NPWS Suggestion
Posted: 09 May 10 12:48 pm
I was woken early this morning with a thought. They don't happen often so I thought I better not go back to sleep and forget about it.
Being Mothers Day we had to get the Bacon and Egg Breakfast out of the way but after that I've sat down at the computer to see if the same suggestion has been made. Seems like it hasn't. Of course I could be wrong. I was wrong on two other occasions, some say three but that's a matter of opinion. I digress. Apologies.
Imagine this:
Scenario 1: (For people who just need 1 example)
Geocacher arrives at the main entrance of the national park or the main office if the park has multiple entry/exit points. There they find a designated cache provided and maintained by 1 geocacher who is attached to that one park. They must of course be a local or live nearby.
All points of interest in the park by default become 'virtual caches' and have their general co-ordinates listed. Upon exiting the park the Cachers return to the cache and tick-a-box and comment on the locations they visited with their GPS. Alternatively this can be done online if they could not physically return to the cache a second time. Cachers can log each listed 'Virtual Cache' for that particular park. (In case your numbers driven)
Scenario 2: (For people who don't quite get it yet)
So for example Mr. and Mrs. Tetley arrive from out of state to stay two days at the Park in their new Caravan. They are from Victoria. Apparently "it's the place to be" but on this occasion they are somewhere else. Lets say in this example Queensland. Like, how else can the terrorize another state along the way. I digress. Apologies. They locate the cache and read the comments in the log, just like a visitors book. Prior to arriving they also read the comments online (probably while driving at 70 along the F3 north of Sydney). After reading most of the recent entries they decide that previous caches recommended this particular water fall during this season and a meadow was particularly pretty also as it was in flower. Mr. and Mrs. Tetley visit both locations using their GPS and return to log each prior to leaving. They get to cache in the NP, chalk up three finds (one phy + two virtual) and the Ranger happily waves to them as they leave the park with thirteen cars lined up behind.
Mr. Chai is a bureaucrat. He is also the Park Administrator. He is a bean counter but can't be trusted with money so must count something else like visitors. He likes this idea because he has an idea how many geocachers are visiting what points of interest when. He can see this both in the visitors log in the cache and also online. Mr. Chai get a woody whenever he has to write reports to his powers that be. He's doesn't have to worry about any physical containers littering and polluting the park and the geocaching community can pass on coordinates of particularly beautiful locations via their logs.
Non PCers may now go ahead and post their thoughts.
My suggestions is complete but for those who are into PC you will have to read on. (PC= Political Correctness = Equity to the 9th degree). Sorry.
Now, with Australia being so politically correct and sensitive these days some here may have noticed I have mentioned two males and only one female to this point. For this I apologise profusely. Luckily I have kept a female current affairs reporter in the wings who is operating under the pseudonym of Ms Chamomile due to a recent stalking incident (another story). She has reported on this story because one of her transsexual researchers discovered in a blog (which linked to this thread) and considered it news worthy enough to present with a completely objective perspective biased only towards whoever owns the television station or the very next time slot program. Lets hope it the Sydney Weekend or Great Outdoors.
She found the blog post and forum thread to be suitable for sensationalism and forced the National Parks to capitulate under days of media pressure to compromise and allow geocachers the pleasure of entering their parks like any other suntanned nerd without a GPS (or iPhone with a GPS app).
PCer's please post your thoughts. Make sure you stay equitable now.
B.
Being Mothers Day we had to get the Bacon and Egg Breakfast out of the way but after that I've sat down at the computer to see if the same suggestion has been made. Seems like it hasn't. Of course I could be wrong. I was wrong on two other occasions, some say three but that's a matter of opinion. I digress. Apologies.
Imagine this:
Scenario 1: (For people who just need 1 example)
Geocacher arrives at the main entrance of the national park or the main office if the park has multiple entry/exit points. There they find a designated cache provided and maintained by 1 geocacher who is attached to that one park. They must of course be a local or live nearby.
All points of interest in the park by default become 'virtual caches' and have their general co-ordinates listed. Upon exiting the park the Cachers return to the cache and tick-a-box and comment on the locations they visited with their GPS. Alternatively this can be done online if they could not physically return to the cache a second time. Cachers can log each listed 'Virtual Cache' for that particular park. (In case your numbers driven)
Scenario 2: (For people who don't quite get it yet)
So for example Mr. and Mrs. Tetley arrive from out of state to stay two days at the Park in their new Caravan. They are from Victoria. Apparently "it's the place to be" but on this occasion they are somewhere else. Lets say in this example Queensland. Like, how else can the terrorize another state along the way. I digress. Apologies. They locate the cache and read the comments in the log, just like a visitors book. Prior to arriving they also read the comments online (probably while driving at 70 along the F3 north of Sydney). After reading most of the recent entries they decide that previous caches recommended this particular water fall during this season and a meadow was particularly pretty also as it was in flower. Mr. and Mrs. Tetley visit both locations using their GPS and return to log each prior to leaving. They get to cache in the NP, chalk up three finds (one phy + two virtual) and the Ranger happily waves to them as they leave the park with thirteen cars lined up behind.
Mr. Chai is a bureaucrat. He is also the Park Administrator. He is a bean counter but can't be trusted with money so must count something else like visitors. He likes this idea because he has an idea how many geocachers are visiting what points of interest when. He can see this both in the visitors log in the cache and also online. Mr. Chai get a woody whenever he has to write reports to his powers that be. He's doesn't have to worry about any physical containers littering and polluting the park and the geocaching community can pass on coordinates of particularly beautiful locations via their logs.
Non PCers may now go ahead and post their thoughts.
My suggestions is complete but for those who are into PC you will have to read on. (PC= Political Correctness = Equity to the 9th degree). Sorry.
Now, with Australia being so politically correct and sensitive these days some here may have noticed I have mentioned two males and only one female to this point. For this I apologise profusely. Luckily I have kept a female current affairs reporter in the wings who is operating under the pseudonym of Ms Chamomile due to a recent stalking incident (another story). She has reported on this story because one of her transsexual researchers discovered in a blog (which linked to this thread) and considered it news worthy enough to present with a completely objective perspective biased only towards whoever owns the television station or the very next time slot program. Lets hope it the Sydney Weekend or Great Outdoors.
She found the blog post and forum thread to be suitable for sensationalism and forced the National Parks to capitulate under days of media pressure to compromise and allow geocachers the pleasure of entering their parks like any other suntanned nerd without a GPS (or iPhone with a GPS app).
PCer's please post your thoughts. Make sure you stay equitable now.
B.