Geocaching Victoria is thrilled to mark 25 years of geocaching by hosting Victoria’s first ever Block Party, set to take place in Sunbury on the north western fringe of metropolitan Melbourne. The Sunbury Event (GCAP417) will be held on March 22nd – 23rd, 2025 and promises to be a celebration of all things geocaching. Anticipate lead up activities, side events, and plenty to see and do during the weekend. The Block Party event is now live so ensure it finds a place in your calendar by logging your will attend now! Only 5,064 geocachers worldwide have found the rare Block Party cache type, so don’t miss this unique local opportunity to add it to your own find list!
The event will be held at the Hume Global Learning Centre in Sunbury, a state of the art facility boasting a $21m investment and a mere four years old. Conveniently located within close proximity of Melbourne Airport, it offers easy access via a short stroll from both trains and buses servicing the airport, Melbourne CBD, and regional Victorian locations. In addition it has ample free onsite parking.
We look forward to sharing further plans over the coming months, so be sure to stay connected via the following communication channels to receive all the latest updates:
There are plenty of travel and accommodation options already listed on our Block Party website, so be sure to log your will attend and start planning your Blocktastic adventure today.
We can’t wait to welcome you to Sunbury in 2025 to help celebrate 25 years of geocaching, and Victoria’s first ever Block Party.
Want To Get Involved?
If you’re interested in joining the organising committee or lending a hand with cache placements and other pre-event activities, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out to us via email at sunbury2025@geocachingvictoria.com.au.
Geocaching isn’t just about finding hidden treasures in the bush, it’s also about discovering a wonderful community of like-minded cachers. Geocaching events can be a place where friendships are formed, puzzle-solving partnerships are born, and camaraderie among caching enthusiasts thrives. Yet, for some, stepping into these social arenas can feel daunting.
A recent exchange with fellow geocacher horror.fan.jm, served as a timely reminder that the social experience within our community is not the same for everyone. Fascinated by his insights, we are thrilled to welcome him as our guest author for this blog post. Join us as we delve into his experiences and enjoy the valuable insights into how we can all navigate the social landscape of geocaching events.
The Introverts Dilemma, by horror.fan.jm.
I recently found ahomburg’s “The Monthly Event Challenge (GC7Q9TN)” cache, which requires a geocacher to attend one event type cache (Event, CITO, Mega, Giga) in every month of the year. As someone who loves challenge caches, I had recently qualified for this challenge, which is why I was here today to finally find it. However, what I couldn’t remember was the events that I attended to help me qualify for it. So, when I ran the Project-GC challenge checker to attach it to my “Found It” log, I was reminded of some of the great events that I had attended over the past few years.
However, there was one event on the list, my very first event, Geocaching Victoria’s “Welcome To The Newbies – Whittlesea Lead Up Event (GC9WXFY)“, that really caught my eye and flooded me with memories. This event was specifically held for newer members of the geocaching community, aka people like me. It was a chance to tour the location for that year’s Mega event, and to answer any questions about what occurs at a geocaching Mega, as well as to meet some other geocachers.
It was that third one, “meet other cachers” that made me quite nervous to attend. As an introvert who suffers from mild social anxiety, the idea of meeting new people always makes me feel stressed. However, I was just getting into challenge caches at the time and I noticed a few challenge caches required you to attend events, and with hearing about all the fun a geocaching Mega can be from various podcasts, I decided to try and overcome my social anxiety and attend the event.
And after only one small panic attack in the car before the event, I got up the courage to actually leave the car and attend the event and I am so glad I did.
The event was great and everyone was so friendly. However, there was a few key individuals that made me feel so welcome…
…and if it wasn’t for their warmth, and taking their time to make sure I felt like I belong, I don’t know if I would have ever really attended another event.
As someone who got back into caching during the pandemic, after a very slow start years before, I cached to give me a reason to get outside for those few allowed hours a day. Even now, I cache 95% of the time alone. So, I honestly think if I didn’t have a great time at that event, or even if that event would have just gone “ok”, I don’t know if I would have ever attended another event again.
So, I want to say to those geocachers who made such a positive impact on me at that event, THANK YOU! I am not sure you even remember our interactions, but for me I will never forget it.
So, now for the real reason I decided to write this piece. I was incredibly lucky to have had such a positive first event, and I am hoping that the following will help event hosts to recognize introverts in attendance, and give you some tips on how to help us feel welcome. It is also a chance to share some tips to those who may have been in the same boat as me, attending their first event.
How might you spot an introvert like me?
Introverts are likely to be timid, quiet, or reserved, especially when they don’t know anyone.
We may have difficulty in introducing ourselves, and we may appear to be stand offish or even just seen playing on our phones.
We can avoid big crowds and may be sitting on the outside of a group or nearby to a group.
We may clam up amongst larger groups and might be more comfortable talking in small groups.
Of course, many introverts may exhibit extroverted behaviours once they feel more comfortable, or once in smaller groups. I think I do ok at small events, but you can tell I am a bit quieter when the groups get larger, and the conversations get louder.
So how can you help us introverts feel more comfortable at an event?
Consider fun conversation starters. My first event had a geocaching bingo card that gave me an excuse to approach anyone to start up a random conversation. In fact what actually happened was it allowed people to approach me and start a one-on-one conversation to ask me if I could sign their card.
Try attempting to have a one-on-one conversation with us and avoid moving us into a into a bigger group conversation. As geocachers we all have one thing in common, so easy questions like “Have you found any great caches lately?” or “Where have you been caching lately?”, are great ways to open a dialog by creating a common connection that any cacher, regardless of experience will likely be able to answer.
If you find that we are having trouble answering direct questions, perhaps try opening up about yourself first. This might ease us into sharing more about ourselves.
Be ok with some silences and respect our silence time. We may just be thinking about what to say or how to answer.
Be mindful of our boundaries and our time. Everyone has different thresholds of energy expenditure and sometimes we just don’t have capacity for a full hour of socialising at an event.
Now for some advice from one introvert to another
Try attending your first event with a friend. That way you can support each other, and if you feel uncomfortable you can take the pressure off by at least talking to each other.
After an event, plan some time to recharge. Events can be overwhelming and take up a lot if not all of your social energy. Make sure you are able to get some quiet time after the event for yourself.
Don’t forget to smile – it helps make you more approachable – however only if you feel like it.
Remember, every single person at the event has at least one thing in common with you. You all like to go geocaching. You can literally ask anyone about geocaching and they will be able to respond, at least to some degree.
Last but not least, please don’t give up. I have found that the geocaching community are some of the nicest and friendliest people you will ever meet and my life has only become better my meeting them.
Thank you Jason (horror.fan.jm), for bravely sharing your insights. Your perspective shows just how inclusive the geocaching community is, and offers the opportunity for us all to be involved. Whether you are contemplating your first event, or are a seasoned attendee, we hope Jason’s words serve as encouragement.
With so many great events happening across Victoria each week, there is bound to be one near you. Explore our events page to find your next adventure. We look forward to seeing you out there!
Do you have inspiration for a future blog post or a story to share? Reach out to us at president@geocachingvictoria.com.au. We’re all ears and excited to hear from you.
Over the past month, geocachers from all over the state have been reliving their favourite caching adventures from 2023. Combing through their geocaching lists in search of the cream of the crop to add to the nominees list for the Victorian Cache of the Year Awards. From mind-bending puzzles, to magnificent views and cunning hides, the floodgates opened as nominations poured in. In fact, this year saw a staggering 800 individual cache, Adventure Lab and log nominations – a new record! Thank you to everyone who added their voice to the list of geocaching greatness.
The nominations covered all corners of the state, with half of this years shortlisted nominees coming from regional Victoria. From night caches in the bush, lake paddles, and urban watering hole walks, there was a wide range of nominations. The list included quests to find white rabbits, bollards or ice cream, and field puzzles and mysteries that left many scratching their heads in search of the elusive log. It could have been a great view, a tricky find, or an amazing story that piqued interest. However, they all have one thing in common – the geocaching community thought they were something truly special.
The nominations were carefully tallied, verified and cross checked, and those pesky O’s converted to 0, I to a 1 and some Z to a 2 so that all the GC codes validated. With the nominations counted and shortlisted, the stage was set to share the amazing news with the community on the banks of Cherry Lake in Altona. (GCAK9V2)
As the autumn sun gently broke through the clouds, and the aroma of the sizzling BBQ wafted through the park (with thanks to the Sausage King, aka JohnnyGoldCoast), over 60 passionate geocachers gathered to celebrate as the shortlisted nominees were unveiled. A shout out to the HoodedHooligans and Bunadoorian also for their support on the day.
For those eager to dive in, the full list is available on our website’s 2023 Victorian Cache of the Year Awards page, complete with links to each cache, Adventure Lab and log. There are an incredible 54 individual caches, 190 caches from the top 10 nominated cache series, 7 Adventure Labs and 6 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 them all.
It was evident that the volume of nominations for categories like “Best First Hide”, benefited from the new 2023 cache lists, which were made available this year via our website and geocaching.com. Kudos to BernieH along with support from our Victorian reviewer Bunjil for their efforts in delivering these invaluable tools. The 2024 lists are already online and are periodically updated throughout the year. The committee has also spent a great deal of time reviewing the program in detail, and updating the guidelines, to improve the awards and incorporate community feedback. Thank you for your tireless efforts.
Hold your breath however, as the journey is far from over! Voting won’t commence until later in the year, with the final winners slated to be revealed at a gala event in October/November (TBA). So grab your GPS device, lace up your caching boots and start the hunt for as many nominated caches as you can.
To all those whose geocache, Adventure Lab or log has earned you a spot on the coveted nominations list for 2023, congratulations on your nomination and thank you for bringing so much enjoyment to the community – Good Luck!
February this year is a whole 24 hours longer than usual and there is no shortage of action occurring on Leap Day to maximise this rare opportunity. Whether you are heading to the Great Leap Forward Mega in South Australia, attending one of the six events being hosted here in Victoria, or heading out to add to your combination of finds for this unusual day, don’t forget to plan ahead so you don’t miss out. It is a long wait for the next one. Here are some other updates while we’ve got your attention.
10 Years of Volunteering
Late last year as the final caches for 2023 were making their way through the review queue, our local reviewers, Bunjil, aka Peter and Helen, reached their 10 year milestone as volunteer reviewers. That’s a mega amount of volunteer time dedicated to this great activity of ours.
Just how many review hours you might wonder? Well enough to have published over 20,000 geocaches, and write over 43,000 reviewer notes – HUGE!
Ten years is an incredible milestone, so on behalf of the community, THANK YOU for all of your hard work and tireless contribution. A lot of your work is often hidden behind the scenes and goes unnoticed, however geocaching is not possible without the incredible support of volunteers like yourselves and we really appreciate it.
Events, Events and more Events!
The event calendar is pretty busy these days with lots of social activities to choose from. Following some great community feedback, we have updated our event page to include the Local Government Area (LGA), which will hopefully make it easier to find what you are looking for. We are also working with some of our interstate colleagues on some future updates to further enhance the page and ensure you can keep up your social fix.
Check out the new format and all the events happening around town on our website here.
Rutherglen Cache Series – Retirement
The Rutherglen Mega Committee and their very talented cache crew led by Robmc, have been tirelessly maintaining the 300 Mega related caches in Rutherglen for almost 2 years now (since Easter 2022). This is a commendable effort and takes substantial volunteer time to keep on top of the huge number of caches, which also involves significant travel.
Out of respect to our amazing volunteers, this is advance notice that these caches will soon be retired. They will remain active until after Easter, however they will be archived post 8 April 2024. If you are travelling up to the Canberra Geobash, this could be good opportunity to drop in and claim any hides you have not yet found.
Thank you to Robmc, day1976, BettyBoo3747 and the rest of the team who have worked tirelessly to create and maintain these caches over the last 2 years.
Save The Date / Cache Of The Year Awards – Nominations
Don’t forget to add these upcoming dates to your calendar:
We will have all the news on the awards for the 2023 year and how you can nominate your favourite caches in an upcoming announcement. In the meantime, get out and find as many 2023 caches as you can in preparation. Check out the following lists to help you focus your caching maps:
We all love to get outdoors and geocache. Whether it’s the thrill of the hunt, the excitement of the find or sometimes the frustration of a DNF on a tricky hide. A DNF however isn’t the worst that can happen on a geocaching adventure.
Have you ever spotted a snake while out exploring? If you or your caching partners were bitten by a snake, would you know what to do? What about if you broke a limb climbing a tree, or your caching buddy suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. How would you react?
Darren was able to share his wealth of experience regarding the importance of First Aid and just how valuable knowledge can be. He also shared some shocking statistics including the fact that currently in Australia, only 1 in 10 people will survive a sudden cardiac arrest.
We can all play a part in improving those statistics as well as being prepared in the event of an emergency while geocaching and beyond. Some of the key takeaways from the introduction were:
There are 3 simple steps to potentially help save a life in the case of a sudden Cardiac Arrest: Call, Push, Shock. This is a key part of Heart Safe Australia’s awareness and education campaign.
Ensure you and your families emergency information is setup in your mobile phone so that it can be used by first aiders to help you in an emergency. Setup your iphone or android smart device today.
First aid TOTTs – We are familiar with carrying numerous TOTTs to retrieve caches – Is a first aid kit one of your TOTTs?
Following the event, 17 lucky geocachers had the opportunity to attend a three hour information session to learn more about First Aid. Darren shared information about emergency response, CPR, wound management, bandaging and much more. That is 17 additional geocachers in the community that are now better equipped to assist in the case of an emergency. Are you lucky enough to cache with one of them?
If you would like to learn more, attend a First Aid course, or purchase First Aid equipment, please reach out to Healthguard First Aid at www.healthguardfirstaid.com.au.
Geocaching Victoria would like to send our sincere gratitude to Darren, and Healthguard First Aid for helping to keep our geocaching community safe.
