A Year of Geocaching

[Ebenezer]

<p>December 25th is rapidly approcahing. Among other things it marks the first anniversary of my GPS receiver, and thus my introduction into the world of geocaching.</p>
<p>Our first cache attempt was <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_de ... 5FC}">Back to Basics</a> (which we never found). Never having found a cache or met a real life cacher before I did wonder if this stuff was actually real. Luckily we didn't give up before we experienced our first find: <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_de ... cs</a>.</p>
<p>Since then we have found 40 caches and hidden 5. Geocaching has taken us to parts of Sydney (our current home) that we have never seen before, and indeed parts of NSW, ACT and even London (<a href="http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_de ... F3A99}">St Etheldreda's</a> was a not-found, but it was a very cool spot). Singapore was tempting, but we decided the weather was too hot!</p>
<p>We have not been able to make any of the event caches so far, and in fact we have only ever met one other geocacher in real life: We ran into someone at <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_de ... 1}">Avards Close Encounter</a> near Gunnedah, but it seems he never logged his visit, so we still have no idea who he was.</p>
<p>I suspect my favourite cache is still <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_de ... A5F3}">The Maze</a>, although the cache containers for <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_de ... ourside</a> and for the old <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_de ... ">Vernon's View</a> cache were pretty impressive.</p>
<p>A big <b>thankyou</b> to other geocachers out there for what has been an enjoyable year!</p>

[Two Goth Geeks]

I too started about this time last year. I think I bought my Garmin eTrex basic around the middle of December. What a fun time I've had finding all the caches. My first was "The Kiddie Cache".
I aim to find and hide many more over next year up in Brisbane. Just have to find a job first

[Team Pathfinder]

For us it was the start of the "Geocaching Drought"!!

Work saw us move from away from "Geo Heaven". There are only a couple of other teams up here and unfortunately they arent as addicted to the cause as we/I am. Even my husband has lost interest!!! whilst I stay optimistic that maybe tommorrow?????

I should say a big thankyou right here to the teams that have tried to "feed my addiction" your participation has been very much appreciated.

Well only 8 more sleeps and I will be back in the big smoke for a couple of weeks. GPS primed with brand new batteries and spares in hand - many, many bits and pieces for adding to caches etc etc. Christmas who said Christmas - I am off cache hunting!!!!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!!!!

[Bronze]

Moving from Newcastle the Dubbo I didn't stop to consider how this would effect my already slow number of finds. Benig a unistudent didn't allow for the financial freedom of weekends and afternoons driving from cache to cache. How things have changed in the last 12 months.

Well, my year has been up and down. I made a rule when we moved to Dubbo to not do anything caching until July- 6 months and with the job settled I put a few out and the locals responded in kind. There caching out here at that stage was two 4WD freaks smsing coords to each other.

There was one archived cache when we got here, needless to say the find count wasn't going to skyrocket. Fortunately the cachers here them selves are a great community. We share beers, stories and help each other out on some of the harder hunts.

The best part of my year has been the friends I've made here and the wonderful future we have to look forward to. Thanks guys!

The Bronze and Family.

[traineediplomat]

Well I still have a couple of months to go (13/4/03 is the anniversary of my first find)....I stumbled across geocaching while searching the web for the latitude-longitude confluence project (or whatever the heck its called) and found geocaching.....Emailed my group of friends to find one (a gadget guy - maleks!) had a GPS as did my wife's father (hiker).

Headed out to the ol' Vernon's View and found it quickly...ended up finding 5 that first day (Vernons View, Can you hear the drums...err bells Fernando, Capital Circle [first multi], Torture Time and 'Traditional Geocache')...... By the end of the month I had scored 15 finds...and was well and truly addicted...

Bought my own GPSr off ebay and strangely enough my first find by myself was the new Vernons View (Vernons View II I suppose)....

I am now on 67 caches...but the lack of car and in fact licence has hindered my caching activities.....but I am getting great calves climbing all these hills!!!