This was to be our one and only cache attempt for the day after a relaxing morning at the beach. We parked our geo-mobile near the McDonald’s and headed across the vast expanse of the truck parking area, down into the bushland adjacent to the noisy truckstop, where the cache was indicated to be resting.

Being guided by our GPSr, after only a few minutes of prodding around in the scrub we had a fix on the cache, which was placed in a rather obvious spot and covered up in a way that makes it stand out to your average geocacher who has attained a moderate degree of geosense.

Wolfie hanging around the F3 southbound Truckstop

The cache was in great condition, and contained a “Here I Come!!!” coin by the geocoinclub.com – which we took with us and will soon be placing into another cache. We left behind a small coloured “Jack” (some funny-shaped little brightly coloured object that really serves no purpose).

Thanks for another great hide bower birds, I guess that completes both twins for TeamWolfie!

Located in a bush reserve adjacent to a coal conveyer belt that feeds the nearby Lake Munmorah power station, we spent about 30 minutes (possibly longer?) here trudging around in the dense undergrowth seeking out this cache.

Mysteriously, we did find a perfectly rectangular “indentation” in the growth that indicated a place where a geocache could have been resting very recently – but if so, it’s no longer there.

We’re keeping a watch on this cache, and might come back again here soon one day for another go.

It’s near a van park / mobile home village / prefab home village – and being Australia Day, there was an abundance of muggles about enjoying their day off and celebrating. We surveyed the location a little and discovered a small footbridge leading us across to the correct side of a small creek, but only to be put-off by a “NO ACCESS” sign, and fencing – apparently the bushland here is regenerating.

We’ll come back another day soon to have another go at this – it looks like it could be a lovely secret location.

Twins North is so-called because it is near one of the two (twin) service centres on the F3 near Wyong – this being the one servicing the northbound traffic. It is a popular place for truck drivers to stop and have a rest – with there being ample parking for trucks.

A little homework was required for us to inconspicuously leave the car vehicle area and plan our way across the vast expanse of the truck parking area to the track that was to lead us down to the cache.

Power Wolf

Before too long we closed in on GZ and walked in circles a few times, sniffing out for the cache until one of us eventually spotted it in fairly plain and easy sight. We must have looked right at it a few times – always seems to be the way!

Diesel Dog

On our way back to the car, Wolfie wanted to get his photo taken sitting on one of the truck trailers parked nearby – so we got this great shot of the little fella.

Time to continue our caching expedition.

Appropriately named, 12 Mile Creek South Bound Rest Area (GC128H7) by outdoorbloke is of course, at the rest area of that name – southbound on the Pacific Highway between Karuah and Raymond Terrace.

As luck would have it, as soon as we pulled up – so did a heap of muggles, so we found ourselves waiting in the car while they lined up and waited to make use of the temporary toilet facilities that had been installed here. It took about 15 minutes for the crowds to pass and we were out of our car and walking down a small discrete track as the GPSr guided us closer to the medium-sized cache at Ground Zero.

We found the container fairly quickly, signed the log – leaving behind a red gem and taking a yellow smiley face.

Wolfie swapping for a smiley face

Thanks outdoorbloke for another sensible cache in a handy location. We’re looking forward to getting further up the highway soon to find some more of your caches.

The probability of you getting an FTF depends on a number of factors – such as the geocache density in your area, number of active geocachers, whether you’re regularly checking email alerts from geocaching.com, time of day, or just plain luck. I listen to a few geocaching podcasts where they talk about “First to Find Hounds” (people who put a lot of their geocaching energy into being the first to find a newly listed cache), and “First to Find Parties” (where one may go to seek out a FTF and come across other cachers in there area with the same intention).

So when I noticed an email from geocaching.com about a newly-listed cache only 4km from my home co-ordinates, I did get a little bit excited. The new cache was a medium-sized hide by local cacher Shifter Brains, called Fountains Falls (GC1KPMX). The alert came in very early in the morning as I was getting ready for work.  I figured we’d be out of luck… surely somebody else would beat us to the cache. It was frustrating knowing there was a brand new cache so close to home, yet I couldn’t get a chance to seek it out for another 12 hours. The odds of getting a FTF on this one now seemed slim.

At work I thought about the cache some more. Using my iPhone I checked out the route to the cache on google maps, even looked at the street view so I could be familiar with parking, and location of the track. The day passed slowly, and finally at about 4pm TeamWolfie made their way up to the location for a possible FTF. The online log was still empty, so we were hopeful.

There were two ways to access this cache. We chose the “short” option – about a 600m walk down a fairly well formed fire trail. GZ was close to a beautiful stream running through the bushland. Our iPhones guided us up another track running parallel to the stream as we closed in on GZ. 

Wolfie Enjoying the Creek Nearby

Hoping to get a better fix I punched in the numbers on our Mio DigiWalker – which is designed really as an in-car navigator but we find it quite accurate on the track. The Mio and the iPhones seemed to be matching up and indicating a location just off the track. Time to put the GPSRs away now and rely on the TeamWolfie geosenses… tried one minor trail or animal-track first with no luck, then tried another one and quickly noticed something that didn’t look quite right. Yes – it was the cache. Woo Hoo !

Now the anguish and excitement builds to see if we are indeed the FTF. We carefully remove the cache, and open it. So clean, so new, so very well stocked with nice things. Wow. I’d never seen a cache so new and full of nice new things before. Time to open the log book. YES – It’s Empty!  We are FTF!!

Travel Bug going into new home

We do our caching deeds: signed the log book (and gloated about our first FTF), we took a Bottle Opener and left a Travel Bug, then carefully resealed the cache and placed it back in it’s hiding spot – leaving it exactly how we’d found it.

Wolfie under the Waterfall

After this we did a spot of exploring on the opposite side of the track and found a really nice little waterfall where the stream was running through. Being a hot day, TeamWolfie took the opportunity to cool down and enjoy our moment of satisfaction, knowing we now have a FTF under our belt.

Proud to be the FTF Fountains Falls

Thanks to Shifter Brains for another awesome cache in a great location. You’ve really been giving TeamWolfie a lot of caching to do and we appreciate it.

The 1km hike out to GZ from the closest parking place was moderately challenging, and spectacularly rewarding with some of the most fantastic views across Broken Bay and the Hawkesbury River entrance that I have ever seen. A recent bushfire in the area on one side of the track gave an opportunity to see vegetation being regenerated, which in itself was quite fascinating.

Looks like a nice beach down there!

With so many photo opportunities along the hike to ground zero, it would be easy to dedicate half a day or longer to take in all the sites and have a relaxing time.

The Wolfie that ate Lion Island

When you arrive at a place where you can go no further, you’re pretty much at GZ and it’s time to seek out the medium-sized cache, which we did after only a few minutes of searching. We took the travel bug, signed the book, and took some more time to admire the spectacular views and fresh sea breeze.

Wolfie taking in the sea breeze

The walk back was equally pleasant, if not a little more difficult being mostly uphill with a few short steep climbs but nothing the team couldn’t handle.

Thanks GeoMonkeys for bringing us to this fantastic spot which would otherwise remain unknown. It turned out to be a memorable cache find and definitely one of our favourites. We’ve promised to return here again soon to give Wolfie a run and swim at the nearby beach!

Steep Stairway on the way to GZ

Unusual Rock Formation

Wolfie overlooking Woy Woy

After a brief hunt we managed to locate the medium-sized cache. The lack of camouflage was surprising, however, I figure not many people have a reason to go walking over this way so it’s probably pretty safe exactly where it is. Inside we found some historic photos of the Murphy’s Cottages.

We left the North Yorkshire Travel Bug race CD in the cache, took nothing. Returned the cache just how we found it.

The trip back down the hill was quite a challenge. This is a very steep, gravel, road – and we found it more challenging to descend – trying to maintain a footing without slipping on the surface… but we made it down in one piece. Back at the bottom we had a new found respect for the little cottages by the waterfront, and took another photo opportunity.

Wolfie with Murphy's Cottages

Thanks for another great hide daznat99. We appreciate the cache, and we appreciate the history lesson, the views and landscapes up here. Thanks!

Sadly, this could be the case for Secret Vision (GC1871T) by d.d.dudes.

After reading the cache description and checking out the pictures and logs, it seemed this was going to be a really cool and fascinating place to visit. I parked at the Waypoint described, and headed off up the discrete track, and came across the little plaque, as described by the cacher.

This is looking interesting

We headed a little further up the track to where it opened up to a rocky outcrop, and noticed some beautiful and fascinating carvings on ground – the most prominent being a very large kangaroo.

A VERY large Kangaroo carving.

Some of the carvings were well worn and camouflaged, so they’re hard to photograph. It was a very peaceful, almost mystical place. Something rustled in the bush nearby, I turned to spot a large Goanna race up a tree. I must’ve startled him.

With the aid of the hint, I retrieved the cache very quickly and opened it to start signing the log book. Upon doing so I was very surprised to turn around and find two State Forest rangers had appeared from behind – and they wanted to know what I was doing!

I had the cache right there, log book opened which I was in the process signing — so I just told them I was geocaching, and asked if they’d heard of it before.  They explained they knew what geocaching is – but were concerned about it going on at a sacred aboriginal women’s site.

He said he saw my car parked out by the road and wanted to know what I was up to.  They told me there had been some vandalism and disrespectful activities going on, a person called “JACOB” had used an angle grinder to put his name in the rock, and he was very upset that somebody had once “outlined” the carvings with a chalk-type rock to make them stand out so that they could be photographed.

I showed him the log and explained it brought in a few people – but not large numbers, and geocachers are overall a very responsible bunch of people, which he understood – but he explained that to place a geocache at this location is “tacky and disrespectful” to the aboriginal tribe and their ancestors – and is “about as tacky as Nicole Kidman trying to play a didgeridoo.” 

Being a women’s site, they also do not like men being here. Period.

He wanted to know the website and the cache name, which I gave him. I offered to contact the cache owner – which I will, and the ranger said he will also follow it up.  He wants the cache owner to move it – say, a couple of hundred metres away somewhere down the other track. He said “there’s no problem with putting the cache in the state forest, but the problem is with it being at a sacred site.”

Wolfie, on sacred ground.

I returned the cache to its location. I’m not sure if it will still be there now.

This was my 60th find, my last for 2008, and sadly it might also be the last time this cache is found because this is a great spot which should be shared and accessible by responsible people.

We took Morgans Road out toward a place called Marlow which I’d never heard of before today to begin the hunt for another of GeoMonkeys‘ caches, FX6694 (GCK099).

After parking the car in a small parking bay near GZ we got out in the stifling summers heat to start our search, and took in some of the great views from this location where you can see the mighty Hawkesbury River snake through the valley below.

We managed to get right onto GZ – presuming our Mio Digiwalker was guiding us right, but sadly we could not find the cache today, nor could we find the item mentioned in the cache hint. Sadly our time was limited at this stage of the day so we had to abandon today’s search, although we’ll probably return soon.