It couldn’t get any better, caching, camping and 4Wdriving. That was what happened last weekend when the Rats hosted an event in the Watagans State Forest (west of Morisset). Between 10-12 vehicles made the trip to the Turpentine Campground, some making an extra long-weekend while most of us only stayed one night.
After meeting at the F3 Roadhouse (near Wyong) we made our way up into the mountains where we met up with the rest of the caching clan. After setting up camp and some friendly chat we headed out in search of the local caches. After a few hours driving we’d collected the 4 caches in close proximity to camp. It was then that we had a bit of fun exploring the numerous tracks that head off into the bush.
As the sunset, a cozzie fire was started which drew everyone like magnets to steel. We spent the night around the fire, swapping tales, tips and laughs.
As Sunday dawned we all slowly packed up, a stiff breeze had picked and after deciding to head north for a few more caches we said goodbye to a few that had opted for an alternate route.
We took in the cache at the northern end of the Watagans before dropping off the mountain and heading towards Morisset. It was here we feasted on a few more caches, some which included the caches in the disbanded Morisset mental home…. what a weird place this is!.
As it approached lunchtime it was time to bid farewell to all and head for home. Another great 4x4 caching was coming to an end. Thanks to all who made the weekend so much fun.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
3000 Finds
As always ‘The Rats’ try to make a milestone cache something we’ll always remember. Having been beatin’ by the elements the last time we attempted ‘Along the Stony Towers’ it was only natural that we’d have another attempt at it for our 3000th find.
I’d assembled a few close friends to accompany me for this potential find. Once again plenty of planning went into assuring we were properly prepared. As we set out from the Kanangra Walls carpark it was a welcome relief to have clear skies.
After a pleasant walk out along the plateau we headed down to Kanangra Ck, a recent fire had stripped the undergrown, which made our descent somewhat slippery. Soon enough we were crossing the creek and starting the arduous climb up Thurat Spires. The climb up to the 1st spire is almost 500m high and about 1km long, often the ridgeline is less than 2m wide with loose boulders to negotiate.
As we neared the top the climb became very steep with some exposed rock climbing/scrambling required. Often we had to scout out a new line as the direct approach wasn’t the best. Eventually and ever so slowly we finally reached the top of the 1st spire. Looking ahead, the route became more exposed and with our safety as a priority we decided to abandon our assault on the 2nd spire.
Dejected, we turned and headed for the car, which were still some hours away. Once again I had been foiled in attempt to reach ‘Along the stony towers’.
Back at the car there was no time to ponder lost opportunities I still hadn’t found my 3000th cache. One likely idea was to head back to Jenolan Caves to see if we could seek out ‘Wish you were here’. As daylight faded we arrived at the Jenolan caves top carpark. After restocking our packs we headed off for a leisurely stroll up into McKeown’s Valley. While the light faded to complete darkness we were still pleasantly surprised at how beautiful this valley was, it was flat walk in an area that is dotted with steep hills. The wildlife was in abundance and we shared the walk with many a kangaroo, possum and wombats.
After a 3km walk we arrived at the remains of the old homestead. Obviously in yester-year this was home of the landowners. Nowadays the wildlife has the run of the area with the chimney the only thing that remains. The cache was quickly found followed by some rejoicing and congratulations from Steeba. I had found my 3000th cache and only the second person in NSW to achieve this milestone. I left my achievement coin in the cache for all future finders.
After returning to the car I had time to reflect on the day’s events. I’d walked approx’ 12km round trip to Thurat Spires, I’d walked up and down the equivalent of 2.2km in elevation and then I walked another 6km to finally find my 3000th cache. Its no wonder I slept well that night.
Thanks to everyone who has a part of my 3000 cache finds.
I’d assembled a few close friends to accompany me for this potential find. Once again plenty of planning went into assuring we were properly prepared. As we set out from the Kanangra Walls carpark it was a welcome relief to have clear skies.
After a pleasant walk out along the plateau we headed down to Kanangra Ck, a recent fire had stripped the undergrown, which made our descent somewhat slippery. Soon enough we were crossing the creek and starting the arduous climb up Thurat Spires. The climb up to the 1st spire is almost 500m high and about 1km long, often the ridgeline is less than 2m wide with loose boulders to negotiate.
As we neared the top the climb became very steep with some exposed rock climbing/scrambling required. Often we had to scout out a new line as the direct approach wasn’t the best. Eventually and ever so slowly we finally reached the top of the 1st spire. Looking ahead, the route became more exposed and with our safety as a priority we decided to abandon our assault on the 2nd spire.Dejected, we turned and headed for the car, which were still some hours away. Once again I had been foiled in attempt to reach ‘Along the stony towers’.
Back at the car there was no time to ponder lost opportunities I still hadn’t found my 3000th cache. One likely idea was to head back to Jenolan Caves to see if we could seek out ‘Wish you were here’. As daylight faded we arrived at the Jenolan caves top carpark. After restocking our packs we headed off for a leisurely stroll up into McKeown’s Valley. While the light faded to complete darkness we were still pleasantly surprised at how beautiful this valley was, it was flat walk in an area that is dotted with steep hills. The wildlife was in abundance and we shared the walk with many a kangaroo, possum and wombats.
After a 3km walk we arrived at the remains of the old homestead. Obviously in yester-year this was home of the landowners. Nowadays the wildlife has the run of the area with the chimney the only thing that remains. The cache was quickly found followed by some rejoicing and congratulations from Steeba. I had found my 3000th cache and only the second person in NSW to achieve this milestone. I left my achievement coin in the cache for all future finders.
After returning to the car I had time to reflect on the day’s events. I’d walked approx’ 12km round trip to Thurat Spires, I’d walked up and down the equivalent of 2.2km in elevation and then I walked another 6km to finally find my 3000th cache. Its no wonder I slept well that night.
Thanks to everyone who has a part of my 3000 cache finds.
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Victorian Caching Blitz
With the success of our previous caching blitz’s it was only a matter of time before we spread our wings to our next interstate expedition. Big Matt and Steeba once again joined me as we made an assault on Victoria. Our plan was simple, drive down to Victoria and cache for 3-days around the heart of Melbourne.
We headed off late Friday afternoon, making good time down the highway. With very few caches to grab along the highway it wasn’t long before we were in Albury. After another couple of caches along the Hume Hwy we were soon turning off the highway towards Sunbury. It was 3am Saturday morning when we headed into the suburbs for our first real cache for the weekend. The day rolled on without too much trouble, our biggest problem was fatigue and by mid afternoon we chose to call the day quits. That said, it was an impressive 75 finds.
After a good night sleep we were once again into it early, this was planned as our ‘big’ day. We found our first few caches before the sun was up and on past history we knew this was the best time to be in the city, thus we made quick work of the inner city caches. Moving out into the suburbs the finds quickly added up, the weather was great and plenty of people were out enjoying it. Once again by mid afternoon we seemed to slow down and our cache count ever slowly increased. A good feed and recharged energy levels soon fixed this and we once again hit the finds with repetition.
Just on midnight an incident occurred that I can laugh about now but at the time was quite serious. An encounter with the ‘boys in blue’ had us explaining our actions, which is very difficult when you choose to run from them. After our brief distraction we were once again on our blitz and by nights end we had amassed an impressive 108 finds for the day.
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With us having a big day on Sunday it was understandable that we had a late start to our Monday’s adventure, however it wasn’t long before we were back in our stride. Our day took us down the western side of the city before heading down to Geelong. This was an enjoyable run around Port Phillip Bay, which culminated in a BBQ on the Geelong foreshore. Eventually our night ended after a few more local finds.
Tuesday dawned with the prospect of us heading for home, but that wasn’t without a few more local finds. Alas by 10.30am we were on the highway heading north, grabbing a few highway caches in rural Victoria. Our 3-day Victorian caching spree concluded with a massive 255 finds, a new one-day record and some great ideas for new cache containers.
Thanks to my caching buddy’s, Big Matt and Steeba.
We headed off late Friday afternoon, making good time down the highway. With very few caches to grab along the highway it wasn’t long before we were in Albury. After another couple of caches along the Hume Hwy we were soon turning off the highway towards Sunbury. It was 3am Saturday morning when we headed into the suburbs for our first real cache for the weekend. The day rolled on without too much trouble, our biggest problem was fatigue and by mid afternoon we chose to call the day quits. That said, it was an impressive 75 finds.
After a good night sleep we were once again into it early, this was planned as our ‘big’ day. We found our first few caches before the sun was up and on past history we knew this was the best time to be in the city, thus we made quick work of the inner city caches. Moving out into the suburbs the finds quickly added up, the weather was great and plenty of people were out enjoying it. Once again by mid afternoon we seemed to slow down and our cache count ever slowly increased. A good feed and recharged energy levels soon fixed this and we once again hit the finds with repetition.Just on midnight an incident occurred that I can laugh about now but at the time was quite serious. An encounter with the ‘boys in blue’ had us explaining our actions, which is very difficult when you choose to run from them. After our brief distraction we were once again on our blitz and by nights end we had amassed an impressive 108 finds for the day.
a>
With us having a big day on Sunday it was understandable that we had a late start to our Monday’s adventure, however it wasn’t long before we were back in our stride. Our day took us down the western side of the city before heading down to Geelong. This was an enjoyable run around Port Phillip Bay, which culminated in a BBQ on the Geelong foreshore. Eventually our night ended after a few more local finds.
Tuesday dawned with the prospect of us heading for home, but that wasn’t without a few more local finds. Alas by 10.30am we were on the highway heading north, grabbing a few highway caches in rural Victoria. Our 3-day Victorian caching spree concluded with a massive 255 finds, a new one-day record and some great ideas for new cache containers.
Thanks to my caching buddy’s, Big Matt and Steeba.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Brisbane Blitz
After the success of our other caching expeditions the extended Gong Gangsters wanted to broaden our horizons. An interstate blitz was suggested and after alot of planning a date and itinerary was set.
Late on the 9th Oct, Steeba and myself flew to Brisbane for what was to be 3 days of solid caching. Big Matt was already in Brisbane and it was his hospitality that provided us with transport and a place to crash while we were all in Brisbane.
As soon as we were off the plane the thought of new caches was overwhelming and we quickly had 2 finds. Self-control prevailed and we grabbed some necessary food before making it an early night.
Friday started with all guns blazing, which included the rain which at times was relentless, but that didn’t us. Our plan was to stick around the northern suburbs of Brisbane and while there were pockets of caches our day seemed to drag along at a slow pace with us slowly but surely picked up our finds, but not at the cracking pace we’d dreamt of. As the day unfolded we met a few local cachers at various points and found some clever hides. Not long after dinner on our first day we called it quits with a disappointing 69 finds.
Saturday was a very early start, as we had to drop Shell off at the Roma St rail station by 6.00am. Soon after we were bagging our 1st inner city cache. Early morning caching means no muggles and quick finds and our numbers grew quickly with a promising day ahead. The persistent rain was still there but it didn’t slow us. By lunchtime we had already found 50 caches and with plenty more zigging and zagged across town to do we were sure to amass big numbers. The area known as ‘The Gap’ proved very fruitful for us. It seemed as though there was a cache on every corner. By the time we’d finished our days caching we had found a whopping 92 finds with 11 DNF’s. This was a new one-day record for me.
Our last of this caching blitz and with weiry bodies we started a little slower than the previous days, but we were soon back into it. The southeastern part of Brissy was to be today’s hotspot. The area offered finds similar to Friday with each cache being a little spread out. As we made our way towards the coast we were rewarded with some excellent views and a glimpse at how the other half live. By mid afternoon it was time to slowly start heading back towards the airport, but not before another 1 or 2 finds.
Eventually our caching blitz on Brisbane had o come to an end. It had been thoroughly enjoyable, good company and plenty of finds. Our weekend had resulted in a massive 205 finds.
Thanks to fellow cachers Steeba and Big Matt for a great adventure, but now the logging starts.
Late on the 9th Oct, Steeba and myself flew to Brisbane for what was to be 3 days of solid caching. Big Matt was already in Brisbane and it was his hospitality that provided us with transport and a place to crash while we were all in Brisbane.
As soon as we were off the plane the thought of new caches was overwhelming and we quickly had 2 finds. Self-control prevailed and we grabbed some necessary food before making it an early night.
Friday started with all guns blazing, which included the rain which at times was relentless, but that didn’t us. Our plan was to stick around the northern suburbs of Brisbane and while there were pockets of caches our day seemed to drag along at a slow pace with us slowly but surely picked up our finds, but not at the cracking pace we’d dreamt of. As the day unfolded we met a few local cachers at various points and found some clever hides. Not long after dinner on our first day we called it quits with a disappointing 69 finds.
Saturday was a very early start, as we had to drop Shell off at the Roma St rail station by 6.00am. Soon after we were bagging our 1st inner city cache. Early morning caching means no muggles and quick finds and our numbers grew quickly with a promising day ahead. The persistent rain was still there but it didn’t slow us. By lunchtime we had already found 50 caches and with plenty more zigging and zagged across town to do we were sure to amass big numbers. The area known as ‘The Gap’ proved very fruitful for us. It seemed as though there was a cache on every corner. By the time we’d finished our days caching we had found a whopping 92 finds with 11 DNF’s. This was a new one-day record for me.
Our last of this caching blitz and with weiry bodies we started a little slower than the previous days, but we were soon back into it. The southeastern part of Brissy was to be today’s hotspot. The area offered finds similar to Friday with each cache being a little spread out. As we made our way towards the coast we were rewarded with some excellent views and a glimpse at how the other half live. By mid afternoon it was time to slowly start heading back towards the airport, but not before another 1 or 2 finds.
Eventually our caching blitz on Brisbane had o come to an end. It had been thoroughly enjoyable, good company and plenty of finds. Our weekend had resulted in a massive 205 finds.
Thanks to fellow cachers Steeba and Big Matt for a great adventure, but now the logging starts.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
2000 not out!
Its taken six and half years but ‘The Rats’ have reached the milestone of 2000 geocaching finds, however it wasn’t without incident. On my first attempt at reaching 2000 I had to abort an attempt on the Altaire cache atop the Thurat Spires. Some 70mm of rain in the area had turned creeks into raging rapids and simply impassable.
A week later and with beautiful skies I was heading into the Grose Valley to find Bshwckr’s cache the ‘Bee Gees’. This seldom found cache suited my idea of doing a physical challenge for a milestone. After only 45min I was down the bottom and approaching GZ. The cache was soon in hand and the formalities completed. A bit of exploring was done before it was time to head back out.
As I made my way up up and up I was pleasantly surprised to come across 2 young foxes playing on the track. They soon disappeared allowing me to continue on my way. Eventually I was back on top where the spectacular view was captured on film. This is truly a spectacular spot with its towering cliffs and huge eucalypt trees making up the forest floor.
With 2000 finds now, its time to move onto 3000.
A week later and with beautiful skies I was heading into the Grose Valley to find Bshwckr’s cache the ‘Bee Gees’. This seldom found cache suited my idea of doing a physical challenge for a milestone. After only 45min I was down the bottom and approaching GZ. The cache was soon in hand and the formalities completed. A bit of exploring was done before it was time to head back out.
As I made my way up up and up I was pleasantly surprised to come across 2 young foxes playing on the track. They soon disappeared allowing me to continue on my way. Eventually I was back on top where the spectacular view was captured on film. This is truly a spectacular spot with its towering cliffs and huge eucalypt trees making up the forest floor.
With 2000 finds now, its time to move onto 3000.
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