Black and Shiny Stepney, South Australia, Australia
By Prof Freddo on 05-Sep-21. Waypoint GC9G02T

This cache was found today and brings our overall cache find tally to 13839. Found this one on the morning walk today, no one around I was able to gather the required answers and send them off to the CO who has confirmed them. Thanks Freddo for the cache.

I away find EarthCache every interning in this case it was a square rock with a 1/2 moon shaped hole in it. which I would never had stopped to have a look at. now I know what it made of and where it came from.thanks Freddo for the EarthCache

Another little gem that would have gone unnoticed if our geologist friends didn't do our earthcache.A trip to Norward today for an event, followed by a few caches pickups on the way home.Spotted this earthcache and while I find the answering takes time and brain power. I like to look, ponder learn and think.Hope my answers are vaguely correct!Thanks Freddo for pointing out details that would have been totally missed.

09:11Our fifth full day in Adelaide with Suscoe, gave us the perfect weather and time for seeing a variety of construction methods as we explored the south eastern suburbs, We always enjoy earth caches, they help us learn about the geo-gameboard.Find logged with a tick from the COOur thanks to 'Freddo' for adding this cache to the gameboard.37820*This log composed and published using Geocaching Swiss Army Knife (GSAK).*

Thanks to Freddo for this Earth Cache.We have sent our answers to Freddo.It was a delightful morning to be out and about.A terrific piece of rock to observe and ponder over.

I made a small detour to try this Earth cache, on my way to an appointment.I had been there before, for a cache. This time, it is for the Earth lesson.Did some research, did some observation, and sent answers to the cache owner.Got reply soon after.Thanks for the Earth lesson and the Earth cache, Prof Freddo.

Had a look at this while walking home. Have driven past this multiple times and never really given it a thought untill now. Questions awnserd and sent to the CO TFTC

Find # 11953On a brief work trip from the National Capital to Adelaide and I have a list of caches to collect in very little time Couldnt believe my luck to land this trip so soon after the MEGA so I can collect even more counties and add variety to my stats Picked up the trusty hire car on arrival and off I go. Making the most of the opportunity to duck out for a few hours of caching fun Now to come up with some reasons as to why I need to drive around town doing research for the ADLABS Super busy intersection on a weekday but managed to find a park close by. Last cache before I head to the airport. Thanks again for the fun Adelaide Thanks Freddo for Black and Shiny

Down in town for another run at a few more city caches with Mattycat, we couldnt go past this one without a closer look to gather the required info, fortunately the cat decided to do the scribbibg and pass the info through to the CO, enjoyed the structure and collecting the infoTFTC Freddo

Down in town with froghoppin and Jack. A rock we've passed often, but parking, well... sucks! Stopped for a look, sent some answers to Prof CO. Turns out there is a reason they call Black Hill black [:o)] Thank you Freddo for this caching education ---------------- ----------------------In a dangerous world filled with rusty old mint tins and solid caches falling from trees - - - a cache a day keeps us agile... sort of --------Caches are logged using the resources of gsak, garmin, and androids, occasionally AI too! (And a little rubber stamp ) Work gets in the way - and some may take longer to log than others due to mixed technology and need for sleep! The skill and talent of some Zenior Zombies helps, and maybe a spot of luck too [:o)]----------Cache carefully and make sure Travel Bugs are the Only bugs you share and pass on Clean as you go and cache the countryside Big thanks to those placing quality caches out and about around our country areas, in nice safe places and containers especially! - it keeps our game fun for all Of course we do appreciate if you actually did read all this extra addition to the log word count! There's a challenge somewhere out there, or so we've been told! You win a virtual smiley for the effort and getting to the end of the log Maybe if I worked out where it is I could do it and go back to normal logs again ! If you find the challenge let me know and perhaps we can put an end to these long logs !!! Maybe not though - as someone actually did read to the end and alerted me to just a project GC badge that requires long logs [:o)] Well at least it's not as bad as finding a mint tin! Did you get that... stop putting out rusty mint tins, just stop it, now!!! C'est fini... For now... ... until tomorrow! PS:Don't forget to put the SA June Long Weekend in your diary for 2024 too... leap back into the 80s - GCAK1D5 - Lameroo's Ludicrous Legwarmers

It wouldn't be a day in Adelaide without a Freddo Earthcache, and so it was! Nice feature here and after observations were noted I had this one licked, or not. Answers have been sent to the ECO.An early start today with a breakfast event in recognition of Pi Day (I went to one year and it was held at 09:26:53, how's that for Pi Nerd? Anyhow, after the event I had some chores including heading across the city to the airport and then back for other stuff. An opportunity arose after lunch for a quick hour out and about and managed a few more finds to keep my visit stats ticking over. Thanks to all COs for their hides and subsequent maintaining.

Decided to get down to Adelaide for a few days as part of the Great Leap Forward Mega event. The general target was EarthCaches, Virtuals and Adventure Labs with plenty of other finds along the way.Another really good little EarthCache with some great stuff to look at at this massive boulder!TFTEC!

Heading to the event this morning before the long trek back home. A quick cache or two was needed! A cool rock here. Answers sent. Thanks for the fun and adventure!

Black and Shiny1.5/1.0 Other Earthcache Back in Adelaide after 14 years. Here for The Great Leap Forward Mega and catching up with awesome caching friends and revisiting Adelaide where we lived for 16 beautiful years! Had a wonderful time reminiscing and admiring wonderful changes in the State, meeting friendly cachers and helpful COs and finding quality caches, high D/Ts and old ones.Thank you for the cache Prof Freddo. Answer sent.

Just moved to the area, so this was a target of mine on a walk this evening Some hopeful answers sent off to the CO, so now it's wait and see whether or not I pass TFTC

Found thanks. Sent answers

Found this in the afternoon when traffic was SO busy! I probably looked a bit odd looking at this, and touching it on all sides to see the difference but that's what a geocacher does I suppose. Once I had the answers it was back across the busy intersection and on my way again. TFTEC

Answers were gathered and sent to cache cache owner who generously gave my homework a pass grade.TFTEC

Thanks for an interesting cache, i have not noticed the artwork beforehand. TFTC

Have driven through this intersection so many times and never noticed this. Thanks for taking us to this location.

Found while losing time in the city.


Come visit SA’s longest running annual event - keep the weekend free - 7th - 10th June 2024 Can’t wait!!

Thanks Freddo, I had a bit of spare time so getting a earth cache was a good bonus for me although I didn't bother with the normal nearby as it was peak traffic both road and foot. This was easier, tftc.

I've often driven past this giant hunk of rock but never had an excuse to stop. I was searching for a nearby traditional this evening which I quickly abandoned in frustration when I noticed there was an earthcache tied to this rock.

This stone brings up a funny memory for me. I had an ex who's rather unlikeable grandfather had spent decades playing mind games with his six children, spreading rumours and turning them against each other for his entertainment. He also abused a number of his grandchildren. He often stated that he didn't want an overly expensive gravestone, but one time he was being driven to an appointment when he completely seriously pointed this thing out as a viable option. I'd hate to think what his definition of an expensive gravestone would have been. Last time I checked his grave is still totally unmarked.

TFTC Freddo!

Took the kids on a lazy Sunday, great to get them learning & thinking

Out and about again, expecting a wet day but hasn’t eventuated yet. Therefore got out of town and headed to the Barossa Valley.

Found a variety of hides and in different areas which made for a nice day. Generally quick finds today

Thanks to all the CO’s for the hides I found.

Cool

Kind of glad I was wearing my cycling high vis vest, I hope that meant I looked like I was supposed to be wandering around looking closely at the sculpture! Lots of traffic going past even in the middle of the day.
Answers have been sent.

Thanks Freddo

Another day and another cache, the streak keeps growing. Picked up on my travels around during this ever-increasing busy time before the big day. I formulated some answers which were sent to the CO. Despite being off in the corner, my presence did earn peering looks from the traffic flowing by.

Thanks for the cache Prof Freddo.

Another day out with Doctor Owl and sushilord on a beautiful sunny drive around the hills, with a lot of ground covered...oh and a few caches as well. [^]

We had stopped here to find a new trad so while here we had a discussion about the big rock and formulated some answers which have been sent to the CO. I hadn't noticed this very big rock before today.

Thanks for the cache Prof Freddo.

A day out caching with Dr Owl and JJ52. Owl had a plan and who am I to argue with that, it's easier to go with the flow. The day was filled with lots of discussion, catching up on news, the occasional mention of adventure lab caches (worse than nanos in my opinion) and laughs.

A rock is a rock is a rock, they all have different compositions, thingmebobbles and inclusions. Answers are being sent to the CO.

Thanks for the lesson Prof Freddo.

I was passing by this earthcache this afternoon and finally decided to stop.

The rock was inspected, information gathered, answers formulated and subsequently confirmed by the CO.

No need to lick the rock today with all this rain!

Thanks Freddo for another interesting earthcache.

After the Freddo Vietnamese event I went out for some caches in the suburbs on foot around Norwood and St Peters, then some down south.

Answers have been sent to the proffesor.

Interesting object.

Thanks Freddo for this cache.

This cache brings Goldy's total find count to 1987 on the 11th of November 2022.

The thought's of those who served our country are remembered and missed.

They shall grow not old,
as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them,
nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun
and in the morning
We will remember them.

Lest We Forget.

Now that is a rock !
The description seemed like a different language to us , but slowly worked our way through the jargon and attempted to understand what it was trying to say .
Took photos. Left footprints. Submitted answers.
Thanks again Prof Freddo.

Today is a good day to explore the eastern ECs, all by bus and with a little bit of rain.
After the visit of the First Creek EC at the Botanic Garden, and seeing the giant trees, I made my way to the black and shiny rock, an interesting and unexpected shape.
Answers sent to the CO.

Thank you Freddo for this earthcache, the rain made the rock even more black & shiny.

EC # 892 of 4410 caches
pilot03 - Greetings from the Isle of Wight ️

Found with Limbage while searching for a Duck cache. Didn’t find a goose.

Found with Princess Juzzy while on a quest for a duck. Never would have seen this here. Tftc, appreciate the chance to search for cool things about Adelaide. Answers sent.

T
F
T
C

What a great find. I never noticed this before. happy Earth Cache Day!
TFTC Professor Freddo
A favourite point!

Sent answers. Hope they're right

Early this afternoon we stopped at this earthcache to collect the information required to answer the three questions. As luck would have it, there were some large drops of rain which made black marks on the surface of the boulder which, in turn, made the identification of the biotite slower. Often we had to rub dark patches quite hard to determine if there was biotite or damp rock.

Answers to the questions have been forwarded to the CO.

Thanks Freddo for another interesting earthcache,

Interesting lump of granite.

Found with Morgo

A new LGA

TFTC

Ooh, this is a nice rock.

Favourite point added.

Sandyofthesea and I took off from Perth at the start of April to travel more of Australia using geocaching as a guide to see the sights. How good is this country!!

Freddo, I found Black and Shiny today. Thanks for placing and maintaining this cache.

After a lovely pub lunch in Parkside with the husband he headed off back to Naracoorte and I decided to head East to collect a few caches before doing my shopping and heading home. 5 caches found and a nice afternoon was complete.
No 3 for the afternoon will send answers soon. TFTC Freddo

I was in the area and decided to gather my info.
Nice sculpture.
Answers sent to CO.
Logging a find. TFTEC

Owl forgot she needed 2 caches for the souvenir but a scan of the map showed an earthcache she'd been keeping in reserve for Earthcache Day, one that was eminently doable in the dark. The passing muggles must have wondered what was going on but the information was quickly determined and passed on to the CO at the event. Thanks!

On my way 2 the twosday event with Jolly0 and of course we had 2 stop for a cache or 2 along the way. A Freddo earth cache, just 2 exciting 2 miss. TFTC Freddo

A reasonably quick geology lesson before heading to a 24/7 bakery!
Answers sent and approved.

A couple of caching mates on a 2’sday night, out and about looking to find a couple of caches before heading to a very unique event on this 22nd day of the second month in the year 2022. We have to be there by 22:22 hours! This is almost too much for two youngish gals.

TFTEC Prof Freddo
Keep smiling

After leaving the 2'sday 22/2/22 22:22:22 event I needed "just 1 more" to qualify for the souvenir 2day. I had 2 stop by this EC after a DNF at the nearby trad. I gathered the required info as I walked around Black & Shiny shiny bad times behind me
Shiny shiny sha-na-na-na
Shiny shiny bad times behind me
Shiny shiny bad times behind me.

Answers sent, CO approved.

TFTC Freddo

It was 2sday the 22 /02/2022 and there was an event planned for 22:22 hours and 22 second that evening! So what do you do if you are Anymules. [?] You pick up Brisal after work and go in search of solved puzzles and anything else you come across until it is Event Time. As you do.

Little known fact. [?]
In 2020 Disaster Area the rock band known to be the loudest band in the universe and widely regarded to be the loudest noise of any kind played a concert whilst in orbit over Adelaide.
For the concert the special effects was a starship crashing into earth for dramatic effect and causing cataclysmic global warming. The ship - named "Biotite" was of classic, simple design, like a flattened salmon, very clean, very sleek. There was just one remarkable thing about it. It was so.... black! Black and shiny so that you can hardly make out its shape... light just seems to fall into it! The blackness of it was so extreme that it was almost impossible to tell how close you were standing to it. Your eyes just slid off it...[:o)]

However when the concert ended and several superpowers eased back from Defcom 4, it was discovered that due to a terrible miscalculation of scale the black ship smashed into a solitary granite sculpture that was being carved for a special place in Stepney and spattered black and shiny fragments through it. [^]

The following year Professor Freddo saw the remains of the poor starship "biotite" and decided he would promulgate this ridiculous cover story in the from of this earthcache. We all know what happened here Professor.....the truth is always out there.

Needless to say when contacted with answers to his spurious earthcache questions he had 'no comment' other than ''go ahead, log away".

Only one of the three goals from last year achieved. So once again I will trying to get the other two this year. [^] Should be easy as I only have to get two multi caches in July from the lockdown and couldn't get out. [:o)] The other was DNF's that came down from over 50 to the low teens before blowing out again but I really want to see only single a single digit this year.

***Thanks Freddo for putting out this cache and maintaining it for our enjoyment. ***
Logs prepared and published through GSAK.

Was in the area with some time to spare before the event. Stopped by and checked out the mold for the Death Star.

I don't spend a lot of time in this part of Adelaide, so nice to be introduced to something interesting. Answers sent. TFTC

Pass by this intersection many times but never noticed the sculpture installation. Answers sent to the Professor. Thanx

Logging with permission. Visited this busy corner with Bindi the geo dog on our way to the Christmas Event!! Now thats a big chunk of granite!!

Logging with permission, was a bit unsure of my answers here, but the professor has granted me a pass.

Seems a strange spot for a sculpture of this sort, and I hadn’t noticed it before. I wonder what it weighs? I’ve got a feeling that a lick here might have helped with one of the questions, but at 16:30 there were far too many witnesses.

TFTEC Freddo.

Stopped here to make the observations on the earthcache while in the area. I often get stuck at these traffic lights and invariably gaze at the sculpture while waiting for the green light. Thanks for highlighting the interesting sculpture and for the earthcache Prof Freddo!

Found today while driving through the area this morning, stopped to look at this previously unnoticed sculpture, and was i fascinated by its simplicity. TYFTC

Found this one for earth day.
Thanks Freddo.
Striker and Runningman222.

Found on International Earthcache Day. As it was Sunday there was ample parking nearby. TFTC

Veni. Vidi. Vici.
Visited GZ recently.
Looked at a rock.
Gathered info.
Took photos.
Made some notes.
Drew some conclusions.
Went home.
Did some more research.
Worked out some answers.
Submitted them.
Got the OK to Log.
Now logging the find.
Had never noticed this rock before and probably would not if not for this earthcache.
Gratias Pro Earthcache Prof Freddo

Veni. Vidi. Vici.
Visited GZ recently.
Looked at a rock.
Gathered info.
Took photos.
Made some notes.
Drew some conclusions.
Went home.
Did some more research.
Worked out some answers.
Submitted them.
Got the OK to Log.
Now logging the find.
Had never noticed this rock before and probably would not if not for this earthcache.
Gratias Pro Earthcache Prof Freddo

Jumped on the mountainbike at lunch and escaped the CBD to observe this EarthCache.
An interesting sculputure. Answers have been submitted to the CO. TFTEC

What an awesome bit of rock. And to think this was made because the Sun started to form from a proto cloud over 5 thousand million years ago..... then the Earth was made...then this rock formed after from the heat within. Full circle rock.

Thanks to Freddo and **clear skies** from TeamAstro. [^] Cache the planet! [^]

Found with gridge98 today out caching

Thanks for the cache

I saw this published the other night and decided to leave it but would of got the FTF if I went for it, life happens.

This morning on the way to an event stopped by this rock that I have been past many times in my life especially on the bike. A closer look and the answers were examined.

TFTC

When you wake at 4 AM for your early morning Monday bike ride and see that there is a new Earthcache published at the exact location of today’s planned pre-dawn rendezvous with your ride colleagues, you know what your first cache of the day will probably be.
Even if it was lightly drizzling as Brad rode out the gate! Fortunately skin, like biotite, is waterproof. And arriving at the RV point slightly early allowed time to complete the needful.
Answers collected and on their way to the CO. More after the ride.
Edit: CO response “good answers *FTF* for you”
Photos attached of Brad’s wet bicycle in the dark at GZ and Strava screenshot showing Brad left home at 0436. 4km to GZ means arrival there was around 04:45-0450 aka stupid o’clock
TFTEC yet again Prof Freddo

It was dark like the biotite...
Cool sculpture...
Lucky the rock was already wet, so no need to lick it.
Answers on their way...
TFTEC

Edit:
We also were up at 0400, to go elsewhere. Changed our plans due to weather, then saw this one in the emails...
Headed over the 5km to GZ, got the necessary answers, and were back in bed as Brad was arriving at GZ, then sent the answers. Guess we should've sent them from GZ also... lol
Guess that makes us FTFers of the GZ? lol

Published