It’s time to welcome the third and final new member of the Geocaching Victoria committee, Jo from chooknchunk. Getting in contact with Jo’s publicist is near impossible of late, and once you do, the global requests for interviews following the amazing People’s Choice Award win in the 2023 GIFF have meant access is limited. We were thrilled to hear that Jo had insisted her schedule be cleared to make time to chat with us. Now where did I put that list of “no go” questions?
Jo, what is your geocaching name and how did you decide on it?
I am the “chook” of chooknchunk. My partner Chunk calls me this because I’m vertically challenged and as such my backside is close to the ground like a chook. Chunk has always been given that nickname by his family.
A name now known globally! So when did you start geocaching and how did you find out about it?
Prior to geocaching, we had both been involved in horse endurance competition. An endurance friend had told us how she would go riding in the hills with her friend who would find these little treasures. Months later we had a weekend off together and asked her “what is that treasure hunting thing you do?”. We looked at a GCA map on the laptop and found a nearby cache without a GPS. Then we realised we needed to join up to get info and co-ords, and to log a find.
Over the next year we found about 20 caches, including a couple close to home that showed us places we never knew about. We noted an event in Ballarat, so we rocked up to that and learnt that there was an app on the phone we could use, rather than plugging co-ords into the old Garmin wrist watch. Everything accelerated rapidly into an addiction after that.
Giddy Up! Looks like you’ve been cracking the whip since your first 20 finds. Now what sort of caching style suits you both?
We love a bit of everything, but in particular we like geocaches that bring us to interesting locations, which might be a good view, a bush hike, some local history or a key place for that particular community or area. We also love events and Chook is also into solving puzzles.
Sounds like a great excuse to explore. What do you love most about geocaching?
Definitely the people. We have made many good friends through geocaching. Caching with friends adds so much more fun to the adventures.
It provides access to some cheap acting talent also… or so I hear. Having ticked off producing a GIFF from your bucket list, what is still on the list to achieve?
More interstate trips, particularly to go to the three states that we haven’t visited yet – WA TAS and NT.
Road Trip!!!! On your caching adventures to date, what has been the most memorable?
Nearly every caching outing turns into an adventure of some sort. From the shenanigans deployed to dodge muggles in the suburbs, to the Little Desert trips with The Tritonz, the bush hikes with my friend WendyB158, the CSI adventures in Wangaratta and boat-caching on Lake Eildon. There’s way too many to list. However our most memorable cache so far is probably Underworld (GC4VM05) in Mt Buffalo. I used to love going back to work the next week and have my bemused colleagues say “you did WHAT for a cache?”.
I think we can all relate to those remarks. In amongst your adventures, what made you consider volunteering your time to support Geocaching Victoria and what are you most looking forward to?
Having recently retired from nursing, I feel I can now give some time back to the activity that has given us so much over the past decade. I am particularly keen to try to facilitate more caching networking and activity in the country regions of Victoria.
We look forward to your contribution to geocaching and to additional networking in regional Victoria. Thanks for taking the time to share your caching journey with us and for joining Geocaching Victoria. I know we inflated your new found fame a little, and that the reality is a much more humble and gracious win, so congratulations from all of us (although that list of demands in your pre interview rider was… interesting!).
Please join me in welcoming Jo to the Geocaching Victoria team.
