Fire Fight Linton, Victoria, Australia
By chooknchunk on 29-Apr-16. Waypoint GC6GPNZ

Ive wanted to visit this memorial for some time and visiting the waypoints for this multi was a good way to do this.The memorial here is very moving, especially sad to see how young some of the boys were that were protecting their community. Thank you for placing this multi and bringing awareness to this memorial.The cache was found and my name added to the logbook. The cache and its contents are in great condition.A favourite point will be added when I have acquired another one

So sad reading of the lives lost while serving their community.TFTC

Always moving visiting this memorial. I think of these young men every time my son goes out to fight a fire, knowing he benefits from the additional safety features now fitted to their trucks, thanks to the lessons learned from this tragedy. The bush was as pretty as a picture around the memorial. Thanks for a very moving cache.

What a beautiful fitting tribute around this area for this fire fighters who lost their lives. I do remember the event. How tragic and so young they all were. Thank you for highlighting this beautiful memory of these brave souls

Absolutely beautiful tribute to the Fire fighters who lost there lives. Found Tftc

This was a challenging cache, not because the caching was difficult, but because of the tragedy that occurred. We were pleased to be able to visit all three locations and collect the required information. The memorial at the third waypoint was particularly moving. Accurate coordinates led to a quick find, although overnight rain made the area quite slippery. The cache and contents were in good condition. Thanks chooknchunk for this great multi - a cache with great significance. It earns a favourite from us.

What a fantastic week of (late) autumn weather it has been in Adelaide! And with even more on the way, I thought Id take the opportunity to go away for a few days of caching, camping and sightseeing on my own.From Adelaide I headed down to the Coonawarra, then across to the Southern Grampians area then east as far as Colac, before making my way back home. I took a winding route, collecting caches of interest along the way. I managed to find a range of caches types, including Traditional, Unknown, Multi, Letterbox Hybrid, Virtual and Earthcaches as well as a few Adventure Labs.All but a couple were found without any trouble. Most were good order unless otherwise noted.Fortunately the weather held out pretty well for most of the time. However, it rained steadily for hours when I was in Colac one night, but I guess you have to expect that in Victoria! The required information was collected from the waypoints and final coordinates determined, than it was off to GZ for a quick find.Thanks chooknchunk for the cache.

The youngest Monster and I were in Linton about 6 weeks ago grabbing a few caches. Whilst in Linton we took photos at all the waypoints of the multis information boards/plaques/graves and went home and calculated the coordinates. Today along with Miss Tween Monster and the youngest Monster we came back to Linton to finish the multis and a few other traditionals. I grew up in Linton so its great to come back to see the town!!Ironically going away and doing the coordinates may not have been the greatest idea, although the initial coordinates I had were wrong anyway. But we came back to Linton to search and went to GZ where a couple of Kangaroos gave us a little scare (maybe a big scare ) as they bounded off from their hiding spot about 20 metres from GZ. The youngest Monster went and made the quick find. May the Five Firefighters RIP and amongst other things, this multi will keep their legacy alive. TFTC.

Found by Mary and David at 13:30. Haven't noticed or investigated the WP1 memorial, and certainly not the ones at WPs 2 and 3. An amazing memorial at WP3, with spikes of Epacris in pink and white, the State floral emblem for Victoria. So appropriate for their sacrifice. A very moving memorial and a FP. We could see pieces of melted metal nearby. Left "Cathy Cangaroo" TB. Our thanks to chooknchunk.

Have been down here before but today I headed back for a couple of multis and other caches, with this being my next stop. Arrived to find the area a hive of activity...turns out they are installing a toilet block at the car park area...along with picnic tables close by. There is also a new information board going in that will tell the story of the terrible events that of that day.

My calculations were sorted and then once down near GZ, I had to outwait one of the workmen who had come to pay his respects. We had a chat about the day and what happened and he then wandered off back to the building area. I headed off, found the cache after a minute or two and soon had the log signed. Cache replaced and I was off back up to the car.

Thanks for this one chooknchunk...here's to the memory of the those lost. Fav point added. Couple of photos of the building works as well.

Thank you for the experience

Thanks for bringing us here in memory of the 5 brave souls, may they RIP ️
The geocache is in great condition and well hidden. TFTC

January 20, 2023 3:08 PM

After spending a few hours working at my daughter's house in Cape Clear, I had a few hours up my sleeve so I made a detour home via Linton to complete the Ad Lab then to finally finish this multi which I first started way back in Jan '21. On that day I had the first numbers worked out then when I drove out to the memorial there were already several cars parked here and the area was quite busy with people paying there respects.
Fortunately today I had the area to myself and it didn't take long to gather all the information to work out GZ and I had the cache in hand after a short search.
All in all that was a very good multi to commemorate that tragic day which I still remember very well. Was good to finally get out here and see in person the location, the molten glass on the track is a sad reminder too of that fateful day.
Thx Chooknchunk for the tribute and FP for your efforts.

*Found on the 1 Jan 2023 @ 2:19 pm.*
*Cache find # 13925.*

After attending a couple of events in Skipton, it was now time to make my way back to Melbourne for a T5 event tonight, as I did have some time on my hands, I decided to find a few caches along the way.

I started this one just over a month ago but I was heading in the opposite direction to where is one was heading so I put it on hold until today, I made sure that I would finish this one.
It is really hard to imagine what these guys went through leading up to their last moments, but it is great that they have been honored in this way.

**Thanks to chooknchunk for placing this cache.**

It’s always heartbreaking to hear of anyone who is trying to help ending up being injured or worse, as in this story. It’s hard thinking about how these CFA volunteers felt, knowing they would be aware of their fate.

The memorials that have been placed in Linton are a wonderful tribute. They are clearly well looked after which is great. Being a Geelong local I will have to visit the third memorial to pay my respects.

By the time I had arrived at WP2 it was raining quite heavily but I persevered, noting that it was one of the traits a firefighter requires. The walk to WP3 was lovely. It was just me, the forest and the rain. The sounds of the drops on the ground were relaxing. At GZ it took a while to locate the cache. The ground was pretty wet and I had an experience not too long ago in the Otways in very similar conditions that involved leeches. I wondered if there was any possibility of that happening here and I wasn’t sure, so I didn’t take any chances, I kept moving.

I found the cache the second time I walked past it. Hidden away nicely with a couple of different species of mushrooms. The rain had also eased off and the sun shone through the trees, highlighting the log. I thought about the firefighters in this moment. Perhaps they are the cache guardians now.

On the way back I almost chose the wrong path. Surprisingly it’s not that well marked. I worked out the right way back thinking how easy it would be to become trapped out here, with no way out. It really puts everything into perspective. TFTC

A touching and somber memorial to some heroes. Thanks for the information gained for which I knew nothing about. Thanks to chooknchunk for the cache.

Anyone living in many parts of the continent experience bushfires at some point in their life., especially southern Australia. They can be terrifying and dangerous and often we hear or experience of tragedies like these. They should not be ignored or made light of. Every death , injury and loss happen to real people and memorials like this one help remind us of them.
This is a great multi. It’s well constructed and leads us on an interesting, if sombre journey. Well worth a favourite point. Thanks Chooknchunk.

Based in Haddon for a couple of nights, we returned to Linton today and, not for the first time, paid our respect to these five Geelong men. They have a beautiful set of memorials dedicated to them here, as well as in Geelong. We remember the day very clearly, the shock and disbelief that one truck got caught out and the crew of the nearby one were unable to help.
Today we could still see the blackened trees in the area, but it was wet and cold - a far cry from THAT day in December! There is, however, quite a bit of storm damage visible from the back roads and tracks: a reminder that beauty and disaster can be close neighbours and that we can't take life as it has always been for granted.
A FP for bringing us back to these moving sites and for a hide that we found only after both of us circling all around it.

With geo-socials back on the cards I made my way north to Ballarat for the Smythesdale CITO. I then stayed in the area for a couple of days exploring mines and revisiting the BSRT rail trail.

After completing the BSRT section around Skipton late this afternoon I made my way back to Linton. Met up with Riddell along the way. This multi was a highlight - I'm well aware of the history but was not aware of the poignant memorials this cache pointed out.
I've visited the Geelong memorial. There's also the Fireman Bollard there (part of my wherigo) which is a tribute to these men too. More than twenty years later and it still feels so recent with the remnants and tributes near GZ.
Thanks, chooknchunk. Another FP from me.

It’s just so sad.
They are true hero’s, who made the supreme sacrifice.

TFTC it was very well thought outdoor and really had an impact on us.

What a great location tftc

Thank you so much for sharing this story and the story of your firefighters.
What a beautiful memorial to them all and so well maintained by this beautiful community.

A favourite point from me.

Thank you

Find No. 3351. Found with FUF009 at 4.14pm.

In FUF009's ute, today we headed down around Beaufort, Skipton and Linton areas, grabbing caches that we still had to find in these areas.

In Linton we done Waypoint One then headed out the road and found a couple of other caches on the way. Spent some time at Waypoint Three before heading off to locate the cache. Like FUF009 said - this is one of those places that you would never visit only for geocaching. Such a sad area.

TFTC chooknchunk and a favorite point from us for showing us this area.

Find # 9720
Found with Tyred n Cranky

We headed south from town for a day of caching. This seen us clean up parts of the map around Beaufort, Skipton and Linton.

Well once again this is one of them places I'd never find if it was not for Geocaching.

Thanks for showing us the Monuments, A fitting tribute.

TFTC chooknchunk

It was a perfect morning for getting on a bike and Geocaching on the Ballarat Skipton Rail Trail. Ausfox; and Mr Dromaniax set off to turn as many dots into smileys as possible. We had just completed a section of the Ballarat Skipton Rail Trail and we crossed the road to pick up the first pieces of information for this cache. We then packed the bikes and drove out to the next two stages. It was eerie standing there at the memorial, there was no sound other than our breathing, not even the sound of a bird. It was peaceful and serene, a far cry from that hellish day in 1998. The five men paid the ultimate price to protect others. The cache was in excellent condition. Thank you chooknchunk for bringing us to this place and highlighting such incredible public service.

After completing a section of the BSRT on bikes, Dromaniax and I continued to explore the local area on a prefect winters day, locating all hides along the way.
I heard a lot about this incident, but to be at the location was very humbling indeed. We stood for a minute and realised that there was no wind and total silence, all you could hear was the beating of your heart.
Log signed and replaced as found.

Thanks for the Multi Cache ChooknChunk
#6,450

TFTC. We had come out to Linton specifically to complete this multi and the other one nearby. Ion these days it serves as a reminder that we all need to take care n the bush. Ever since we became Grey Nomads, travelling this country we have become more aware of our surroundings and how vulnerable we are when camping in remote areas. We took some time to reflect on the sacrifice that this crew made.

Lovely tribute so well done to some very brave fire fighters. Really enjoyed doing this. TFTM

So very sad - such young lives. This tribute to the bravery of these men was so well done - hard to put into words really. A favourite from me.

With the Covid 19 restrictions being finally lifted we are able to escape the ring of steel and finally do some caching as well as some cache maintenance out this side of Melbourne.

We are not sure why we haven't collected this one before now, we must have just always been in too much of a hurry so we made sure that we were going to get it today.
This is indeed a sad cache and it's fitting that these fire fighters have had these memorials erected for them. You don't expect to go to work to help the community and then never see your family again. We must say that we were quite surprised at wpt 3 with another great tribute.
Once we had the co-ords we headed off to gz where the GPS gods played games with us for a little while before Diane spotted the well hidden cache and we are happy to say that our name is now in the log.

Thanks chooknchunk for this cache, a favourite point from us.
May they rest in peace.

Geocaching has taken me on many adventures over the years all over Australia and overseas. It has also introduced me to a brilliant and diverse group of people, many of whom are now close friends.

Today I was lucky enough to be out and about so I targeted this cache.

Multis are usually not my thing, so it wasn't surprising to me to find a lot in my found database that hadn't been logged.

Sorry for the late log, but thanks for adding to the adventure!

Thanks chooknchunk (F=6765 H=158) for placing this cache and adding to our game.

The bravery of CFA volunteer firefighters is outstanding. A big thank you to them all. - Found cache in good order. Tftc

So grateful to visit this area where there is no one around.
Thanks for bring me here & cache.
TFTH

We took the opportunity to complete this multi whilst staying in Ballarat for the weekend. We glad we did, because although we remember the awful events of that tragic day, we didn’t realise how it came about & what a hauntingly beautiful memorial we would uncover in the quiet bush land setting. Thank you chooknchunk for creating this hide. All good with the cache.

Find {326}

Re-enabling now the Victorian Covid19 restrictions say we can "participate in some recreational activities, adhering to the rules". Please use common sense, maintain social distancing, attend to hand hygiene and stay safe.

Temporarily disabling this cache due to the Corona Virus.
Geocaching is not "essential travel".
It puts others at risk when you travel unnecessarily, no matter how isolated a cache may be.
Please stay at home.

Over 20 years ago now but the pain must still be raw for this community judging by the flowers at WP3.
My last cache of the day and on a hot windy Friday in dry bush it was not hard to imagine what it must have been like being trapped out here.
Nice multi chooknchunk.
A fav point

We do remember this very sad event, but had not realised that it was nearly twenty years ago. This cache bought home to us the danger of living in these more remote areas, our home at Irvinebank remained safe earlier this year due to the help of many paid and volunteer firemen as fires raged in the area.
We sat at GZ for quite some time reflecting on the sadness the families of these fine men would still feel. When we cache it is, most times, onto the next cache as quickly as possible without any thought for the people who live nearby, this cache really makes you think and feel.
SL TFTC

After staggering back from the 6 hour Rogaine I’m reminded of the big hit these small country areas can take but also the resilience of communities. What a fitting and sobering tribute. Lest We Forget. TFTC

Tftc

Called past for a maintenance visit today. Container replaced as previous one had suffered a bit of damage at the hand of nature. All good now.

15:53
All rugged up for a cold Ballarat day, after the Napoleons Tree Planting Event, we set off to seek out some of the caches in the Smythesdale- Scarsdale area.

A long association with the CFA (P-P was involved in the subsequent coronial inquest) made following the waypoints of this multi very significant, although the weather was vastly different today from December 20 years back when the disaster occurred.

A FP for such a fitting tribute.

Thanks 'chooknchunk' for this placement.
21890

Thanks ChoocknChunk for showing us these monuments. I fitting tribute to the guys. Hard to believe it has been 20 years. Cache was in good shape. TFTC

Thanks for bringing us to this moving place. This is why I love geocaching. A favorite will be coming from us

I started this cache chase and discovered where I needed to head next
That could wait until after me bike ride along the rail trail

Back in the geomobile and a cruise through the forest brought me to waypoint two

Waypoint three was a bit spooky though !! [:o]
You can still see where the fire truck was when it burned [:o]

An interesting spot for sure,
and the monument is amazing to see out here in the middle of nowhere !!

TFTC that sent a few shivers up me spine !!

A great reminder of just how dangerous me caching lifestyle can be during summer in OZ

I stopped by here & got some numbers; then took a wrong turn ... and was tired and didn't turn back; will try & get out this way again on my road trip. Such a sad history.

10217 Found and Logged at 1:04:00 PM
One of 35 cachers for the day on the BSRT trail
Thanks For The Cache chooknchunk
Lgoody

A morning/afternoon of caching with wozzle68. What an incredibly sad story. What amazing tributes. A lovely moving cache. Thanks for highlighting this area and helping me learn some of the history (I didn't live here in the 1990's so didn't know any of this tragic story). Many thanks for the cache.

Found myself back in the area scoping out possible new spots to hide some geocaches. Decided to have another crack at finding this one after our failure last time. After a bit of hunt we came up with the good. We picked up the PT that was in the cache. Many thanks to Chooknchunk. A great tribute.

The cache its self in really good condition. It looks well looked after. Remebering the fallen ti this bush fire. Best stocked cache we've seen. Left a pathtag. TFTC

Suscoe was wandering the roads around this area today.
A coolish day with a bit of cloud.
But all in all a delightful day for caching.

Thanks to chooknchunk for this hide.
We remember coming here a number of years ago and the sad feeling that came over us as we stopped at the memorial in the bush.
The sad feeling is still there.
Thanks for remembering these CFA men who died doing what they were trained to do.

While in the area we stopped for lunch and decided to gather the required information, at WP1 we collected what we needed, then headed to WP2 and WP3, such a beautifula rea it is hard to imagine the horror that unfolded here for those men, and how terrible it was for families, friends and the CFA, who do an amazing job. It is a pity it took a tragedy for changes to be made, Thanks for bringing us here a beautiful peaceful place for remembrance.

Was a great night to be out doing a few multis in the Smythesdale/Linton area. Having spent most of my life in the CFA this one is a little closer to home than some of the others. Was nice to slowly make my way into GZ with TajBentley talking about some of the history and what has changed in particular due to this fire. Thanks again for bringing us here and it's def worth a favourite point from me.

Epic fail here. Not sure what went wrong but i am blaming the phone. Will be back with a real GPSr to see what went wrong. The bush smelled amazing on the walk anyway.

On a day trip to Ballarat, going the scenic way, we stopped here to have a go at this multi. It wasn't until we got the the second way point when this disaster became real. And walking down to the third and final way point and memorial - words cannot describe it. We remember this event quite well, but never knew that there was any such memorial here. Thank you for the cache and for bringing us here. Awarding a fav point.

I remember this unfortunate event well. Today I had Geokid4 with me and we proceeded to collect the clues which led us to the cache. The memorials are a great way to honour the lives lost and for us to remember the great service our CFA volunteers do for the community. Thanks chooknchunk.

Special tribute multi deserving of FP. Thanks for sharing the story of these brave lost souls. Made the dash out here at lunch on Wednesday to fill the calendar more rewarding. TNLN TFTC chooknchunk

Back tonight to turn this into a smiley. What a tragic event this was, I recall it very well. Thanks chooknchunk for ensuring we all remember.

A straight forward multi, but one reflecting on another dark day in Victoria's bushfire history. Thanks to chooknchunk for placing this cache in memory of those brave volunteers who lost their lives here. Cigc. Tftc

Usually writing a 'found it' log is easy for me, but this one hasn't come easy at all. I've found myself choking back tears a few times at the waypoints. I remember the fire all too well. My mum indecisive about staying or leaving, my dad out there in the thick of the fire doing all he can, my brother and I being waved through all the roadblocks because they knew we had fireys on board to drop them at different tankers, the relief when it was contained and the heartbreak finding out 5 brave men made the ultimate sacrifice. My heart goes out the families that lost loved ones on that tragic day. My thanks goes to chooknchunk for placing this cache in a place for reflection where I could, again, give thanks. Tftc. A fave from me.

With a big day planned in this general area with trads, multis even a Mystery to pick up, we set off early with Wozzle68 rugged up to brave the cold winters weather. We were lucky with the rain holding off for the days adventure allowing us to eventually achieve our goals.
This cache was our main goal of the day. Being close by at Haddon at the time was very scary seeing the flames and smoke coming closer , I can't imagine what it felt like for the poor souls who lost their lives in this tragedy. Thankyou chooknchunk for this multi in **memory** of the 5 lives lost here on that dark horrible day.

Alas no luck for us today. Thought we had all the numbers right but it seems we had an error somewhere. We found a likely spot that looks like someone had scratched some material away but no cache. We will be back another today to have another crack.

Found today in the company of Wozzle68 and Beckster 22. This is a great multi. We took some time read in tributes and reflect on this sad time in Linton's history. I remember this day clearly. You could see the thick smoke in the distance from Ballarat. Thanks for highlighting this memorial. A favourite added.

Out today with Glanville Girls and Beckster22 on a lovely day to tidy up a couple of new caches out this way. Such a tragic loss of life this, thanks for pointing out this memorial and giving us a chance to reflect on the many fire-fighters who volunteer their time to protect the lives and assets of others.

Out today with Glanville Girls and Wozzles68. We found the required information at the waypoints and was soon on our way to the final. Wozzles came up with the cache. Thanks chooknchunk for a great multi. A favourite added.

In the area today but fast running out of time. Got the info, calculated GZ but no joy in finding. I will be back, firstly to double check my info and to allow enough time for a better look.

Yay another joint FTF with tne hubby (Yogster). Enoyed the journey that this multi took us on, and I dont just mean physically. I hope this cache means many more people with learn of, and reflect on the sacrifice of our CFA volunteers.
Thank you Cook and Chunk.

Joint FTF @ 10:49am with Jaggedwings.

Having risen early after a night of not sleeping, saw this notification come through in the wee hours. Packed the kids off to school and stopped for fuel before heading out towards this location with Jaggedwings. After completing the required waypoints we found ourselves at a likely spot and began our search only to come up empty handed. A lengthy review of the photos of waypoints showed us the error of our calculations,(I'm gunna go with very sleep deprived) and we returned to a more formal GZ where we soon found an empty logbook to make our etchings and pay respect to the fallen heroes nearby.

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