* Of Hope Hill End, New South Wales, Australia
By Now To Morrow on 22-Feb-23. Waypoint GA27109

[The following cache description is best viewed in a web browser as it refers to a number of pictures within it.]

At Hill End NSW there is a hill. A surprise, I know! There is actually one hill I want to bring to your atttention. Hawkins Hill. When looking at it from Merlin's Lookout you can see the scars from the gold mining work that was done there back around the 1870s and beyond. 

There were once a bunch of little shacks built upon this slope at each mine.

One of these mines was Holtermann's Star Of Hope

It would have looked similar to, if not exactly like, the image below.

One day Mr Holtermann found a nice little gold nugget and for a while afterward strutted around town like he owned the place. I can see why he was slightly proud of this tiny piece of gold.

I imagine he would have upgraded his humble house below to something more like what Chris Hemsworth lives in, complete with gym, bowling alley, and infinity pool. Who wouldn't want an infinity pool if they could afford it, right?

All this above information is here for you to be in wonderment about whilst finding this geocahce on the other side of the hill from the above mentioned mine where Holtermann found that tiny nugget. Sadly, when I arrived there was a brand new fence errected accross the track leading to the site of the above mines. It would appear a new mining company have taken ownership of the land or NPWS were sick of people like me trying to access the somewhat slippery slope. Anyway, drive on by the Kissing Point Lookout, pause there for a moment if you have a loved one with you, and then drive on to Split Rock Lookout. You could climb up to look out and then make your way down the slope to the split rock and geocache, or take the track to the left of the carpark area directly to the split rock and geocahe and then struggle up the hill to enjoy the views. Choose your own adventure, but just remember when wandering around anywhere off track in Hill End - LOOK OUT FOR HOLES!!!

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