From Seedlings to Celebrations

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As the 7,000 seedlings planted in Mullum Mullum Reserve form new roots after a huge planting day, we look ahead to a number of exciting events coming up on the geocaching calendar and more. Keep ahead of the news in our latest blog.

National Tree Day – 27 July 2025

This year, Geocaching Victoria partnered with Manningham Council to celebrate National Tree Day at Mullum Mullum Reserve. A wonderful group of geocachers and local community members came together to plant 7,000 indigenous plants across the reserve. The event was exceptionally well organized by Manningham Council, and we were proud to collaborate with them alongside the many volunteers who lent a helping hand. Special thanks go to Leah (Crack’n’LeeLee) for her efforts in coordinating this meaningful event.

Mark your calendars!

Spring is upon us, and the geocaching calendar is jam packed! We have three major Community Celebration Events coming up on the calendar filled with celebration, fun, and recognition: Be sure to log your will attends!

  • Victorian Cache of the Year Awards 2024 (GCB0YDT): Come and celebrate from 5:30pm on October 25, as we congratulate all of the nominees and announce the winners of the 2024 Victorian Cache of the Year Awards. Voting will open on 15 September, allowing you your chance to pick your favourite nominated caches, Adventure Labs, and logs.
  • GIFF – Thanks For The Community (GCATN5R): Mark your calendar for 11am on November 16, 2025. Enjoy geocaching short films from around the globe and other activities in comfortable theatre seating while connecting with fellow caching enthusiasts.
  • 10th Anniversary of The Melbourne Event (GCATKT5): It’s time for a milestone! Join us for a Free BBQ dinner at Casey Fields from 5pm on November 16, 2025. It’s a chance to celebrate 10 years since the first ever Mega event in Victoria, and the many more that have followed in its footsteps.

Don’t forget you can view a list of every geocaching event being hosted in Victoria on our website by visiting our Upcoming Events page.

Don’t Miss Out: Jackets and Zip Hoodies—Limited Release

After all the love for our new jackets and zip hoodies at recent events, we’re doing a LIMITED 2ND RUN. The gear is back online and ready to order… but only until 7 September. Don’t miss your chance to level up your geocaching gear and add these pieces to your collection.

Order HERE by 7 September to secure yours.

Join the Team

Geocaching Victoria is a volunteer-driven community and welcomes new committee members! Are you keen to help organize events, manage communications, work with the community or share some fresh ideas? Now is the perfect time to get involved. Bring your passion and help shape the future of Victoria’s caching adventures.

If you are interested in joining the team, send an email to president@geocachingvictoria.com.au with your name (real and geocaching!) and a short spiel about why you’d like to join the committee, and what skills you think you can bring.

And The 2024 Nominees Are…

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Nominations have been flowing in recently in the search for the best geocaches, adventure labs and logs from 2024. All of the nominees for the Victorian Cache of the Year Awards have been carefully tallied, cross checked and shortlsted, and are now ready to be revealed. They include creative multis, impressive caches from a great selection of first time hiders, and some tall tales of geocaching adventures past just to name a few. Thank you to everyone who nominated and shared their voice.

With daylight savings affording attendees an extra hours sleep overnight, geocachers gathered, bright eyed at Darebin Parklands, ready to hear word of the amazing caches nominated by the community. The aroma of the sizzling BBQ wafted through the park (with thanks to bunadoorian, posums and ) and helped fuel the strong crowd that had gathered to celebrate.

For those eager to dive in, the full list of nominees is available on the 2024 Victorian Cache of the Year Awards page on our website. It is complete with links to each cache, Adventure Lab and log. There are an incredible 42 individual caches (some nominated in multiple categories), 106 caches that form the shortlisted cache series nominees, 6 Adventure Labs and 8 entertaining Found IT/DNF logs to enjoy. Congratulations to everyone that was shortlisted.

Don’t forget the 2 geocaching.com cache lists to help you find all of the nominees:

In addition, the 2025 eligible hide lists have already been created and are periodically updated. Keep your eye out for new hiders, new cache series, or any other new caches published this year. All of them are available at the Great Geocaching Lists section of our website and will be eligible for nominating in next years awards.

To give you time to find as many of the nominees as possible, voting won’t commence until later in the year, with the final winners slated to be revealed at an event in October/November (TBA). Don’t leave it until the last minute though, grab your GPS, lace up your caching boots and go out and find as many of these amazing nominated caches and adventure labs as you can. And when you have a quiet moment, read through the great logs also.

If you are one of the worthy nominees, you can also add a nominee banner to your cache page, and add a badge to your profile using the 2024 COTYA resources here.

To everyone who has earned a spot on the coveted nominations list for 2024, congratulations on your nomination and thank you for bringing so much enjoyment to the community – Good Luck and keep up the amazing hides, labs and stories.

Wrapping Up The Sunbury Event: A Celebration of Geocaching

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The Sunbury Event, Victoria’s first-ever Block Party, has come to a close, leaving behind a trail of excitement and memories for geocachers from all over Australia and around the world. Celebrating 25 years of geocaching, the weekend was filled with adventure, camaraderie, and loads of geocaching fun.

Highlights of The Sunbury Event

  • Nature at Night: What a wonderful experience exploring our nocturnal wildlife and learning about the stars thanks to our partners Hume City Council, not to mention some night caching adventures.
  • Gadget Caches: 25 gadget caches from some of the greatest cache building minds from all over the state perplexed even the smartest minds.
  • Special Guests: A fantastic visit from Em_adventuring who overseas the global Mega/Block Party program at Geocaching HQ. This was a unique chance to learn from and exchange ideas that will help us as we develop future events.Congratulations to the winners.
  • GPS Adventures Maze: This rare icon was on offer with refreshed content and a redesigned night cache room.
  • Holden Flora Reserve CITO: Another chance to parther with Hume City Council to make a big impact on the local environment including mulching, tree guard removal and rubbish collection.
  • Loads more with information sessions, stalls, prizes and too much to mention.

Acknowledging the Volunteers and Sponsors

The success of The Sunbury Event would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of all of our volunteers. With more than 100 people contributing to the planning, preparation and execution of the Block Party, we just couldn’t have done it without you. THANK YOU!

We also couldn’t do this without the generous support of our major sponsors Hume City Council and Geocaching.com who have been huge supporters of the event. In addition a big thanks must go to Pathtags, geostuff.com.au, Scurvy Dog Designs, Bunnings Warehouse Mernda, Bridgestone Melton, Canopus Print and Nicole Grau.  A heartfelt thank you to all those organizations and individuals for their contributions and support.

Thank You to the Organising Committee

The Sunbury Event Committee deserves special recognition for their dedication and hard work. Their efforts ensured that every aspect of the event, from planning to execution, was expertly managed to provide an unforgettable experience for all attendees. You have earned a well deserved rest. Thank you to Connie and the entire team,

Post Block Party Feedback

Gathering feedback on your Sunbury experience is very important as it helps us to shape future events. Follow the link below to share your experiences and let us know what you thought of The Sunbury Event.

Provide your feedback by Wednesday 2 April to be in the running to win a Sunbury Event Unobtanium Geocoin.

Complete the survey here

Prizes

Congratulations to the winners of the raffle, Limited Edition Sunbury Unobtanium geocoins and other prizes! A special thank you to maccamob for once again generously donating the hamper for our community raffle which combined with the FTF raffle raised a record $1,839 for Sunbury Neighbourhood House, who were at the closing ceremony for the cheque presentation. Thank you to everyone who bought tickets. There are still a handful of prizes to give away so ensure you have completed the actions below by Wednesday 26 March to be in the running.

Win a Limited Edition Sunbury Unobtanium geocoin (1 each) by:

  • Logging your attendance at the Block Party (GCAP417)
  • Submitting your discovered logs on the Block Party trackable that was on display
  • Posting your Muggle the Puggle and milestone photos in the comments on the Geocaching Victoria Facebook/Instagram post (Enter Here).

Also win the March 10th Anniversary Geocaching Victoria Unobtanium geocoin or 1yr geocaching.com premium memberships by:

  • Logging your attendance at the Block Party (GCAP417)

Looking Ahead to The Tassie Event

As we wrap up The Sunbury Event, our sights are set on the next exciting adventure: The Tassie Event. Scheduled for March 7-8, 2026, this event promises to be Tasmania’s first major geocaching extravaganza, offering a unique opportunity to explore the island’s stunning landscapes and geocaching treasures. The event has now been published (GCAZTAZ) so you can go ahead and log your will attend. Our Mega application is in the final stages of approval with HQ, and will be completed as part of The Sunbury Event review in the coming weeks – stay tuned!

Farewell For Now

The Sunbury Event Block Party has been a resounding success, celebrating geocaching and the community alike. We have loved hosting you and look forward to seeing you all at The Tassie Event next year where we get to do it all again! But now for some sleep.

The Final Count Down

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With less than three weeks to go until the Sunbury Block Party, things are coming together nicely and excitement is building for this amazing event. Here are some of the things that have been released since our last update:

  • Geoart Unveiled: The geoart for the 25 challenge caches has been published and the final mystery geoart caches are now live!
  • Nightcache Adventure: Explore the Emu Bottom Wetlands with a newly released nightcache.
  • Special Guest: We’re thrilled to welcome a Geocaching HQ Lackey to Sunbury!
  • Mascot Spotted: Signal and Muggle the Puggle have been spotted hanging out in Sunbury, adding to the fun.
  • Geostuff Onsite: Geostuff will have their full shop on display, so get ready to gear up!

Event Schedule Released!

Plan your weekend with our full event schedule listed at the bottom of this blog. Additional info is available below to help you plan your weekend::

  • Nature at Night (Friday): Join the Entomological Society of Victoria, Astronomical Society and Hume City Council for stargazing and to learn about the nocturnal creatures at Emu Bottom Wetlands. Astronomers are new to the lineup! Free tickets are available here, with a complimentary shuttle bus from the Global Learning Centre to the wetlands.
  • Trivia Night (Saturday): Secure one of the few remaining free tickets for this fun and friendly trivia challenge. Reserve your spot here.
  • GPS Adventures Maze: This super rare icon is available at The Sunbury Event. Avoid the usual Saturday morning queues by planning your visit for a less busy time across the weekend. Foundation Friends of the Maze can skip the queue at any time with their maze nametag or by checking in with maze volunteers. Help support the maze by purchasing the Sunbury Maze Geocoin here.

Unobtanium Geocoins

There are only 12 Limited Edition Sunbury Unobtanium geocoins to win, with plenty of opportunities over the event weekend to participate and win one of these golden beauties. Stay tuned for more information and remember – these can only be won!

Merchandise

Pathtags, geocoins, hats and flags are still available to purchase via the Geocaching Victoria online store. Sunbury and Maze merchandise orders, $100 or over (cumulative over all orders), enter you into a draw to win a Sunbury Unobtanium Geocoin. Entires close 16 March so get your pre-orders in now! The Sunbury Event – Shop

Parking

Enjoy free, unrestricted parking at the rear of the Global Learning Centre (entry via Brook St) on both Saturday and Sunday. We have agreed with Hume City Council that parking inspectors will not enforce the 2P and 3P areas that are within the designated OFF STREET Global Learning Centre Carpark accessed from Brook St (Sat & Sun Only). Additional parking is also available along Macedon Street at the front of the Global Learning Centre and on Brook St at the rear, however parking restrictions WILL apply according to the signs in these and all other parking areas in Sunbury, so be sure to check the signs before leaving your car.

Disabled parking is available in the main car park off Brook Street as well as along Macedon Street (Macedon Street parking requires use of stairs or lift access).

There is limited parking at the Sunbury Memorial Hall (Home of the GPS Adventure Maze and some gadget caches). We therefore recommend parking at the Global Learning Centre where possible and walking the short 200m between the two venues.

Raffles

As part of engaging with the local community at each of our Mega and Block Party events, we nominate a local charity to be the beneficiary of the raffle sales from our FTF and much loved Maccamob hamper raffle. We are thrilled to have maccamob’s generous hamper donation for yet another year – Thank you Mary and David.

This year we are pleased to support the Sunbury Neighbourhood Kitchen, who are a not for profit, entirely volunteer run organisation (just like us!). They help feed locals in need and are aiming to provide over 2,500 meals this year. With your support, we are delighted to help them achieve this goal. A representative from Sunbury Neighbourhood Kitchen will be at the farewell event and tickets for the raffles will be on sale at the Global Learning Centre throughout the event.

We Can’t Wait To See You!

Don’t miss this epic geocaching celebration! If you haven’t already, log your “Will Attend” and start planning your Sunbury Block Party adventure today.

Full Event Schedule

TimeActivityLocation
Friday21 March 2025
6:00pm – 7:00pmGCB1GJA Friday Night Casual Catch UpSunbury Park
7:30pm – 10:00pmNature at Night (Free shuttle buses from GLC)
Register with Hume Council HERE.		Emu Bottom Wetlands

Saturday22 March 2025
9:00am – 4:00pmGCAP417 The Sunbury Event – Block Party 25Global Learning Centre
9:00am – 9:30amOpening Ceremony (and photo)GLC Amphitheatre
9:45am – 4:00pm– Registration, Merchandise and Stalls Open
– Gadget Adventure Labs Open
– GCB169V GPS Adventure Maze		Global Learning Centre
GLC & Memorial Hall
Memorial Hall
11:00am – 12:00pmInformation Session – Creating Robust Caches by WatashiGlobal Learning Centre
12:00pm – 1:00pmInformation Session – Challenge Caches by BFMCGlobal Learning Centre
1:00pm – 2:00pmPathtag TradingGlobal Learning Centre
2:00pm – 3:00pmMeet the Reviewers and LackeyGlobal Learning Centre
4:00pmRegistration, Merchandise, Maze, Gadgets CLOSEGLC & Memorial Hall
Evening Activities
5:00pm – 8:00pmGCATP00 Community Celebration Event
(Optional Dinner and Lawn Bowls)		Sunbury Bowls Club
8:15pm – 9:30pmTrivia night – booking required (free)Sunbury Bowls Club


Sunday23 March 2025
8:30am – 9:00amGCB1HJ2 Sunday Morning at The Sunbury EventThe Village Green
9:00am – 1:00pm– Registration, Merchandise and Stalls Open
– GCB169V GPS Adventure Maze		Global Learning Centre
Memorial Hall
9:00am – 2:30pmGadget Adventure Labs OpenGLC & Memorial Hall
9:30am – 10:30amGCB1GJ9 Holden Flora Reserve – CITOHolden Flora Reserve
11:00am – 12:00pmInformation Session – Designing Themed Letterboxes by THE EVIL MUGGLEGlobal Learning Centre
12:00am – 1:00pmInformation Session – EarthCaches by micaparamedicGlobal Learning Centre
1:00pmRegistration, Merchandise, Stalls, Maze CLOSEGLC & Memorial Hall
2:30pmGadget Caches CLOSEGLC & Memorial Hall
2:30pm – 3:00pmPhoto Opportunity with SignalGlobal Learning Centre
3:00pm – 3:30pmGCB1TGM Farewell EventGLC Amphitheatre

The Sunbury Event: Block Party – January Update

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The Sunbury Block Party is just two months away, and excitement is building! Recently, BFMC and leelee (crack’n’leelee) joined PCE on the Geocaching Downunder Podcast to share the latest updates. You can watch the podcast episode below.

Here’s a rundown of the exciting new details:

Event Schedule

Get ready to plan your ultimate Block Party adventure! The newly released schedule is packed with activities, allowing ample time to reconnect with friends and explore the area’s caches and attractions.

TimeActivityLocation
Friday21 March 2025
6:00pm – 7:00pmGCB1GJA Friday Night Casual Catch UpSunbury Park
7:30pm – 9:00pmNature at Night (Free shuttle buses from GLC)
Registration coming soon.		Emu Bottom Wetlands
Saturday22 March 2025
9:00am – 4:00pmGCAP417 The Sunbury Event – Block Party 25 Global Learning Centre
9:00am – 9:30amOpening Ceremony (and photo)GLC Amphitheatre
9:45am – 4:00pm– Registration, Merchandise and Stalls Open
– Gadget Adventure Labs Open
– GCB169V GPS Adventure Maze		Global Learning Centre
GLC & Memorial Hall
Memorial Hall
11:00am – 12:00pmInformation Session – TBCGlobal Learning Centre
12:00pm – 1:00pmInformation Session – TBCGlobal Learning Centre
1:00pm – 2:00pmPathtag TradingGlobal Learning Centre
2:00pm – 3:00pmMeet the ReviewersGlobal Learning Centre
4:00pmRegistration, Merchandise, Maze, Gadgets CLOSEGLC & Memorial Hall
Evening Activities
5:00pm – 8:00pmGCATP00* Community Celebration Event
(Optional Dinner and Lawn Bowls)
(*pending publication)		Sunbury Bowls Club
8:15pm – 9:30pmTrivia night – booking required (free)Sunbury Bowls Club
Sunbury23 March 2025
8:30am – 9:00amGCB1HJ2 Sunday Morning at The Sunbury EventThe Village Green
9:00am – 1:00pm– Registration, Merchandise and Stalls Open
– GCB169V GPS Adventure Maze		Global Learning Centre
Memorial Hall
9:00am – 2:30pmGadget Adventure Labs OpenGLC & Memorial Hall
9:30am – 10:30amGCB1GJ9 Holden Flora Reserve – CITOHolden Flora Reserve
11:00am – 12:00pmInformation Session – TBCGlobal Learning Centre
12:00am – 1:00pmInformation Session – TBCGlobal Learning Centre
1:00pmRegistration, Merchandise, Stalls, Maze CLOSEGLC & Memorial Hall
2:30pmGadget Caches CLOSEGLC & Memorial Hall
3:00pm – 3:30pmGCB1TGM* Farewell Event (*pending publication)GLC Amphitheatre

Nature at Night (Friday Night Following The Casual Catchup Event)

Thanks to our major sponsor, Hume City Council, and the Entomological Society of Victoria, we’re thrilled to offer a unique nocturnal experience on Friday, March 21st. Learn about moths and other fascinating insects that call Sunbury home while spotting other nocturnal animals and learning about the local biodiversity.

  • Time: 7:30pm – 9:00pm (following the Friday night event)
  • Location: Emu Bottom Wetlands Reserve, Sunbury
  • Cost: Free! (Registration required via Eventbrite – TBA)
  • Activities: Moth identification, nocturnal animal spotting, expert talks on local biodiversity, and a fun Biodiversity Bingo challenge
  • Transport: Limited on-site parking; free shuttle buses running between the Sunbury Global Learning Centre and Emu Bottom Wetlands Reserve (departing every 20 mins between 7:00pm and 9:30pm)
  • What to bring:  Comfortable walking shoes, weather-appropriate clothing, flashlight/headlamp, and a smartphone/tablet with the iNaturalist app

Trivia: Did you know that Gil Grissom from CSI is an entomologist, just like our expert guides.

Unobtanium Geocoin

Congratulations to AnyMules for snagging the first rare Sunbury Event Unobtanium geocoin.

Would you like to win the next unobtanium? Anyone who pre-orders Block Party and Maze merchandise will go into the draw to win an unobtanium. Get a bonus entry if you have cumulatively spent $100 or more on eligible merchandise (before discounts). Entries close Sunday 16 March and the winner will be drawn at the closing event.

More opportunities to win these coveted coins will be available at The Sunbury Event.

New Caches

We’re working hard to ensure there are a number of new geocaches in the area. This is a combined effort between the committee and the community. Puzzle caches are our current focus so there is plenty of time to solve, with multiple small batches being published soon. We will announce once all of the planned puzzles have been published. Keep an eye out for more exciting cache types to come, including the new Virtual published on Tuesday night.

Lead Up Events

Our final Victorian lead up event is scheduled on 9 February at Fitzroy Gardens (GCB1TAG). We’d love to connect with you and answer all of your questions to help you plan your weekend adventure.

A big thanks to DavidWazza for spreading the word at the recent event in Brisbane. There are two more interstate opportunities to get more information:

  • GCB1FKQ – Saturday 18 January (Alberton, SA) – Thanks Locus Cache!
  • GCB215F – Saturday 1 February (Howrah, TAS) – Thanks stainless-steel-rat!

Accommodation Update

While some options are filling up, there’s still plenty of accommodation available:

Treetops Scout Camp –  plenty of unpowered sites available.

Macedon Caravan Park – have multiple spaces available.

For more options, check our Accommodation page – many sites still have availability.

Volunteers

Now is the time to register you interest in helping us deliver The Sunbury Event. Events like these are only possible thanks to the generous team of volunteers who help in the lead up and over the event weekend.

To register your interest and share your volunteering preferences, please complete the Volunteer form HERE.

Don’t miss out on this epic geocaching celebration! Log your “Will Attend” and start planning your Sunbury Block Party adventure today.