Head like a Box

Every now and then we come across a geocache that we just know is going to be a memorable experience. Such is the case with Head like a Box (GC2471), by GeoMonkeys – so called because of it’s location on the tip of Box Head on the Killcare Peninsula.

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!

New Bridge (DNF)

The new bridge is a shared cycleway / pedestrian bridge between Woy Woy and Koolewong, and is the home of a micro-sized geocache by GeoMonkeys, appropriately called New Bridge (GC123PQ). It’s a small cable-stayed type of suspension bridge, and has a reputation for being a little bouncy when it gets a certain resonance!

The new pedestrian and cycleway bridge at Woy Woy

Despite an abundance of muggles, we were determined to find this but unfortunately we left empty-handed after an awkward 15 minute hunt in all the little holes and not finding the cache. Even despite reading the hint, and looking in so many of the apparent places, it just didn’t want to make itself known to us today.

Wolfie leaves the bridge, disappointed.

TeamWolfie had to walk away from this one today. But we’ll be back for another go soon.

Breathless

Breathless we were when we made it up to the location of this geocache, but definitely worth the climb.

Breathless (GCWN51) is a cache by GIN51E. As a Central Coast resident who commutes to Sydney for work, I’ve zoomed past this location hundreds of times and given it little or no thought. I hadn’t even realised there was a bush track leading up the hill until reading the cache description.

I might be debatable whether it’s legal to park here on the Freeway, and this is one of those little places where police cars like to sit back and have the radar gun operating, but we took the chance today and thankfully we had no dramas.

The steep hill was the perfect exercise needed to walk off our caching-lunch at Pie in the Sky from where we had just come, although about half way up the hill I was really wishing I’d just driven my AWD vehicle up there instead – as it just seemed to go on, and on, higher, and higher.

GZ was at the highest point, and our GPS receiver lead us toward a rocky outcrop with sweeping views overlooking the Hawkesbury River from a vantage point I’d never seen before. Yes, the view was absolutely breathless and I can understand why the cache hider GIN51E, says he spent an hour sitting here admiring the view.

The view was breathless, and so were we!

I put myself in his vantage point and turned back and asked myself where would be the logical place to put a small-sized cache?  Ahhh, right there!  And thankfully, right there it was.

I’ll never forget the experience of climbing up to the top of this hill and the fantastic views up here, and it will certainly give me something to think about every time I drive past here now on the F3 as I remember this special Sunday afternoon.Whenever I see a car parked in that little place alongside the freeway I’ll be asking myself, “might they also be looking for the Breathless geocache”?