Geocaching in Sunshine Coast
The Huskies are interviewed by Sunshine Coast magazine.
Winter 2006
(Below was scanned and OCR'ed from the article.)
There is hidden treasure in the Eastern Cape. In fact, there is hidden treasure
all over the country - you just need to know where to find it!
Words: Nicole Klokow Photographs:Vaughan Rizzo
It is not what you think - banish thoughts of gold and doubloons. What we are
seeking is far more 'trinket' than 'treasure', and the excitement lies in the
hunt.
Geocaching is a game played using clues and a GPS unit to find a specific
location where a ‘cache’ is hidden. It is an adventure of sorts, and even
better, one you can share with the whole family.
Geocaching was created in 2000, when the scrambling of the satellite navigation
system used by the US military was removed. It is now possible for anyone with
a GPS to pinpoint their location on earth within 10 metres.
The first cache was hidden on May 3, 2000, establishing the 'rules' of the
game: one watertight container; 'treasure' in the form of useful objects and
novelties; one log book to be signed by the finders; taking something out and
putting something in. This system has not changed, and is one followed by
geocachers the world over.
There are many caches hidden around South Africa, and the hobby is gaining
popularity in the Eastern Cape. Border area geocacher, Coelacanth, says that
geocaching has afforded him the opportunity to see places he would otherwise
pass by. And that is the beauty of this simple game - people often hide caches
creatively, in places of natural, local and sometimes historical interest,
providing the geocacher with the opportunity to see and learn something new.
Due south
Jemmy wakes us at 6 am. After a quick breakfast we're off to Silvermine in the
Table Mountain National Park, an old Batavian water mill Glencairn region, and
then the historic part of Simon's Town. We do a bit I detective work and a fair
amount of walking, and, thanks to our observant wives who spot valuable clues,
we find the "treasures".
This is where the family-fun aspect of geocaching comes in - since caches are
rated according to the difficulty of the terrain, families can choose the
'easier' caches as a way of introducing children to the hobby and the great
outdoors. All the information needed to find a cache hidden near you can be
found on web pages dedicated to the game, such as the well-established
www.geocaching.com.
Geocaching is a wonderful family activity. Local geocacher, Captain Johnny,
says “Children are absolutely fascinated by geocaching - they love seeking out
‘hidden treasure’. My son, who is five, loves to accompany me on my searches
and finds it amazing that I can find these boxes of treasure." While young
children may not understand the finer details of geocaching, the hunt can
become an adventure, giving them a chance to explore and enjoy wide open
spaces.
The Huskies are a geocaching family – proof that a family that caches together,
stays together! Mother Husky says that the family was looking for an activity
that would appeal to them all (especially the teenage Huskies) and they find
that geocaching fits the bill keeping teenage minds "healthy and away from
malls".
Geocaching is more than simply a game of ‘hide and seek’. Travel bugs make the
game that move exciting and interactive. These hitchhikers are objects placed
inside a cache with instructions to finders to send them on to other caches. A
fluffy toy lion 'Simba' (inset above) was one such hitchhiker. He arrived in
Port Elizabeth from Europe and he instructed geocachers in South Africa to send
him to visit his cousins in the game parks and bushveld of Africa. Some
travelbugs have log books attached to them so that finders can log their
travels. Captain Johnny placed a travel bug in a cache he hid in Spain 'Minnie
Mouse' has visited Hung Kong and is now touring the Netherlands!
This deceptively simple game is addictive. Take The Huskies: during April this
year they drove from Somerset West to Port Elizabeth on back roads, to find a
total of sixty caches in nine days. Try it. You'll love it.