B&W (T) Camp VI. MIA MIA. Mia Mia, Victoria, Australia
By
Phetlern on 20-Aug-10. Waypoint GA2504
Cache Details
| Difficulty: | |
| Terrain: | |
| Type: | Burke and Wills |
| Container: | Small |
| Coordinates: | S36° 59.967' E144° 34.469' (WGS 84) |
| 55H 284167E 5902438N (UTM) | |
| Elevation: | 261 m |
| Local Government Area: | Greater Bendigo |
/144.574483,-36.99945,14/400x200?access_token=pk.eyJ1IjoiY2F1Z2h0YXR3b3JrIiwiYSI6ImNqa2l4ZzNzMDE5bjgzdm1sZGpuODF1Mm0ifQ.q8YMzVyzDJJlJHHV8EMjwQ)
Description
The Victorian Exploring Expedition of 1860, usually known as the Burke and Wills expedition, stands as a landmark in Australian history. They succeeded in crossing the continent form South to North, at the cost of several lives. This is one of the geocaches marking important points associated with the Expedition.
After travelling via Lancefield, over the Great Dividing Range along a route that is now appropriately called “Burke and Wills Track”, the party halted for a rest day at Mia Mia, and sightseers from McIvor (Heathcote) and Sandhurst (Bendigo) flocked to the area to witness the expedition and see the camels.
A Bit of the History
Sat 25th August 1860
. . . . . . . . . . . .The road was good after leaving the crater, passing at noon through a country with strong indications of being auriferous, intersected with basaltic formations which later formed the main feature of the Spring Plains over which we, in the afternoon, travelled with the utmost difficulty on account of the slippery ground and great number of crab-holes. Here some of our wagons were forced to remain all night having been bogged. These desolate plains end near the Mia-Mia public house. Before reaching that place a steep hill, composed of quartz, has to be descended, on the foot of which the basalt predominates again. Arrived at the Mia Mia at 5¼ p.m. Rain in the evening. A Camel bit one of the Indians through the finger. I forgot to mention that the three Indians remaining with the camels are Mohametans and not so particular about their food. They are willing, steady and good working fellows.
Sunday. Aug 26 1860
Hoar frost in the morning; fine weather. A day of rest. Finished Sketch No 1. Copied accounts, bills etc. for Mr Burke. A great many visitors are coming in from McIvor and other places to look at the caravan; the Landlord of the Inn had a good day and behaved well towards the Exploring party, his charges were very moderate.
Hoar frost in the morning; fine weather. A day of rest. Finished Sketch No 1. Copied accounts, bills etc. for Mr Burke. A great many visitors are coming in from McIvor and other places to look at the caravan; the Landlord of the Inn had a good day and behaved well towards the Exploring party, his charges were very moderate.
Ludwig Becker, First report
On the morning of 25th, Becker was astonished to see an extinct volcanic crater between their camp and the Three Chain Road, and he sketched the expedition passing through it on their way out of ‘Darlington’ to pass over “the desolate Spring Plains” to Mia Mia. They crossed “the Major's Line” for the first time, reached Mia Mia and camped by the Spring Creek. Here Burke decided to rest the expedition for two days, with the officers staying at the Mia Mia Inn. This inn was situated behind the existing bluestone ruins of a later inn built after the township was surveyed in 1859.
Mia Mia was one of the few places Burke allowed any rest on the course of the Expedition. The party stopped for two nights, already exhausted by the trip from Melbourne. In addition to being over-equipped in almost every regard, they had encountered terrible weather.
Burke was notorious for not allowing rest stops. Most exploring missions spent at least one day a week resting, to conserve strength, and periodic longer stops to recuperate. Burke was in too much of a hurry, having bought in to the idea of the Expedition as a race against the rival South Australian explorer John Macdouall Stuart. Mia Mia was the only real stop before Swan Hill, where Burke was obliged to wait for several days while the Expedition wagons caught up with the faster moving advance party. At Menindee, Burke abandoned the wagons altogether, moving on with a much smaller group. He raced from Coooper’s Creek to the Gulf of Carpentaria in just over two months, taking only Christmas Day as a rest day on the way. It is certain that exhaustion played a large part in the eventual fate of the expedition.
At Mia Mia, they had their first experience of crowds of curious visitors from all directions, not greatly welcomed by Burke, but the reports and letters of some of these visitors are now a source of both interest and information. One of these, who had to sleep in the diningroom of the inn in an atmosphere of fried bacon and eggs mixed with tobacco smoke, wrote that the camels looked like fowls trussed for cooking as they crouched beside the road with their legs folded under them. Another described the three-hour preparation for the road each morning.
At Mia Mia Burke appointed John Polongeaux, a Frenchman from the Bendigo Diggings who happened to be staying at the Mia Mia hotel the night they arrived. Polongeaux stated he was a good bushman, cook and Waggoner so Burke employed him on the spot!
The explorers are credited with having, as they left Mia Mia, unwittingly carried out one of the recommendations from the Royal Society, that they should sow seeds as they went to mark their route. Artichoke thistles, which had not been seen in the district before that time, appeared soon after they had left and became firmly established in the locality, the first seeds, it is thought, having been brought in the fodder consumed by the camels.
About the Cache and Surrounds
This cache is located nearby to a creek crossing, where the remains of an old bridge are still visible. Have a look at the larger eucalypts in the area adjacent to the cache site – if only they could talk, we are sure they would be able to tell us about the exploits of Burke & Wills.
At S37 00.127 E114 34.223 you will find the bluestone ruins mentioned above. If you travel to the south of Mia Mia along Burke & Wills Track to number 3155 (S37 02.838 E144 36.358), you will find a winery with an interesting range of Dig Tree label wines. Alternatively you could visit the Public House just up the road from Mia Mia at Redesdale S37 01.342 E144 31.927 (crossing the unique Iron Bridge over the Campaspe) where the wines are also available.
To the north of the cache site you will find a sports ground and picnic site, playground and toilets (just past the fire shed).
Hints
Snyyra Gvzore. |
|
Decode |
Logs
230 weeks since a find but we were so close that we decided to give this one a go.
We both poked around in the multitude of possibilities but didn't find it.
Can't imagine it has been muggled so perhaps it has just been covered too well.
Thanks Phetlern.
We both poked around in the multitude of possibilities but didn't find it.
Can't imagine it has been muggled so perhaps it has just been covered too well.
Thanks Phetlern.
Caching in the area we stopped to find your cache. Nice to find a B&W traditional cache. Cache and contents in good condition.
Many thanks Phetlern for publishing this cache and adding to our geocaching experience.
Tassie Trekkers are now a locationless geocache we have published a 'Geocacher cache' - Travelling Trekkers GA10932 - so if you spot us in your area sign our log book and receive a code word to earn yourself a
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Gold - Griffin, 
Green - Phoenix, 
Blue - Cerberus or Orange - Minotaur. Earn trophies and rise through the ranks from Dragon Fodder to Ruler of the Universe. Rated: for Overall Experience
On my way back to the airport to fly back to tassie after the Mega and called in for this one as we one have one down in tassie.
thanks for the cache.
thanks for the cache.
Rated: for Overall Experience
Having just found the Virtual I could hardly ignore this one. Thanks Phetlern. SL and returned to its hidey hole. 
Rated: for Overall Experience
After doing the other B&W nearby I headed to this one. Was a bit concerned about the long grass near GZ as I have Ophidiophobia ( fear if slithery things!) but I braved the grass and on arriving at GZ was rewarded with the cache. Signed log and returned as found. TFTC
203
Having recently read a Book on Burke and Wills, I have gained a real interest in hunting down the caches of this series. A quick find.
Having recently read a Book on Burke and Wills, I have gained a real interest in hunting down the caches of this series. A quick find.
Rated: for Overall Experience
Our first traditional B&W Cache for the day, hoping to pick up a few in the vicinity on this trip.
dalerious had not downloaded the coordinates into his GPS for this one, and whilst he was doing so, Muggle Hubby decided he was just going to find the cache, because he reckoned he could guess where it was. Of course he was correct, and had found it, whilst we were still in the car!
So much for modern technology, good old Geosense won the day.
Thanks for placing and maintaining this cache for our entertainment Phetlern.
dalerious had not downloaded the coordinates into his GPS for this one, and whilst he was doing so, Muggle Hubby decided he was just going to find the cache, because he reckoned he could guess where it was. Of course he was correct, and had found it, whilst we were still in the car!
So much for modern technology, good old Geosense won the day.
Thanks for placing and maintaining this cache for our entertainment Phetlern.
Rated: for Overall Experience
We started our small caching adventure at Lancefield after flying in from Hobart. I chose this detour on our way to Bendigo to find a few Burke and Wills caches.
We'd seen a snake on the road a short distance away from GZ so were somewhat wary as we walkef to GZ. We encountered nothing dangerous and soon had the log signed and tucked away safely. Thanks Phetlern
We'd seen a snake on the road a short distance away from GZ so were somewhat wary as we walkef to GZ. We encountered nothing dangerous and soon had the log signed and tucked away safely. Thanks Phetlern
Rated: for Overall Experience
22:15
School holidays meant arranging a break for the better half, so zombeefish was collected from the in-laws' after a nice dinner and we began our caching adventures from there.
As I hadn't yet visited the Burke and Wills sites on the back road (the aptly named Burke and Wills Track) through Lancefield and Mia Mia, this seemed the perfect opportunity to cover that part of the route...
Zombeefish had had enough by this point, so stayed in the car while I found this one neatly tucked away... then had to return to the vehicle for a pen and troop through the grass again.
GCA#226
School holidays meant arranging a break for the better half, so zombeefish was collected from the in-laws' after a nice dinner and we began our caching adventures from there.
As I hadn't yet visited the Burke and Wills sites on the back road (the aptly named Burke and Wills Track) through Lancefield and Mia Mia, this seemed the perfect opportunity to cover that part of the route...
Zombeefish had had enough by this point, so stayed in the car while I found this one neatly tucked away... then had to return to the vehicle for a pen and troop through the grass again.
GCA#226
Rated: for Overall Experience
Day 2 on the way to the Surf Coast Mega with LuckyL10n. We decided on the long way round to grab a few (mainly B&W) GCA caches....
After grabbing the nearby virtual, we headed down for this one. LL had grabbed it on a previous visit so I made my down through the grass and soon had the cache in hand. Again, tried to imagine what sort of hardships they would have encounted in their trek....something that these days none of us wouldn't attempt....without our modern equipment Log was signed and then back to the car to continue our trip south.
Thanks Phetlern for another one in the B&W series.
After grabbing the nearby virtual, we headed down for this one. LL had grabbed it on a previous visit so I made my down through the grass and soon had the cache in hand. Again, tried to imagine what sort of hardships they would have encounted in their trek....something that these days none of us wouldn't attempt....without our modern equipment Log was signed and then back to the car to continue our trip south.
Thanks Phetlern for another one in the B&W series.
Rated: for Overall Experience
#GA1018 - 11:05; I decided to make use of a spare day in Victoria with the geoteen to head north from Melbourne along the path taken by Burke and Wills (and others) to collect some more of the caches in this series. The plan was to reach Bendigo, then head on to Elmore before heading back to the big smoke. I'd collected my first for the day at Queens Park in Moonee Ponds, which had proved a bit of a nemesis cache for me until today. I'd collected a few more in the series at Bolinda Creek, Lancefield and Baynton on my way through to Mia Mia and this cache. Parked close to GZ and enjoyed a quick find and sign, the first in nearly two years, before continuing just up the road to grab the nearby B&W virtual. TFTC Phetlern
Rated: for Overall Experience
walked over the road with dad, and searched high and low, I found this little fellow and then had to run back to the car to get my swaps bag
The cache notes made for great reading by the roadside today
It was rather warm outside the geomobile so I relished the chance to stay indoors for a while.
But sooner or later, I had to step outide and feel the heat of a cache find
Well that was easy !!
No snakes bit me
Oh and if you wander around the local sports ground, there is a very nice memorial to Camp No.6, just behind the tennis courts
TFTC
It was rather warm outside the geomobile so I relished the chance to stay indoors for a while.
But sooner or later, I had to step outide and feel the heat of a cache find
Well that was easy !!
No snakes bit me
Oh and if you wander around the local sports ground, there is a very nice memorial to Camp No.6, just behind the tennis courts
TFTC
Rated: for Overall Experience
Found by Team Ladava just before dark on a glorious spring day.
We had celebrated Fathers Day yesterday with the kids and grandkids so the better half asked me what I would like to do for the official day. Hello?
Love this Burke & Wills series tracing the route of their ill-fated expedition.
It is hard to imagine the hardships suffered, the courage and endurance of these explorers as we cruise around in our modern vehicles on bitumen roads.
Locations like this are 'the icing on the cake' of Geocaching.
TNLN
Our thanks to Phetlern for the cache and bringing us to this location.
Cheers
Ian & Sandra
Team Ladava
Cache condition - fine
We had celebrated Fathers Day yesterday with the kids and grandkids so the better half asked me what I would like to do for the official day. Hello?
Love this Burke & Wills series tracing the route of their ill-fated expedition.
It is hard to imagine the hardships suffered, the courage and endurance of these explorers as we cruise around in our modern vehicles on bitumen roads.
Locations like this are 'the icing on the cake' of Geocaching.
TNLN
Our thanks to Phetlern for the cache and bringing us to this location.
Cheers
Ian & Sandra
Team Ladava
Cache condition - fine
Rated: for Overall Experience
Found by Team Ladava just before dark on a glorious spring day.
We had celebrated Fathers Day yesterday with the kids and grandkids so the better half asked me what I would like to do for the official day. Hello?
Love this Burke & Wills series tracing the route of their ill-fated expedition.
It is hard to imagine the hardships suffered, the courage and endurance of these explorers as we cruise around in our modern vehicles on bitumen roads.
Locations like this are 'the icing on the cake' of Geocaching.
TNLN
Our thanks to Phetlern for the cache and bringing us to this location.
Cheers
Ian & Sandra
Team Ladava
Cache condition - fine
We had celebrated Fathers Day yesterday with the kids and grandkids so the better half asked me what I would like to do for the official day. Hello?
Love this Burke & Wills series tracing the route of their ill-fated expedition.
It is hard to imagine the hardships suffered, the courage and endurance of these explorers as we cruise around in our modern vehicles on bitumen roads.
Locations like this are 'the icing on the cake' of Geocaching.
TNLN
Our thanks to Phetlern for the cache and bringing us to this location.
Cheers
Ian & Sandra
Team Ladava
Cache condition - fine
Rated: for Overall Experience
It is interesting to visit locations reputedly visited by Burke and Wills in their epic explorative journey. It is hard to appreciate the hardships they and their party must have endured. Roads and cars are a far call from their transport. This cache was a quick find. The cache and its contents were in good condition. TFTC.
Grabbed a few B&W's while in the area on the motorbike for the day.
The sun was shining, the birds were singing and me crashing around in the long grass and fallen branches, in the wrong spot to start with. Should trust my GPS that took me staight to the GZ, when will I learn.
Thanks for the cache today just signed the log only.
The sun was shining, the birds were singing and me crashing around in the long grass and fallen branches, in the wrong spot to start with. Should trust my GPS that took me staight to the GZ, when will I learn.
Thanks for the cache today just signed the log only.
Rated: for Overall Experience
It has been a fair while since I've been on the trail of Burke and Wills but with our monthly bushwalk near here today, it was a pleasure to rejoin the journey. This was the first of 4 B&W caches for me today and I had the stash in hand at 10:30 after a short search. Another wonderful instalment in this enthralling and educational series .
TNLNSL. Thanks Phetlern.
.TNLNSL. Thanks Phetlern.
A quick find for greg after scrambling through long grass, and tossing cache out to me.
I stayed out of grass after a scare with a snake at the last cache. My heart is still a little rapid.
TFTC SL
Love GA Cacher on my android phone.
I stayed out of grass after a scare with a snake at the last cache. My heart is still a little rapid.
TFTC SL
Love GA Cacher on my android phone.
Rated: for Overall Experience
On our way to Melbourne for a work meeting and managed to detour a little for this quick find.
Managed to get rather wet shoes with the early morning dew.
Thanks Phetlern for the cache.
Managed to get rather wet shoes with the early morning dew.
Thanks Phetlern for the cache.
A quick grab on a non-caching trip to Ballarat to visit some friends with Just a cacher.
Day 3 and the rain continues - only the caching made for a bright spot today. We decided to grab a few B&W caches while in the area.
Thanks for the cache Phetlern
Day 3 and the rain continues - only the caching made for a bright spot today. We decided to grab a few B&W caches while in the area.
Thanks for the cache Phetlern
Rated: for Overall Experience
Found with Black Bunny on a trip to Victoria. The weather could have been better, but the caches are great!
Rated: for Overall Experience
Kids made a find in a spot I never looked (I needed to remember the real meaning of "assume") Enjoyed a good drive along the B&W track to get here, went home along back roads. Thanks.
Rated: for Overall Experience
Parked in the most easiest location.
Tramped throughthe long wet grass to GZ.
A spidy had made a lovely web around the opening to GZ. Sorry, but uit had to go.
Retrieved the cache and signed log.
Thanks for the series and the trip along this lovely road.
Tramped throughthe long wet grass to GZ.
A spidy had made a lovely web around the opening to GZ. Sorry, but uit had to go.
Retrieved the cache and signed log.
Thanks for the series and the trip along this lovely road.
Another snakie location - this summer's going to be fun caching in all the long grass... Thanks for the cache!
Rated: for Overall Experience
Found by PR&F on 9/10/10 @ 10.10am with The Empire.
#6 of 26 finds today as we traced the Burke & Wills Route.
TFTC!
#6 of 26 finds today as we traced the Burke & Wills Route.
TFTC!
Found by The Empire @ 10:10am with PR&F
9th of 28 today on the Burke and Wills route. Think I may have mucked up the order of these but they were all fantastic. Thanks to all of those involved in the series.
- M
9th of 28 today on the Burke and Wills route. Think I may have mucked up the order of these but they were all fantastic. Thanks to all of those involved in the series.
- M
Rated: for Overall Experience
I found this cache with caughatwork today. This was an easy find for me today, just at the right height for me to see. Thank you Phetlern.
Rated: for Overall Experience
Found by caughtatwork at 12:36 on 3/10/2010
A quick stop past this cache while GabGab and I were out enjoying the weather and of course the Burke & Wills trail of caches.
This was a nice easy find with GabGab coming up with the goods at this location. She seems to have developed quite a talent for spotting cache hides.
Took nothing, left nothing.
Thanks Phetlern for this cache along the trail and of course for being part of the Burke & Wills Project.
*Overall Experience: 4*
GAFF 1
A quick stop past this cache while GabGab and I were out enjoying the weather and of course the Burke & Wills trail of caches.
This was a nice easy find with GabGab coming up with the goods at this location. She seems to have developed quite a talent for spotting cache hides.
Took nothing, left nothing.
Thanks Phetlern for this cache along the trail and of course for being part of the Burke & Wills Project.
*Overall Experience: 4*
GAFF 1
Rated: for Overall Experience
This one took us quite a while to find, with so many potential hidey-holes at GZ. Eventually we tracked it down at 11:05am, after checking the hint. Another excellent location, peaceful corner, worth spending a few minutes in the spring sunshine. Many thanks to Phetlern for another cache in our B&W collection. Cheers!
Rated: for Overall Experience
Found 8.20am
With my better half on holiday in QLD (and with my GPSr) I had to break out my old Garmin for this days caching. I think it's been a while since the GPSr had been turned on and it took ages to get a lock but once it did the cache was quickly found.
Great to grab this one as it follows on from my B&W cache at Baynton.
Left KoT pathtag
Thanks Phetlern
With my better half on holiday in QLD (and with my GPSr) I had to break out my old Garmin for this days caching. I think it's been a while since the GPSr had been turned on and it took ages to get a lock but once it did the cache was quickly found.
Great to grab this one as it follows on from my B&W cache at Baynton.
Left KoT pathtag
Thanks Phetlern
Rated: for Overall Experience
A great little spot on the B&W track with lots of potential hiding spots. It was busy here this weekend with the B&W celebrations. Left a pathtag. TFTC
A nice easy find in a nice quiet spot.
Took the swallowtail pathtag to add to our small collection.
TFTC
Took the swallowtail pathtag to add to our small collection.
TFTC
Rated: for Overall Experience
5.15pm
Found by Roma and Max.
We are thoroughly enjoying this series and thank you Peter for adding to this pleasure with another top cache.
Cheers,
from Romax.
Found by Roma and Max.
We are thoroughly enjoying this series and thank you Peter for adding to this pleasure with another top cache.
Cheers,
from Romax.
Rated: for Overall Experience
These set of caches sounded like a great way to remember this expedition.
Today I went on a small journey out this way a picked up a few on the way including this neat hide.
Thanks Phetlern
Today I went on a small journey out this way a picked up a few on the way including this neat hide.
Thanks Phetlern
Rated: for Overall Experience
Out and about on our Bourke and Wills tour of the country.
TFTC
TFTC
Rated: for Overall Experience
*FTF* @ 12:55 pm.
The sixth cache of my GCA B&W FTF run.
The big redgums near GZ certainly must have seen many people pass by. The sound of running water and cockies in the trees were what greeted me here. It's no wonder that B&W decided to rest for awhile.
Took: Pathtag. Left: Butterfly pathtag and bouncy ball.
Thanks for all the work that went into these well prepared and well stocked caches and thanks for bringing me to this historic spot Phetlern.
The sixth cache of my GCA B&W FTF run.
The big redgums near GZ certainly must have seen many people pass by. The sound of running water and cockies in the trees were what greeted me here. It's no wonder that B&W decided to rest for awhile.
Took: Pathtag. Left: Butterfly pathtag and bouncy ball.
Thanks for all the work that went into these well prepared and well stocked caches and thanks for bringing me to this historic spot Phetlern.
Rated: for Overall Experience
