Geocaching Australia

Here is a video presentation I gave at the NSW geocaching association Geocaching 101 meeting on June 27th.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gVnTKb2SA8
(Available in HD to see detail on the slides)

It looks at some of the early history of the Sydney geocaching scene, early competition, and some of the major Megacaches, including the famous Get Smart interactive caching story.

49 minutes of unscripted EcoDave waffle, you have been warned!

Enjoy.
EcoDave.

Very entertaining Dave. Thanks for putting it up.

Well I couldn't make it but it's just like being there! I'm about halfway through, ah the beauty of Youtube, can be taken at your own pace!
Would have loved to have been involved in those early days, back when it was not all about numbers. Is there a chance of a return to those days I wonder? I'd be happy to work on such caches but I'm not sure there'd be the participation to warrant it. A lot of people look at multis as too much effort for the same reward as a stinky drive-by. At least you don't feel 'dirty' afterwards!

While you're there EcoDave could you look at replacing Waypoint 1 for the One in a Hundred cache?
One in a Hundred - EcoTeam#6
Would love to have a go at it but by the logs it appears to be gone. A cache from the (g)olden days.
Thanks!

I'll check it out on my next visit there.

Dave.

EcoTeam wrote:I'll check it out on my next visit there.

Dave.

Thanks for that. Looking forward to doing it as it's one of the closest caches to home we haven't done.
We're trying to re-kindle the flame of the early years! I love reading the logs of the old caches with the names in your presentation popping up all the time. I'm always amazed at the number of caches placed by The 2Dogs. So many are in the middle of nowhere but are still going after all these years.

You learn something new everyday. Last time I tried to upload a video over ten minutes it wouldn't go. Something must have changed recently.

I've heard the Get smart story before but this was absolutely brilliant. Thanks for sharing. i wish things were like this now. AND I really like the idea of chocolate Freddos in caches as a prize. Hmmm yum.... Who became the cache police and decided against this?????

That was amazing, it's great to see the effort people went to in the "olden" days...

Thanks Dave. Having been there on Sunday I saw it and it was very entertaining. My partner Anna was quite amazed at the effort, and she has seen a few funny ones in the 8 months since I introduced her to the obsession hobby. But that one is a serious amount of effort to place and find, and it would be hard to reproduce these days, especially with the spare people in trenchcoats and so on! I've got a couple of devious ideas I should work more on, nowhere near that scale, but things people won't have seen before. Problem is they need to be placed bush where they won't be stumbled upon, and require a power source. Hmmm, inspiration will strike at the right time.

And get stuff all finders after the initial rush as they won't be drive bys!

Big Matt and Shell wrote:You learn something new everyday. Last time I tried to upload a video over ten minutes it wouldn't go. Something must have changed recently.

Nothing has changed, it's still a 10 minute limitation.
I can upload any length because I'm a Youtube Partner, hence the ads on the video which I get a commission on.

EcoDave.

EcoTeam wrote: 49 minutes of unscripted EcoDave waffle, you have been warned!

Fantastic, most enjoyable and inspiring! Thanks so much for going to the time and effort of doing this! It is always interesting to see where we have come from and how that has had an influence on where we are going.

Yurt wrote: Would have loved to have been involved in those early days, back when it was not all about numbers. Is there a chance of a return to those days I wonder? I'd be happy to work on such caches but I'm not sure there'd be the participation to warrant it. A lot of people look at multis as too much effort for the same reward as a stinky drive-by. At least you don't feel 'dirty' afterwards!

I've got to be honest, I tire of your constant badgering about people not doing multis, of people focusing on the numbers and of people preferring drive-bys. This is one of the most individualistic games/hobbies/obsessions that there is, and everyone plays the game differently. Just because someone plays the game differently to you, does not make them wrong (or you wrong!). You can play the game however you want! Just because a cache gets a few hits by the usual suspects does not make it bad! In fact, I dare say it was the same in the 'old days' too (good quality, hard caches would not get many finds). Maybe it is actually cache hiders that are focussed on the numbers?!

PS, I note that you found 14 caches on Saturday... not a bad little run for someone who hates the game being about 'the numbers'

Hoojar wrote:

Yurt wrote: Would have loved to have been involved in those early days, back when it was not all about numbers. Is there a chance of a return to those days I wonder? I'd be happy to work on such caches but I'm not sure there'd be the participation to warrant it. A lot of people look at multis as too much effort for the same reward as a stinky drive-by. At least you don't feel 'dirty' afterwards!

I've got to be honest, I tire of your constant badgering about people not doing multis, of people focusing on the numbers and of people preferring drive-bys. This is one of the most individualistic games/hobbies/obsessions that there is, and everyone plays the game differently. Just because someone plays the game differently to you, does not make them wrong (or you wrong!). You can play the game however you want! Just because a cache gets a few hits by the usual suspects does not make it bad! In fact, I dare say it was the same in the 'old days' too (good quality, hard caches would not get many finds). Maybe it is actually cache hiders that are focussed on the numbers?!

PS, I note that you found 14 caches on Saturday... not a bad little run for someone who hates the game being about 'the numbers'

Hoojar wrote:

EcoTeam wrote: 49 minutes of unscripted EcoDave waffle, you have been warned!

Fantastic, most enjoyable and inspiring! Thanks so much for going to the time and effort of doing this! It is always interesting to see where we have come from and how that has had an influence on where we are going.

Yurt wrote: Would have loved to have been involved in those early days, back when it was not all about numbers. Is there a chance of a return to those days I wonder? I'd be happy to work on such caches but I'm not sure there'd be the participation to warrant it. A lot of people look at multis as too much effort for the same reward as a stinky drive-by. At least you don't feel 'dirty' afterwards!

I've got to be honest, I tire of your constant badgering about people not doing multis, of people focusing on the numbers and of people preferring drive-bys. This is one of the most individualistic games/hobbies/obsessions that there is, and everyone plays the game differently. Just because someone plays the game differently to you, does not make them wrong (or you wrong!). You can play the game however you want! Just because a cache gets a few hits by the usual suspects does not make it bad! In fact, I dare say it was the same in the 'old days' too (good quality, hard caches would not get many finds). Maybe it is actually cache hiders that are focussed on the numbers?!

PS, I note that you found 14 caches on Saturday... not a bad little run for someone who hates the game being about 'the numbers'

Agreed, we had a go at this sort of thing and it is enjoyable to an extent but leaves one wondering if one is missing something. We did a big day once of 23 caches which was a good mix of nanos and regulars, some were pretty hard while others easy. It was a good run and we will probably have another go at it sometime so I am not totally opposed to chasing numbers, there is a place for it - it's exciting.

It's more that people go to a bit of an effort to create caches in great spots with a bit put into them and then there are very few finds. Then a drive-by with nothing much going for it gets heaps. Call me a fuddy-duddy. Each to his own etc, you are free to do whatever you please, and apparently I am still free say what I please as long as I don't get nasty, which I never will.

I must have been going on about this too much. That's the last you'll hear about it from me. Except in logs maybe!

Sorry, I've been posting on forums for years and I don't think I've ever got under anyone's skin before.

Thanks for the vid Dave,

It certainly has changed a lot since then!

Thanks to Webguy also for talking EcoDave into putting together the presentation.