Geocaching

geocaching

try here

Sandy

Hello - try these sites - all the info you will need........

Geocaching - The Official Global GPS Cache Hunt Site

Aussie site here
Geocaching Australia

The "Official" site (basd in US) has almost all of the caches for Australia. The Australian group is a splinter group that is stll trying to get people to use it instead of the "Official" site ..so only has a fa subset of caches so far - use both and you will have more than you can manage.

Great geocache waypoint managment software here........
GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife)

Cheers
Greg

It couldn't be easier. Just go to http://www.geocaching.com/ and on the top right hand of the webpage just enter the postcode of where you want to go in the box marked "by zip code" and it will then take you to the nearest geocache in that area progressively moving outwards.
Just make sure your GPSr's are set to WGS 84 and follow the instructions the cacher left for you to find the cache. There is often an encrypted hint to help you if you are unable to find the exact place where the cache is hidden. The encryption code is on the cache page so you can decrypt it if needs be.
Be careful though as it's very addictive. We've found just over 100 around Melbourne and some of the serious cachers have found over 2000.
When your in the caching zone, you wouldn't believe just how many possible hiding places there in a 10 metre radius area.
Regards Andrew. (team "da bugs" geocaching)

i actually ended up going to http://www.brillig.com/geocaching/australia.shtml which allowed me to click on the location of individual geocaches and also do a search for all geocaches within a certain distance, etc.

If you are planning on taking and replacing items in the caches, then make sure you take a lot of tiny things with you, some caches are very very small containers, and by the time you get the log book back in their isn't room for any larger items.

Its a great way to find some really interesting places you may not have found on your own, so have fun.

Until you have done a few caches (& I mean 10-20) I probably wouldn't recommend placing one yourself. Get the hang of it first.

Also there are requirements to be met for caches to be placed such as an ability to maintain the cache after it's placed - ie the ability to visit the cache at least twice a year to check up on it. Most cachers with caches in remote locations are prolific travellers who spend much of the year roaming the country side. Others have friends or relatives - or other cachers - who act as custodians of their caches in their abscence by arrangement.

Without these sorts of arrangements a future cacher may spend hours looking for something that isn't there and that can be very frustrating. Of course they may spend hours on a really hard cache and not find it so they need to be able to email the owner and get a maintenance check to make sure it hasn't been muggled (muggle = non caching type person).

All that considered it the main reason why there are so few geocaches in less inhabited areas of Australia - and many of those that are in the remotest of locations hail from the early days of the sport in 2001-2003 when the rules were less stringent. They are still allowed to remain until the owner either archives them when they appear to have disappeared and the owner can't maintain the site - or until the cacher ceases caching.

If you let me know where you are going - give me 4 corner points by GPS coordinates and an email address by PM and I'll email you an up to date GPX file.

Dave