ask, do you know if he passed at a healthcare facility or it was anywhere else?
If you prefer to speak about it in private I can maybe give you my socials or email. But I will let you know what I get from my dad tomorrow anyway.
@@Dohnjoe5940 Albox are claiming that he 100% will be buried as nobody claimed the ashes but they deny he’s in Albox. They say there’s no record of what happened to the ashes I fear the worst tbh.
How on god green earth do you keep managing to find these 1 in a billion locations literally 4 seconds after you commence your arduous search. It's absolutely maddening!
I'd say its borderline paranormal. Intuition tapping into akashic records?
He walks us through his reasoning, which is built on years of knowledge and a ton of intuition from his years of exploring maps and playing geoguessr. He knew it was Taiwan, his geoguessr intuition told him it felt southern and coastal, and the road trip part was good reasoning on top of that. This crazy lucky in this one was mainly the 50/50 he chose clockwise that spared him who knows how long, and a bit of luck that it was pretty damn far south close to his starting area!
@@Michael-kp4bd it wasn't luck that he went clockwise, it was DEVINE INTERVENTION!
@@Michael-kp4bd I would say geoguessr only accounts for a small percentage of his skill on GeoDetective. The Geoguessrs might nail down the country, but Tom's skill comes from experience in the field, especially when he plans out his missions. It's translating maps into real world locations, especially regarding topography and architecture in a way geoguessr players aren't doing.
@@ApathyBM in addition to everything that's already been said, I'll add persistence and dedication. I can't imagine having the patience and care to embark on a search through all of Taiwan for a single mountain, even for a great cause like this, but Tom is up for the challenge.
He could stand in the spot , but send a drone up to get a photograph but from a different angle. One that includes Gorilla rock and him standing where his father did, just from a different perspective.
Yeah 100% this. Gonna be a real pain on the highway but gotta be worth it. Nice one Tom
Just want to point out the mountain is not called Gorilla Rock, that's just a rock formation on the side of this mountain. The mountain is called 車城小尖山 (Checheng Xiaojianshan).
I think the important thing for him is to stand on the spot and remember his dad.
All the rest is circuss.
It took be at least 5 minutes to realise that it was a satchel and not a hobbyhorse
It took me until Tom pointed out it was a satchel to realise 😅
What’s a hobbyhorse 😂
@@mip4422probably a horse head or something, because to me it look like it 😅
@@mip4422 a kids toy, a horses head on the end of a wooden stick you can pretend to ride 😊
I'm quite happy I'm not the only one seeing a horse's head on the back of that bike.
17:28 the shadows are a PERFECT match on the left side of the mountain. that right there is the exact location of the photo. it pained me that he was like ok now to just find the exact location.... haha you've already found it brother! Great video and you've done Maurice a wonderful service Tom.
Nah, look at the overall shape (pointyness), the angle is off here
yeah I disagree as well. The smaller hill on the right side in front of the pointy mountain is higher in the photo, indicating it was taken closer to the hill than compared to the google street view position you're referring to.
@@lisveLooks right to me. The difference might be the foliage and everything. That place has changed a lot. It looks even more different now on Google Maps. The hill to the right looks different, but... Well, it's different. In the photo it's a bit rocky and uneven. In the newer image it's smooth. Also, everything between the man and the hill has changed. The sharpness of the mountain might also be because of foliage. I'm no expert, but it's what I see.
11:55 perfect opportunity to say "so we know the coast is clear".
I thought the same thing.
came to the comments to exactly this!
Beat me to it
lol same
0:06 - of all the online geography-based detective series in which GeoWizard attempts to locate the exact whereabouts of a subject in a photograph (from all the towns in all the world) - this is indeed my favourite.
Well done, sir! When I saw the preview thumb on my YT home page, I knew it was Taiwan, so I clicked on it. I have lived here for 23+ years, and immediately assumed the photo was taken in the south, as I have traveled that stretch of road countless times. I couldn't have said exactly where it was, but as you drew closer to your conclusion, I was super chuffed to find out my basic instinct was correct. I actually teach geography here at the middle school level, so I geek out about this kind of thing. So cool you found it, and so quickly! Kudos to you, and I hope that Maurice has a great time reconstructing things. Indeed, it is a very cool world we live in, despite all the challenges.
I have a lot of bad stuff in my life right now and often feel hopeless but your videos always makes me feel better for a while at least. Just want to say thank you for making these videos.
genuinely hope things turn around for you, friend 🤝❤ I wish you the best
9:17 My girlfriend trying to cheer me up
Ayo 😂
Nah 😭
I did actually say that's what she said as I watched that part 😂
lmao
Jesus loves yall, died for us, and rose again! Jesus calls for all of us to repent! He's coming back
what a lucky hit for this sad story. Hope "maurice" can take his photo.
why the quotations around maurice?
@@henkenn Because Tom says it's not quite the right name at the end.
@@henkennhe uses fake names for this series
With a name like that I hope he became the Pompatus of Love.
For this one he actually used the real first name, check the pinned comment. He said it's not "quite" the real name because it's the real first name but a made up last name.
ROFL when I realized you got tasked with finding that mount in Taiwan. From that picture. ROFL.
Jaw dropped when you stumbled across it like a boss. WHAT?!? Unbelievable find.
Tom, just wanted you to know that Great Aunt's Painting was of Pont Neuf, Paris and was VERY accurate! Hopefully you can update your spreadsheet (and perhaps revisit it in an update video?). Great work on this one! Can't believe you just immediately got it.
He probably won't see this, definitely try to keep getting the message to him
@@ReyNicoHere's hoping! I was playing along with him on the Great Aunt video and eventually found the similar looking square at the end of the Pont Neuf bridge. Messing with the year allowed me to see just how good the painting was. I was impressed! Hoping he returns to update it, because it is interesting.
Here’s a comment for visibility, very cool
@@iamjeramy great work!!! That's impressive.
@@WiscomptonBoysThanks, I've been trying each detective video. Would love to see him check it out in a video and update it!
Amazing work Tom, your brain never ceases to amaze me. Love a story like this too, my sympathy to Maurice but this is a really poetic way to follow in his father's footsteps, literally. Using the internet to piece together these stories and help people, even in somewhat trivial ways. It's truly incredible. So glad you found it, and so quickly too.
Beautiful. Most people drive by this spot without a second thought but Maurice has such a deep connection to it. Really makes you stop and appreciate the world around you.
Beautiful video! Thanks for the Plonk It Guide shoutout. Even though it didn't mention the agava plants, glad to see it could still be at least of some help, confirming the thought about the photo looking tropical (and therefore south). Kind regards from the Plonk It guide editors :)
Out of all the geography-based detective series' hosted by a bloke called tom from the midlands, this one definitely takes the cake! 🏆
I'm just 4 minutes in, Tom, but wanted to thank you for calling Taiwan a country!
Just leaving a comment from a different country, so the algorithm gets confused. Greetings from Germany. Will keep watching all Videos till the end of this chanel. And the classics will be rewatched for years. Like Home alone in Christmas.
And to confuse the algorithm even more, I'm donating another comment from Germany! I love his videos, especially the "Geo detective" ones
BY FAR, your most incredible episode. Hopefully, Maurice can experience some form of peace during his visit - traveling alongside his father, albeit a few decades later. Great work, Tom.
I love that the search photo shows his father so happy!
Tears in my eyes of all this, thank you both!
I know you likely figured this out towards the end of the clip, but the new road has the power lines to the left from your view. The old road which we cannot get to via street view would be power lines to the right which is how it shows in the original photo. Stunning work! I just found this channel as we recently moved to Oregon and are starting to do some geocaching.
To get a photo that's "close enough", Maurice could stand roughly where the little dirt road loops to the left. there he'll at least see the mountain in the back
As soon as Tom found the rock shape i knew the photo wouldn't be possible to imitate. It feels like time has erased this moment. I don't know why this makes me so sad.
Since some of us spend our entire lives to leave a legacy behind us, I guess it’s kinda natural feel like that, I would feel bad if I knew my legacy would be snuffed out by time, but I guess it’s only natural.
I get that feeling when looking around my local area on Google maps. I'm only 31 but there's been such immense change around here even in that time that some places are unrecognisable.
I know it's the steady march of time and things have to move on, it's just sad seeing quaint English countryside turn into dual carriageways, industrial estates and houses.
mono no aware
That was the most wonderful and wholesome Geo Detective from you
This series is so good man. This series, the accident series and the IRL missions are the cream of the crop.
What a worthy way to use your niche geo-locating skills! I'd love to see you do more with this, if there's people out there who can benefit from it.
Amazing find and story, I hope Maurice can find some solace in his trip. I will also say, it seemed like just around the bend, the view of 小霸尖山 was quite a bit clearer. A photo in the exact location, and then a photo down the road (or from the side road or something), that evokes a greater similarity to the background from the original, would be very sweet.
This is my first video of yours to have watched. I work on environmental investigations and I want to recommend some resources we use for “detective” work. Some cost money but they are helpful! Nearmap; historical typos from USGS; sanborn maps; RealQuest; gis tax parcel maps/land records viewers; EDR (definitely not cheap but gives you sanborn maps, aerials, topos, groundwater flow direction…)
It has to be the right mountain, but somehow the direction he is facing the sun doesn't add up for me with the road orientation and length of the shadows. So maybe the road was not only widened but also straightened since the photo was made. In that case the historical road would have been facing a bit more towards an east - west direction, which would also explain the difference in how the two hills match up.
You can use overpass turbo to look for every peak in Taiwan. Seriosly look at overpass will be massively usefull in the series ❤
+1, very powerful tool if you're a bit used to the OSM database
You have no idea how lucky you were to find this !!! The coast road is about 1000km long ❤❤❤
I’ve been binging your channel all day. Crazy happy to see a new video!
Welcome to the club. Patreon is linked somewhere and is 100% worth supporting. Like I am not even joking. Tom is one of the few creators that actually makes posts on patreon frequently and getting early access to most videos is super nice.
I love it when the current channel I'm binging releases a perfectly timed video
So you got early access on patreon and now you're watching again here on youtube?@@x9x9x9x9x9
This was awesome to watch!! Congrats on helping Maurice.
On a side note, power lines rarely every move. Sometimes powerlines will get abandoned in place. If power lines get upgraded the path usually stays the same.
"What a mad time, what a turbulent time, wat a fucked up time... but what an incredible time."
Scrolled down to this comment at the exact time Tom said these words! 24:30 😅
Do you know which philosopher said that? Dolly Parton.
Lowkey worthy of being in a film script, that line
*it's 24:03 - sure u meant that. The people need this timestamp now.
I did this one with you and paused the video when you started doing new methods and tried applying myself first before seeing what you did next. I learned a lot from this video about features I wasn't even aware of, awesome content and amazing work!
I love these Geodetective rounds so much
Hit 18:10 - he's still questioning - but when he throws the pictures up side by side - it;s like everything else, people see what they see - I see Dr Doom's Mask under his hood exactly matching both pictures - in the mountain. This is a great video
When doing these, it's good to remember that road trips are often to distant locations, where photos are taken with distinct local features. If this hill was right near the capital city, it probably would not be photographed because people see it everyday. Also the family members would recognize common features that they saw all the time, so the fact the relatives didn't recognize it probably means it's a remote, scenic location. In this case, it's about as far away from where most all the population live in the north as possible.
That doesn't quite work in Taiwan cause there's a famous mountain right next to Taipei that everyone takes a picture at lol
Taiwanese here, my hunch is also around the southern tip of Taiwan! Glad you were able to find the spot. It would have been a much more strenuous search if you did counter-clockwise😅 The road layout looks pretty much the same since 1985 based on an online map archive I found, but there's limited info since the area is quite rural. For most people, the only reason to be on that road would be en route to Kenting, which is a major tourist destination. It's possible that Maurice's father took this picture during a break on his road trip to Kenting!
Am I the only one who thought he had a fairground horses head on the back on the bike and was holding a glass of wine?
haha Now that you mentioned it I am conditioned to see the white horse head (backpack) and the glass of wine (mirror)
Ha ha ha spot on!
@@GeorgeVenturi you’re welcome! Hahaha
No I thought it was a wooden horse too 😅
3:53...I could sense a bit of hesitation before you said it but -500,000 social credit score.
no worries he watches red sun in the sky every day for + credit score
No harm in the daily reminder: Taiwan is of course a country.
@@tomasdvorak7307
Taiwan is a country no matter what the communists in west Taiwan says
My favourite series and probably the best one yet.
So glad you found the exact spot for Maurice. 👍
18:02 : Warning ! you are forgetting how the different cameras used (google 360° cam vs old (probably film) camera) may drastically change the appearance of objects in terms of shape because of their f ratio.
Aside : damn, this is really impressive and I found a great series I am going to follow
This is absolutely insane! The level of skill and sheer luck combined on this one made for one of the most impressive finds in geodetective history honestly! I was so convinced it would take you days to find it looking at how big Taiwan is but jeez this is beyond impressive :D
Great stuff Tom, love these. Hope Maurice gets to stand there and have his moment.
Tom, when you upload it makes my day, I enjoy your videos so much, it brings me some sort of comfort, keep it up, mate 😊
I've never noticed that you say "Telegraph Poles" before now! Growing up here in the states, we always referenced to them as "Telephone poles", though these days I think of them as "power lines". Was interesting to me is all lol. Good job on this, amazingly fast!
I think the actual location is on that dirt track lay-by to the left of the road. If you look at the pylons in the photo, they could be following the side of the main road, as they do in google maps.
Absolutely wonderful! Isn't it amazing how seeing you find place, from a picture of a bloke I have never met and obviously do not know, could be so emotional. He looks like a lovely chap too.
as long as Maurice takes a drone, he will be able to get just a little extra elevation and get over the trees
Wow can’t wait to see the Isle of Man video. In June I’m running four marathons in four days around the island fundraising for the British Heart Foundation! (Shameless plug who cares). So really looking forward to the scenery and maybe some ideas of what I’ll be up against ☺️
23:49 Inspirational quote for the day😊
By the way, Dulan is the famous exotic town for foreign expats --- a quiet coastal town just 20 km north of Taitung City.There is no public transportation to Dulan other than by bus, so do not expect large crowds.
Tom: Finds exact location of a 45-year-old photo taken on the the other side of the world in 120 seconds
Also Tom: "Telegraph poles"
Whats wrong with telegraph poles? Thats what they were weren't they?
@@jellyman140Were they the 1952 series with the triple reinforced wire?
what a beautiful video, ,thank you for taking the time to help Maurice find this happy moment.
viewer from Taiwan here, lovely to see this island is explored (havent the foggiest where that photo is taken myself)! looking forward to the upcoming adventures!
Wow mate, long time follower myself.
What a guy are for taking the time to do this for a follower of yours. Kudos!
Just what I needed to restore my faith in humanity!
17:56 That's unmistakable. The thing practically has a face on it lol
Yes I saw the face, very clear on both pictures 😊
I absolutely loved this!!! First video of yours to check and I’m subbed nown
if he was smoking id think it was Natsuki.
wait, is that the guy I think it is? (japanese dude who plays pachinko friends with tiny appartment tokio youtuber ? ) if so the interwebs are a small place , no matter what they say
Hahaha.. Yeah, it does look a bit like Chris Broads friend, from Abroad in Japan.
Thank you for what you're doing... Using your knowledge to help other people around the world like this is just precious, makes me really happy to see people like you on the internet. Just found out about this channel and I'm really happy to get here, also I'm a Spanish native speaker so if you need someone for Spanish subtitles you can tell me :) because I really would like for more people to know about this channel. As a psychologist I also know how much of importance it has for someone to spot places where important people for us were in the past, it's a closure and it's also a very liberating experience
At the end when you cut to 2021 footage and it was all blocked off it was gutwrenching
How amazing and moving that you can use your exceptional geographical talent to do something so meaningful and poignant for someone. Brilliant work Tom, and all the best to Maurice in travelling to the spot your dad once stood in ☺️🙏🏻
Would love to see a geodetective run-off between rainbolt & tom
That's pretty mad, that you found it so quickly. Uncanny. Sent goosebumps down my spine a little bit!
My bf sent me this vid, I am Taiwanese, my hometown is Taitung, and I am aboriginal people in Taiwan too!
I shared this to my dad, told him just looked at the old pic of Maurice’s dad, he answered the name of the road immediately lol
And then I continued the vid, I found out oh my god that is the road we always have to passing through from Taitung to my mom’s hometown Kaohsiung, and my dad is always driving….
No wonder he can recognized right away….
So happy for you Maurice, have a lovely one in finding the trace!
p.s. my dad went to Louvre 24 years ago, cus I am currently living in paris, so I did the same imitation picture too on Father’s Day then sent him the pic! So I can feel Maurice why you wanted to do this! It’s so amazing and such meaningful!
Tom. I've watched your progress on GeoGessr and I've also followed you on your straight-line and across xxx adventures and all I can say is Well done Sir!
You have triggered me into joining GeoGessr and also to start thinking to do stupid straight line missions across where I'm living.. You are truly an inspiration. Keep up the good work and if you take requests, I'm very fond or your urban straight line episods, but then again the play alongs are also top notch. 🙂
Really expected a Fraggle Rock reference at 16:50 there Tom. You're letting the side down missing educational opportunities like this slip through the fingers.
Wow, I’m so happy you found it! This one has been epic, well done ❤
17:43 anyone able to make out a face like formation in the rock? completely identical in both images this is insane.
Yes like an Easter Island statue - Rapa Nui
had the same thought. seemed dubious until i saw that angle
Same here. The gorilla.
Amazing Tom. The compassion you show is unbelievable ❤️
Anyone else see the face in the mountain?
i can see a face in any abstract image , very clearly
Absolutely incredible video. That choice to start at the bottom and go clockwise was truly incredible. What a video.
GET INNN
Doing this as a sort of competition against someone like zigzag would be really fun to see I feel. First to find the location wins
My mind saying yippee when a new upload strikes
Fantastic work. I was going to counter you on the pin because I was convinced the electrical poles on the East side of the road (the shot is facing South) were the same one's to the West of Maurice's father. However, I found a pole in a 2009 street view, further up to that building, between it an the mound, facing West, that seems very likely to be remnant of that sequence of poles in the photo. That pole is just behind the mound, and the electrical wires no longer continue North, but now turn towards the street view car, that is to the East of the pole. There is also a pole on the West side of the road, a little further back in the North, that is plausibly a remnant in that sequence that runs close to the west side of that road. I have a connection to Taiwan, so loved this. Again, great work.
Yo Tom, when are you getting over to AFRICA mate to meet up with a certain GEEZER?!
Really beautiful, moving video. I know it means so much to connect with things from the past, and this is especially poignant. So happy for you, Maurice.
This was kind of like looking for a needle in a haystack, and having a haystack falling on you and the needle dropping into your palm. It does look like morning light in the original photo, but now you know where it is I think it's early afternoon? Might have that flipped; course it was always one or the other, but whichever it is can be confirmed now. I'm sure a better Sherlock than I could deduce the exact time of day and even the month or week this was taken.
The best channel on RUclips!
A good idea to consider in the future. A good understanding of Flora will really go a long way. Knowing what grows where and when, or common bushes etc etc.
Unbelievable
That's absolutely incredible. I love these Geo Detective episodes.