Goldfields Getaway
9 March, 2022
X marks the spot
If you have ever dreamt of going on a real-life treasure hunt, gold is not the only option to get out and explore the great outdoors. The hobby of geocaching might be for you. The global phenomenon involves people using GPS coordinates to search for...
If you have ever dreamt of going on a real-life treasure hunt, gold is not the only option to get out and explore the great outdoors.
The hobby of geocaching might be for you. The global phenomenon involves people using GPS coordinates to search for items hidden in a specific spot. Participants log on to popular geocache sites where they are given a code name and clues to find the treasure, or cache.
Caches are generally hollow waterproof objects such as tupperware containers or lunchboxes. Inside will be a log book and pen or pencils. The finder logs their codename in the book and returns it, then records their find online. The cache must be replaced in the exact same location for the next person to find.
Some caches may also contain trinkets, which a geocacher can take if they replace it with a trinket of similar value. Over time, variations of geocaching have emerged, such as multi-caching – each cache has clues to the next; and puzzle caching – where you need to solve a puzzle in order to work out the coordinates.
Geocaches vary in size, difficulty, and location. Simple caches that are placed near a roadside are often called “cache and dash”. Other geocaches are much more complex and can involve use of equipment such as SCUBA diving, kayaking, or abseiling.
To become involved in the hobby of geocaching go to geocaching.com.au and find out how many caches are hidden nearby.