In the lead up to the Townsville Mega we will be highlighting some of the ‘must do’ geocaches in the area. With new Geo-Art planned for the event, this month focuses on the puzzles and challenges in the area beginning with the existing Geo-Art.

Breaking Bad & El Camino Geo-Art Series

Breaking Bad is the story of Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with inoperable, advanced lung cancer. Desperate to secure financial stability for his family – his pregnant wife and disabled son he turns to a life of crime.

This Geo-Art series of 17 mysteries and 3 letterboxes caches reference notable scenes from Breaking Bad’s eight seasons and the epilogue movie, El Camino. At GZ many of the hides require you to solve a themed field puzzle to access the log.

Caches in this series are placed just off walking or biking trails at regular intervals along the 11.5km Under the Radar trail and the 4.7km Lagoon trail in the Town Common and Cape Pallarenda Conservation Park.

During the walk you can expect to see expansive island views, sheltered beaches bordered by rocky headlands, deep-water lagoons, seasonal wetlands and coastal woodlands all feature in this park. Mangrove-lined tributaries of the Bohle River meander across the floodplains that fill each year during the wet summer months. Up to 280 bird species have been recorded in the area. Magpie geese, brolgas and many others gather here to feed and nest, particularly as the wetlands dry out and food sources become concentrated in the remaining lagoons.

This combination of theme, location and container has seen the series receive 432 logs and has garnered 237 favourite points. With a number of visitors from SEQ visiting specifically to complete the series.

Here is a sample of some of the logs.

Snickersallan – 12/2020
On a road trip from the Gold Coast with hatzoff, grannysmith1947 and RoddyC on Day 14 and it was time to tackled the long awaited Breaking Bad series that has come highly recommended to us.  Oh, my goodness, it’s been a long time since I have enjoyed finding such quality and quantity of caches in the one location, some we got frustrated with for longer than we should have but patience was the order of the day.  Really appreciated all the time, effort and expense that has gone into placing this series of puzzles and field puzzles by the CO, great brain exercise for us and worthy of a favourite point on the majority of the hides …

Willis007 – 10/2020
… A lovely walk around the reserve, such a beautiful day, the views are simply amazing.  I loved solving all of the puzzles in the series and have been very much looking forward to finding these caches.  I found the lab and after consultation with the bats I entered.  Cache soon in hand, ok this is easy. Oh, ok no it really isn’t.  Eventually I spied what I was looking for. EVIL EVIL EVIL. But so very clever. … Thanks burgo78 for the awesome puzzle, the cache and for bringing me here.  Another fav!

nature0nut – 11/17
I had solved some of these incredibly well thought out puzzles months ago not knowing if I’d ever visit Townsville but here we are! Breaking Bad is my favourite series of all time and I was so excited when I booked my flight to visit a friend and of course, GEOCACHE!  I was a bit daunted by the walk at first, but I knew I didn’t do it I probably never would have so I’m incredibly grateful I was joined by JACS Team and Mrs Sobrington! This entire trail has been by far my favourite! The consistency of creative keeping with the theme caches were phenomenal and I am so appreciative of the CO’s hard work and dedication.  Thank you so much for placing and maintaining these fun-filled caches and equally fun puzzles.

So, check out this list and get solving.  Allow a day to collect the series, you will not be disappointed, unless you forget your lockpicks!

Townsville Puzzles

There are currently 128 puzzles within 16km of the city. With more planned for the event, it is advisable to make a start on them now.  With a wide variety of DT’s, there is bound to be targets for even the seasoned cachers amongst us.

With so many to choose from, this post highlights 10 of the best.

1. The Breaking Bad series by burgo78
See above.

2. GC6NQC2 ‘A Box of Red Herrings’
One of only two in Queensland that has been awarded Geocache of the Week by Geocaching HQ. ‘A Box of Red Herrings’ is a field puzzle hidden with permission inside the Aitkenvale Library. It is not difficult to spot, but accessing the logbook inside is a challenge.

3. GC6ZNVE ‘Steps’
An online puzzle where you have to figure out the next step in the sequence, amending the website’s URL to progress. With the coordinates obtained you then have to climb the physical steps of Castle Hill to reach GZ.

4. GC4505D ‘Forest Rain’
A classic field puzzle amongst the tropical plants of Queen’s Garden’s, close to the city centre.

5. GC6PD07 ‘Borrowing from Irma Pince’
Another library cache which requires finders to search the shelves of the Kirwan Library.

6. GC49MQT ‘Mt Stuart Scenic Reserve – Bonus’
Enjoy a bush walk with spectacular views over Townsville from Mt Stuart, collecting clues from cute containers in order to find this bonus cache.

7. GC8KTCB ‘Adventure Lab Bonus – Townsville Icons’
Beginning close to the city’s heart at Victoria Bridge this Adventure Lab explores a number of Townsville icons at 5 locations along the banks of the Ross River. Collect the clues to find this bonus cache.

8. GC7EN23 ‘RRPT – TB Key Cache’
This mystery cache is at the listed coordinates however you will have to find the trackable TB6C390 first, which has the key to open the ammo can’s padlock and access the log. Difficulty and terrain will vary depending on where the key is located and the height of the river at the time of your attempt. 

9. GC8HXZT ‘Tanks for the View Townsville’
Perched above the city on Castle Hill, this fun field puzzle will surely bring a smile to your face.

10. GC9AFV3 ‘Leirum’s Lost Places World Tour’
A global tour of 10 interesting sites around the world from your armchair.

Townsville Challenges

Townsville has several challenges for visitors to seek out.

GC7JR20 ‘Caching Bingo Challenge’ 5/5
Based on PACMAN’s challenge, well-rounded cachers must achieve 5 geocaching milestones in a line to call “Bingo!”

GC89VKJ ‘The Adventurers Challenge’ 5/4.5
If you like mint tins in guard rails and nanos’s in the bush then this probably isn’t the cache for you. This challenge is for the Adventurers, for Indiana Jones and Bear Grylls wannabes. Find 100+ caches with a T rating or 4.5 or above then navigate approximately 200m along a drain to make the find.

GC8G04H ‘D/T/T Challenge’. 5/4
Find 250 unique D (difficulty), T (terrain) and T (cache type), then solve a dexterity, twist and turn field puzzle to obtain the log.

GC8Q03W ‘Completed Calendar Challenge’ 4.5/4.5
Complete at least one of the 3 finds calendars – Jasmer, found date or placed date. An ammo can awaits on a rocky cliff face overlooking the ocean for anyone that qualifies.

GC9586M ‘The Fizzy Challenge’. 5/5
One of the originals, complete the DT matrix then take a walk through mangroves before climbing to your prize.

GC97AFH ‘Diversity – 11 Type Challenge’ 5/3.5
Have found 11 or more different cache types before setting off on a pleasant bush walk.

GC8RWH7 ‘Townsville’s Golden Oldies Challenge’ 5/1
This one will take you on a tour of the region to find 10 of the oldest 20 geocaches in the Townsville LGA.

GC9584M ‘Townsville Region Challenge’. 5/3.5
You might need longer than a weekend to find 400 of the 800+ hides in the Townsville, Charters Towers, Burdekin, Hinchinbrook and Palm Island LGA’s.

GC8ZH5T ‘RRPT – Power Trail Challenge’ 5/2.5
Find 100 caches with the power trail attribute. If you don’t have enough, then be sure to hit the Ross River Power Trail (featuring soon).

GC8Z9VA ‘Brainiac Challenge’ 5/2.5
Easy for some, but difficult in this part of the world hence the D rating. Find 50+ D4.5’s or above.

GC8RWMG ‘99% Monkey Challenge’ 5/4.5
Find caches with the attributes; tree climbing, difficult climbing or climbing gear, totaling 50 or more. Then make your way up approximately 15m to the container.

GC93RPE ‘The Cheeky Ballerina Challenge’ 5/4
Nothing under a tutu! Find 500 caches with a DT of 2/2 or higher.

GC8E6NJ ‘Lonely Cache Challenge’ 5/2.5
Find at least 10 active caches of any type where the average days per find exceed 180. Be warned though your find might drop that number.

GC8DJ5V ‘Salty Seadog Challenge’ 4.5/5
Find 50+ caches with the boat attribute than sail to a very remote rocky outcrop in the middle of the ocean, climb the rocks and make the find. Simple.

GC8WR8K ‘7 Day Geocaching Streak Challenge’ 2/2
As the name suggests, have a geocaching streak of 7 days or more.

GC8Y79M ’31 Day Streak Challenge’ 2.5/1.5
Another that speaks for itself.

GC8T6PY ‘100 Consecutive Days Geocaching Challenge’ 4/2.5
And again.

Happy puzzle solving and challenge qualifying!