Albury/Wodonga road-trip

The gangsters were on the road once again, this time we were heading to Albury/Wodonga and this time we had purpose to our trip. The 2nd Oz mega event was getting near and as with the past mega, we decided to find the local caches prior to the event so we can have a relaxing mega with our families.

On the 23rd Feb we headed down the Hume Hwy for 4 days of cachemania. We’d done our homework on the puzzles and mysteries while the maps and route were sorted. As we headed south we grabbed a few highway caches but our first night mission was to make a start on the “Black Ops GC32WN6” night cache. Arriving in Albury just on midnight we headed to WP1 of this respected cache where we were soon deciphering our next task. As the wee hours of the morning rolled on we worked through the next few stages of this multi, sometimes we chased red herrings while all the time collecting various other traditionals along the way.

After a few hours sleep, 2 day dawned and the hunt was on for the plethora of local caches, our route took us around the suburbs and nearby hills. The vista from some of these hills was magnificent. As the day progressed our numbers only climbed slowly and at times this frustrated us but we boxed on. As night fell we returned to our unfinished Black Ops cache, this cache had captivated us as well as frustrated us. Some of the waypoints are extremely clever and the owner should be commended. Our journey around the region solving this puzzle was tiresome but saw us grab many other traditional finds. By the end of our nights caching we still hadn’t completed the Black Ops marathon.

Day 3 and we were once again grabbing plenty of the local traditionals along with a mixture of mysteries and multis. Towards the end of the day we had our sights set on heading towards Wagga. We had pretty much cleaned out the area of local caches, except for Black ops. We’d left the GZ find for one of our last and as we recovered the cache it was pleasing to sign our names in what had been my longest cache ever.

Heading north along the Olympic way towards Wagga we stopped at many of the rural towns grabbing the scattering of caches in these towns. It was at Yerong Creek where we opted to take a slight detour to grab a few “off the beaten track” caches. This single lane, often overgrown goat track proven very challenging at times in the dark, but it provided a great spot for us to camp the night as we neared “The Rock”. Sunday dawned with us scouring from the showers which starting to lash the region and on more than one occasion the dirt roads became rather slippery and boggy.

As we arrived in Wagga, our focus was on the new Rubik’s tube caches, if past performance was anything to go by, these wouldn’t disappoint. The rain however was doing its best to dampen our enthusiasm and a number of times we had to change soaked clothing. The devious mind of Fred6603 had once again enthralled us and the new caches were masterful. By days end we’d worked our way round most of Wagga and upon checking in to a caravan park we settled in for a well-earned drink and nice BBQ dinner. The relaxed atmosphere was perfect and most of us were able to catch up on logs and a good yarn.

Our final day of this road-trip had us grabbing a few final caches around town in the morning before hitting the road just as rains really set in (see note). By the time we reached home I’d amassed 150 finds. Thanks to my fellow caching gangsters for another enjoyable caching trip.

(Note: Fate would have it that I was back in Wagga 7 days after this trip, assisting the local SES with property protection from the Murrumbidgee River flooding).

10 years & 6000 finds

Ask me when I found my first geocache whether I’d be still playing the game 10 years later and I would have laughed at you, but that’s what happened on the 27th January 2012.

When I found my first geocache “Trainspotting GCDFF” I wouldn’t have predicted that I would got so addicted to finding tupperware boxes, ammo tins or the like, but geocaching has become part of my life and to a degree part of my family’s life. This world-wide game has taken us to some amazing places, leads us on some crazy adventures and introduced us to great friends. I don’t know what I did before geocaching but I rarely leave home now without packing the gps and at every opportunity I’m on the hunt for my next find.

As our 10 year anniversary drew close I could see it was starting to line up with another milestone, our 6000th find was nearing so what better way to celebrate than to combine both. Some close friends wanted to the occasion with me so a geocaching event was organised.

The Rats 10 Year Anniversary / 6000th cache GC3AR0A was held on the 29th Jan not far from where I found my first cache. The day was well attended with many of our caching friends travelling great distances to share the event with us. The Stanwell Park picnic area provided a great backdrop as many of the attendees got to do a variety of new local caches. The day was topped off with a very unique logbook – a signed certificate commemorating the achievement.

Reflecting on our 10 years, the game has grown in leaps and bounds while the principle has remained relatively unchanged. The cache containers have changed, the cache density has increased, the cache hides have become harder and my love for this sport has remained. I hope in another 10 years I can boast another 6000 finds and still love this game.

Thanks to my close friends and family who made my 10 year event such a memorable day.

The Final Cut & Lost World

As luck would have it, I was able to complete two of Sydney’s better caches last week. These 2 caches, The Final Cut and the Lost World have been on my to-do list for many years.

On Thursday 27th Oct I teamed up with Big Matt and Farmer-Frentzen to tackle The Final Cut. This cache sits at the bottom of a 100m cliff at Diamond Bay, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. Getting to the cache is the tricky part and on 2 previous occasions I’ve had to abort my attempt due to various factors. Today however, with the tides right and the weather on our side we headed towards GZ.

As we approached the waters edge the towering cliffs and roar of the waves certainly plays tricks on your mind. Then you lay eyes on the infamous ladder that must be scaled to continue your journey. Normally this wouldn’t bother too many but the ladder stops a few rungs short and the decaying safety lines do little to put your mind at rest. Big Matt was the first up the ladder, which suited us as he was our heaviest member. We were soon all up the ladder and traversing the narrow fisherman’s path towards GZ. This old trail has seen better days and in parts little remains to be seen.


Arriving at GZ we searched in earnest for the cache but for a while the prize alluded us, that was until a keen eye spied this strange container. After completing the log requirements we headed back along the fisherman’s path. The roar and crashing waves were a constant reminded of how fierce Mother Nature can be.
Negotiating the narrow ledge and rickety ladder seemed much easier on our return and we were soon at the base of the cliffs with only the gorge to climb out. Back on top we rejoiced in our feat with a few more photos of the surrounding cliffs.

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On Friday 28th Oct I set off in search of the Lost World cache. This cache had been on my to-do list for some time now as it filled a hole on my well-rounded cacher matrix.

Camping at Martins Lookout overnight I set off early in the morning hoping to complete most of the walk before the heat of the day had time to impact on the area. Not far from the car I got my first glimpse of the task ahead, a 200m descent/ascent across a valley to a white cross that sits prominently on the neighbouring cliff. A well-defined walking trail leads you down into the steep valley where pockets of fog covered the way. Reaching the bottom, rock cairns and signposts ensure your path. Crossing Glenbrook Ck was a breath of fresh as the noise of birds and running water filled the air.

From the creek crossing it was straight up a steep spur, but once again a well-defined track was easily followed and at numerous spots I stopped to take photos of the morning sun filling the valley. While the vista was amazing a constant drone from the western highway was a reminder that civilisation wasn’t too far away.

Once on top I was soon arriving at Bunyan Lookout where some breathtaking views of the sun glistening city and my surrounding area were soaked up. With still a kilometre to go it was back into the bush and onwards to the Lost World. As you near the destination an old signpost ensures the route and minutes later I popped out at another lookout where the white memorial cross sits high above the valley floor. From here the cache was soon in hand. I took the opportunity to sit at the cliff edge while completing the log.

As much as I would have liked to remain at the vantage point I had to get back. My return route was a much more direct as I cut off a good kilometre of the walk by heading off track and down the nearby spur. Keeping an on the map I was soon re-joining the track close to the creek crossing. By now the sun had filled the valley and a warm uphill walk back to the car was ahead of me. Some 2½ hours after starting I was back at the car.

In the space of two days I had been rewarded with two of Sydney’s better caches. Thanks to my caching buddies and the cache owners.

Bendigo Bonanza

As the name suggests, the Gangsters were off on another caching spree. However this time we wanted something different. The big cities had their appeal but so much had been said about the Bendigo/Ballarat area that we were keen to give this area a go.

A 4-day road trip was suggested and with that, planning commenced. Road trips certainly offer a continual change of scenery and a new destination each night which had its appeal. So on the 17th Aug after work, the Gangsters met at Sutton Forest for a gruelling road trip towards Bendigo. The weather had already taken a turn for the worse but that did little to dampen our enthusiasm as we headed down the Hume Hwy.

As the hours ticked by, the rain continued and so did the highway caches. Much of the drive was done with the wipers on full. As Thursday dawned, we driven beyond the rain but the evidence of its harshness was clear, many creeks and rivers had broken their banks resulting in localised flooding.

Our destination of Bendigo was reached and so the plethora of caches began. Our numbers quickly swelled as we made our way around the suburbs. The rain was never far away and at times it slowed our progress. As we moved into the afternoon we’d decided that the wet weather was conducive to camping and we sort the shelter of a cabin for the night. Food and grog were quickly consumed and weary bodies soon littered the cabin.

Friday greeted us with clear skies and a refreshed enthusiasm. We were soon on the road collecting the few remaining caches in Bendigo. From here we chose to head north towards Echuca and along the way we made many detours to pick up nearby caches. It was one of these detours that proved to rather eventful. As Jason crested a small rise on one particular dirt road, the recent rains had turned the already slick road into a skid pan. Our forward movement quickly became our sideways slide. Upon coming to a stop we realised that our extrication from this spot would be severely hampered due to a lack of traction. Help was sort from a nearby farm and any passing highway motorist. It was the later that proved successful and very nice guy pulled our car out of its bog.

On the road again and the caches kept coming. Echuca offered a great variety of tricky and well-constructed hides, but no sooner did we arrive and it was time to move on. Shepparton was to be our destination for the night, but there was still plenty of caching to be done before we’d reach there. Once again the soft option was chosen and we took the comfort of a cabin over the cold night air in a tent.

Saturday morning and after a good nights sleep we were on the road again. We were heading towards Wangaratta via various back roads, which looked spectacular, covered in flowering canola. Once in Wangaratta the caching density picked up and the finds flowed quickly. We opted to do two nearby mini power trails. These two runs resulted in 30+ finds in little over 2 hours and culminated in dinner and some exceptional backpackers.

After dinner we headed towards Rutherglen, stopping at a very comical cache which required us to walk a tightrope of planks suspended over water to the cache marooned on an island. Thankfully we all remained dry and were soon moving onto a winery series around Rutherglen which concluded with our first night in our tents.

The final day of our road trip was spent trucking up the Hume Hwy. Some short pit stops along the way resulted in a few more caches to the tally. After some 2500kms we returned home with an impressive 210 finds.

Thanks to my fellow Gangsters for a great road trip.

Bonnum Pic - GC2XQF5

I will start by saying; this is what “The Rats” love about geocaching. The remote locations and hiking experiences we have had as a result of geocaching is what I love about this sport. So when Hoojar placed this remote cache at Bonnum Pic I was eager for another hike into the wilderness.

For those that don’t know, Bonnum Pic is just under 100km SW of Sydney in the Nattai National Park. It sits high above the Wollondilly River and offers amazing 360deg views with the Blue Mountains wilderness and Warragamba catchment to the north. The Pic is a narrow rocky ridgeline that protrudes out into the abyss. It’s a 16km round trip walk from the nearest parking spot.

On the 2nd Aug I left Wollongong ready for a hard days walk. The southern highlands had turned on a magnificent day, fog filled the valleys while a cool breeze filled the higher ridgelines. Leaving the Wombeyan Caves Rd I crossed a few acres of private property before parking at the National Park boundary. From this point there is very little signage identifying the route to Bonnum Pic. Numerous walkers over time have left a plethora of rock cairns which ensure you’re never too far off the beaten track.

The early stages of my walk hugged the nearby property and it was here that I seen the strangest sight of my walk. A ring-tailed possum had made the barb-wire fence its resting place for the day. Initially I though the possum was dead or stuck but he soon woke, checked me out before nodding back off to sleep.

Recent strong winds that had battered the region made my walk at times very difficult, large branches and fallen trees littered the ridgeline. My first glimpse of the Pic and the valley below certainly put the scale of this walk into perspective. 150m cliffs line the narrow ridge, which constantly reminding you of the perils around you. As you get closer to the Pic there are a few up and down climbs and a bit of boulder hopping. It is only when you are 130m from the end that the real rock scrambling starts. There is a short, very exposed climb down that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Not being a good rock climber I opted for the safety line and was soon belaying myself down this tricky section.

Soon afterwards I had reached the end of the Pic and the vista from here was beautiful. Miles and miles of wilderness lay before me, it was magical. Having enjoyed the moment I set about retrieving the geocache and was glad to find a blank logbook.

My return route was back over the same country. The exposed climb seemed so much easier when climbing up and for every difficult boulder hopping route I faced there was always an easier path found upon inspection. Some 5½ hours after starting I had returned to the car, pleased with my walk and the FTF.

Thanks Hoojar for the cache.