Category Archives: News

Geocaching Victoria Welcomes Leah (Crack’n’LeeLee)

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We were excited to announce three new Geocaching Victoria committee members earlier this month. As a way for us all to get to know them better, I asked each of them some questions to see what makes them tick as well as delving into their geocaching adventures a little more. Leah was the first to join me for a fireside chat, as we dive in to find out the who, what and why below.

Starting at the beginning, what is your geocaching name and how did you decide on it?

Our geocaching name is Crack’n’LeeLee, which is our nicknames, Craig (aka Crackers) and Leah (aka LeeLee). When deciding, we looked at a few other names and saw the name chooknchunk so just went with something similar. If we knew how many logs we would end up writing we may have decided on something different, however we abbreviate to CNLL when needed.

A short caching name is sage advice for new players. So how did you find out about geocaching and when did you start your adventure?

We started this wonderful, addictive world of geocaching in June 2015. Crackers was out for a drive in the Blackwood area and came across a place called Balt Camp. When he got home, he googled it, and it came up with an old archived cache page. He investigated further and realised we had some in an area close to us and a spot we had never visited (Long Forest), so we went for a look. Our first find was placed by Riddell. We were wowed by the fact that we have driven past this amazing spot so many times but never stopped until the treasure hunt. We now have our own caches in the area for that very reason.

Long Forest is certainly home to some amazing caches these days. Can you tell us about your geocaching style – how do you like to cache?

I like adventures. The bush, country roads, a kayak, bike ride or a decent hike. I’m not a city cacher unless it’s an EC, virtual or really quiet. I plan to visit busy places on quiet public holidays for this reason. So that I look less weird, is that even possible? I like to set goals. I have recently been working on achieving different stats and milestones which are good for targeting finds that I may have otherwise ignored. Overall, I much prefer a 10km hike/kayak with 10 caches than a 10km drive with 100.

So with your hiking shoes on, what do you love most about geocaching?

I love that geocaching can take me to places I may never have visited if it wasn’t for a cache. I also like getting involved in activities or community events and CITOs, and have found them to be a great way to connect with local groups and make a difference. Additionally, I value the people, friendships and experiences I’ve had along the way.

What is currently on your geocaching bucket list?

Having ticked off a visit to the Purnululu – Bungle Bungles a couple of years ago, I have reset, and have a few things I’m looking forward to. Just a tad closer to home, I really want to visit “The Dish” at Parkes, which we are planning after the Canberra Mega. No doubt there will be a few lines from the movie during our visit. We haven’t cached in Tasmania, so that is high on the to do list and a great excuse to go back.

Wow the Bungle Bungles look impressive, what an experience. In your adventures to date, what is the craziest thing you have done in the name of caching?

In February 2020 we set out for another great day on the Barwon River paddling with friends 2beez, Kay and Ed. It started with me dry reaching and vomiting from the smell of rotting rabbit carcasses next to where we parked one of the cars. We made it into the water, and halfway through our paddle we found a poor sheep standing in the river against the high cliff bank with nowhere to go. It had fallen down the bank and looked like it had been there at least overnight.

We wanted to help but it was also a challenge as the bank was too high. Craig hopped in the water and we got it onto my kayak to try and help it up. The poor thing was so tired we decided just to paddle it back upstream to a landing we could see. With the help of Kay & Ed we had success!!!! I paddled so quick to the bank and Craig popped back in the water and lifted the sheep back up the bank and it ran off to safety. All worked out well in the end. I stayed dry, and of course managed a few photos. LeeLee is always taking photos. The rest of the paddle went well and we celebrated achieving our #367 streak day over a late lunch.

Rescuing a sheep on a kayak while caching – I can’t say I’ve heard that one before. Where else have you been and what was the most remote or unusual place you have found a geocache?

In 2019 we did a 10,000kms trip with our friends 2beez through outback NSW, QLD and down through Central Australia. We came back across the Nullarbor with the goal of completing the Longest Geocaching Trail which runs from Winton, QLD to Laverton in WA, along the Outback Way. There are 35 caches along the 2,700km Outback Way and it is a mixture of sealed and unsealed roads. We really loved it. The change in scenery, visiting working stations and the unique spots that the caches took us to were so worth it. We are glad we did it before it is fully sealed, however would love to go back when it is and probably do it in reverse. P.S. Tjukayirla Roadhouse (300kms from Laverton) has the BEST burgers!

So the burgers are better at Tjukayirla? We might have to take your word for it for now. We are however, really glad to have you on board, and would love to know what made you join Geocaching Victoria and what are you most looking forward to?

Over the years I have enjoyed attending events along with hosting them too. From meeting new people, through to the feeling of accomplishment at the end of a CITO. Also seeing fellow cachers join in an event/cache trip, when they may not have been otherwise able to go, or have been comfortable enough to go by themselves, really connects with me. COs put a lot of time and effort into creating new and exciting ways of caching. Now that I have experienced a variety of caching, and volunteered across different events, I look forward to bringing my experiences, passion and enthusiasm to Geocaching Victoria, and continue to look at ways to work collectively to support communities and encourage fellow cachers to adventure near and far.

Thank you Leah for your time and for joining the Geocaching Victoria committee. We are very much looking forward to the passion and enthusiasm you bring to the team and can’t wait for the next adventure. Please join me in welcoming Leah on board!

Lights, Camera, Action, GIFF!

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The smell of popcorn wafted through the theatre as 100 geocachers descended on the Knox Community Arts Centre on Saturday. The candy bar was alive with conversation as the cachers stocked up on choc tops, popcorn, lollies and slushies in preparation for the movie madness that was about to begin.

Film enthusiasts pondered what cinematic wonders were ahead in the 2023 Geocaching International Film Festival (GIFF), while others grappled with the critical decisions of boysenberry or mint.

The excitement was building (spilling over in the image below) as everyone took their seats in the plush theatre. The lights slowly dimmed, and the reel began.

18 amazing short films made the finals. Some serious, some hilarious, some unusual, but all based on the activity we all love – Geocaching. A significant amount of work having gone into each and every one of them. Congratulations to all of the finalists.

There was however one film the crowd were eager to see, “Geocare – Home for the Aged Geocacher”. The movie marvel from Victoria’s very own chooknchunk. With the director and producer in the room, and many of the cast and crew in the audience, expectations were high.

As the title flashed up on the screen a silence fell over the crowd. It lasted for all of a microsecond as the cheers began, followed by 3 minutes of laughter as the antics of the residents of Geocare played out. As the curtain closed there was a resounding round of applause. I think the crowd loved it – so much so there was an encore at the end. Congratulations!

The audience voted on their favourite movie (no prizes for guessing the most popular). The top 5 crowd favourites are listed below. When the Peoples Choice winner is announced by Geocaching HQ, those that voted for the winner during the event will go into a random draw to win a Geocaching Victoria prize pack.

If you haven’t voted in the Peoples Choice Award yet, scan the QR code or click it to follow the link to the voting form.

Thank you to the Geocaching Victoria committee and the band of volunteers who helped pull this event together. A very special thank you to Kristysadventures and muggle Lauren for all of their efforts to ensure the GIFF event was a huge success.

There were lots of snaps taken of the event, with a selection shown below.

Geocaching Victoria partners with CDS VIC (10c container recycling)

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It’s been a long time since Pat Cash was encouraging us to “cash a can” at your local aluminum recycling centre. Over time, all other mainland states except Victoria progressively moved to a container deposit scheme (10 cents for recycled cans and bottles). That is of course until this week. Introducing CDS VIC, otherwise know as the Container Deposit Scheme Victoria.

Victorians use more than 3 billion drink containers a year and many of these are not currently recycled. The deposit scheme not only provides better recycling outcomes, but it aims to reduce litter by up to half! That means the communities CITO efforts can reach even further than before with less potential rubbish to start with.

Partnering with CDS VIC

Geocaching Victoria is collaborating with CDS VIC as a donation partner. This means you can choose to donate your 10c refunds to Geocaching Victoria when depositing your cans and bottles at drop off centres all over the state. It may not sound like much, but every little bit helps to fund events, activities, and more.

How can I support Geocaching Victoria?

The simplest and easiest way is to scan the barcode below when returning cans and bottles at recycling depots and reverse vending machines. You don’t need to setup an account and any deposit refund will automatically be donated to Geocaching Victoria – with thanks!

Right click on the barcode image below to save it to your phone, add it to your notes, or even as a phone contact for easy access.

Alternatively, if you have set up an account with your local CDS VIC provider, you can choose Geocaching Victoria as your donation payout option in the app. This allows you to scan your own barcode in the app and donations will be paid based on the payout option selected.

The state is divided into three zones, and each has their own app. Use the map above to identify your local operator and click on the relevant link below for more details and to download the app.

Donations are anonymous and can be one off contributions or ongoing. All donations are greatly appreciated.

Recycling at Events and CITOs

We will be collecting cans and bottles for recycling at Geocaching Victoria events going forward – look out for the tub to deposit any empty containers. If you have some cans and bottles floating around at home, feel free to drop them off at our events, we will happily recycle them for you. Please don’t crush cans and bottles as they are not able to be returned.

Hopefully the deposit scheme will reduce the number of containers found when collecting rubbish at CITOs. For those that are still found lying around, one option COs might like to consider is donating the deposits collected to Geocaching Victoria. If this is something you might like to consider, feel free to contact one of our committee members for further help. Where a CITO is partnered with another organisation, they may also have a recycling initiative you may be able to support.

We will add some additional resources to our website soon to assist with donating, or collecting at events and CITOs.

This is a great program for improving our environment with the added benefit of helping many local not for profit organisations to fundraise. And you can still collect the ring pulls without impacting refunds!

NOTE: At the time of publication, there was a delay in the eastern region processing donation partner registrations. As a result Geocaching Victoria might not be available for selection in this zone in the first week of the program.

AGM and Committee Updates

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It’s that time of year again. On Wednesday 1 November, Geocaching Victoria held its Annual General Meeting. Here is an update.

Farewell heymissjo

It is with mixed emotions that we announce that heymissjo has made the decision to step down from the committee. As many of you will know, Jo, and partner Ross, have a large blended family of 5 children which would ordinarily leave most people with very little time to themselves. Not Jo however! Jo has managed to juggle a demanding full time job, and in addition, had accepted the challenge of leading Geocaching Victoria in her “spare” time.

Jo has been our President for the last two years and has made an incredible contribution to Geocaching Victoria. Jo is often working behind the scenes and has been integral in taking the organisation forward and leaves us in a much stronger position.

We are incredibly grateful for the tireless contribution Jo has made, and while we will miss her drive and energy, we know that the extra time in her day will be well spent with her family. A special thanks to Ross and the tribe for being so supportive over the last two years.

We look forward to seeing you out on the trail a bit more in future.

Welcome to the team

We are very excited to welcome our newest members of the Geocaching Victoria committee:

  • Jo – chooknchunk
  • Julie – letthemeatcache
  • Leah – cracknleelee

All three new additions to the committee are wonderful community members, and bring with them a range of skills that will further enhance the capabilities of Geocaching Victoria. As a volunteer position, we thank you for giving up your time to support the community, and help continue to grow Geocaching in Victoria. Please join us in welcoming them onboard.

We will take the opportunity to introduce each of our new committee members in more detail in coming weeks – stay tuned!

Officeholders

At each AGM, all positions are declared vacant. The following officeholders were elected for the coming year:

  • President – Andrew (RoamingHowie)
  • Vice President – TBA
  • Secretary – Adriaan (ahomburg)
  • Acting Treasurer – Bernie (bernieh)

We would particularly like to thank Bernie who has extended his tenure on a temporary basis to enable us to transition to a new treasurer. Importantly, if you would like to be considered for the Treasurer role, we encourage your to reach out to roaminghowie@geocachingvictoria.com.au. We are happy to assist with training and support as this is a role that must be filled on a permanent basis.

The road ahead

With big shoes to fill (and I’m already a size 15!), I am honoured to have been elected President of Geocaching Victoria and look forward to working with our very talented committee and the geocaching community to continue delivering on some exciting initiatives in the year ahead. Please do not hesitate to reach out to myself or any of the committee if you wish to pitch an idea, get involved, or share some feedback.

Enjoy the (long) weekend ahead and may your coordinates lead to endless discoveries.

Where did October go?

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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:

  1. McLookers – 69
  2. OzHockeyChick – 65
  3. Feathertop – 50
  4. Sol de lune – 46
  5. 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.