?? Future of Geocaching ??

Jedda · Post by **Jedda** » 31 January 04 9:47 pm

becoming to popular as I think we are in a totally different position to the US. If a specific area becomes flooded with caches and cacher hunters, a seasoned cache hunter can just choose to hunt more secluded caches. As for the forums filling with many more members, Ive been a member of many forums over the years and the one thing that Ive noticed is that even though a forum can have a huge membership, only the dedicated few will keep contributing for years at a time and most members are just passing through. That said, Im looking forward to getting out to Dubbo for some caching, but in the mean time Im going to have to start from scratch up here in Weipa and get some caches planted and find some GPS owners and "convert them" to the ways of the geocacher

The Spindoctors · Post by **The Spindoctors** » 31 January 04 10:20 pm

GeoDave suggests that NSW Parks and Wildlife don't like caches being planted in their parks. Is this because we asked for permission. My experience (in other fields) is that if you keep quiet it never becomes an issue. Is it wrong to do this with placement of caches in parks (as long as we're sensible about it)?

SNIFTER · Post by **SNIFTER** » 31 January 04 10:32 pm

NOT GOING HERE.
ZIP MY LIP.

Bronze · Post by **Bronze** » 01 February 04 9:44 am

What I generally do is place a cache near the park of interest and then in that cache put information about that park in with the swaps. This is probably the best way. I guess you could risk putting a cache within the park but I'm sure it won't be there for long.

Caching usually - not always, but usually takes you to interesting places that other people generally don't find and generally there are places like this outside the National Park somewhere. For Example the massive Siding Springs telescope is just outside the Warrumbungles.

The other thing you could do is use points with-in the national park as cryptic clues for a riddle or multi cache without actually placing a cache within the park. Say for example - How many main tracks run around the "Bread Knife", How many boards on the walkway bridge at "Blah Blah" divided by eight and What is the compass bearing from "Such and such look out" to "whats her name" feature? This way there are no actual caches within the park but cachers still have to visit interesting points within the park to find the cache on the way out. Hey - Just an idea!

Like what can NP do - rip up the bridges and blow up the features cause they don't want cacher visiting. It not that they don't wan't the people - they just don't want people "Leaving the Cache" behind or placing it off paths within sensitive areas putting in danger the Fauna, Flora and Visitors themselves. This is understandable from my point of view but I doubt there will come a compromise between NP and GC because it would mean they accept part of the responsibility for walkers trying to find the cache and quite often the enterances to any single cache or waypoint are many, and with that have a level of potential danger. I'm sure NP won't want to be present in a Court of Law to argue the toss. Far easier for them to just say no! Legally and Physically.

Just my $0.02 worth.

Bronze.

SNIFTER · Post by **SNIFTER** » 01 February 04 3:51 pm

Shoot me down if you must but please tell me why you would want to put a compass bearing when this is caching with a GPS. If I wanted to do things with a compass then I would join the local orienteering group or scout group(I was a cub leader for 12 years)so I do know what they are about.
Oh heck I opened my mouth!!

Bronze · Post by **Bronze** » 01 February 04 9:17 pm

SNIFTER - You need a good dose of Red Ochre Dust to answer that one.

Oh - Swampy = Mate, I think you missed the tone of sarcasm in my post on the second page

. Sorry if I ruffled your feathers. That was not the intention. Those who know me would read it that way. I forget sometimes that there are some here that of course don't yet know me.

You have got to be kidding - How comfy do you want it!

Next you'll all want dial a cache. Or would you like the last at the cache to leave their phone number so you can ring the LTF and ask what condition your cache is in.

If you want to start a mudslinging match about the pros and cons of geocaching in the city verses the country how about another thread???...

Quite often our past defines our future. I wasn't slinging mud - just making a point. The Beni Trophy was/is for all geocachers and is to bridge that gap between city and country because - excluding distance I don't think there would be much difference in the communities who participate. It would not be my intention to put people offside, that's for sure.

Anyway - I apologise for any upset.

EcoTeam · Post by **EcoTeam** » 01 February 04 9:58 pm

Spindoc Bob wrote:GeoDave suggests that NSW Parks and Wildlife don't like caches being planted in their parks. Is this because we asked for permission. My experience (in other fields) is that if you keep quiet it never becomes an issue. Is it wrong to do this with placement of caches in parks (as long as we're sensible about it)?

No Geocacher was approached in regard to this policy, and we certainly didn't approach them. There was one famous incident of a NPWS ranger removing the Lane Cove cache, among others. Maybe he spread the word and it made it to the policy level?
On the other hand, we have had another ranger say it's OK as long as we don't do any damage.

The no geocaching policy is tacked onto the Orienteering and Rogaining policy.
For those who care, you can read it here:
http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/PDF ... eocach.pdf

Translated into English it says "We have no idea what Geocaching is, so it's easier for us to ban it than it is to make a policy for it."

If you don't like the policy, you can try this cache:
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_de ... x?ID=46595

I say we have the next anual picnic in a National Park, and when we go through the gate tell them we are going Geocaching

. I'd like to see'em throw us out for carrying a GPS, a picnic basket, and going bushwalking...

EcoDave

[/url]

rav 4 raiders · Post by **rav 4 raiders** » 02 February 04 12:03 am

Whilst Caching with OZGUFF in the US we were caching inside a National Park and were 'sprung' by a Park Ranger. We were asked to leave and also to notify the owner of the Cache that as there were numerous people going through to this same part we were destroying the vegetation. I know we have no set rules but we are advised to be sensitive to the numbers of people that we will attract to these locations and the impacts we have on the environment.

Possibky if they are not set off the paths in the underbrush then this would be ok.

The parks should be encouraging as many people as possible to visit - and goodness knows as a nation we need the exercise!

Again just my 2c worth! (In the US this would be worth about 1.5c

Geocaching Australia

?? Future of Geocaching ??

Im not worried about geocaching