Five Years of Caching Springwood, New South Wales, Australia
By WaywardWoman, bikerbuddy, Garks and NickoHeap on 06-Jan-15. Waypoint GC5JTX9

Cache too wet too sign, great location

Owner maintenance required. Log is now a wet solid mass of woodchip. Tftc

Wshoeii

Nice to feel the temperature drop while descending into the valley. An easy find with a helpful hint, but the log is soaked unfortunately: left a marble. This is our 962nd cache. Beautiful place thank you

Continued down the track after finding #22 !! A E I O U !!
Wasn't too hard to find.

Awarding a favourite point for the location and the walk in.

TFTC

Lot of warer falling from the rocks due to recent rain but its there and undamaged thank you!

Wonderful placement near the end of the hike:) tftc

We started with the Fairy Dell track up to Perch ponds.Then we came back via Victory Track.
On the way we found 4 caches: Forbidden Fortress / The dancing men / Five years of caching / Butt crack.
Very nice walk especially in summer.

After a bit of climbing we found the cache.
TFTC

Tftc - easy find found with team trash you might need a stick to get it

Tftc found with Ashoeii

Was keen for another walk today, but my kids were reluctant and only my youngest volunteered to join me. Was going to target #22 !! A E I O U !!, but the track looked a little too rough for my young son, so we continued further down to find this anniversary cache. A nice spot to enjoy a spot of afternoon tea. TFTC.

Ha! I know that face in the photo! Thanks for the cache! An absolutely beautiful area to visit

Poor signal; no hint so put on hider hat to look for a logical place. Bingo!
What a great walk which I had done 10 years previously.

TFTC

Nice find yesterday while hiking in the mountains.

Nice quick find while out in the area. TFTC

Each visit im slowly chipping away at the caches here in the mountains,today I found myself here in Springwood down this beautiful trail,thats what I love about the mountains,after finding the nearby old school cache I continued down here to GZ,a really nice walk down and was surprised to see a few others down here on the trail during a week day.Once I arrived I spotted the likely hidey hole and was soon rewarded with the hide.
Great spot down here and a special 5yr anniversary hide,mine will be next year same as HQs 20th anniversary,its planning out to be a big one!
Thanks WaywardWoman for the cache

#4547:
As warned, I walked back and forth trying to work out where the compass was taking me. Eventually, after climbing up, I was able to spot a large crack holding the cache. TFTC.

I too hid a cache named "5 Years Of Geocaching" back in my hometown of Maldon in the UK.
___
24th cache found in New South Wales City Of Blue Mountains.

#4546:
As warned, I walked back and forth trying to work out where the compass was taking me. Eventually, after climbing up, I was able to spot a large crack holding the cache. TFTC.

I too hid a cache named "5 Years Of Geocaching" back in my hometown of Maldon in the UK.

Quick find while on a bush walk. TFTC.

Another day out with Geobrother (Forereach). Beautiful day for a bit of bush caching but got off to a pretty disastrous start - 2 DNF and a disabled. Found this one after a short search and ascended the steps again to move on to another cache.

Gotcha this time!! Spent a terrific day with my geobrother (dogwood53) picking up some previously unfound caches, a new multi and looked for some previous DNF’s such as this one. Was a bit of a mixed bag but ended with a flourish. TFTC

Late start to a beautiful afternoon of caching with brother (dogwood53). Pretty promising start with a few finds but deteriorated as the afternoon lengthened and darkness set in. Will have to return and claim this DNF. It just got too dark down in the rainforest. TFTC anyway

Found with Swampcreature. Tftc

Found while hiking with 1stConcordVL. I was surprised that the GPS was reasonably accurate here. Found it straight away.

Since I wanted to do this cache and reading the previous logs I thought I should bring a new more waterproof container(I hope!) and new log book.
Swap made it should all be fine now.

I guess I can log a found as I retrieved the container half full of water all contents destroyed by water and log book just a soggy mess.
The new container should fix all that!
Thanks for the cache and the exercise.

Carried out by the cache fairy for me- cache replaced- all good to go!

For my 300th find i decided to head up the mountains and check out a couple of caches in this area. It was !! A E I O U !! and this cache that i was most interested in. AEIOU because it is a point i can add to my list for tge NSW oldest caches challenge and this one for the unloved days.
As i was approaching the GZ i was worried that my GPSr would suffer from canyoning issues due to the high walls and tree cover but surprisingly i experienced no problems.
I had an idea of where to look for the cache even before i left the track and was able to head right to the hiding spot.
Unfortunately the cache is very wet and seems to have been for a long time. The logs are soaked and very mouldy. It’ll need to be replaced.
It would be great to see a Ten Years Of Caching cache appear in 2020. I’ll have to keep an eye out for it.
Thanks.
#301

Being under cover isn’t all that’s is required to keep things dry but the contents are rather damp and wet. Photo taken as I was unable to sign the log. Cheers for the hide

#5,463

With no power for the morning at home, I set off for a long walk. Once I got to Springwood, I decided I might as well walk down this track and find a cache. Lovely walk in, except for noting how quickly I was descending. Oh well, at least on the walk out I absolutely killed my stair goal for the day.

As this was an unplanned trip, I only had my phone with me. Part way down I realised that I had no reception, so I had to backtrack a bit until I was back in range, and quickly save the cache for offline use. Then I could continue on again.

At GZ I had a quick find. Unfortunately the cache container had a lot of water in it. Possibly because it was put back in sideways? Anyway, I poured out the water, decided not to touch the log as I didn't want to pick up some infection, and signed the post-it pad left by Marchaj. It was damp too, so will possibly be covered in mould as well soon.

Just got the container hidden away when a bushwalker came by. She was curious about what I was doing, but not particularly interested when I explained geocaching to her. But she was glad that I had found it, if it was important to me. We walked out together. It was nice to have someone to chat to. Once back at the road she headed back towards Faulconbridge by road & I headed home.

Thanks

See photo. Cache had water in it, log is covered in mould.

Should have realised this would be a tough slog down to cache then back up with limited time before we were due back for dinner. Had some nervous moments as track lead us in opposite direction to gz a couple of times which made us think we had taken wrong track. We were happy once on the valley floor and heading towards cache. Geokids searched for a few minutes before geodad spotted a possible hide and located cache. As previously reported log and contents wet and mouldy. Left a small post it note pad in a small zip lock bag for new entries. Lovely walk enjoyed by all. TFTC

In Springwood with JJCC today as the geoNephew applied for his L's. Afterwards we headed out to find some target caches for the day in order to fill in some requirements for a challenge cache series (USG) down in Canberra. This particular cache filled in a missing hidden date, so parking the car at the end of Sassafras Gully Road, we made our way down to GZ. After a quick search we had the cache in hand and after we both signed (scratched) the log, we replaced as found. The cache container is in good condition but the log is very damp, mouldy and in poor condition. Thanks for the cache WaywardWoman.

The following TBs came through for the mileage: Bob geoMinion, Dave geoMinion, Evil geoMinion, Jerry geoMinion, Larry geoMinion, Mary Hyde's Treasure, Stuart geoMinion, teamMerlin's 7 Deadly Ducks Tag (Lust) & Vanlith The Youngling.

TFTC!

We couldn't sign the log book as it was damaged, but still enjoyed finding. TFTC!

Today i took the geokids on the faulconbridge to springwood via sassafras gully walk. We visited several caches on the way. This was the only cache I hadn't previously found. As we got close i realised i only had the coordinates but no description or hint and no reception either. Fortunately the coords were spot on and the kids seem to have got some good cacher instincts because they immediately started searching the spots they would have used to make their own hide and had the cache in hand very quickly. Unfortunately the log was too wet to sign and I didnt have anything to replace it with. But thank you for the hide waywardwoman

Log needs replacing

Good spot for a cache. Nice walk down to gz. Next person down here, needs to bring new paper. Tftc

Tftc - tentatively we went down into the gully after hearing a dog barking further down. After duties were performed at GZ we turned back only to hear the barking again with deep growling near by.

A local who we met back at the top said a man buried his dog down there a long time ago and reports of a growling dog was not uncommon.

The cache is wet with the log destroyed, unable to sign (see attached)

Mr T was heading to Faulconbridge this morning so decided to head along the track to this cache. Log book was wet but managed to scrawl our name with a texta. Thanks for placing this cache WaywardWoman.

An easy find once at coordinates.
Beautiful walk on a sunny winters day.

Found this one easily enough today. The exact spot eluded me for a minute until I checked the hint. Oh, it's right there! Congrats on your now *six* years of caching! I recently celebrated my first year on 13 Dec and my parents did on Christmas. TFTC

Feeeling confident after finding 8 from 8 so far today we headed down the track at about 1630. The walk was longer than expected due to the zig zagging of the track. It started to get darker as we descended into the valley. Fortunately we carried torches just in case. As we got to about 130m from GZ our GPS lost reception. We estimated 130m and looked for a likely spot. Fortunately, we soon had CIH completing a day of no DNF's. GR8. TFTC

Good spot. Enjoyable walk down to it

Love the location. TFTC

Having (re)found a cache from 2002, completed a 2003 multi and a 2001 traditional over the course of the morning Gatherer Hade and I were getting a bit nostalgic and decided to celebrate WW & BB's too. Just as we reached GZ we were attacked by two wet dogs... funny. I thought we'd left the Two Dogs further up the hill...

The canines and their owner soon disappeared from view and for the first time this morning on a cache neither of us had found I managed to have CIH before Hade... he's quick off the blocks but luckily my slightly younger knees were more up to the task of retrieval!

I left Hade there while I went and checked out one of Roger's nearby GCA caches. Well worth a look about 250m further down the road. Check it out here. [http://geocaching.com.au/cache/ga1961](http://geocaching.com.au/cache/ga1961).

Triumphant we returned the way we came and on to some mystery cache fun.

#2955 (6 of 8 today) (Streak day 336)

After last weekend's CITO I had a chat with **Zalgariath** about a cache in the Blue Mountains that we both needed to grab. Arrangements were quickly made and today we headed up to grab it. We both grabbed one cache that the other had already found, but the rest were all new for both of us.

We found every cache we went for - including our target - and in the process I avenged a previous DNF.

Top day. Many thanks to **Zalgariath** for the company and the assistance - and the driving.
###END OF CUT AND PASTE SECTION###
Ah yes, the muggle walker and his uncollared dogs. Wet but friendly, we encountered them right near GZ. Greetings were exchanged and then waiting for him to leave before looking for our target.
Some great sights along the trail, and the hide area was no exception.

**Zalgariath** had reached GZ and made the find before I'd even worked out how I was hauling my body to the search area. Found a steep but easier way up than he took (well for me), and we completed signing duties.

Congrats on your milestone guys - now advanced by one more. I still have a way to go for 5 years - I only reach 3 years later this month.

SLTNLN
TFTC

When i first saw this cache, I thought that I'd wait until 5 years for my caching career, but I have become a bit impatient. 3 years is enough.
Thanks for the cache.

#422 found while doing the Victory Track with alnic39 in the afternoon. I slipped and twisted my knee while crossing a creek earlier on which slowed down our progress and didn't get the cache I wanted. When we got here Al offered to go up to get the cache took the TB signed the log and replaced. Thanks for the cache and congratulations on 5 years of caching

A callout invite from the Mr in Team Webguy to walk the Sassafras track was overwhelmingly inviting, particularly on such a spectacularly sunny mild Bluies day.

Down the track and an easy wander indeed through the dappled sunlight. At the GZ, Webguy had the cache quickly in hand, and signing duties done, it was on to further enjoy this grand old trail.

Thanks for the cache, Waywardwoman, and congratulations on the now past five-year milestone.

A quick and easy find as Ron and I started a circuit down Sassafrass and back up the Victory track. This is my first time down this track, but have come up it, which at the time was not so much fun, neither was the 2k roadbash back to the start of the victory track.

Today we moved at a leisurely pace that so that neither of us broke a sweat. Stunning day to be out, one of two caches I found for the whole day and am very happy about that in itself.

Grats on the 5 years, though it is more now.

I left a coin.

Had a blank day on the calendar which needed to be filled so decided to find a few unfound local caches.Enjoyed the walk in and arrived at the overhang and after a search in some likely spots soon had the cache in hand. Congratulations on your milestone. TFTC

Found with Jimmy and Joni. Great spot... Joni enjoyed climbing to get it. Congrats on your five years of caching and TFTC!

Grabbed this on a trip with the Macquarie (Uni) Photography Society...sat and rested under the cool shade of the rock for a while. TFTC.

Seeing as it was a very beautiful late summer's day, and since I had much more time on my hands than I expected -- and being already way down in the depths of the lower Blue Mountains on other business -- I decided to undertake a solo stroll down to this new 'memorial' cache.

Have accessed this well-known track a great many times and so knew what to expect. I only hoped that I wouldn't face too challenging a non-assisted 'scramble' in order to achieve the retrieval at the end.

As it was, I shouldn't have worried. Once you're 'up' in the relevant place -- kindly photographed by the CO -- then the grabbing of the container is straightforward.

Anyhow, during this lovely walk, my thoughts drifted back over my own geocaching career. (In fact, I had initially planned to make this very cache my 2000th GC find, but the plethora of new rogerw3 caches caused me to overshoot.)

Appropriately enough, in little more than three more weeks, on April 3rd, I'll mark my own 'Five Years of Geocaching' anniversary -- my very first GC find . . . although for some reason I actually joined GC nearly seven years ago. My total finds are now up to 5486, but this includes all my many GCA logs. So it's been 'a long strange trip' -- as my old mate Jerry Garcia used to sing . . .

Thanks to WW and family for the hide and the memories. It was a lot of fun and got me out of the house!

#500

As a cache that speaks of 'five' in my local area I thought this was appropriate for my impending 500th. So I grabbed the geodad to muster some preceding quick caches so we could conquer this one. My own caching journey is nearly three years long. I have survived a cache halting HSC and knee injury. Now I'm back in action and have already tripled last years amount of caches.

Caching in the mountains does feel like you have a separate family. I am proud to be part of yours WaywardWoman.

Although we took the more hazardous path up the overhang, we came back down the more obvious path lol. As a special bonus, the cache was approximately 500m (straight line) from the car park.

TFTC

On a mission today with azazzlenic to do her 500th milestone. Started caching again at 5:00pm at Emu Plains and finished at 7:25pm. Started the day geocaching at Nelson Bay at 7:00am and finished caching at Sassafras Gully. I had been down this track twice before finding GCA caches. After a big heave-ho and then assisted azazzlenic to the level required to make the find. Time to go back into geocaching hibernation at #1080. TFTC.

After a long sleep in, I had missed the FTF. But, I had to go out today to honour a family I sm proud to call friends.

After the long descent it was a fairly quick find.

The ascent has gotten easier lately. But, my youngest son flew up the hill

TFTC and the friendship.

Published

Something amazing happened in our house this morning. Geoson was up, dressed and out the door in 5 minutes. The possibility of a FTF can do that.

This one was kinda cool, as it refers to a nearby cache that I spent some time at yesterday, trying to repair the container and dry out a very wet log.

So off the three of us walked. We came across a family of three and I wondered if...and yes! Lobsterknees had a family first to find. Their first, in fact, (as I have learned here). We've had a few of our own, so congrats to the three of you.

This is a great walk, and well worth the round trip from Faulconbridge. The clue was a good one, as the location was easy to see from 30m away. I sent Lachnic up to do the signing, while ZoNic and I waited on the path - she's young and my knees are very old!

A fun family attempt at a FTF that turned into a fun family walk to find a cache in our own back yard. 3 favourite points from The Nics.

TFTC! A fun walk with Dad and Lachnic.

A fun walk with Dad and ZoNic. I made the climb to do the logging duties. TFTC!

Congrats on your five years of Caching ! Our first first to find, yay Found at 9.08. Beautiful walk down in the morning, fairly close to home, just the smallest family member with us today.

The location of the cache is beautiful and was a straightforward find. Great to see that the book was blank when we got there, exciting to find our first, FTF. A well stocked cache. We picked up the trackable.

A steep return, with the three year old geoson needing a shoulder carry most of the way. Nice to pass another caching family on the way back up.

Thanks very much

Sending my new TB Coast Bear, walkabout to travel the world.