Around Albany Creek

Sunday, November 17, 2013

As I happened to be in Albany Creek on Sunday and Monday I had the opportunity to search for a few caches again in the area.  On Sunday the whole family (and I) went for a short bike ride in the park.  More for exercise then anything else, because the weather wasn't very inviting, with threatening (and happening!) thunderstorms all week long.

Kevin and family had already started on this series of six Sandy Bridge caches, but I can always catch up! You need to grab clues at every cache to find the final one.

Sandy Bridge #3

Again no picture as I forgot my camera and don't have my GPS/camera any longer.  This bridge was a short ride from home and the find was an easy one (for me!) as Kevin and cohorts had been unsuccessful the first time around.  The hide was a bit tricky though.  We dutifully noted the clue and were on our way home, because it was starting to look very dark indeed.

Monday, November 18, 2013

Sandy Bridge #4

In the morning I had some spare time and decided to try and catch up on the Sandy Bridge caches.  I didn't go on the bike, as I was not prepared to go caching and didn't bring my backpack, necessary to put my tablet in, which I am using until I have a decent GPS again.

Unfortunately the compass was all over the place and would never show me to be closer than 49m, whichever way I went.  So this was a DNF for me and I'll need to catch up some other time.

Marchant to Glory in Old Kedron

On Monday afternoon, while I was driving Kevin after a small procedure on his eye, we used the bit of spare time we had to look for more caches.  One of them was hidden in Marchant Park in Chermside (The Marchants being a well known family in the area in the early 1900s.)  The Warehouse Cricket Assoc. is now housed in the park, hence this picture.  It was taken close to the cache's hiding place.  An easy find, by the way, because it was highly visible for those who were looking for a cache!

Marchant to Glory in Old Kedron

Marchant Guides

Some 600m from the former cache there should have been another one hidden 'under a log'.  Well, it suffices to say that with a GPS low on batteries and a threatening thunderstorm (yet again) we didn't hang around too long.  A DNF for this one.  We tried to get home before the storm, but got caught and had lots of water over the road during the downpour.  Luckily we were our of the range of the hail storm.  Enough broken windscreens around and north of Brisbane, so happy not to be another one of the casualties.

A special day!

Thursday, November 7, 2013

This day was special, not quite because it was Kevin's birthday (LOL), but a TB (Travel Bug) was going to travel to the International Space Station.  Events were being held all over the world to celebrate this fact and we were able to receive another virtual souvenir:

Geocaching in Space

Geocaching in Space souvenir

One particular event wasn't too far out of the way, so I arranged with Kevin that we would meet at Everton Park on his way from work.  We met lots of people (the event was attended by 43+) and learned the names behind faces, because after a while you start remembering names from logs, in particular the FTFs, which are very popular among a small group that may be able to chase the new caches when they are published.

They had a rocket, to keep decorations in style, and also a cake, beautifully decorated with the picture of the souvenir!  Unfortunately no pictures of the event, as of course I hadn't remembered to bring my camera....

Since C.Ponies and a few others had brought a number of TBs we got to log 12 as having been discovered. Kevin and I each took one TB to take on our travels again.  It is getting a bit difficult though, because nano caches seem to become more popular, but there's no room for TBs or TCs...

People we met and who I remember are: IolantheK, barbbowman, teamnanabombana, Team Benders, Crookedpete, BillnCindy, membsec, Angela & Dave, and of course the organiser C.Ponies. Many other names we knew, but didn't get a chance to talk to.  I guess we'll just have to attend another event in the future.  Worth while the effort.

Geocaching with James

Saturday, November 2, 2013

As it so happened, I was going to look after James and Madeleine as well after I'd finished my stint with Mikayla.  We had a few hours to spare on Saturday and, although it was quite hot, we managed to go for a short walk not far from 'home'. i.e. Thorneside.  Too far, however, to walk all the way up to the closest caches, we took the car and arrived at the first one, which is on the roadside.

Redlands # 3

James had already found this one with his mum, so all I needed to do is find it and sign the log.  Not too hard and with some help offered from James it was even easier!  He knew I always carry a garden glove in my geocaching backpack, so he pointed out that I might want to use it...  Good thinking, James!   No need to break my nails! ;-)

Redlands # 3
It's a shame though, that vandals can't seem to keep
their hands off public property!

Tingalpa's Treasure

We cross the border here into the Brisbane area, and the new park, Bayside Parklands, is indeed a treasure with its bike and walking tracks near Tingalpa Creek and the bushland with its native animals.

We parked the car near the entrance on the roadside and walked to the first cache.  As the coordinates were spot-on and I was tall enough (!) to be able to see into the hiding place, the cache was soon in hand and the log signed by both of us.

Tingalpa's Treasure

Fork in the Road

As we didn't enter the park from Chelsea Road and not all the tracks are mapped out, we happened to take the long way in search for the cache.  "As the crow flies" the distance is approx. 500m. We walked twice as much!  However, even though the day was really heating up, it was a pleasant walk and we (or should I say "I") needed the exercise!  After finding our way off the track through the bush, and numerous spider webs, we landed at GZ and James spotted the, otherwise well-camouflaged, cache in an instant.  Finding our way back, after logging our find, was a breeze, as we discovered a shorter track to the entrance and the parking lot.

James already knows...

Close to GZ

And of course, this is what it is all about ;-)

Geocaching with Mikayla

Thursday October 31, 2013

Leitch's Cache

As Mikayla had recovered enough after having her tonsils removed a fortnight earlier, it was time to poke our heads outside again.  I'd been looking after her while mum was at work, and we both had gotten along well.  Mikayla knew there was a cache close by that had been hidden by the mother of one of her friends, so this one had to be searched for, of course.

We took the bikes and rode to the end of the street, where the horse paddocks were and the John Leitch Memorial Park.  Since my mobile phone with GPS is a write-off I have quite adapted to taking my tablet. Not very inconspicuous, I know, but it will have to do for the time being.  As one can take pictures with it, most people will think I am using it as a camera anyway...

GZ was easily found, but not so the cache.  Mikayla's first thought was that 'muggles' would have taken the cache.  She's just a tad bit impatient... ;-)  However, with experience gained over time I put my thinking cap on while I scrutinised the surroundings.  After I realised what I was looking at I also knew what to look for and soon I had the cache in hand and was able to sign the log. A well-camouflaged cache indeed!

At GZ of Leitch's Cache

The park near GZ

Another one on a sunny afternoon

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Plantman Geocache # 21

This one had been on my 'to do' list for a while and since it was a perfect day for a beach walk I set out at low tide for the hunt.  The wind was blustery, but the sun was out.  Carefully placing my feet though, because I like to walk on the water's edge, but today, with the on-shore wind, the beach was littered with bluebottles!

A while ago this cache was replaced, because one of the cyclones had swept up the water high and much of the beach had disappeared, including the cache!  Not long after the cache had been replaced Kevin and I went in search, but my GPS was no longer working and his was all over the place, so we had a nice walk but no cache...

Today was the day, I decided, to go by myself and it was quite easy.  Half an hour and half an hour back, 10 minutes to search for and get to the cache (through the lantana and other prickly undergrowth), a few pictures and all in all 1-1/2 hour spent.  Not bad. :-)

A while to go yet. Just around the corner...

This pelican was wondering what a human
without fish (to feed him) was doing on the beach...

Closing in on the cache...

Yeah, somewhere high up amongst the banksias

And... another 'smiley'