Geocaching Australia

tronador wrote: LOL
Bushwacking
through grass????? looks like someones front lawn.
They haven't seen real scrub
I couldn't stop laughing.

THAT'S not a knife!

Wingaap,

I notice you archiving a lot of your eclipse tins.... just think it is a shame in a way if they are in good condition and with dry log books, perhaps you could wait for a maintenance call, then archive then?? I enjoy the hunt regardless of the cache, but I know others differ.

Anyway, just my opinion here.

agap2

'bout time.

It looks like Wingaap is doing the right thing and "temporarily disabling" most of the affected caches due to the storms and flooding, not necessarily archiving.

I'm sure he knows what he is doing.

mm

I agree, but there have been a few archived (eg k9 ferny grove, not easy being green). Which may be OK?? Anyway, don't want to add to wingaap's stress, sure he is really feeling it at the moment!!

agap2

Stop bitchin' and hide some more caches people
Sure the best spots have already been taken.
But imagination is a powerful force (K8'n'Co is a classic case)
Quality is not the issue. New comers to the sport are going to see how existing caches have been hidden and follow suit. Ergo, if there's a lot of eclipse tins out there, then there will be many more eclipse tins hidden
Not that there is anything wrong with eclipse tins. ah! Minty freshness
Our little website suffers the same slings and arrows as any other.
Almost universally newbies are harrassed and shamed for making the same mistakes we more experienced cachers made rather than encouraged and supported
I work in an industry that has modelled its training progam on such a premise for years. No wonder we have an 80 percent failure rate
It must be disconcerting to try to hide your first cache in a city such as Brisbane where all the best spots have been taken
But every now and then a new cacher will put a cache in an area that the rest of us never knew about. There's the magic in geocaching

Thanks if, as a "newbie" I have not yet placed a hide for just the reasons you mentioned. Have thought I should reach a decent amount of finds first so I understand the expextations a bit better. In some cases the bar is quite high!! Anyway I should just have a go!!

Agap2

agap2: Get out there and have a go! If the first one suffers from a problem, the following ones won't; hopefully. The logs will give you an idea as to whether cachers are enjoying it or not and some will offer advice if it is really bad.

Placing a cache comes down to common sense. Having been exposed to a larger number of caches certainly will help in (possibly) getting a better idea of what makes a good container, a good location, a good hide.

I am sure 99.5% of people would realise that a fast food rice container is only going to last a few weeks out in the weather and that something more substantial is required. Some won't of course.

Just think about it, will the container you are using last and protect it's contents in the location you are going to place it? If in doubt, don't place it, find a better container. If you are intending on hiding it under rocks, is that plastic container going to withstand multiple hiders piling rocks back on top? perhaps an ammo can is better?

Seriously, think things through, it's doubtful everybody is going to take the same care with your cache that you did when hiding it, so, it has to withstand the elements, cachers and animals in some cases.

A bit more thought and preparation will go a long way to creating a cache that will last longer, and probably get better feedback from the people who come to find it.

If wrote:
... imagination is a powerful force (K8'n'Co is a classic case)

Geeesh if that the standard that's expected/required.....I give up!

If wrote:Stop bitchin' and hide some more caches people
Sure the best spots have already been taken.
But imagination is a powerful force

Spot on

I was thinking this morning whether any spot could be used and I think the answer is yes. If one is imaginative enough even the most horrible or dull spots could be used as waypoints or cache sites and be enjoyed.
One cache I'm planning on doing (and I'm not expecting to find a pristine area) is a cache that contains gloves and bags to help clean up the area. What a brilliant idea

I really doubt that all the best places are taken, we have not reached anywhere near the cache saturation point that some places in the US have so they resort to putting caches on every 2nd light pole.

As I have archived all my caches that were in National Parks, it just means I have a whole bunch of caches I can now restock and put back out. Even with NP's being offlimits, with a very quick look at the google earth feed, they don't own everything and there are still plenty of areas that are really beautiful and worthy of a cache.

Use your imagination, do some research, go visit some locations, if it ends up not being "worthy" of a cache, don't place it for the sake of getting another one out there.

pirate 63 wrote:aaarrgh!

i just wanna be a pirate!!

And I just like the thrill of the hunt.

Having read through this thread from start to finish it's obvious that everyone has a different opinion.

I'm really looking forward to going back to my old house in the Blue Mountains at xmas and seeing some quality caches. Last time in Sydney I managed to find 18 micro's out of the 20 I did. Still looking for that quality ammo tin on the Harbour Bridge.

I think one of the first replies by Bear_Left sums most of the debate up. But everyone is entitled to an opinion and this has been mine.

Happy caching.

I must be going mad as I watched both those episodes of Lets go Kashing