Smoking Chimney Lightning Ridge, New South Wales, Australia
By president & 1st lady on 30-Oct-05. Waypoint GA0242

An interesting area. Visited with NTM.
Thanks for the cache

Rated: for Overall Experience

Very cool looking chimney. Love this mining mound environment.

Rated: for Overall Experience

It was a lot of fun to wander around this abandoned claim. Some of the covers of the old mine shafts seem a bit dodgy though.
We managed to find the cache after a short search. Turns out we were overthinking the hide.

Thanks for the placing the cache that lead us to this interesting spot.

We are staying in the area for a few days and took the drive out here for the cache TFTC

I would love to know the history of this place.
A quick find in the expected area.

After a morning of more touristy stuff, Samuel and I did the customary "we'll be back when we run out of light" caching afternoon, heading right out of town for some lonely FTFs and even a few GC caches too... We arrived in fading light, checking the numerous shafts as we went, dropping a few rocks in some as some practical physics lessons about gravity and distance/velocity/acceleration equations....
We needed to expand our search about 10m to find the cache, sort of in an obvious spot in the end, probably should have checked there first....

Rated: for Overall Experience

#GA5589 - 10:20; Day two of the Townsville Mega adventure with Sol de lune. The plan for the day is to cache our way north Walgett on a round about route via Lightning Ridge, Hebel, Diranbandi, St George and Moonie on to Surat. Plenty of water lying around and flowing down the Balonne River. Luckily we avoided any road closures, unlike our previous foray north when we had an unanticipated night in Goondawindi, but that's a whole other story. No problems today as we collected caches along the way, including this oldie after a short detour off the main road. TFTC president & 1st lady

Rated: for Overall Experience

Grabbed with LuckyL10n while passing while en-route to Townsville. Certainly would take a strong person to live out here.

Thanks President & 1st Lady....

Rated: for Overall Experience

Smittengranny and I had been caching out at the Grawin fields this morning and then we came up here to grab this cache while we didn't have the van travelling along behind us.
We found our way into GZ only to discover that it is being surveyed and worked. After getting permission from the fellow wandering around, we found the cache, signed the log and returned it to its hidey hole. TFTC President & 1st Lady.

Pa and I had been caching out at the Grawin fields this morning and we took the opportunity to hide some caches out there and then come up here to grab this cache while we didn't have the van travelling along behind us.
We found our way into GZ only to discover that it is being surveyed and worked. After getting permission from the fellow wandering around, we found the cache, signed the log and returned it to its hidey hole. TFTC President & 1st Lady.

Rated: for Overall Experience

What a great location. we've done the door tours last time we were here but we weren't into GCA then, so missed all of these caches TFTC.

Rated: for Overall Experience

We had no idea what we were in for when we turned off the main road with an RV and trailer to come here......finding the cache would be great but getting enough space to turn around was essential. So it was a big sigh of relief when we saw the turning circle close to the cache. A very different way of life at the camps . . . clearly you couldn't have an aversion to dust. Pleased to see this old cache still going well. TFTC president &1st lady and TFT pathtag whitewebbs.

Rated: for Overall Experience

Sorry for the late log but realised I hadn't logged a find when publishing a virtual cache in Lightning Ridge. We enjoyed our time at the ridge. The cache was located in the likely place. Took pathtag, left pathtag. TFTC

Rated: for Overall Experience

After leaving the Ridge heading all the way to Hebel we parked the van at the road entrance in the shade and walked to the chimney.

A nice, easy find with an old cache in good condition and an interesting relic. Someone went to a lot of trouble to build a pretty spectacular smoker

Many thanks for the cache PRESIDENT & 1ST LADY

Rated: for Overall Experience

This cache was slightly off our path but who can resist a slight detour to look for an old cache. After a tour of the nearby opal field we arrived in the search area and spotted the caches name sake.

We had to expand our search to the obvious spot where we found the cache container safely tucked away. It is a pity the original log is nolonger in the cache.

Container and contents were in good condition.

Thanks for the cache President & 1st Lady. We enjoyed exploring this area and the rather unique object.

1st for the day as we leave Lightning Ridge and head towards Surat. Was expecting to get quite a few GCA caches today around St George but unfortunately this was the only one we found.
It was a quick find but we did get a half hearted wave and a 'what are you doing up here' look from one muggle at a nearby mining camp.
No signage on the road about this place so it is probably only geocachers that will venture up here.
Thanks.

We had grave doubts about finding this one after reading the last log but luckily found it straight away! We remember talking to the CO at a Sydney event shortly after we visited Lightning Ridge last Easter but didn't know about GCA caches at the time. This time we came more prepared! What a great location that we would have otherwise missed!
TFTC!
Cheers,
The Hancock Clan

Drove in this morning but unable to find the cache. PAF but not in that location. A fair bit of work around the chimney with miners dumping over burden. Dozer tracks all over the place. Plenty of action nearby & constant stream of passing traffic. Chimney interesting. Thanks.

Staying in Lightning Ridge for a couple of days so popped out to find this cache.

Cache and contents were in good condition. Thanks for bringing us here and for the cache.

Rated: for Overall Experience

Found on the way north on our 2013 winter escape trip to Qld.
Stopped in on the way out of the Ridge after a few days looking around.
No muggles around here today but you can see where they live and work.
Cache was in serious need of repair and I just happened to have the supplies needed. All fixed with a nice new replacement sistema, a log book and sealed bag. That should keep it OK for a while.
Thanks for the cache president & 1st lady,
Roostaman.

Rated: for Overall Experience

Drove up here as the other week didn't realise this was here, had to come back. Thanks for the cache.
Acko
PS I am gonna whinge to everybody about the stoopid 160 km distance rule. We live in a country wif 22mil people and most of the middle doesn't geocache.
Whinge over ta.

Drove up the road and found the side tracks to this cache okay. Interesting chimney. Time has weathered the cache a bit, probably needs replacing. Photo attached.

2y'stassies

Found on the way to Lighting Ridge
The Cache is still in good condition
SL TNLN
TN4TC

Rated: for Overall Experience

WanderingAus wandered by on day 93 of our annual Climatic Refugee trip, and made a very quick and easy GAFF 0 find.

My find No 2831, TNLNSL.

*Recommended* *Overall Experience: 3*

T4TH president & 1st lady
Keith

Rated: for Overall Experience

Great spot! We found a red container which we think was it but it had no lid or log book and was filled with leaves and dirt, probably from the rain. Anyway thanks for showing us the chimney-pretty cool!
McKayFamilyqlr

R, J, S, Sh, K and P were in the search party for this one. K found the cache! Not easy to locate at 2AM. Forgot to take a pen or pencil, didn't sign the log, didn't take anything, didn't leave anything. A few visitors before us who haven't logged online. Cache contents in good condition, but container deteriorating from the elements. If I'm nearby again, I'll replace the container.

Rated: for Overall Experience

What a great cache - we would NEVER have gone out here if not for the cache. Didn't find any opals but took a lucky Buddha - so maybe next time! Left a $100 note for next lucky cacher.

Rated: for Overall Experience

We were staying in Lightning Ridge and, having no worthwhile map, we started the hunt entering via Benny Woolford Crossing. It was the beginning of a 10km drive along bush tracks "seldom crossed 'cept by folks that are lost" (to quote Banjo,) and each track seemed less likely than the last. After an eternity we finally came to a cattle grid that bore a sign, "Nine Mile & Highway", with a pointing arrow. Crossing it we immediately saw the Smoking Chimney and, within a minute or three, we found it. The outside of the cache has been wet, but was bone dry inside. Completed log book - no swaps.
It would be a very easy cache if you enter from the highway but, if you want a challenge, then start at Benny Walford Drive, but take a cut lunch and some spare batteries for your GPS, otherwise you may never be seen again! I wonder if Burke and Wills are lying out there somewhere?

C. Nyal de Kaye

Sorry for the delay in logging this one in. But had to find out how from Sc00t because of the different set up. Better late than not at all.Found at 2:30 on a very sunny day. What a great place with an unusual character feeling about it.
Took: Gold elephant Keyring.
Left : Bear magnet "And the band played on."
Thanks for the cache and taking us off the road.
The Bushies.

Nice easy find. Very interesting little chimney especially loved the car yard scrap heap. Thanks First Lady. Team'80'