A Good Start for the Day! Home Hill, Queensland, Australia
By HDSpringer on 15-May-09. Waypoint GC1RC1K

I had solved this cache a looong time ago, but never had time to stop here. Thankfully the container is still there and the hint still valid, allowing a quick find once approaching from the right angle.

It has been quite some time since I explored the general Burdekin region. Numerous years ago we stayed in town overnight, did a dive at the SS Yongala and enjoyed the little town a little more before continuing further. Since that time we usually only rushed through to leave as much bitumen behind us as possible with the aim of exploring locations down south. Also a few more wet visits at the Yongala followed, but all of those were made via liveaboars.
But not this time. This time I specifically took the time to enjoy the area. Well, and what better to do than searching for all these great new caches that have fairly recently been added to the map. Thank you very much HDSpringer that you have created this cache and showed me the area! Much appreciated.

After reading the logs it was clear that this cache was left in place when the cache was archived. The cache is in good condition

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This cache was found as part of a trip with GoosenEgg and Stainless Steel Rat to Far North Queensland for the Townsville Mega. The trip started in Cairns and ended in Mackay, and allowed us to find some ripper caches inbetween.
We managed to complete some of the Breaking Bad cache series until we driven back to the car due to the heat, and the Saint and most of the book series. There were some good variety in both these series which kept them interesting.
One of the highlights (although a low light when removing the mud) was the walk on the salt flats outside Townsville to get the challenge caches
Another highlight was Magnetic island, where other than some great views, we managed to spot two koala's in the wild.
Thank you for placing and maintaining this cache that was part of our trip

Another archived cache we assumed was still in place so we stopped for a look on our way south to Mackay.
Thanks HDSpringer

A ten day mega trip was arranged with Stainless steel rat and Budgietas. We flew into Cairns and out of Mackay, with the majority of the time in and around Townsville. We found a huge variety of caches and although our find count was a little lower than we would have liked, some of the high D/T caches more than made up for that. I really appreciate the effort of the local COs and all the people involved in hosting the mega and associated activities. I enjoyed catching up with many of our caching buddies, and make some new ones too!
Thanks for a great mega trip!

The last full day of caching for us today as we collect some last caches in Townsville and then head South to Mackay for our flight home to Tassie in the early morning. we grabbed what we could but there is never enough time.

This was my first Mega trip in a while now, I had planned to go to the last one in Wangaratta but concerns about COVID made me pull out at the last minute. For this one it was a trip with BudgieTas and GooseandEgg landing in Cairns on the Sunday where we collected a few caches in the dark before driving down to Townsville on the Monday collecting a select few caches along our very indirect route.
While in the Townsville we made the best of our time collecting a few series of caches and searching for some of the older caches on offer, some with lots of favourite points or something we thought maybe a bit different, along with all that we got to go to all the Mega events and meet up with cachers old and new, spending Thursday with Greg going round Magnetic Island and a bit of time with the Davinells who went out of their way to welcome the Tasmanians to Queensland.
All to soon it came to an end and we drove down to Mackay on the Monday again collecting caches along the way before flying home on the Tuesday Morning.
Thanks for the warm (sometimes too hot) welcome Queensland until next time!

Thanks for the cache.

Found on 18/04/2022 at 10:29:00 thanks to HDSpringer for placing this cache for me to find.

The best caches I have found so far are:-

Sentimental [Moorgreen P3:1, Penny Pincher](http://coord.info/GC32Z5B) By [Sven&Cup](http://www.geocaching.com/profile/?A=6596795)
Traditional [Hanging Around in Toorak](http://coord.info/GC62KAP) By [bobthebuilder_123](http://www.geocaching.com/profile/?A=586681)
Multi [Gawler Fort Knox](https://coord.info/GC5T0W1) By [**JEM**](http://www.geocaching.com/profile/?A=11449141)
Unknown [Men In Black Holes](http://coord.info/GC1DVB0) By [SG-3](http://www.geocaching.com/profile/?A=918045)
Letterbox [Rolf's Letterbox](http://coord.info/GC5NCYM) By [membsec](http://www.geocaching.com/profile/?A=5318842)
Earthcache [Totem Pole](https://coord.info/GC862H8) By [The Hancock Clan](http://www.geocaching.com/profile/?A=263428)

Visit the [Geocaching Tasmania Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/318455407771/)

Heading north on a pilgrimage to the Townsville Mega, stopping along the way to stretch the legs and find any interesting caches.

After solving a while ago, I wanted to grab this one even though it's been at gives. Able to report cache still in place and plenty of room on log.

Find #12288 @ 13:30
Thanks HDSpringer for giving us a reason to visit.

.........@__.
/|____Y_/__________|\
\\_______/_TGQNRV_/
-^~-~~-~-^~~--~-~~^~

Unable to maintain.

23/12/21 Heading to Townsville for a cache holiday TFTC SL

Solved puzzled then found cache it was a team effort. TFC

We r new to geocaching and have no idea how to solve the puzzle can somebody please help us?

Another puzzle that was solved before I left home on my adventure north. As I was passing close by GZ, I made a quick detour to find the cache. Log signed, cache returned to its spot and I was on my way again. TFTC

Found on our lunch break on today’s leg of the journey. We’d had our picnic in the shade at the lovely comfort stop and used the facilities. I love that this place is provided for weary travellers like us. I’d solved the puzzle in the car on the way here, thanks to the help of a dropped hint or two in the info . And as luck would have it there was no one around at GZ when we were there, which made for a nice quick find. Thanks for putting Home Hill on the map with this clever cache.

It’s always good to find the cache after having gone to all the trouble of solving the puzzle. The GPS took us to he area we needed to be in, and the hint was spot on

Once more we are on the road today continuing our journey north. Today we are leaving Bowen and making our way towards Townsville, stopping as we are able to grab any accessible caches that pop up on our way.
Thanks go to all the local, and the few not so local, CO’S for placing the caches for us to find. Without you we would have no pursuit to take part in. We appreciate your efforts, and thank you for your time.
TFTC

Found as I meander my way from Adelaide to Cairns.

With no real travel plan and three weeks to get there before I meet up with friends, there has been plenty of opportunity for sightseeing and finding a few selected caches along the way.

The puzzle was one of many solved prior to leaving home in preparation for my trip. Although my itinerary when I travel is generally very fluid, I do like to have a menu of pre-solved puzzles that I can target along the way.

The hint proved very helpful and this was a quick find.

Thanks HDSpringer for the puzzle and the cache.

Great idea and great hide! Favourite point from us! TFTC

Had my oat bran flakes for breakfast and sat down to solve the puzzle. Then I headed off to find the cache. Upon arriving at GZ I had a feeling that I had been there before. I vaguely remembered solving this one a few years ago and being unable to find the cache due to the presence of muggles. No problems this, quickly found, signed and returned to its hide. Tftc

A clever puzzle. Loved it because I could actually solve it. Not highly technical nor some obtuse code or cipher, but creative and unique.
It was in fact a great way to finish the day for me as Pa decided to park up near here for the evening. Surprisingly it was not noisy but we were lucky to get a spot. A lovely little town with incredible amenities for the travellers. TFTMC SL FP HDSpringer

TFTC
Was a bit tricky but we sat down and thought about it for awhile. Bingo got it

Found with a bit of help from a friend. Clever little hide.

Inevitably on a long trip when many geocaches are being found, some get missed. Unfortunately, at the time, this was one of them. So, although out of chronological order, I am logging them today for simplicity. So my apologies for the generic log and the out of date sequence.

Our trip commenced on Friday November 28th and concluded on Tuesday December 22nd. During that time, we visited caches in Maryborough, Childers, Rockhampton, Yeppoon, Sarina, Mackay, Bowen, Townsville and Cairns, with other places in between like Proserpine, Home Hill, Ayr, Ingham to name just a few, with many wonderful single stop caches along the way.

Our party consisted of myself, hatzofff, grannysmith1947, and on occasion, youngoldfella.

Log signed and cache replaced as found. TFTC, HDSpringer.

TFTC smile 8090 out and about with Hatzoff RoddyC Snickersallan youngoldfella and miss Millie geo dog having a great time day 10 on our way to Townsville forgot to log this one

Thank you, HDSpringer, for placing this cache for our enjoyment.

Day ten of my road trip heading to Townsville with geo friends, grannysmith1947, hatzofff, RoddyC and youngoldfella.
Great hint for a great hide, thanks CO.

TFTC HDSpringer
Found December 6, 2020

Day 10 of our northern adventures with RoddyC, Snickersallan, YOF & GrannySmith 1947 caching on our way north of Bowen travelling to Townsville.

My wheel chair may have got me to it but I would not have been able to access it from the chair.


TFTC HDSpringer

Out and about with RoddyC, Snickersallan, Grannysmith1947 & Hatzofff. Many thanks for placing this one for my enjoyment. It is a very good start to the day indeed. TFTC HDSpringer

Good hide.

Tftc, this cache is a good start to our day too. Nice hide, caching with lizandbruce today

Got it with Team JLBL while exploring this nice town. Thanks and fav point

Had a little trouble solving the puzzle... light came while starring at my cornflakes this morning. Had a good search around the coordinates and finally found it! TFTC and nice puzzle!

A short stop over in Home hill with a visit to Ayr for some caching. Both are nice little towns with plenty to offer the passing through trade.


9757
TFTC HDSpringer

Having spent the night in bowen, we packed up early to do the walk to horseshoe bay and then mosey on north.
Enroute i noticed this puzzle and quickly nutted out a likely solution.
Arriving near gz, we stopped to make some brekky and coffee and this puzzle seemed so appropriate, i had to go over and make the find.
Thanks for creating this puzzle over ten years back and keeping it alive for us all to enjoy.
Found at ten am.

I am on a solo road trip from Brisbane to Townsville to deliver a newly car purchased car for my hard working niece - her first car!

After a big drive as far as Mackay yesterday, my plan today was to take the whole day to drive to Townsville, collecting some interesting cache, especially puzzles, virtual caches and earth caches along the way.

In the Home Hill straight now. Not far to go, but still enough time to stop here, dodge the grey nomads and make the find.

A picture perfect NQ day! Many thanks HDSpringer

Pete

#5,762

Found it. TFTC!

Not often that I can solve a ? Cache without some guidance but this bad boy was solved on the spot whilst greyfire326 searched for rocks to cut at the nearby shop.

Awesome TFTC

I don’t remember when I solved this cache. But it would have been a few years ago. Today we stopped for a leg stretch and soon enough I made the find

Thanks for the cache

Cheers

I have previously tried to find this one by guessing the location but this visit to the Area i had solved fir the coordinates. Cache was soon located sbs signed. TFTC HDSpringer

Great to find this with a friend after searching a few years ago with my family (DNF). Was more careful with the puzzle this time and led us straight to it. Left a sheet of paper for the new log as there was not one in there. TFTC

Well we had another sort of good start to the day with a FTF but it was nice to try this as had been muggled out on a previous trip.
We had a look at where the GPSr was pointing and realised we must have fat fingered the corrected coords so looked to see if we kept solved noted but nothing. It was then we looked at the puzzle again and realised how to solve so picked up our mistakes. It was then off to GZ not too far away to make the find with use of the hint.
We completed the signing duties and re hid. TFTC.

Found by Mary and David at 12:00. Managed to solve this one last night in preparation for today's drive. We were impressed by the facilities for travellers here. A train passed by while we were searching, which added authenticity. Took us a couple of minutes to zero in on the hide. Needs a new log. Our thanks to HDSpringer.

Found with a little thinking but TFTC

TFTC, no pen so took photo

We don't normally do puzzles as usually we have no idea where to start. Being International Geoching Day we needed a cache and this was the closest one. After looking at what coordinates should be we transposed a couple and then reread the description. We had a light bulb moment which actually turned out to be right. So while Muggles were still locked away in their sleeping accommodation off we went and after a few minutes we easily found the cache and a very fast moving freight train. TFTC

Puzzle wasn't too tricky. The site is a good spot to sit and soak up the afternoon sun. Just had to wait for the Spirit of Queensland to roll past.
TFTC!

TFTC!

Solved the puzzle easily and set off to grab the cache. Fortunately it was a Sunday and not very busy, so I was able to get the business done with no hassles.

On our travels from A (our home in south west of WA) to B grabbing a few caches along the way

This one was solved by a friend prior to us leaving on our trip

TFTC

A good start to any day!! ANd our first cache for the day.

TFTC

A good start to the day was had and the cache was found. Great little hide. Tftc

This was indeed a good start to the day.
Quick find after reading the hint.

TFTC

Thanx 4DÇ
This was my first mystery cache cheers was fun

With Fangsoki and Crew153 in the mighty Canyonero, we hit the outback in search of the oldest and finest Queensland has to offer. 6000+ kms in 8 days - an epic journey. Day six and we are here. OK, so I struggled initially to turn the brain on for this one, and my travel buddies were sniggering at me. My days start with coffee (and often finish with it), and maybe I needed a second one before enough brain cells snapped into place to solve this.

And then there is the location - suitable, sure, but busy ... far busier than we were expecting, surprisingly busy .... but thankfully actual cache hide is safely out of the way. All good here for this day.
Thanks HDSpringer for entertaining me at this location.

When Fangsoki and Pprime (P') mentioned about a road trip to get the old caches in outback Queensland I jumped at the chance to see some of our great country. The 8 day tour covered some 6,000km and a day on a boat in the Whitsundays. I wouldn't have missed the adventure for the world.

Fangsoki had previously solved the puzzle but he gave Prime and I the chance to solve it while we were on the road.

We were surprised by the number of grey nomads parked on the side of the road but we did find a gap to park the Canyonero and all headed to the search area. We all started to search on one side of the structure and it wasn't until me moved to the other side that we spotted the obvious hiding spot.


TFTC HDSpringer

Pprime, Crew 153, and I were heading eastwards and we decided to drop in on this cache.

I had solved it about a month earlier as it transpired - as I was possibly expecting to be driving from Proserpine to Townsville for work. Didn't happen.

With the puzzle already solved, we made our way to our GZ. Not in the first area we looked. But it was "around the other side". We signed the log and re-hid the cache as found. A good little puzzle and a great excuse to stop. TFTC HDSpringer

Good hide choo choo TFTC

Love these puzzle caches. Took a bit of thinking but doubted our puzzle solving skills when we got one of the numbers wrong and ended up in the cane fields

TFTC. We were sitting around at Lake Elphinstone a few days ago. Knowing that we were coming through Home Hill, we quickly solved the puzzle. At GZ today we managed to stay away from the nearby parked RVs to locate a well concealed cache. First cache in a few days and we were suffering withdrawals.

Continuing north on our trek north to Pt Douglas grabbing caches along the way. TFTC.

Good spot. Can understand warnings!

We enjoyed finding out a little more about the history of Home Hill.
Once we finally decoded the clues for the new location it got exciting.
With the help of our 4 year old Granddaughter we found the cache.
We also converted two travelling muggles who asked what we were doing.
They joined us and got very excited about the whole concept of Geocaching.
A special thank you to HDSpringer for planting all these caches and making our journey here fun.

Finally! Took two tries. On our first try we attracted some attention. Thanks for the cache!

TFTC

Took a while, but was great! Thanks for the adventure!

For once burgo needed some help and I came up trumps.
TFTC

On a caching road trip with Team BlackPearl.
BlackPearl quickly had the puzzle and I quickly had the cache.
Healthy messages found at both.
TFTC

Today we headed south towards Mackay to find the caches that we had not done since our last visit and this was one of them. At GZ we made a quick find.

Thanks for placing and maintaining this cache for our enjoyment.

Found it! TFTC

TFTC

Quick grab by hubby as I was checking coordinates. TFTC cheers

Quick find seen cache before signed and replaced tftc

We are having an overnight stop Home Hill /Ayr to find a few of the local caches.
Yes it was a good start for the day when you find that 1st cache.
The final is a great location for many people.
Thanks for placing this cache HDSpringer

Nice one tftc

Very handy spot for travellers

I loved the puzzle finally something different but not so hard to figure it out... The hint helped a lot. TFTC!

Finally found it!! 2nd attempt. The first time There were too many people around so I didn't look too hard, Then at 2300hrs I was able to get a proper look as it turns out I could have searched there the first time. Thanks for the puzzle and the hide

Not where you would think took us two days! Pretty proud we nutted this out! Tftc

Its not where you think took us 2 trys tftc
darrlyns

[Blue]# 12541[/Blue] Found on our 2015 Winter escape trip to Qld.
Another perfect winter day for a drive from Townsville to Ayr.
A good puzzle and a good safehide at GZ.
Cheers from Wagga Wagga in the Riverina, NSW.
Thanks for the cache HDSpringer,
[Red]Roostaman[/Red].

Got you this time! I was right on it last time after i fixed the numbers, just had to look AROUND a little lol.

On a leisurely car trip to Mackay for work and decided to do a spot of caching along the way.

Solved this puzzle a long time ago and decided today was a good day to get the much needed face. Arrived at GZ and found the cache out in the open. Once finished with it, I returned it to what I presume would have been its hiding spot.

Log signed. The cache container and contents were found to be in excellent condition.

Finding this cache has now given me a total find count of 1380.

Thanks for the Cache hide HDSpringer

Tftc. Quick find

Stopped for lunch here on the way to Airlie, quick find by geomum, sl, ftc HD Springer

Together with Silli1310 we went on vacation for one year. After spending a quarter of a year in South America, we went on to New Zealand and then by bus up the east coast of Australia. In the morning we started in Bowen and planned our destination for today in Townsville. In order not only to drive, we put in every now and then a short stop to stretch our legs and of course also to look for a cache. There wasn't much going on in this sleepy little village, but there was a solved mystery, so we kind of had to stop. Thanks for the cache

On our [trip around the world](http://www.hoppundweg.piekar.de/) we came to Australia as well. We started in Tasmania, rented a campervan in Melbourne and went up the Eastcoast to Cairns. Then we drove all the way to the Red Centre. We finished in Darwin. We searched many caches and found almost every cache we searched for . Thanks to all the owners of these caches. Now, 2 years later, we recognized, we will never be able to log every cache seperately... So: Sorry for this standard logtext and thanks for one of the caches, which accompanied us on our journey.

This one had us for a while. We were looking in the wrong spot. As we were too lazy to work out coords after a long drive from rockhampton. But after some thinking we soon had cache in hand. TFTC

Found while we were on a quick pitstop back from Bowen. TFTC sl tnln

What a great little town to spend the night. Our first mystery in Australia, solved by Rooie while Reznik ate some very tasty cheese and dried sausage from the cheap and great supermarket at the other side of the highway.

TFTC from the Netherlands

Trip south this last day of my holidays.
Left Townsville early, came here while brekkie was on the table for some.
I had mine at the newsagent before pushing on.
Thanks for this cache
R

I was looking in the wrong place for ages because I wrote down the wrong coords before leaving home. I realised this once I decided to recheck. But I'd had enough by this stage, and my searching was only half arsed... So I'll get it on the way back hopefully.

Hi Found it nice hide. TFTC

It was a good start to the day finding this cache. TFTC

Solved this before we left Lismore. Found on our way fro lismore to Cairns

After a mistyped numeral had led us astray we finally arrived at the correct GZ and the impressive facilities. I guess the Grey Nomad thing is finally sinking in with councils? It a smart way to get people to stay the night and, hopefully, bring in some custom for the local businesses.

A wet day soon muggles to stop our search.

TNLN SL TFTC
14/06/2014 11:40 Find #2982

1:08:00 PM. After we had solved the other puzzle I had another look at this one and it didn't take long. As we were in the area for the other puzzle cache we made a quick grab. Wasn't where we had thought it was and gz made more sense. Thanks HDSpringer.

Found it completely by chance as we have barely no idea how to solve blue caches and had only half the coordinates. If anyone has tips on how to solve please email me at [email protected] Tia

A nice spot for travellers! TFTC

A realy good start for the day, we found this cache , thanks

I have heard of the mythical “Home Hill Grey Zone" from other cache logs [:o]
And late this morning I found meself at the centre of it all.
The long line of caravans staying overnight seemed to stretch to the horizon either side of the [blue]comfort station[/blue] [:o]
Even a tent was pitched on the patch of grass next to GZ.

The facilities are amazing though and even include a laundromat.
I'll bet the local pubs and other businesses do a roaring trade off this lot
It certainly is a unique arrangement, smack bang in the middle of towne !!

Despite the crowds I managed to track down GZ in a place that meant an easy cache find, even without the clues
Well I had read the clues, but forgotten them by the time I got to GZ and just decided that 'there' looked like a good spot to find a micro cache

TFTC

Last for the day and a quick find after solving the puzzle in the Laundromat nearby. Mr Beetle went and grabbed it while I waited for the laundry to finish. What a top facility - every town should have something like this. Thanks.

Found at 3:29 PM GAFF1. This puzzle had us bamboozled for a while and then we stumbled onto a word which fitted and then we realised it was there right in front of us all the time . Amateurs I can hear Dak yell out .
Drove past 20 or so vans parked for the night and saw the very good facilities for those overnight campers - this town really encourages tourists!
With excellent co-ords the cache was then quickly located.
Thanks HDSpringer.

An easy find after breakfast, Lots of smokers waiting.

Set up the caravan at the showgrounds and took a drive around Home Hill & Ayr.
Travelers bay was very full by 11am, but no one at GZ.
A quick find, signed and replaced.
Thanks for the hunt today, HDSpringer.