Not Minor Stuart Mill, Victoria, Australia
By strange quark1 on 25-Jan-13. Waypoint GC44XDN

we have spent a day or two around st arnaudwe have heard the name before:whispered as the pantheonbut never made the trip up to visitit was well worth the petrol moneywe made our own slant on it: only finding treasures offering a little rougher terrain than mostand ending up having a lovely time out and about in the forestwe spent the night at teddingtontaunted by the un-reach-able treasuresand set out afresh in the morning to find yet more cachesthanks for the treasureswe can clearly see why this area is so laudedthanks for your efforts for our game

Very nice views on a cloudy day.

A weekend camping trip out west, so why not a few caches while in the area.

A nice find here after a couple of years since last found.

Thanks for bringing us here by placing this cache, strange quark1
~~

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We’re all going to Rutherglen to participate in Victoria’s next Mega!
*Are you coming to join in the fun?*
[**THE**](https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC9MH9M)
[**RUTHERGLEN**](https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC9MH9M)
[**EVENT 2023**](https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC9MH9M)
6th - 10th April 2023 – GC9MH9M – Rutherglen – Victoria
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I am sure that I had already had a bit of a look at GZ only to have OHC follow me and make a quick find. Thanks for placing the cache for us to find.

OHC made this find in a location that I am sure Papi had just had a 'boys' look in. Thanks for bringing us here with this cache.

TFTC. We had just found the cache in the picnic area on Rostron Rd. We continued the trip in the geo-vehicle along Boundary Road. A total misnomer. Linda held on tight but the Suzi did a great job, Hans drove carefully . At GZ it was an easy find. Views looked great as well. Then the adventure to return to the main (good) roads. We elected to continue in the same direction we came and soon found better driving.

Welcome back from Covid. If there are issues with the cache after the length of time in situ please message me.

Due to a rise in Covid-19 I have made a conscious decision not to undertake cache maintenance as I feel that it doesn’t fit one of the reasons for being out during this pandemic. As I work in Melbourne in an emergency service but live regional I will not be putting myself or my community at risk.

I therefore am disabling all of my physical caches for the time being. The caches them self will be left in situ.

I won’t be deleting logs or anything like that and I intend to enable them again once I feel that my safety or that of my community won’t be put at risk.

I apologise for the inconvenience.

Tftc nice drive from dunolly thanks for the history

Found during a trip to St Arnaud to attend the 2019 Victorian Mega event. The weekend was spent primarily with e.gregory1, FeatherWaite, Freddo, and gridge98 as we geocached around the vicinity of St Arnaud. All of the events and CITOs were attended, we completed the available adventure labs and lab caches available at the showgrounds, many of the creative trails were gasped at their construction, and interesting puzzles were solved and collected during the weekend.

We all left on Thursday in two separate cars, and met up at the evening event, before finding a camp spot for the night in a very CITO location. On Friday, we targeted the StARS (St Arnaud Ramble Series) and the higher quality, well-constructed geocaches that were famous here in St Arnaud, and got lucky with the 2019 published series that we managed to snag FTFs on. Sunday had us continuing to find the other sets of high-quality caches around the neighbouring town parks, the challenge series, before spending a few hours at geocaching HQ participating in the labs that had been published. The event was also great to see some of the South Australians honoured with geocaching life awards (in amongst everyone on the list). Our final day, Sunday, had us do a big loop finishing off our geocache collection, driving all the way out to Kooreh and around via Stuart Mill, walking the conservation park at Mount Gowar, and finishing off at the GIFF event. A massive weekend that turned out to be a great mega! Thanks to all those who organised the Mega and the associated events. The variety between the local high-quality caches, the new series placed by the mega team, and those who needed to be around for the labs and main centre fielding questions was appreciated immensely.

Today with our final day in St Arnaud, we went east and south focusing on some of the *Original Road* series, and the various geocaches that were placed along these routes. This cache was one of these found as we headed towards Stuart Mill, and back up to St Arnaud, via this detour deep into this park. The cache container and logbook were in good shape. Thanks strange quark1 for placing and maintaining this cache. The logbook was signed as DEFF98 (Davidwazza, e.gregory1, FeatherWaite, Freddo, and gridge98).

**# 26360** Found on a fine Mega Spring day while at St Arnaud for the Mega
with Rebel Acts and The Green Geckos.
Many cachers and muggles around today and mostly good safe hides.
Thanks for the cache strange quark1,
***Roostaman***

Found on the trails.

Twelve months ago as we finished the Parkville Mega we were advised by someone that the next Victorian Mega event would be held in Saint Arnold. Somebody else told us that the Mega event would be held in Saint Arnood. And then another said that Saint Arned was the Mega event venue. Who should I believe? Struggling to understand the English language at the best of time. Freddo speaks two languages, Australian and Bad English.
Move forward a year. There is a cluster of events, including a MEGA event, at this town called St Arnaud burning a hole in my GPSr. The big white Pay Hero is loaded with GPSr, TOTT and camping gear and we headed east with a collaboration of like minded South Australian colleagues. DavidWazza, e.gregory1, Featherwaite, freddo and Gridge98 make team DEFF98.
Thursday: 5am event at a bakery in North Adelaide. The bed wetter team meets and says that this is way too early. Travel 500km east for the Thursday evening event. Freddo gets a prize. I am no mug. Camping in the bush under the stars.
Friday: Up early and headed out on the trails. And then back to our campground for a CITO! I am sure we did not make that much mess last night. More trails and 200 caches find for the day including a cluster of caches where freddo left DNA. More bush camping after a great meal in the Sporting Club.
Saturday: Up early for an event. Who puts an event on at 8am. Damn South Australians that’s who. After the event it was back on the trails and the Pay Hero is getting dustier and dustier. Found some awesome caches. Freddo the metallurgist was very impressed with the welding. Quality fabrication. And then another CITO. This time at the dump. Plenty of rubbish here. Some of it good stuff. Can I take some home? And finally a giant queue for a free meal. Nothing attracts a crowd like a free meal. The moment of the evening was receiving a Hall of Fame nomination. That prize is going straight to the pool room.
Sunday: Another night camping in the bush. Some fabulous night caches walks were undertaken. Night caching is a special form of entertainment. We spent the day cruising around picking up the left over unfound caches and meeting heaps of new friends. Boycotted the GIFF event since it did not show the freddo film “Cache Confusion” https://vimeo.com/372568752. One minute and forty four seconds of your life you won’t get back. A quick speech and it was back on the road for home. Well Horsham. More camping. This time by a river.
Monday: Caches around Horsham and following the Duke’s Highway back to Adelaide. Time for a shower for this smelly geocacher. An exhausted chocolate frog slept well.

We came, we cached, we ate, we slept; repeat for five days of fun and dust.


Easter 2020 sees South Australia hosting the next Easter big MEGA event, GeoVenture 2020 at Millicent. GC82DAN. Check it out. We would love to see you there.

Found during a trip to St Arnaud to attend the Mega event.

FeatherWaite, gridge98 and I left Adelaide on the Thursday, taking a circuitous, but scenic route to St Arnaud to pick up a few caches in some other Victorian LGAs. We met up with Freddo and Davidwazza at the event that evening and teamed up to complete a couple more caches that night together before camping out of town.

Over the next three days we cached very solidly in and around St Arnaud, finding a diverse range of Traditional, Multi, Unknown, Virtual, Letterbox, Wherigo and Earthcaches as well as attending all the events associated with the Mega. We also managed to complete all the Lab caches over the weekend. Logbooks were signed D.E.F.F.98 (Davidwazza, e.gregory1, FeatherWaite, Freddo and gridge98).

On the Sunday afternoon, after the final GIFF event, FeatherWaite and I began making our way back to Adelaide, picking up a couple of caches before camping in the Little Desert NP. The following day we continued towards home with a side visit to Mount Rescue to pick up a few caches along the tracks there.

Thanks to all the cache owners for placing and maintaining the caches. They included a huge variety of containers, hides and puzzles, many of which were very clever and/or amusing and had obviously taken considerable time and effort to construct. Thanks also to all those who organised the Mega and the associated events. I’ll be looking forward to the Mega at Millicent in South Australia next Easter!

Found as part of our trip to the St Arnaud Mega event. On Day 1, e.gregory1, gridge98 and I left Adelaide on the Thursday morning, straight after the Earlybirds event in North Adelaide. We travelled a long and circuitous route via Bordertown, Nhil and Warracknabeal to find caches in 5 additional Victorian LGAs that I had yet to visit (namely Buloke, Loddon, [Greater Bendigo - I’d previously visited], Mt Alexander, Hepburn and Central Goldfields). On Days 2-4 we met up with Freddo and Davidwazza. As a group we systematically completed each of the many series around St Arnaud and found all other caches along the way, signing the logbooks as DEFF98 (Davidwazza, e.gregory1, Freddo, Featherwaite and gridge98), as well as attending the events and completing the Lab caches. After the Mega, e.gregory1 and I headed back to Adelaide camping out in Little Desert NP overnight. On Day 5 we had intended picking up caches around Mundulla and Mount Monster but a last minute change of plans saw us head into Ngarkat CP instead, for a solid drive and a few extra rewarding cache finds. Many thanks to all the cache owners for placing the huge variety of caches around St Arnaud and to all those who organised the Mega and the fantastic weekend away. Thanks for the cache strange quark1!

Found staying in St Arnaud for a week to attend the Mega Event, had a great time finding some quality caches around the area, this was one of them. I teamed up with My good Mate Rosstaman and Green Gecko from Brisbane. We only had a few left in a 30km circle so we headed out of town for a bit of fun in the bush. We tracked down the DGS camp and said a quick hello while we were there.


Thanks strange quark1 for the cache.

We detoured down south to finish off the last few caches down here, cache was found all in good order

What a big trip this was! I headed over to St Arnaud for the 2019 Victorian mega with e.gregory1, Davidwazza, Featherwaite and Freddo for the long weekend.
The weekend was filled with a lot of finds ranging in puzzles, a few events and some very well constructed hides around the area.

Day 1: I headed over with e.gregory1 and featherwaite, with the aim to collect some unfound LGAs for the guys, with only a 500km drive to the mega from home we added an extra 450km to the trip by going over to Bendigo and further south exploring some regional towns, overall we added an extra 6 LGAs with only 18 finds for the day. Was great to see some of the interesting little towns and what they had to offer for future visits.

Day 2: As a group we hit the trails in St Arnaud as a group signing the logbooks as DEFF98 (Davidwazza, e.gregory1, Freddo, featherwaite and gridge98) to save a lot of room in the logbook. We started off with the geoart Stars and thought it would take most of the day, as we finished it in 2.5 hours we were a bit surprised so hit the well constructed caches in the south of the town in the bush throwing a CITO in the mix. All the caches were amazing and something you don’t see anywhere else. Adding in 15 FTFs along the way with: everlasting, crank1 and Pwola. The evening settled in and we headed into town for a buffet dinner and a catch up with some familiar faces.

Day 3:
After attending the GV2020 event for the morning we set off to hit the last of the trails left in town of the metal containers, followed by the challenges for the mega as well as quite a few trads around the back roads. We ended the day by having a go at the lab caches at the mega then off to the CITO. I don't think I have ever seen so mant people at a tip before. Topped off the day with an evening event.

Day 4: By today the town was almost cleaned out and only a few caches to find, so we did the last few caches within a rough 15km radius driving around finding the odd cache here and there. The GIFF was finished off the mega so we decided to head to Horsham for the evening.

Day 5: After leaving our camp site for the morning, we cached for the morning around Horsham collecting a few grads and a well earned swim. Then made the long drive back home to Adelaide.

Thanks to all the COs for their cache placements and the Geocaching Victoria crew for organising a fantastic weekend away.

Well the weekend is here and the hoards of cachers have been turning up all week and it is now the Mega weekend so that means lab caches, signal the frog, more events and catching up with friends and making some new ones.
After helping out at the Mega site in the morning it was time to find a few caches that I ran out of time to find when I was here in March so I hit the tracks again and off I went.
The Geocruiser loved the tracks around here and especially the one that I took to get to this cache.
A nice view from up and shame about the plaque and another Major Mitchell cache found.
I must admit I checked a few spots before I found this one.

Thanks strange quark1 TFTC.

On a cache finding expedition on these lovely rocky roads with my newly appointed navigator poiter.h and yet amazingly we ended up being where we should be again, really enjoying this area eventually found signed and replaced...TFTC

Out and about finding caches whilst at the mega this is one of the caches I found with Kashbound.
Scrat visited your cache whilst on his Great Aussie Adventure.
TFTC

Caching in the area we picked up a few caches and this was one of them.

Enjoyed the drive to this one, cache and contents were in good condition and adding to our favourites.

Thanks for placing and maintaining this cache for our enjoyment.

Great drive.
TFTC

This was in our bucket list for today... Mrs Riddell is walking with a Bushwalking group in 5 day increments from Boundary Bend on the Murray River to Portland in the footsteps of Major Mitchell. So it was a must do. Our next walk will be from the Railston Picnic area towards the Grampians.
We can see the Grampians, as could MM! Can also see the wind turbines down that way too.

We are here just before sundown and the views are great. The distant sound of birds are the only noises around and it’s awesome.
TFTC once again, and a-shame about that dam plaque.

Found at 11:18 AM GAFF1.

Thanks strange quark1

A planned four-day caching trip to Ballarat and then up to St Arnaud to change some more green boxes into smiley faces.
A couple of Events are included but the main idea was to do and finish off any trails that are up this way that I have not completed. This will give me a clear start when I arrive for the St Arnaud Mega in November 2019.
The first day could not have been much worse to travel with a caravan behind into a head wind and the temperature hovering around the 44° mark. The White Beast breathed a sigh of relief when I finally arrived at the caravan park.
After partially setting up I thought a cold beer or two was more important as the main thing was water, power and the rest could be done when it was a little cooler. OK I forgot to set up the hot water but then just turning on the cold tap you got all the hot water you wanted.
I was surprised at the number of caching teams that were here or arrived after me.
The BBQ facilities which are first class in the park was well utilised all weekend and only a few metres away from the van.
A big thanks to all the caching teams that have placed caches in this area for us to find as after four days I have a lot to log.
I have been in an area without internet coverage so finally finishing off logging the last days caching in St Arnaud.
Thanks strange quark1 for showing me this location that I was glad that I had a higher clearance vehicle but the view was certainly worth the drive in to get up here.

Sitting at my computer during these Covid lockdowns, I am trying to catch up on a few logs that I haven't sent in yet.

Over the years, geocaching has taken me on many adventures, including interesting destinations all over my home continent of Australia and many overseas as well. It has also introduced me to a diverse group of like-minded caching tragics, many of whom I now call close friends.

Today, I was lucky enough to be out and about searching for caches, something I do on almost a daily basis. This was one cache that was targeted and found.

Sorry for the late log, something I am notorious for. Thank you for adding to the adventure that is geocaching.

Thanks strange quark1 (F=2686 H=69) for the cache.

Found it with the Warrens

TFTC found with DaleyEvents

An interesting little drive up to this vantage point.
What a pity the plaque was nicked though.
Thanks for showing me this spot strange quark1

I do love my AFL but not too fussed about a WCE V Pies GF so it was off caching for the arvo in my new 4x4.
A fun day with GemmaSistema exploring around Kara Kara National Park and Stuart Mill area. TFTC

Dang - the plaque has been pinched!

Today becca85 and I left the husbands and kids in Maryborough watching the Grand Final and headed out to nab a few caches. We've just about cleared out this area but all the harder to reach ones around Stuart Mill were still on the list to find. We had a great afternoon caching and 4wding in Bec's new car to get some of the tougher ones. All nice easy finds with amazing history and magnificent views. Many thanks for the cache.

Tftc
On this day in 1978, Swedish performer Bruce Norgan released his only single "It's the one". He toured briefly with ABBA but failed to attract a following of his own. His career high light was the B-Side "I'll be in Copenhagen for Christmas"was on high rotation in December that year on Swedish Radio, desite its references to Nazi war crimes.

Now this was a little bit tricky to get up to in the low two wheel drive vehicle. Having said that, I’ve done worse and front wheel drive is a godsend on these types of tracks. Looked out over the amazing landscape of forest meeting fields,that has turned green after the recent rain in the district. A cheeky little wallaby was keeping an eye on us from a sensible distance. The GPS was bouncing back and forth up here so we looked in quite a few places before finally getting our hands on the container. Log signed and returned to its hiding place and back over the other side of the hill to home. TFTC

16:58
After setting up camp in the revitalised caravan park, in readiness for an Eventful weekend in St Arnaud, there was time to seek out some of the trads, puzzles and multis dotted across our geo map.
This was our last major stop of the afternoon, the hint certainly put us in the right place.
Last for the day and off to the 'Friday Night Picnic Tea in the Park #3'

Thanks strange quark1 for placing caches for everyone's enjoyment.
20095

Found while out and about with a family reunion out this side of town. The dear wife asked me to head into town to grab a few supplies and l made the most of some free time away from the extended family and grabbed a few caches. It was starting to get dark now and l was keen to grab this one as l don't get much opportunity to detour too far from the main road while under the usual travel time restraints. The road in to the gz was a little rough and l had to remove one or two larger branches in the way but otherwise it was a case of slow and steady wins the race. The cache was soon located and logged, thanks again strange quark1 for the hide and history behind this location.

Nice spot.

In the region in preparation for an event, but of course you must cache your way there. So brisal5, Anymules and I found about 30 'on the way'
Thanks

Staying at Redbanks overnight with Anymules and Mogni to attend the 3 months till the Surf Coast event in St Arnaud. Up early we have all morning to cache our way to the event. In preparation we had solved 25 nearby puzzles so they were on our 'must do' list. A day of caching with me usually involves blood spilled, a fall and/or ripped clothing. I wonder which order they will be in today? Not to mention lots of laughs and adventures.
What a shame the plaque was missing. Spectacular view those...pity about all the tree in the way. Just have to find a cache instead. Thanks strange quark1. Do we continue on or go back the way we came. [?]

Was a bumpy ride in, but a lovely view from GZ. TFTC. 20/08/2016, 9:40 AM Find #2625

Heading home from Mildura yesterday caching all the way, we only seemed to get as far as St. Arnaud ! Not surprising really as we did manage to sign 23 logs for the day while visiting different places off the main drag. We stayed o/n in one of the local motels and enjoyed a meal at the pub before resting up for another day of highway caching, with maybe 1 or 2 diversions
Not Minor but definitely a Major beautiful location up here that we accessed in the Triton without any worries today. Its annoying to see the plaque gone as other people who don't have the knowledge from a cache page might not know where to stop.
Thanks strange quark1 for the placement in this historical place.

Thanks for bringing us up here. The view is fantastic. We wonder what Major Mitchell though when he saw the expanse of this area from this viewpoint. The cache is in good condition and the co-ords are spot on. It is a pity that more people are not a little more adventurous to head up here, the road up here is not bad at all, that is a for a 4WD. SL TFTC

It's taking us a good five hours to drive home, a journey which should really take about an hour and a bit. But who wants to go the old boring highway when there's places like this to detour by. The track was quite rough in places but fully achievable for the Geo-Ute, and well worth the bouncing of all the pots and pans in the back of the camper to get up here for this magnificent view. It was really interesting to read Major Mitchell's description of the area while we were up here - thank you for providing that in your cache page, rather than just Mitch Woz Here. And thanks for the cache too.

Quick little find TFTC

I drove up as close as I could before walking the last few hundred metres to get to GZ. Found it after about a minute of searching, TFTC

Nice little hide with a great view tftc

Find No. 889. Found at 3.30pm

Went for an Easter Monday drive out through the bush, in the ute, with geodog Penny on board, and decided we'd put a purpose into the drive and add a challenge to locate some of strange quark1 caches.
This was 3 of 4.

Our pleasant drive all of a sudden required more concentration and more skill in driving up to this one in our little ute, but as always we enjoy a challenge and we made it.

Located the cache hide and enjoyed the views along with geodog Penny who loved roaming around the area.

Took toy green tree. Left cow.

TFTC strange quark1

Nice night for 4 wheel driving with a mate and partner nice find

Took army man. Left nothing
Awesome rugged track in

TFTC strange quark

bit of night caching. rugged track much !! found this one with xo FrOgGeR ox and wildnic26.
very glad xo FrOgGeR ox is good at 4wding tftc tnln

A little unlove there, that's for sure. But that's for someone else to claim.

The track up from the Rostron Road has certainly become a bit rougher over the past year or so, and a fire has gone through here too. However, the good news is all us well with the cache. Nice and dry and looking for some love!

Ready to rock and roll.

What a view! Thanks strange quark1!

Enjoyable drive, found on sunset. Thanks

Nice easy find thanks

The road to this little cache was actually signposted as I drove around the forest today
Er !! Did I call it a road ?
Ok !! The rough and bumpy track to this little cache was actually signposted as I drove around the forest today

And at GZ !!

What a great view [^]

Pity about the moron stealing the plaque, but Karma will get 'em !! [^]

TFTC and the views !!

Find #571

Out on the bike again hitting a local cache. this spot has a good outlook over to the Grampians.

and interesting hide that had me for a couple of minutes.

TFTC

This entry was edited by FUF009 on Friday, 01 February 2013 at 12:00:48 UTC.

This was the sixth find for today on a caching excursion to St Arnaud with one half of The Old Blokes team. Its such a shame that some people think its okay to pilfer such historical markers as these...what on earth do they do with them? I hope that they don't just end up smashed in a bin somewhere! Anyway, we proceeded to search the area and our GPS signals were sending us all over the place. Brian eventually called me over to a tree and let me grab the cache from its cleverly hidden hidey hole. He sure has keen eyes for caching! I would never have found it, that's for sure!

Signed Log, Took nothing, left butterfly charm and buttons. TFTC

Found with nibby8 good hide , took army man left angry birds. Tftc!!

very tricky hide this one, well done strange quark1, found with geoclawz84 in his navara which tackled the hill with ease, TNLN, TFTC

I'm going to give this hide a favourite point for the simple but very effective manner in which it is hidden.
Well done Mr.Quark.

Found by Roma and Max.
As you suggested our vehicle had no problems on the approach to this GZ.
We parked next to the boulder that once housed a plaque, and we would be interested to know what it represented, before removal either by fair or foul reasons!
Another well hidden container.
This journey today also gave us an opportunity to try Oziexplorer Android version on our phone and we were very pleased with its performance.
Thanks again strange quark1,
from Romax.

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