It is that time of the month – 12 of 12.
This month I have published the photos on Facebook. Enjoy.
Category Archives: Geocaching
Our New Pathtag
Our third pathtag is now in production. The theme for this tag is our California Holiday a couple of months ago.
This will be part of the Team Firesafe set that includes the Original Tag and the 333 Days of Non-stop Caching Tag.
October 12 of 12
Today was going to be a productive day at the Rally Office but flexibility is the key. FedEx had tried to deliver a Microsoft package last week while I was in the Flinders but left “Sorry” cards instead. Going on the previous attempts, it should be some time in the morning.
That’s OK, gives me a chance to log the geocache finds for the last 10 days.
I had Budge the Budgie and Molly the Dog to keep me company, although Molly would rather have Budge for breakfast.
Had the September Geocoin Club Coin arrive in the mail today with it’s accompanying pathtag. It is always interesting to see what design they come up with.
Spent a little time finishing the cleaning of the 4WD after 10 days of Flinders Ranges mud and dust and it is now ready for its next adventure at the Coorong in three weeks.
Time for some morning coffee and a phone call to FedEx to see where it is. Still going to be delivered today ….
Have adopted some caches from another cacher that doesnt want to maintain them unfortuneately they have been archived so I had to make up new listings for them – 6 new caches waiting for review 😀
Still no package, so it was time to get down and do some Classic Adelaide work. Have some printing deadlines coming up for various publications. It is all going well.
It has been a day of sunshine and rainfall all day but during the afternoon, I received a couple of pages for some severe weather. Should be an interesting night tonight.
After tea, Rachael put on her formal dress for me to see and a fitting image to complete this months 12 of 12. 🙂
Who’s up for some FTF’s down at Quorn …
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.
Caches for the day:
GCZM4J – Did the Earth move for you too?
GC1ZD5K – Gorgeous Hannemanns Gorge
The Gammon Ranges to Leigh Creek
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:
To Mt Chambers and Beyond …..
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:
Mud, Dust and some caching
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:
GC1KKBF – Peterborough or Petersburg?
GCA562 – Desert Dice …/ Roadkill …
Caching on the Gold Coast
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
September 12 of 12 – Geocaching Theme
This months 12 of 12 is part of a worldwide Geocaching 12 of 12. Our 12 of 12 starts at Midnight on our way back from a week in the snow at Falls Creek. After driving for 6 hours, we arrived at Dimboola, where an impromptu Geocaching Event occurred at the home of Honeysucker. Travelling to Melbourne for the Crows vs Collingwood Football Final was PostieGirl06 and she stopped in. Also travelling to Melbourne for some caching was Four-fun and Skippy.
We left Dimboola just after midnight and headed west to SA. Our first Stop was on the border for GC1RJY4 – what state am in. It was a quick find with a few trucks heading past.
The next cache to be found on the way was GC1QX2T – Ki Ki, Cache Cache. An easy find with the help of Honeysucker. 🙂
After getting home at 4:15 am, it was sleep time for a few hours. Woke again around 11:00 am and headed back east to Mannum to pick up our dog who had a holiday of her own at Grandmas. The were a number of new caches placed while we were away in the Mallee, so I grabbed them before picking up Molly. First cache was GC1KPNP – A pink memory of White Hill, then onto GC1Y8ZC – The Troubled Puzzle (I knew the previous owner of this site).
It was then time to grab a few caches in Murray Bridge. These included: GC1Y8YY – Pada’s Fairway No.1 and GC1Y8ZP – A Civic Reception.
Went down to the Murray River and was muggled from a couple of the caches but found some as well: GC1Y8Z2 – The Murray-Go-Round, GC1J61Y – Trackside and GC1XXHN – Come Watch Bats & Trains with Me.
I headed out of Murray Bridge towards Bow Hill to do the Country Jewels Tour Cache Series. Found Bob from Elsewhere’s place on the way: GC1MAX2 – Bob’s Place.
First cache on the tour was GC1XXH8 – Country Jewels Tour – Diamond.
Next on the tour was GC1XXH5 – Country Jewels Tour – Onyx.
Continuing the tour was GC1XXH1 – Country Jewels Tour – Topaz.
Moving onto Purnong, I grabbed GC1XXGZ – Country Jewels Tour – Sapphire, GC1XXGR – Country Jewels Tour – Citrine, GC1XXGP – Country Jewels Tour – Tourquoise and GC1XXGH – Country Jewels Tour – Ruby.
The last cache I grabbed before jumping on the Ferry to Mannum was an earthcache, GC1W73G – Mannum Granite Quarry.
Arrived in Mannum a couple of hours later than planned to a very excited Molly dog who hadn’t seen me for a week and was very keen to get in the car and head home. I grabbed a few more caches before hitting the Freeway to home: GC1XXH9 – Country Jewels Tour – Garnet, GC1XXHB – Country Jewels Tour – Sunstone and GC1V86V – Freddo’s 80 and shows no sign of croaking.
Mildura Caching – Time to head home over the Border
After a considerably quieter night, it was time to pack the car and head back to SA. As the weather was better and the Old Mail Road would have had 2 days to dry out, I decided to head along there to grab the last couple of caches I missed out on Friday night.
First it was back into NSW to grab a couple of caches around Wentworth then back into SA. It is a difference a couple of days made to the roads and tracks although there was still a lot of mud around. There is some spectacular country side in this area.
Once back over the border, I hid a new cache to commemorate the weekend and safe return back into the State. It is GC1Y10P – Border Run. It was then onto Berri for a quick catch up with my sister, Diana then home. A great weekend – now to get ready for the Snow next weekend.
Cache finds for today:
GC590E – Sand Dunes and Saltbush
GC1XCEJ – Go’n’do – Mullaroo Bridge
GC18JCR – You’ll be heading for this lookout
GC1PRE5 – Come Paint a Story With Me