Mazda Adventure Zone 2007 Geocaching Challenge
(Below was sourced from the
Mazda Adventure Zone website.)
Biggest of its kind in South Africa
Event: Mazda Adventure Zone Geocaching Challenge.
Where: Magaliesburg, Warthogs Farm
When: Saturday 3rd of February 2007
The Mazda Adventure Zone Geocaching Challenge yielded the largest ever
Geocaching event in South Africa and as such has heralded the coming of age of
Geocaching in SA. Geocaching is an activity which seamlessly combines basic
outdoor skills and space age satellite technology into a challenging and
rewarding pursuit that is as individual or group oriented as each participant
would like it to be.
President Bush Administration
Since 2000 when the Bush Adminstration unscrambled the satellite coding
enabling far more accurate readings on civilian units, satellite based
technology has exploded into the mainstream, most noticeably in the realm of
in-car satellite navigation. The vastly improved ability of GPS receivers to
accurately fix a location, down to 2m under ideal conditions, has made
Geocaching as a family orientated adventure experience far more appealing. The
use of the units is shifting the current mindset from being novel products to
products with a genuine use. From navigation to a resourceful practical device
(knowing what points of interest are in your vicinity) to a recreational device
used for tourism and Geocaching.
However, the sport is likely never to become mainstream and that suits most of
the geocacher’s just fine. Fortunately the sport is all inclusive, all you
really need is a basic GPSr with the ability to input coordinates. These units
can go for as little as R1500. Ideally, however, one also needs access to the
internet. The deeper you get involved with the hobby, the more you expand on
your inventory of caching equipment.
Dispelling the myths
Saturday’s event dispelled many myths to the newbies of the sport as well as
created a challenging event for the more experienced cachers and importantly,
recognized the sport by awarding prizes to the best cachers. It was fantastic
to have sponsors with the caliber of Garmin South Africa (Avnic Trading),
Magaliesburg Canopy Tours, Warthogs Farm (the outstanding venue for the event),
Fritz Pienaar Cycles, Nestle Water and Ananzi involved with the event.
The event organisers, Mazda Adventure Zone were unsure as to how many people
would arrive and optimistically set their sites on 60 participants. On the day,
just under 100 people participated and by and large thoroughly enjoyed the
professionally organized event. Mazda Adventure Zone co-opted the expertise of
the experienced Geocaching team, Crystal Fairy comprising Andrew Myers and his
partner Heidi. This duo created the mechanism of the game which awarded maximum
points for further out and more challenging caches. Together with a complex
scoring system they developed, winners were declared and a basic ranking system
was implemented.
The Game
The game consisted of three parts – Traditional Caches, Virtual Caches and
Rally Points.
The traditional caches comprise a log book and trinkets for exchange (both core
to the sport) this serves to both record a visit as well as reward the find.
The trinkets have little commercial value. The virtual Caches required
participants to visit the coordinates and capture a particular image on digital
camera. The rally points generated plenty interest as participants were
required again visit a particular coordinate this time associated with a
landmark (eg a road sign, a monument etc).
GPS technology, like the Mazda range of vehicles, ties in strongly with
Adventure Zone’s ethos of finding adventure wherever you are. In the end, the
event will go a long way to promoting the Geocaching game and generated
considerable media interest as the Mazda Adventure Zone tv crew captured the
event on film and the Beeld Newspaper also enjoyed a fun-filled gambol out with
the intrepid treasure seekers.