We are super excited to announce that the CacheQLD online store is now open! You can purchase your site bookings, Event Pathtags, and Geocoins! We also have personalised event t-shirts, and car flags! Stock is limited so hurry over and secure yours! For personalisation be sure to fill in your details prior to checkout! Please note: Items will not be shipped. All merchandise can be picked up from the Main Hall anytime during the Easter Event (GC8M4ZQ)!
Click on the banner
Camping: You will find all the camping options under the Categories: Camping.
We have a limited number of mobility friendly sites, these are not open to booking without prior consultation with the CacheQLD Team. Please contact us through admin@cacheqld.com to discuss your needs.
Shirt Sizing: There is a size guide in each of the description sections. Ensure that you choose your size carefully as once printed no returns can be made.
Adding a Team Name / Tracking Code: When ordering a team name and/or tracking code you can add these details on the final page of the Checkout under Send Additional Instructions (see below). If ordering more than one personalised item, please be clear which team name and /or tracking code goes with each item. If in doubt please send an email to the team at admin@cacheqld.com to confirm, we may contact you prior to printing to confirm details.
*** This is an image only, so you see where to add the details. You will need to click the square for the text box to open**
Good news, we have the entire showground booked for our event and the team have been hard at work developing a site map for the showground, as one didn’t exist before!!!
I am sure you will agree the map looks fantastic, with an abundance of sites and different areas for all types of campers.
At the moment this is just a peek at what’s on offer and to orientate yourself with the site. So get chatting with your geo-buddies, work out your preferred area if you want to camp together.
The CacheQLD shop will open for camp bookings and the sale of merchandise from 7:00pm AEST 15th December. We will announce the shop address here first, so keep an eye out.
Aerial view of the showgrounds in use (minus Area 1). The local football and soccer grounds are to the front.
Area 1: is inside the main ring of the showground, with the camping all around the very level ring and a central drive circle with one main access driveway. Plenty of gates to the access the outer part.
To the very far right you can see the vans outside the ring in Area 3. The centre can also be used for unpowered camping (tents and caravans.
Area 2: is slightly raised and has central driveway. This area offers good access to the Main Hall, one of the new toilet blocks and most importantly the camp kitchen and laundry.
Area 3: is close to the main entrance and has a line of trees at the back fence. This area would offer the best for sneaky early exit point to climb those mountains and paddle all those waterways.
Excuse the wet, this was taken the next day after the storm.
Area 4: is located further area from the main area and will be perfect for a quieter location away from the main activity hubs. This site also allows for unpowered campers to mingle with their powered friends. Also this is the closest point to the walkway that connects the showground to Dayboro township.
Along the tree line to the left is the pathway to the centre of town.
Area 5:We have change this area as at 14/12, check the map for area of unpowered camping for van and tents.
Not a great photo, but to the right of the fence is the tent only area. We could fit one or two vans here if needed. You can see the old toilet block in the background.
Bathroom blocks: There are three bathroom blocks. The top block offers for the males three toilets and three showers with a disabled toilet, while the women have their choice of 5 toilets, 3 showers with a disabled toilet as well.
(No the showers aren’t leaning – just my bad photo :D)
The lower block offers for the males a single toilet and three showers, the women get three toilets and three showers. There is also a separate disabled bathroom with a shower.
The older block located near Area 5 has three toilets and 1 shower for women and one shower and toilet for the men. Please note that this block is old and will only open depending on campground numbers.
Camp Kitchen: This is a small space and will fit only 2-3 people at a time. However it is well equipped with a bar fridge, microwave, kettles, toasters, and a sink.
Camp Laundry: a small laundry facility with a single washing machine and dryer and two sinks. Each load costs $4. There is ample clothes lines at the back of the bathrooms.
Dump Points: There are two located in the grounds one near the top bathrooms and one near the lower bathroom. The lower dump point has driveway access for ease of caravans etc.
Thanks for looking over our campsite, we look forward to seeing you in Dayboro over Easter 2021.
Well, aren’t we excited here in Queensland with the return of events to the playing field! Our sincere thanks to the reviewers for working with HQ and alongside the current health requirements by our state government to stay COVID safe. Keep an eye for those little red dots to start reappearing on your caching maps.
This month we are pleased to take a wander through all that the Gold Coast has to offer with Gurthewanderer acting as the tour guide. We also welcome BitternA4 to Kids Caching Corner to share his experience with geocaching. Later this month, on the 15th, we will give you an update on the event news, including the grand opening of the shop to book your campsites and purchase some merchandise.
Geocaching Yugambeh
Jingeri and welcome to The Gold Coast! The whole area has been known as Yugambeh by local people for a thousand years and Jingeri is a common greeting.
More recently it’s known as that 50km Glitter Strip stretching north from the twin Cities of Tweed Heads and Coolangatta to Paradise Point and The Sovereign Mile. A mere hour drive from the heart of Brisbane it offers so much more than incredible beaches and 300 days of sunshine. Here you will find superb suburban parks (with full public facilities), world heritage forests, meandering rivers, magnificent sand islands, coastal cityscapes and humble villages dotted through the hinterland. For the purposes of this article I’ve included parts of Northern NSW to Chinderah, Tomewin and Numinbah as they are easily accessible from The Gold Coast Region.
Major coastal centers include Southport, Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach, Burleigh Heads, Currumbin and Coolangatta. Hinterland hubs include Robina, Nerang, Coomera and Mt Tamborine.
The Nerang River meanders through the city as does Tallebudgera and Currumbin Creeks. The Coomera River offers excellent water sports in the north.
The city is bordered by World Heritage Lamington, Binna Burra and Springbrook National Parks in the south, Mt Nathan, Tamborine skirt the west and Willow Vale in the north. All offering excellent walks and views.
Lucky for people who count geocaching as a hobby there’s a well developed, and growing, list of geocache for people to find ranging from suburban geo-trails to more challenging walks and tree climbs (thanks monkey maker). The Gold Coast is home to the famous cache ‘Rocket’ GC6WXYP – yet to register a find since it’s placement on 11/11/2016 (also thanks monkey maker). It also hosts the oldest running geocache in Queensland GC131 Bravo Hotel (130 favorites).
There are 1134 active geocache within a 40km radius of Surfers Paradise with enough variety to satisfy even the keenest cache enthusiast.
While ‘The Goldie’ is best known for its beaches and city life in caching terms it’s the hinterland and it’s outstanding National Parks that command attention for variety of DT and natural beauty. Isn’t this what most caching enthusiasts are really about?
The Wreck of The Stinson
If you are into physical challenge, a sense of history and abundant natural beauty this series is an excellent balance of all. The Stinson was an Australian Airlines flight that crashed into the Lamington National Park on 19th February 1937. While the authorities were searching for the wreck along the NSW coast Bernard O’Reilly of The Lamingotn Guest House went searching in the thick forest for signs of the vanished plane. His correct assumption was that the aircraft had failed to clear the mountains along the NSW/Qld border. He hiked into the bush 9 days after the it went missing, camped overnight and found two survivors the next day. Bernard O’Reilly is a hero!
This trek will take a day of difficult walking if you hike up from Christmas Creek Road. You’ll be rewarded with 4 traditionals, 2 multis and an earthcache with rare DT combinations.
GC139YK Smurfin’ Pig in the middle – Traditional GC139YH Smurfin’ Christmas Creek – Traditional GC3M72F J.G. Westray – Multi GC64MNA Larapinta Falls – Earthcache GC4EE4W Stinson Crash Site – Multi GC15YHA Stinson – Traditional GC17MHH Point Lookout – Traditional If you are really brave and have time to do an overnight you can visit Herbz famous yet rarely visited earthcache GC666G5 Running Creek Falls – 7 visits in 5 years.
Binna Burra, The Border Track and Herbz Challenge – Our Backyard
The Binna Burra arm of the Lamington National Park has a range of much more accessible and equally rewarding cache. There are approximately 27 active cache within the park (depending on how you count them!). All are quite findable but require varying amount of time to find. You could easily spend a day to search for GC6TJGZ Herbz Garden (multi) – but why not bring some gear and spend the night at The Rat-A-Tat Hut? A mostly flat 24km round trip for which you’ll need sound navigation skills. But you’ll be rewarded with spectacular views and some pretty neat cache. Here are some nice ones dotted along the border track: GC121B9 Worendo – traditional GC7E314 Echo Point – multi GC4XBXY – Wanugara Lookout – multi GC1PAQF – Way-Gawn – traditional
Of course, there’s the famous cache DT 5/5 GC 3FGJF Herbz Challenge –Our Backyard! Just eighteen finders in 8.5 years and no wonder… To find this cache you need to collect clues from 10 other cache dotted around the Gold Coast Hinterland in simply amazing (and challenging) locations. It took the first finder a month to complete, which is still a record I believe (well done Fangsoki). But wait – there’s more. To locate the final co-ordinates, you need to solve a specially designed Sudoku! It’s one of only three 5/5 cache within the 40km radius. Another is the currently disabled Egg Rock GC28R3W (another Herbz creation! I’ve been assured it is still findable) and the third is by the irrepressible EJ on South Stradbroke Island GC7EHNE – Easy for Some. For this you need a watercraft
Water Craft
We have a small but impressive list of watercraft only accessible cache on The Goldie. From the South there’s the Advancetown Amble series of three on Hinze Dam – GC8DKER.
There are 11 cache accessible on The Broadwater – five traditionals on the southern tip of South Stradbroke Island, three on Wave Break Island (including one placed in 2008 – GC18JEV) and three on Goat Island.
You can craft over to Couran Cove for some caching adventure on South Stradbroke Island. There’s a single cache titled Gilligan’s Island – GC6YJ8B – which is a fun find. Although I found the island a little creepy. It’s on the Coomera River, access by Brittany Drive Reserve.
You can ‘Float your Boat’ down the Coomera River from Jabiru Island Park and pick up 6 cache in the ‘Float Your Boat’ trail. Beginning with GC36G43 by the incorrigible Herbz!
Geotrails
In this category I’ve identified trails that have a minimum of six cache in the series. I’ve identified the first in the trail – and leave the rest up to you. All of them are interesting and fun for a variety of reasons.
I’ve already shown you the Float your boat series, here are 10 more:
Patience and Karma GC5HQD6 by D&Mocha. Six traditionals. Each one of these cache contains a field puzzle which you must unlock to sign the log. The walk can be completed in about a 3 hour round trip. P-Y-S-H-W-L GC5RWNM by PigWig2. Six traditionals plus a bonus. This series is at the base of Tambourine Mountain. It is challenging! With many steep hills. Walk it from the mountain down or from Wongawallan up. Either way you’ll be treated to some lovely views and a beautiful creek crossing. Leave a full day. Herbz Nature Trail GC50VZM. By Herbz Twelve traditionals in Coomabah wetland. It’s an easy walk. You’ll see kangaroos, plenty of lizards and if you are lucky koalas. Return is about 3 hours. Gold Coast Power Trail GC33KPX by Herbz You will need a watercraft to do the whole series. 22 traditionals which will take you a day to complete all if you want to get a little wet! Ashmore Amble GC2H6PC by Aussie Liahona. An easy walk around suburban Ashmore. Takes about 2 hours to find the 6 cache. Emerald Lakes GC2WEFN by Aussie Liahona. Showing off an interesting bit of lakeside suburbia. Will take about 3 hours on foot. Better on cycle. Beautiful Burleigh GC7NDQ9 by Auswanderers. A great series of 10 cache on the foreshore at Burleigh heads. You can be sure Auswanderers provide challenging hides as well. Some you will find immediately some you will need to scratch your head for a while. Paradise Series – Tranquility by Crew 153. While not strictly a trail this series is worth a mention because it takes in many beautiful parts of the Gold Coast. Collect the clues from 6 cache to find the final. Worongary Wandering GC88RX3 by Gurthewanderer. Five traditionals and a multi which will take you on a circuit of San Fernando Drive and perhaps one of the best views of the Gold Coast. It’s about 2 hours return but there’s a very long and steep hill to traverse. Puzzle Trail GC78X5J by Aussie Liahona. A series of 8 cache at Tweed Heads West, each with a puzzle inside to solve before you can sign the log.
I do apologize to any CO’s if I have missed any. I’ve been as thorough as I can when I put this together.
The following is not meant to be a comprehensive list – just some favorites. Someone else might compile a completely different list! I’ve just picked some titles and chosen a few cache in this category that I think are worthy of a visit.
Tree Climbs GC64MZ7 – Year of the Monkey by Monkey Maker. No find since August 2017. I have seen it but it’s very high and treacherous! GC6V529 – Harvest a cache near Brickworks by EJ. This took me 2 visits to find. GC88RX3 – Worongary Wandering: Yp Ya Tree by Gurthewanderer. You’ll need to decipher the coordinates first. GC60RA8 – A Tribute by Monkey Maker. Yea decipher the coordinates that’s hard enough. But when you do… we’ll you’ll have to see for yourself. A regular size up a tree shouldn’t be too difficult right? Ha ha haaaaa… 19 finds in 5 years! GC8BANH – Cowboys Lasso by LizBeth1998. Yes, good luck with this one on your own. Better to come in a group.
Multis GCKKYV – Cookout at Delta Bravo by sid knee. Fun walk around Coolangatta North Head. GC4KR4K – The Cougals West by Herbz. This is a challenging walk but very rewarding. GC34ERX – Stroll Down Memory Lane by Gurthewanderer GCGA6C – Comet Spit by Team Astro. This one requires a drive once solved. I found it to be quite a fun one to solve.
Virtual GC892AY – Surfers Paradise by EJ. Of course you need to come here to see the heart of it all! GC88ZVT – Feed the Lorries by Barbbowman. GC891JZ – Turtles at Cook Island by 4Ando. This virtual has a T of 5.
Most Favorited GCNJ6W – Pam & Dan & Us by Angel Dust. Traditional 142 Favorites GC131 – Bravo Hotel by sid knee. Traditional 130 Favorites GC3VWCD – Wheel of Fortune by Aussi Liahona Traditional 117 favorites GC1R2D6 – Natural Bridge by funkymunkyzone Earthcache 95 favorites
Unknown GC4JPTQ – Dolphin Code by agap2. GC5M2QB – Welcome To Gold Coast by endeavor3 GC4YRNF – Clear as Mud! By Gurthewanderer GC5P1CA – Mmm… Pi by monkey maker GC65KX6 – Eight legged beasts from the forbidden planet by radnoski GC5F36A – Dawn of the Alien Vampire Space Pirate Apocalypse by radnoski
Earth Cache GC1R2CX – BurleighBoulders by funkymunkyzone GC1R2D3 – Tweed Caldera by funkymunkyzone. This is at Best of All Lookout! GC24JED – Nyah Nyah! Purlingbrook Falls by Humulus
Letterbox GC8Q09H – Homestead Letterbox by Aussie Liahona GC757C1 – Message to EJ by Gurthewanderer GC6AVG7 – Yazz by GazaCGC5AHPP – #27 by monkey maker, a nice little walk in a suburban forest
Highly Recommended GC1EVPY – Dead Reckonings Treasure by Tenkae. A three waypoint multi that will take you to the bottom of an abandoned mine. Awesome!! GC1D10W – Geotalk XoE – Down The Back by Zactyl. You need to listen to the podcast Geotalk XoE cache episodes 31, 32 & 33, get the coordinates from another cache then walk a long way down the back creek. If you love waterfalls it’s worth it.
Auswanderers Love Fest! The Auswanderers really know how to construct a cache. Good luck with finding these! GC7TXP5 – Trail or trial. Do you like a challenge? GC7KZHP – GCCC goes Bananas GC8BGDA – Cat chat, nah very well constructed GC8BGD6 – Deadwood again well-constructed and concealed. GC2DRFM – Lacking Liquidity – Cache flow #1 GC8J7BH – Lizards Gizzards
Nottinghamers Love Fest Notinghamers takes pride in concealment. Here’s a few of his gems! GC44F9B – Rest a while. Excellent concealment GC48ZY7 – Show me the Mudgey. GC2JPHP – Waterbirds Delight. Stumped many GC6H14C – Explorers Secret. GC5R0WW – River Tree Park GC4724K – Standing Stones
Thanks for reading this article. Hopefully I’ve spurred some of you to take a break on The Good Old Goldie, search for some of our cache and mostly enjoy our amazing outdoors.
Kindness Shaun McGurgan AKA: Gurthewanderer I AM GUR
SEMIK made time to catch up and chat with a young cacher, BitternA4 who is 11 years old and caches with his Dad, brother and her.
S: How did you choose your geocaching name, BitternA4? BA4: I have always loved steam trains and wanted the name “Mallard” [which is a famous steam engine] but since it was already taken I chose Bittern [another famous steam engine] and that was taken. I decided “Bittern” probably sounded like a better name so I added the [engine] class “A4” to get “BitternA4”
S: How long have you been geocaching?
BA4: Over a year. Dad says since May 2019
S: What is your favourite part of geocaching?
BA4: The ones in the trees. I like climbing trees!
S: What is your favourite type of cache? BA4: I have only ever found Traditionals.
S: Do you have a favourite cache? BA4: The one in the plane! Dad says: You mean the one where the bird scared me half to death? BA4: yes! That one! [ACT GCHDKP]
S: Have you been to any events? BA4: Yes! The camping ones at the same place. S: Kilkivan? At the showgrounds? BA4: Yes those! [We attended two events held in Kilkivan, QLD this year: 2019-2020 New Year Cacheup GC8E7YV and the un-official event held during school holidays in July]
S: Have you met other geocachers? BA4: Yes. S: Who do you remember most? BA4: Your friends. The ones that went all over Australia and go travelling a lot. S: Liz and Bruce? BA4: Yes, them!
S: Can you describe something that happened while geocaching that was funny/surprising or mind-blowing? BA4: [looks at his Dad and smiles really big] It was night time and we were looking for a cache on a plane and Dad went to the front and this bird came flying out of a hole as fast as it could and it scared Dad half to death!
S: Can you remember any place you went while geocaching? BA4: The giant cache S: Why do you remember it? BA4: Because it was so big I could climb into it. So I did! [Rumble in the Jungle GC88BHY]
S: If you we’re trying to tell someone about geocaching, what would you tell them? BA4: This is the hardest question. S: Think of a friend you have not told about geocaching, picture them and what you would say. BA4: It’s a nice way to get out and about and have some fun during the day. You get to find odd spots and it’s really cool to see nature. And people can be really creative and figure out how to use nature to hide stuff.
Cache QLD - Townsville GC9BVWD 