Celebrating Victoria’s Best: 2024 Victorian Cache of the Year Awards

Posted on October 25, 2025 by RoamingHowie

On Saturday night, the geocaching community came together at the Hampton RSL to celebrate the Victorian Cache of the Year Awards for 2024. It was standing room only as a packed house gathered to recognise the incredible caches and dedicated cache owners who make geocaching in Victoria so special.

Between dinner and a lively round of trivia, the winners of this year’s awards were revealed. Each category celebrated the creativity, effort and passion that goes into hiding and maintaining some of the best caches across the state. From epic constructions, to stunning locations and challenging adventures, the 2024 nominees showcased the diversity and imagination that makes our community shine.

2024 Victorian Cache of the Year Award Winners

Category	GC Code	Winner
Best Traditional Cache	GCAV9WB	Game On: Strong Man by BossConner
Best Multi Cache	GCATPKA	TDOC24 – The Christmas Links by Sol de lune
Best Mystery Cache	GCANE5H	Historic Pubs of South Melbourne A/L Bonus by LetThemEatCache
Best Other Cache	GCARD2X	TDOC24: LITTLE Drummer Boy by surefoot24
Best First Hide	GCAXMDK	Yarraville-Footscray Bowls Club by Nel&Andy
Best Cache Series	Game On	Game On by BossConner
Best Cache Location (joint winners)	GCAKYAR GCAJFKP	Discover The Dome by Donutholes Vaughan Springs Reserve – Virtual Reward 4.0 by micaparamedic
Best Regional Cache	GCAKYAR	Discover The Dome by Donutholes
Best Adventure Lab	Historic Pubs of South Melbourne	Historic Pubs of South Melbourne by LetThemEatCache
Best Cache Log	GL1DBH619	horror.fan.jm on Twinkle, Twinkle (Night Cache)
Best Overall Cache	GCAY06B	Lost in Space Again by Captain Mister Doctor

Congratulations to all of this years winners and to everyone who was nominated by their peers. A special thanks to Elvis (JonnyGoldCoast) our trivia host and to team Worst Cache Scenario who won tonights Trivia!

Profile Badge and Cache Page Banner

If you were a nominee or winner in the 2024 Victorian Cache of the Year Awards, you can proudly share your acheivement with the community!

Add a badge to your personal profile to showcase your nomination or win.
Add a banner to your cache page so finders know your cache was part of the 2024 awards.

Visit this link to download the badge and banner resources.

10th Anniversary Unobtainium Geocoin

We also drew the winner of the 10th Anniversary Unobtanium Geocoin, awarded to one lucky winner who had found 10 or more of this year’s nominated caches.

Congratulations to Omegaman1971 – Well done!

Only 2 10th Anniverary Unobtanium Geocoins remain:

One will go to the lucky attendee of a 2025 Victorian CCE (random), and
The final one will be awarded to a cache owner who has published a particularly rare hide.

Stay tuned to find out who the final two recipients will be!

The Top 10 finders of the 2024 nominated caches (by points) were as follows:

Cacher	Points
RoamingHowie	60
Kristysadventures	56
OzHockeyChick	47
Rebel Acts	45
spiffy-	45
SteMicMitSar	45
n0w0rries	43
Snips and Co	41
Omegaman1971	40
Riddell	40

Looking ahead to the 2025 awards

That’s a wrap on the 2024 Victorian Cache of the Year Awards! A huge thank you to everyone who nominated, found, voted and celebrated the incredible talent within our community. Thanks goes to our dedicated committee including the lead for this event LetThemEatCache for hosting this fantastic event.

Now it’s time to turn our attention to 2025 – continue exploring and start identifying the next round of standout hides that could be among next years’s nominees!

You can keep track of the new caches published in 2025 through the following lists on our webstie:

We can’t wait to see what the community comes up with next.

See you next year when we share the next batch of nominees!

The Sunbury Event: Block Party – January Update

Posted on January 17, 2025 by The Sunbury Event

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.

Time	Activity	Location
*Friday*	21 March 2025
6:00pm – 7:00pm	GCB1GJA Friday Night Casual Catch Up	Sunbury Park
7:30pm – 9:00pm	Nature at Night (Free shuttle buses from GLC) Registration coming soon.	Emu Bottom Wetlands

*Saturday*	22 March 2025
9:00am – 4:00pm	GCAP417 The Sunbury Event – Block Party 25	Global Learning Centre
9:00am – 9:30am	Opening 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 – 12:00pm	Information Session – TBC	Global Learning Centre
12:00pm – 1:00pm	Information Session – TBC	Global Learning Centre
1:00pm – 2:00pm	Pathtag Trading	Global Learning Centre
2:00pm – 3:00pm	Meet the Reviewers	Global Learning Centre
4:00pm	Registration, Merchandise, Maze, Gadgets CLOSE	GLC & Memorial Hall
Evening Activities
5:00pm – 8:00pm	GCATP00* Community Celebration Event (Optional Dinner and Lawn Bowls) (*pending publication)	Sunbury Bowls Club
8:15pm – 9:30pm	Trivia night – booking required (free)	Sunbury Bowls Club


*Sunbury*	23 March 2025
8:30am – 9:00am	GCB1HJ2 Sunday Morning at The Sunbury Event	The Village Green
9:00am – 1:00pm	– Registration, Merchandise and Stalls Open – GCB169V GPS Adventure Maze	Global Learning Centre Memorial Hall
9:00am – 2:30pm	Gadget Adventure Labs Open	GLC & Memorial Hall
9:30am – 10:30am	GCB1GJ9 Holden Flora Reserve – CITO	Holden Flora Reserve
11:00am – 12:00pm	Information Session – TBC	Global Learning Centre
12:00am – 1:00pm	Information Session – TBC	Global Learning Centre
1:00pm	Registration, Merchandise, Stalls, Maze CLOSE	GLC & Memorial Hall
2:30pm	Gadget Caches CLOSE	GLC & Memorial Hall
3:00pm – 3:30pm	GCB1TGM* 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.

March Spotlight: Award Nominations Begin As the Ballarat GeoTour Wraps Up

Posted on March 21, 2024 by RoamingHowie

As the curtains close on the film and television awards season, the caching awards season is only just starting. Dive into the details below to discover how you can participate, relish in the highlights of the Ballarat GeoTour, and mark your calendar for our upcoming April fundraising BBQ.

2023 Victorian Cache of the Year Awards – Nominations Open

We are excited to launch the Victorian Cache of the Year Awards for 2023. Each year we continue to be amazed by the creative, inspirational and adventurous caches that are created within our community and the awards are a great way to celebrate them.

This year, the committee has invested time to enhance the nomination resources, guidance, and program transparency. This includes incorporating community feedback into the program. For comprehensive details on the program, including eligibility and nomination criteria, please visit our awards webpage: Cache of the Year Awards

The 2023 award categories are:

Best Traditional Cache
Best Multi Cache
Best Mystery Cache
Best Other Cache (incl Wherigo, Letterbox, Virtual and Earthcache)
Best First Hide
Best Cache Series
Best Cache Location
Best Regional Cache (non metro LGA)
Best Adventure Lab
Best Cache Log (includes Found It and DNF)
Best Overall Cache

Nominations are now open and will remain open for 4 weeks, closing on Wednesday 17 April. If you haven’t already, take the opportunity to reflect on some of the remarkable 2023 caches you have discovered to ensure your favourites are recognised. You might even like to embark on some new adventures to uncover even more 2023 hides. These geocaching lists can help you to pinpoint the caches eligible in this years awards:

The shortlisted candidates will be announced at our awards nomination event at Cherry Lake on Sunday 21 April (GCAK9V2). Everyone is welcome to attend and there will be a free sausage sizzle so be sure to log your will attend for catering purposes.

The awards have a tradition of being generously sponsored by fellow cachers within our community. If you’re interested in learning more about sponsoring one of the 2023 awards, please visit the donations section of our shop or reach out via email at president@geocachingvictoria.com.au. Sponsors have the option to remain anonymous if they wish.

While you are nominating, give some thought to what amazing caches you are planning for 2024.

Ballarat GeoTour Farewell

After three very successful years, the Ballarat GeoTour officially concluded on Monday, 4 March. The final weeks were bustling with activity as teams from all across Australia (and some international guests), pushed to complete the tour before its closure.

Being the only GeoTour in the country it was no surprise the tour attracted an incredible turnout, drawing over 1,700 unique geocachers to explore Ballarat. The 25 caches and Adventure Lab garnered nearly 13,000 logs and close to 1,600 location completions respectively. Remarkably, 340 geocachers successfully completed the entire tour, earning themselves the coveted GeoTour souvenir. GeoTour participants journeyed from every corner of Australia, along with visitors from 19 other countries. Geocaching teams collectively spent 3,853 days searching for GeoTour caches!

Behind every one of our successful adventures lies the invaluable support of dedicated volunteers, and the Ballarat GeoTour is no exception. GemmaSistema spearheaded this remarkable project with incredible commitment and vision from the beginning. A huge thank you is owed to her for her leadership, drive, and determination. With the support of her Geocaching Victoria committee colleagues, Gemma was able to turn this ambitious idea into a reality. The financial backing provided by Vic Health played a pivotal role in bringing this dream to fruition. However, it was the collective effort of the Ballarat and surrounding caching community that truly brought the GeoTour to life.

We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to everyone who contributed their time and expertise to help design the tour, place and maintain caches, and ensure the seamless operation of the GeoTour over the past three years.

– ChooknChunk
– GemmaSistema
– Feathertop
– Fergzter
– Glanville Girls
– Kenare

– LouiseAnn
– Mazzy May
– McAdies
– McLookers
– PerpetuallyLost
– Saint Anthony

– Sally Mally
– Sean.75
– Sunset62
– The_Tritonz
– Wozzle68

In addition a massive thank you to our reviewers Bunjil and GeoAwareANZ2 for their ongoing support throughout. To each and every participant of the tour, as well as those who bought GeoTour coins and those who contributed to the nine GeoTour events, thank you for being a part of it.

The winners of our final 3 GeoTour unobtanium coins have now been drawn and they are:

jaamc_3335 (Completed the whole tour)
BlackOpal2005 (Completed the whole tour)
SciFiRulz (Supporting merchadise purchase)

Congratulations to all of the winners and we will be in contact with you soon to arrange your prize. If you haven’t ordered your GeoTour coins yet to celebrate, there are still a small number of each coin left available on our website.

Bunnings Fundraising BBQ

Join us for our upcoming fundraising event at the infamous Hammerbarn, scheduled for Sunday April 14 at Bunnings Mernda. Led by our fundraising champion, Grub62 (Belinda), our team of volunteers will be cooking up a storm, enticing the public to support us with their generosity.

We’re still in need of a few extra hands on the day, so if you can spare a couple of hours, we’d greatly appreciate your assistance. Feel free to reach out to Belinda at grub62@geocachingvictoria.com.au. Alternatively if you can’t stay for long, why not drop by anytime between 9 am and 4 pm to meet fellow geocachers and enjoy a snag. Don’t forget to log your ‘Will Attend’ at GCAK9VM.

If you can’t make it but would still like to support our fundraising efforts, why not donate the equivalent of a packet of sausages and some loaves of bread towards the day. Simply use the ‘Give ingredients for a fundraising BBQ‘ option on our website or explore one of the other donation alternatives.

We extend our gratitude to Bunnings Mernda for their ongoing support of Geocaching Victoria. Special thanks to the activities team, Michelle, and Chloe, for providing us with this invaluable opportunity.

And the winner is…

Posted on November 27, 2023 by RoamingHowie

It was a star-studded affair on Saturday night as geocachers from all over the state gathered to celebrate the 2022 Victorian Cache of the Year Awards and Trivia Night. Out went the usual caching attire and in came bow ties, pom poms, and even an orchestral ensemble (of sorts)!

The stage had been set, with approximately 1,500 non event caches hidden across Victoria in 2022. The community had found, explored and pondered which of those were worthy of being nominated as a treasure master for 2022. The nominations were tallied and cross checked in order to produce a shortlist across twelve cache, adventure lab and log categories (list available here). A list that spread far and wide, including the newest of cachers and experienced royalty. Congratulations to everyone who hid a cache, lab or wrote a log in 2022, and especially those that were identified as extra special by the community.

It was then time to go out and explore and marvel in the calibre of geocaches on offer. Which hide amazed you with a great location? Which log had you in stitches over the antics one goes to in order to gain a smiley? Was it a devilish hide and GPS sorcery that took your fancy, or a cache construction to rival Victoria’s Big Build?

With the votes in, and the crowd gathered, it was time to announce and honour the winners. Drum roll please…

…and the winners for the 2022 Victorian Cache of the Year Awards are:

Category	GC Code	winner
Best Traditional Cache	GCA0TAG	Mmm…Donuts by RyderSpider
Best Multi Cache	GC9WBJF	Whittlesea ANGRY MOB… by Mister Doctor & Posums
Best Mystery Cache	GC9QE 1 M	The Hunt for Red October by OSHFAM
Best First Hide	GCA09YW	Cujo Challenge by horror.fan.jm
Best Cache Series	GC9ZWZV	Whittlesea Event Gadget Trail by plowfive
Best Cache Location	GC9P66N	State Library – La Trobe Reading Room by Mister Doctor
Best Adventure Lab	N/A	Whittlesea Puzzle Room by Geocaching Victoria
Best Other Cache	GC9P51G	Rutherglen Wine Bottle by feathertop
Best Regional Cache	GC9P51G	Rutherglen Wine Bottle by feathertop
Best Overall Cache	GC9QE1M GC9ZX09	The Hunt for Red October by OSHFAM WEGT #7 – Vending Machine Cache… by plowfive
Best DNF Log	GL18TARGN	horror.fan.jm on wherigo wander #8
Best Found It Log	GL17Z5YGW	LetThemEatCache on The Hunt for Red October

Sponsors

We wish to acknowledge all of the amazing sponsors for this years awards who very generously donated prizes:

BernieH
bunadoorian
Grub62
ILookedThere
OzHockeyChick
posums
Anonymous
Generous Cacher
Mystery Cacher
Your friendly neighbourhood cacher

Profile Badge and Cache Page Banner

You can share your nomination/win in the 2022 Victorian Cache of the Year Awards with fellow cachers by doing the following:

Add a badge to your profile, proudly sharing with the community that you were a nominee/winner
Add a banner to your cache page to let finders know your cache was part of the 2022 awards.

Visit this link to find the badge and banner for you.

Trivia

Since both Robbie Williams and Christina Aguilera double booked being the entertainment for our event on Saturday night (rude!), we opted for a spot of trivia! It was time to test who pays attention at some of the finer geocaching details, and who knows their Eggs and Bacon Bay from their $10 notes.

With 13 teams vying for the first prize, generously donated by Grub62, Our friendly neighbourhood cacher, and Bunnings Mernda, we made our way through the minefields of caching avatars, Australian & general knowledge, geocaching facts and finally pop culture trivia.

Congratulations to our runners up “I don’t know” (well you obviously did!) and our winners “SPOFLs” who brought their own cheer squad (themselves).

Thats a Wrap!

Special thanks to CeeJayDenno and Hampton RSL for providing the venue and great food on the night, and to Hooded Hooligans who provided the sound system.

Congratulations to everyone that was nominated for an award. A huge thank you to everyone who nominated, voted and sponsored awards.

If you are looking to get started on the amazing caches for 2023, why not check out our Great Caching Lists page which is constantly evolving. There are lists to help you identify all of the first time hiders in 2023 (go out and give their caches some love), all of the traditional and non traditional hides of the year so far, as well as others like pole caches, SideTracked and many more. Don’t forget to add your favourite caches to your own list, so that you are ready to nominate for next years awards.

Where did October go?

Posted on October 27, 2023 by RoamingHowie

Halloween is only days away and Christmas decorations are already up in retail stores. The end of the year is hurtling towards us at a rapid pace. Here are three things you can fill your spare time with should you be looking for an escape from all the hustle and bustle.

Voting closes in 3 days

Why not use the great weather this weekend to go out and explore one or more of the nominated caches in the 2022 Victorian Cache of the Year Awards. List of Nominees

With only 3 days left, don’t forget to vote for your favourites by midnight, Monday 30 October. *VOTE HERE*

Winners will be announced at our Cache of the Year Award celebration on Saturday 25 November. GCAE5F9

TDOC23 – They have all been found!

With 69 physical caches and adventure labs in the TDOC23 cache series, there is one nearby no matter where you are in Victoria. To find them all however, requires a lot of exploring.

Congratulations to McLookers who is the first to have found every cache in the the series. Be on the lookout for your prize at the next event.

Well done to the top 5 finders who are well on the way to completing the series:

McLookers – 69
OzHockeyChick – 65
Feathertop – 50
Sol de lune – 46
GJMMelb – 40

The events keep rolling in

It’s great to see so many events on the calendar including some new unique ones. From camping in hammocks, to kayaking around lakes, watching the sunset at 1700m above sea level and celebrating milestones. Throw in a couple of GIFF events, the Victorian Cache of the Year Awards, and with Christmas around the corner, the traditional Geelong and Christmas eve events.

Add to that list plenty of opportunities for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a CITO and you are bound to find something to suit your calendar. Keep up to date at the events listing page on our website HERE and don’t forget to log your “Will Attends” so that the COs can plan.

Geocaching Victoria

To hide is the beginning, to find is the result, to seek is the adventure

Category Archives: Competition