Graves Telegraph Mill Sailors Falls, Victoria, Australia
By
kennythe1st on 01-Jan-11. Waypoint GA3019
Cache Details
| Difficulty: | |
| Terrain: | |
| Type: | Traditional |
| Container: | Regular |
| Coordinates: | S37° 23.943' E144° 8.648' (WGS 84) |
| 55H 247202E 5857029N (UTM) | |
| Elevation: | 644 m |
| Local Government Area: | Hepburn |
/144.144133,-37.39905,14/400x200?access_token=pk.eyJ1IjoiY2F1Z2h0YXR3b3JrIiwiYSI6ImNqa2l4ZzNzMDE5bjgzdm1sZGpuODF1Mm0ifQ.q8YMzVyzDJJlJHHV8EMjwQ)
Description
Heritage site on the GDT's Lerderderg Trail.
At and around this site from 1872 were Graves (variously Greaves) Sawmill, a 7.5km timber tramway along Stony creek and a settlement including school. About 1.3km NNW, Graves Siding served the conjunction of the mill tramway and the Daylesford - Creswick Railway from 1887. No obvious evidence remains of buildings but see heritage details for further info. Enjoy the regrowth after the Feb 09 fires, the largest for this area having started just a 2km to the NW.
This was a pleasant dell for a picnic in fine weather but is currently overgrown (Feb 2012). Walk/bike access is easy via various tracks or on the Great Dividing Trail's (GDT) multi-use Lerderderg Track which is well signed per photo except that outside the forest, shorter dark green signs with white arrowhead may still be in use (photo). Typical start points could be the head of the track at Lake Daylesford or Jubilee Lake park and caravan park. With map in hand you could come from Sailors Falls on the Ballan Rd.
For motorists, a number of gravel or dirt tracks converge on the dell. However, not all tracks are yet cleared of fallen trees from the fires of Feb 09.
1. Greaves Mill Tk is a best approach for 2WD. W off Specimen Hill Rd which runs between Jubilee Lake and Leonards Hill Rd.
2. 4WD approach from the S via Leonards Hill Rd (see the wind turbines and try for GC287CZ, Leonard's Power) and S into Post Office Track to the junction with Greaves Mill Tk [55S 247539 E, 5857028 S]. Park at the junction (550m to cache) or when you reach the deep bog (footbridge on L)
3. 4WD opposite Sailors Falls proceed on Shanahans Lane (maybe not in winter) into Manna Gum Rd. Just after you enter the forest proper, veer right and then follow tracks per your GPS. If you drop down to a deep bog (footbridge on L) don't proceed unless you have a real 4WD.
Some further information can be found on the Great Dividing Trail Assn website. This cache is our 3rd on the GDT and our 1st on its Lerderderg Track. We are gradually establishing on the Geocaching Australia web site, public caching routes (GA+GC) for the GDT but you need to login (free) to access these. Search term is GDT.
The cache is a 1L Sistema and doesn't need cover.
Hints
N ubyr va gur obyr, hc 1 zrger fubhyq terrg ln. |
|
Decode |
Logs
A winding track with lots of potholes but no water so we were able to get the car around the challenges and ended up parking quite close. A few meters into the bush and there Lady caughtatwork found the geocache in a location I has looked at but not checked. Doh! The cache is in perfect condition with no trace of water inside, dry as a bone. A well done and well hidden geocache indeed.
Took nothing, left nothing.
7 years without being found. A pity as this is a great cache and location for a days outing.
*Overall Experience: 3*
GAFF 1
I found a track that went in the general direction.
Another track tempted me to follow it and so I did.
I think I found the 'fun' way to the mill
Low range gearing came in useful on a particularly steep hill descent
Eventually I found me way to within 250 metres of GZ.
That was close enough and I set off on foot through the scrub.
A hundred metres later and I found the track and walking trail that led me the last metres to GZ
No cache !!
Time to break out the notes !!!
Oh it's an offset
About 15 minutes of wandering around trying to get the GPS to agree with the offsets happened.
Just before giving up the cache for lost I looked for the second time in a place that fitted the bill.
The cache was hidden there this time
TFTC and detour !!
Parked Geovehicle nearby and walked to GZ. This time the new GeoApp work just fine. Just as well we didn't need to collect any info from the information board as it seems to have run its race. Interesting how the forest has returned after the fire of 2009.
TNLN . . SL . . Thanks for the hunt kennythe1st.
I recall looking at the various cache types but I bet I never thought to check the wiki 
. I do apologise and I hope you didn't get wet as we did getting 'Around the Bend I Go' this afternoon.Thanks for bringing it to my attention
, KennyStarted to search for the cache, with no joy. Decided to read the notes. Got the end and found that despite how it's listed, this is an offset cache, not a traditional. So that was a waste of time.
I really wasn't prepared for a an offset so it took me a couple of goes to get the GPS to project the way point. Once I'd done that correctly I had no problems finding the cache.
This is really nice spot, and seeing all the regrowth is quite amazing. But the listing needs to be changed to a multi as a traditional cache is one where the cache is hidden at the co-ordinates.
Edit: Cache type changed, so I've redone the experience rating.
Thanks for bringing me here.
Well this was certainly an experience. Took me 3 tries just to find the perfect entrance to get to this cache.
In the end the 3rd attempt got me within about 300m before my path was broken by a tree across the trail.
I abandoned the car for the feet and progressed to WP1.
Amazing to think that the area may have once been full of activity, but was deserted today.
I calculated a WP and set off.
I looked for about 15min and was just about to give up.
The hint thru me a little, and with the amount of water around I thought it may have been flooded.
Lucky it was not the case and I came across the cache after back tracking.
Nice and dry it was and thanks for the pathtag!!
TFTC
In the cache is an FTF gift of GA FTF pathtag and GA car sticker. Of maybe greater 'value' than normal is a Tasmanian Black Sassafras single stem flower vase. I really like it but no longer use it, so hopefully it will find a more valued home or office.
