A24 Fishing Point, New South Wales, Australia
By Bronze on 25-Sep-10. Waypoint GC2FP3D

As there's been either no response from the cache owner, no cache to find or log to sign, or it's been a number of months since the last owner note. I'm archiving it to keep it from continually showing up in search lists, and to prevent it from blocking other cache placements. If you wish to repair/replace/make available the cache sometime in the near future (next 30 days), just contact us (by email), and assuming it meets the current guidelines, we'll be happy to unarchive it. Should you replace the cache after 30 days has passed please create a new cache listing so it can be reviewed as a new cache.

Find #: 3473
Time: 10:21 am
Date: Sat 28 Mar 2015
Staying with friends at Fishing Point on Lake Macquarie, as a two day stopover on our way to the Stanthorpe Mega. Today we went for a drive around the lake, and I was lucky enough to be able to find some caches at stops along the way.
This was find number 1 of 7 for the day.
We gathered the clues for this one on our last visit nearly a year ago, but ran out of time to find it. Since then I had confirmed the coordinates with a friend, and this visit was our chance to find it.
The cache was found, in pretty good condition, although the lid was a little rusty.
Not sure what the issue with the clues is now but nothing wrong with the cache.
This cache was of particular interest to us as a relative of my wife was involved with the base after getting leave from Qantas in the early days. His name was Eric Sims, and he qualifies for inclusion on a plaque at the memorial, but has not been added as yet. We may undertake to get him remembered on the wall with a plaque of his own. http://www.airwaysmuseum.com/Eric%20Sims%20biog.htm
Because of this interesting location, and the personal involvement, and the proximity to our friends house, about 100m, please accept a fav point.
Thanks for placing this cache Bronze

I'm going to check the clues for this cache and make sure it is still operational. If it is not I will rewrite and reset it in the next 2 weeks.

Sorry for any inconvenience.

Bronze.

Finally we found the the cache we in enjoyed the travel

Could not be more stoked to have solved this one. Been on my "to do" list for ages. Took about 90 minutes, using a car. Missed point x but guessed it correctly. My phone put GZ about 8m away but it was a bit swirly. Clue helped - cache in the first place I looked. FP for me for a unique experience. Loved the location of GZ at the end too. TFTC TNLN

Epic cache. Used to play around here when I was a kid. Tftc

In company of Dirtsquirter. Been doing this one for an age. Finally got around to finishing it last weekend. Such a lovely stroll around all the waypoints, picking up answers along the way. Came back for GZ today. All too easy in the end, though on a nice day, might be some kids about. It is certainly a great location. All part of current challenge "Tomorrow will be a different challenge". Day 4/31 Type 4/6. TFTC Bronze. Give it a fav.

found it great hide nice walk to cache

Found this one interesting with the abundance of history I learnt over the last few hours. I have to say that the waypoints were off a little on some. Best thing to do is follow all the signs around rathmines. Thankyou bronze.

This entry was edited by scroggy88 on Saturday, 16 August 2014 at 16:33:44 UTC.

Happy Australia Day, kick out to geocaching day as great enjoyed some caches... Third time visit, long time visit each WP, and homework to workout maths, make me headaches grrr... re-calculation to final GZ, hope right coords, and arrival little parking, oh little walk up up the top, searched searched, YELL YAY YAY YAY finally found after third time visit, [:o] very very tricky hide well... Thanks

After "attempting" this with my wife late last year, (Which was just looking at 3 plaques not finding any answers and giving up.) I called in Orrsome86 for back up. We started in a very different spot and soon had over half the answers needed. We figured out half the given way-points are nonsense, but there is a nice plaque at these coordinates that show where all the plaques in the park are. It was just a matter to go to all of them to get the required info. Then some bad maths, tricky answers and a short drive to GZ. Cache in excellent dry condition.
Thanks for the wild goose hunt become golden duck!

Found it with Tombi. Miscounting the number of letters in one of the words by me put us on another hill.Tombi checked my cords and we ended up at the correct hill.

#3324

We always love visiting this historic site. We spent a while gathering the infomation but came unstuck along the way and had to phone a friend who put us in the right direction. It took a bit of searching as we didn't have final coords just a description of GZ. Mrs C soon had the cache in hand.

TFTC Bronze

For a while this particular cache has been 'in my sights', as with its' D/T combination I was needing another so as to qualify for a particular Challenge. Finally had the time to put in, and thought it started out okay, finding some required info, but then found nothing - except a mountain biking trail sign, at Stage 4. Eventually found a sign relating to that topic while walking around, but overall could NOT get enough info to narrowing where to make a decent hunt. Maybe next weekend I'll head back with the older son and see if we can interpret anything differently
Thanks for the hunt.

After work we decided to head out for a spot of caching before the sun went down. This was the first on the list, we finally got the smiley for this cache. After help from a friend we found this cache quickly, it's in great condition still. Thanks bronze.

Whn you other half suggest you go geocaching, you firstly get all exited, then the "what you talking 'bout Lewis?" face appears...
My wife never suggest a road trip.
on further investigation there are ulterior motives in this suggestion.
My wife had organized to purchase some rare and valuable art piece from a local . so we made a day of it and did this cache,and a few others whilst up here.
this is the first time for ages i was not a prisoner or hostage of the shifter brains, but more so the other way around.

As the shifters said, we crunched numbers and searched areas not listed as way points, but still came up short on at least 1 number and used an intelligent guess on another.

so splitting the differences we headed for the GZ that we'd worked out.
and after only a few minutes had stepped on a site tha matched the clue. but where is the cache!
then i remembered the previous logs and did a closer inspection of the area.
and Bingo! cache in hand.

as others have said the final is not really remarkable, its the journey in this cache that is the best bet.
thanks for the cache bronze, and another finally ticked off my to do list.

What a great multi cache. We met up with Pesky Geomonkey and family here and wandered around looking at the information signs and photographing them. We learnt quite a bit of information on the history of the area which we didn't know. It also brought back memories for Mrs Shifter who spent many school holidays here on a yacht at the public wharf near the slipways.
Once we had photographed the signs we sat down for afternoon tea and went though them answering the questions. We had a couple of questions we didn't have the answers for so Pesky and Mrs Shifter wandered inside the bowling club and were fascinated by the photographs and information within, including teh models hanging from the ceiling. It is definitely worth a visit inside.
We were still short a couple of numbers so we guestimated them and headed for the location indicated on the map, we were lucky as the cache was in the first place that Pesky looked, but it still took a detailed look to spot the cache.

Well done on a well setup and informative cache.

Finally Finished! I knew the area very well as my geo-boat is moored along the bay here, so I have walked and read the signs before. I also worked with a colleague who was a young boy when his father was stationed at the base and he has fond memories of his time here. So on the 31-10-11 I photographed what I hoped was all the required information, (not referring to the WP’s) but I was still missing two answers. So then on the 31-01-12 I returned (without the cache sheet) so I photographed the ones I thought I had missed and sure enough when I arrived home and checked I had the final co-ordinates. So finally back here Friday the 13th of April and quickly located the cache, with stunning views of the lake and former RAAF base. Well done Bronze I properly made finding the information harder than necessary, but I really enjoyed this multi. .

Did the calculations some time ago and finally got a change to go and find it.
Found with dazndky and sploozen
Great cache
TNLNSL
TFTC

This entry was edited by CDM261 on Saturday, 25 February 2012 at 09:39:08 UTC.

CDM261 had completed the calculations required for the final a little while ago and today we joined them in the hunt for the hidden treasure. Once at GZ we were greeted with a great view. Daz and Spl00zen came up with the goods moments before Mr CDM261 arrived. Overall a good team effort.

Found with Spl00zen and Mr CDM261. TFTC.

Just a quick check on the point of this cache. I have read that the cache has been buried on occasion. Please replace the cache where you find it. There is no need for it to be buried. A branch over the top will be fine. Thank you.
Thank you for all your nice comments. The final waypoint is nothing spectular. it just over looks the community you have been reading about so you can have a good view of the lake and surrounds before heading off.

Remember looking for this cache without success. Will need to come back and spend more time soon.

It took three trips to the memorial to find all of the signs, then afew days later a quick trip to gz to grab the cache. Thanks for the adventure. Tnln

We needed a few visits to find the stages, one of which eluded us. An attempt to find details in the RSL club was abandoned when a wake was being held there. Only by luck on the road out we found a plaque hidden under a bush, and there was the last answer. Arriving at GZ was very satisfying but a bit of an anti-climax after all the work. Thanks for a great one, a memorable search.

Completed this one in two parts on two different days. A couple of days ago MV swung by the first series of waypoints. Today, I joined in on the hunt, and after getting to GZ, we knew we were in the right spot. Searched for 10 mins, but couldn't find the cache. It wasn't until we rang a previous finder to make sure we were in fact in the right spot, did they point out how the cache was hidden, and with a second search of the area, we found the cache well buried.

Reperio at 1230. Completed this one in two parts on two different days. A couple of days ago I swung by the first series of waypoints, and since I only had half an hour up my sleeve, I collected the information, plotted GZ, and came back today to collect the cache. Today, Darwinian joined in on the hunt, and after getting to GZ, we knew we were in the right spot. Searched for 10 mins, but couldn't find the cache. It wasn't until we rang a previous finder to make sure we were in fact in the right spot, did they point out how the cache was hidden, and with a second search of the area, we found the cache well buried.

This was a really nice multi. Learned a lot about the history here, and whislt the cache hide itself was a bit beyond the guidlines, the location was fantastic and well chosen. Enjoyed this one a lot.

Gratias Bronze.

Found at 2.40pm GAFF4 in the company of GD__ who kindly drove us to the final location as we still were dragging our van around after the Watagan Event.
Our attempt at this cache started on Friday at around 3.00pm - we were pulling the caravan around all of the markers and had worked out the south co-ords and were missing just one of the main decimals of the East co-ords. So we did what any cacher in such a situation would do who has to be 40 kms away in a few minutes (the Watagan Event), you plot a line along the south co-ord and look for possible hiding locations. We did that and as we were heading to the chosen spot (which turned out to be where the cache was), we were distracted by a much easier location where we could park the van and search easily. This turned out to be a waste of time, so with no time left we headed off to the event.
Got to Watagan and after plying a few cachers with alcohol, we were convinced that the original location that we were heading for was the correct spot. GD___ then confirmed the adjusted co-ords that we came up with and after a couple of false searches we found the slightly buried cache.
Thanks Bronze for a most enjoyable tour of the base and the history - one of our favorites for the weekend. and thanks to GD___ for driving us to the final location.

Great Cache, Thank's for the effort Bronze.

Drove and walked around all the signs took photos of them then went through them to get all info
found all the answers need no prob
Thanks Bronze for a great hunt and I would love to build a house at GZ what a veiw

I had no idea about the Catalina's and this was very interesting to read and research. This is what geocaching is about, learning some fantastic and relevant history. Got to the top of the hill and yes you can see the scout hall.

I had no idea about the Catalina's and this was very interesting to read and research. This is what geocaching is about, learning some fantastic and relevant history. Got to the top of the hill and yes you can see the scout hall.

Please note:

The waypoints given are just samples of a few places. There are up to 18 information signs spread all over Rathmines for this cache. Apologies for any confusion. Two of the above way points will give you maps as to where you can find all signs.

Bronze.

Went back to grab the cache today.

Just as I parked near GZ an A24 took off from below and flew overhead.

Who would have believed that it was possible?

Only because the Catalina Festival was on.

I didn't realise that they had a Catalina attending this year or I would have gone down the festival itself.

Thanks Bronze a great cache.

I note that another team found in on the 16/10 but have not logged it yet.

Rated: for Overall Experience

Decided to go on a caching run for 20/10/2010.

While out caching I went out to Rathmines to locate this cache.

The area was alive with activity as the Catalina Festival is on this weeked.

When I got there I realised that I had not loaded the GPS.

I made so with the iPhone but the way the text was set out in the narrative made in undecipherable.

I then decided to do a run around of all the marker boards and take photos to gather the information without reading the questions.

After running around the WP listed on the cache page I decided to visit others in the area that I knew about.

Lucky that I did as some of the info required is not on the on the marker boards at the WP's.

There is a marker board at Styles Point that contains info as well as one on Overhill Road.

Even with all the info that I collected I was still short of the answer for D, however viewing google maps that is only one possible answer.

I will try and get back soon to locate the cache but the best part was seeing the history today.

This started out well, and then I just couldn't find the essential numbers for a final find.
So around I go again only to find a sign that helped me find the other signs that held the essential information. Does that make sense??
This is a great cache.........fun, interesting, informative, and it makes you think.
Highly recommended for everyone to do.
Left a few bits, TNSL TFTC

This entry was edited by spikeymikey on Friday, 08 October 2010 at 03:14:34.

Rated: for Overall Experience

I was a little supprised to see that this cache was still unfound a week after being published so when I was heading out for some caching this afternoon I thought I would give it a go first. A great little tour of the area gave me the info I needed (had to guess one of the answers) and I was off to GZ. A *FTF* and nice views from GZ too. Great cache all around.

Thanks Bronze.

I assume the cache is named A24 because it is a prefix to a Catalina cache.

Published

Dropping off Steamer 1077 after its hiatus in a moving box for about three years. It's been found twice and remisplaced so this time it's free! Apologies for the hold up. Boilers stoked and its full steam ahead if this cache is ever found.

Note: Bonus point for the finder who can explain why this cache is called A24.