Having some internet access at Leigh Creek, there were 7 new caches just published 170 kms south at Quorn on Argadells Station. A quick “Who’s up for some First to Finds” and there was 9 of us in 3 cars on our way south for a couple of hours with some stops on the way for other caches.

One of the stops was at Hawker where there is a seismograph and it was possible to see the earthquakes that occurred in Samoa and Indonesia in the last week. There was even a second quake at Samoa the night before.

The scenery was getting greener the further south we went – obviously a lot more rain here than the Northern Flinders. We arrived at Argadells and spoke with the Station Owner to see if they knew about the caches and she said that the hider was still here and was publishing another cache. We met up with Jenkoz then headed out in 2 cars as it was $45 a car to go on the 4WD track where the caches were located.

The track had it all with narrow sections which made it interesting when passing oncoming traffic, steep sections both up and down and some switchbacks. I left my 4WD back at the homestead and Bradley and I rode with Freddo. Some of the tracks put him through his paces and I had to do some impromptu instruction in 4WD techniques. Lunch was on top of Mt Arden with spectacular views to Quorn to the south and Lake Torrens to the west. You know summer is on its way as we saw a 1m brown snake while driving through.

One of the group hid another cache. We parted company with the group, and headed back north to meet up with the Scout families we were to spend the rest of the week with.

Our journey took us back to Parachilna and into the Parachilna Gorge to our campsite for the night. Andrew was already setup – he had been there for a day. After setting up camp, we headed into the Prairie Hotel at Parachilna for tea and to experience a Parachilna sunset. I had a Roadkill Pizza and Bradley had pasta – his favourite. Back to camp and time around the campfire before hitting the sack.

[Show as slideshow]

1 2 ►

Caches for the day:

GCG7PJ – Ghan Ruins

GCKJFR – Wonoka Dreams

GCZM4J – Did the Earth move for you too?

GCGF3H – Not so lucky third

GC1ZD5K – Gorgeous Hannemanns Gorge

GC1ZD5Q – Sign me Up

GC1ZD5Y – Behold! Argadells

GC1ZE2G – Heysen Trail

GC1ZE3B – Mt. Arden

TP4464 – Mount Arden

GC1ZE3K – Argadells. Jewel of the southern Flinders Ranges

GC1ZH0H – Black Boy Views

GC1ZFTZ –  South Gorgeous

Another perfect day for both 4WDing and caching. Today the group broke into 2 with half heading up north of Arkaroola and us part of the group going west through the Gammon Ranges and south down to Leigh Creek.

We packed up camp and headed through the Balcanoona Range to Grindell Hut – an area with a black history in the 1920’s – the Grindell Murder Case. Also the location of a cache – GA0547 – Worturpa Tragedy. Great view of the Gammons from the cache location. We then moved onto Lochness Well to pick up another cache. We had already found this one so Bradley and I made it a lunch stop while the others hit the cache.

Grindel Hut

View over Gammon Ranges

View over Gammon Ranges

Travelling through the Gammons on the Wortupa Loop Track – well half of it, we stopped at Mainwater Well for a break. There was someone camped here that told us that the track was impassible due to the “unhappy” Station Owner. We decided to give it a go anyway.

Mainwater Well

Not a lot of water here …

At the boundary of the park, the gate wasn’t locked but was missing altogether and a new fence had been put up over the track and a sign saying keep out but with a telephone number. Lucky I had a satellite phone, and spoke to the owner of Yankaninna Station who was happy for us to travel through and told us how to get around the new fence.

Next Stop was Arcoona Creek for another cache then back on the track to meet the Station Owner. It turns out he has sold up to “Operation Flinders” and he was in the process of destocking and moving out. Chatted for a while, gave him a couple of bottles of red then through Mt Serle Station and onto Copley

Arcoona Creek

Arcoona Creek

GCH2CF – Back Road to Arkaroola

Copley didn’t show a lot of hospitality when we got there – the Petrol Station and Cafe were both closed and it was only 5:00 pm but it was a Sunday. Back on the bitumen and down to Leigh Creek for re-supply then onto Aroona Dam for a cache and then camping for the night nearby.

GCKY23 – Oh Dam

Aroona Dam, Leigh Creek

Camping near Leigh Creek

The Nights Campfire …

The Nights Campfire …

Caches for the day:

GA0547 – Worturpa Tragedy

GCKA5B – Arcoona

GCH2CF – Back Road to Arkaroola

GCKY23 – Oh Dam

This morning the sun was out, wasn’t too warm and perfect morning for climbing Mt Chambers to find the cache, GCVFN0 Mt Chambers. We split into 4 groups, all taking a different route to the top. I teamed up with Nibs and we headed along the nearest ridge and up through a steep fissure to the top. It wasn’t too hard going but still worked up a sweat. Once on top, it was up and down a couple of times on the ridge, meeting up with the other teams at the cache. Spectacular views from here and no one was injured in the finding of the cache.

Nibs heading up the hill

The View North

Mt Chambers Peak

Looking down to Camp

Came up there …

Looking towards Chambers Gorge

The Group with the Cache

The climb back down was via the nearest scree gully and we were back in camp in 30 minutes. Up and back in an hour and a quarter.

Heading back down …

The view on the way down …

Time for final packing and we were back on the road towards Lake Frome and the cache, GCB372 Comet Frome.

Neville showing the way to Lake Frome

It was a fun drive to Lake Frome with creek crossings although dry, sand dunes and pipeline roads. Our mission here was to replace the cache container that had been burnt. We found that the cache container had been replaced by another cacher but we had a more robust ammo can so we found a more remote location to place the can. Despite all the rains over the last month or so, Lake Frome remains dry – at least where we were.

Hiding the new cache container …

Car lined up and waiting …

As we were heading back to Balcanoona Station, the CB was crackling with some coords for a new cache that had been planted by the Burtons, GC1ZQYD Let sleeping ladies lie. It appeared to be on the way to Arkaroola and as I was ahead of the group and heading for tyre repairs, I sped off to find the cache. Found the cache OK – wasn’t too hard as the Burtons and Wackys were nearby and there was only one logical location.

There is a cache there somewhere …

We got up to Arkaroola and got the tyre repaired and Burtons got another puncture while we were up there. Next on the list were afew caches to the north-east of Arkaroola around Partlana Hot Springs and Arkaroola Springs. There was some spectacular scenery to these caches. Freddo had a Geiger counter and we measured the water at Partlana and it was certainly offering some noise well above background radiation – no drinking or swimming here.

Too “hot” to drink or swim …

Another cache find …

It was then climbing time again when we got to the Echo Camp backtrack – it must be a day for climbing. Cache was found easily and more sweating was done. Bradley did the full walk and climb with this one.

View from Echo Camp backtrack …

It was getting near sunset but there was still one cache to find before heading to camp. The last one was at Arkaroola Springs. There was evidence of water some time ago but nothing to be found near the cache. Bradley was happy as there was some rock climbing to be done with this one.

Evidence of water at some time …

Cache is up there …

As the sun was setting we headed south to the Gammon Ranges for tonight’s camp. Bradley and I grabbed a shower at Balcanoona Station on the way. Tonight was the big camp cook-off and there were camp ovens everywhere with plenty of different meals to sample but I think the curry came up the winner. More campfire and caching stories to be had before bed.

Cache finds for the day:

GCVFN0 Mt Chambers

GCB372 Comet Frome

GC1ZQYD Let sleeping ladies lie

GCB373 Uranus

GCH2CG Barraranarra

GC13KGW Akurra’s Rest

GC1Y77R We didn’t start the fire

After an early morning meetup with a group of cachers heading to the Northern Flinders, we left Munno Para and headed north. I had Bradley with me and we were travelling in convoy with Skippy, Freddo, O’cholio, Burtons, Wackys, Parrotheads, Nibs, Team Waldron and Adrian Mc for the geocaching event in the Flinders, “We Didn’t Start the Fire”.

Our travels took us through Riverton, Burra, Hallett, Terowie, Peterborough to Yunta under threatening skies. It wasnt until we hit Yunta that the moisture started to fall although it wasnt much. It became apparent once we left Yunta on the dirt that they had quite a bit of rain prior to our arrival as the road was mud. This proved to be fun for the first 10 kms when it dried out and we were then hit by a dust storm followed by more rain.

We arrived at Chambers Gorge a little later than expected, meaning that the climb to the top of Mt Chambers would have to wait till morning. As soon as we set up camp, the rain left and we had a magnificent sunset on Mt Chambers coupled with some rainbows – spectacular.

We spent the night around the campfire solving the problems of the world.

Caches for the day:

GC1VJZT – Pioneer Wedge

GC1VJZ6 – Johnny Green

GC1RV14 – Trouble in Sodor

GC1E4FK – Salt n’ Pepper

GC1EK61 – on the sheeps back

GC18PK0 – McCulloch Square

GCH0YB – I Shall Return

GC1KKBF – Peterborough or Petersburg?

GC1KKBE – Ol’ Smokey

GCA562 – Desert Dice …/ Roadkill …

GA1588 – Mountain View

[Show as slideshow]

1 2 ►

The AFAC Conference on the Gold Coast was not due to start until the afternon so why not hire a scooter and get some caching in. It was a warm and windy day with the temp around 30 degrees and the wind around 40-50 kph so it made for some fun riding.

I started down at Miami and followed the coast up to the Spit past Seaworld and did some walking on the Federation Trail.

Caches found today were:

GC19FG3 – CaleD is Going Nuts at Nobbys

GCRQ1E – Paradise Series – The Pines

GCGA6C – Comet Spit

GC1H4E8 -Seaway

GC1JB65 – Federation

GCJWE3 – Fill Up

[Show as slideshow]