Geocaching Australia

I've always found an out of hours visit works wonders for playground caches if I don't have the kids with me.
I too find it very annoying if the cache description (or attributes) doesn't say it's in/near a playground.

I've often wondered how people have the gall to ask you what you are doing in that interrogative, not inquisitive, way (like ziggiau's example above). If it doesn't involve kids and playgrounds then what business is it of bystanders? Unless you are lurking behind their back fence I guess. In this day and age people can break into houses or steal cars or worse without anyone saying anything but wander around an empty park with a phone or GPSr in your hand and you get asked what you are doing? I'd be tempted to reply "What's it to you?" but am probably too nice...

Neighborhood watch I suspect is what causes a lot of the "what's going on here then". Follow that with "don't be alarmed, be alert". If I was just walking through the park I'd be OK. If I'm wandering around in circles these two government nanny actions kick in and the observer thinks there's something suspicious. Really, if I was a genuine terrorist looking to plant a pipe bomb to create destruction and death, do you think it's a good idea to ask what what I'm doing? I've had the cops called on me when I've been geocaching, so I'm not fussed if they get involved again. I'm doing nothing illegal and I'd be happy to explain exactly what's going on.

To me, as an avid bird watcher, binoculars and the most up to date book on birds is the perfect cover when sitting or strolling around looking for a cache. Just remember to look at birds in trees or elsewhere through the binoculars occasionally! You might also find out you enjoy watching birds as well. The book is important!

Cheers

Bird watching...I like that.
I have been known to use photography as an excuse to cover my caching. These days with digital - not wasting film - I can even click the camera occasionally. Many times I have grabbed my camera before I begin the search for just this reason.
I was caught coming out from under a bridge one day by a man walking his dog. He told me that someone else had looked strangely at me, but he knew I was photographing the graffiti. Naturally I agreed . We then discussed the graffiti, which I did like, and had actually taken a few real photographs of while down in the drain .

Not just Geocaching and playgrounds....last year when I was photographing (with the DEWNR Ranger knowledge/support) plant specimens from a derelict English garden in a National Park, I had made my way up to a very old Oak Tree then wandered out of a thicket of Hawthorn. I was confronted by an extremely arrogant man in a group of adults and children. He asked me (a 50 year old woman with a $50 camera phone) very bluntly...
- And What are you doing?...
Photographing plant specimens
- Who are you going to show them to?
My lecturer
- What for?
A plant study
- Well good luck with that then
Thankyou, and you have a good day too..

Of course afterwards I thought of all the things I should have said, including the offer of a tour of all 88 specimens!

I have just returned from a failed FTF. I settled with second. It was outside a playground with children there. Several male cachers were leaving, without making the find, as I arrived, and I was told they left because there were children there. Even as a female I kept my back to the playground as much as possible.

I had a go at cache today near, and I say near a playground, the cache was about a hundred metres from it and I had a drunken grandfather come after me armed with a stubby accusing me of taking pornographic pictures of his grandchildren with my phone which I was using to locate the cache. The terrible part about it was that he really was not much older than me. I tried to explain it to him, but I found discretion the better part of valour, realising I really did not want to be belted with a half full stubby of beer!

There's some quality supervision right there