Hillgrove TBXchange Hillgrove, New South Wales, Australia
By magpiecottage on 29-Jul-18. Waypoint GC7V9EZ

This hotel is at full capacity! checked a couple occupants out

Tftc Out looking for D2/T1.5, D1.5/T2, or D2/T2. Loved this one. I should have dropped a couple of TBs in, but the rooms were full. Maybe next time. Another fav point from me

#6252Travelling from Armidale to Casino today and grabbing some caches as we passed. This was one of them.Loved this one, especially the method to gain access. Definitely Fave Point worthy. Adding mine to your tally. Grabbed some TBs to move on.Thanks for the geo-fun.

Tftc

Got covered in seeds but found on our caravanning adventureTftc

Awesome spot TFTC took 1 travel bug to move on

tftc ! first travel bug finds! will find good new homes for them

COOLEST CACHE IVE EVER FOUND!! favourited our group is taking a few bugs onto a new adventure!! thanks so much for the cache!!!

Reperio 09:10Day 3 of our tour of Tamworth caching trip, and Master Vitruvius and I were up early to continue our way through the caches from Hillgrove and Wollomombi and then back to Tamworth. Fantastic cache. Little MV loved going through each section looking at the various TBs. We didnt take or leave anything today though.Gratias magpiecottageAs a well spent day brings happy sleep, a well spent life brings happy death - LDV

We came here to get some TBs and move them on. Cache was cool gets a favorite from us. 3 TBs taken on an adventure with us for a while TFTC

Amazingly when I looked at this today not a live ant was to be seen! Perhaps the ants bivouacked here and moved on. Well I found 50 trackables in the cache, cache now generously sprayed for crawlies.

Maintenance completed

Found on an impromptu Easter road trip with CaptainVimes and little_miss_cacher. Thanks for the cache magpiecottage

Cache is overrun by ants. See photo on found log

I am away at the moment but will look at this when I am back after Easter

Was looking forward to dropping off a couple of trackables and moving some more on BUT ..... the cache has been overrun by a nest of angry ant

I love a good TB Exchange and took the opportunity to drop off several TBs so others can further them on their journey. We had found the cache and were in the geomobile logging those we left and those we were taking and a ute pulled up over the road and sat there for quite some time before moving on. We did wonder if it was another geocacher.This TB exchange is a great one in an excellent position.Thank you for this Letterbox TB Exchange magpiecottage. A Favorite Point from us for a great location.

Loved this TB hotel, I wish I had the time to figure out what tbs had been stuck here the longest and got them moving again. Dropped a tb and grabbed a couple to continue their adventures. Adding another FP. Tftc

This cache is awesome! Tftc!

So many things happening with the cache, hybrid/letterbox/TB hotel/field puzzle, and I loved it! It was even better to find it FULL of TBs. I took a few that I think I will be able to help on their journey and left one. TFTC.

DAY 4

After much planning, saving and extra mods to the 4WD we are finally on our way to Longreach to take part in the QOGM festivities. We have just over a week to get there, so a route was planned to encompass uncharted LGA’s as we zig zag our way through NSW, as well as a slight detour to Coffs Harbour to visit family. Will we make it in time? Who knows, but we are going to give it a good shot.

A very well set up TB Motel tucked away in the bush. Once we worked out the puzzle we were admiring the TB’s resting rooms.

Thanks magpiecottage for the letterbox placement.

If anyone feels like a challenge, can they please retrieve my TB "High Terrain" and put it in a T4/T4.5 or T5 cache. Thanks

Found but be aware it's an arachnids home....tftc

WOW 37 travel bugs in here, decided not to leave my 2 here incase they don’t get moved for along time. I couldn’t log a find on discover on everyone as there were just too many.

Grabbed 3 to move along so they can continue their adventures.

Amazing cache loved the clue to unlock. FP from me.

TFTC

A trip to check out some of the awesome places in NSW audio caches. TFTC.
A large exchange of TBs. Enjoy.

Great sized container. Took a few TBs to take back to Brisbane.

Muggle65 and l stopped in here to drop a handful of trackables. Fantastic TB dormitory you have created here Geono. A
Fave point from me. Thank you for the fun

Fabulous hide, container & TB hotel. We placed a couple new tenants & we were off again.

Dropping off a load of travellers to continue or begin their journeys:
Cache in trash out tag
Leon's travel satellite tag
Mandurama travel bug
Hidden creatures phoenix tag
Happy holidays holly tag
Happy holidays holly 2 tag

On our way to Armidale to cache for a few days.
Our favourite one for the day, really well designed and constructed with a nice little puzzle to boot.
Thanks for the cache, fp given

Another great mail box. Still a couple of large TBs in there. Took a more sensible sized one to move it along.

A favourite point for this one.

Thanks for creating this I never take them as I never know when I can leave them. These are a great idea.

I stopped by this cache to sign the log and drop off a TB to continue its journey. TFTC

LTF

Love a good TB Hotel! Picked up the cute little Pup TB and will find him a new home on our way to the coast. Thanks for the hint, and TFTC!

#5392
It was wet and 7 degrees this morning, so we decided that a few drives to interesting caches would be better than endless in and out of the warm car, so we decided to focus on the letterboxes around Armidale and go from them. After lunch Samuel and I headed out to our third letterbox for the day, then found some touring trail caches as we wound our way back to town.
What a great TB Hotel! We worked out the codes, wound them in and had the door open, then to find a spot for the large pumpkin TB we've been carting about, we managed to squeeze him in in a corner, grabbed another TB. When we left there we four TBs in the hotel.... TFTC!

Found today while out on an afternoon drive on the road out to Dorrigo, found a bunch of caches but took longer than we thought due to a flooded causeway that we probably could've crossed, but decided on the safer option and came around the caches from the back way...

TFTC

Quickly found the well designed hotel, signed log took a few and dropped two

TFTC

Best hotel we have seen
Very well done
TFTC

Instead of heading mega north to Townsville for Easter, Seffnjarah and I planned a long weekend road trip south to Armidale and surrounds.

Another early start out of the swag at our preferred roadside camp site just out of town. The plan today was to cache along the Waterfall Way chasing unloved and high elevation caches with an FTF thrown in for good measure.

We always stop and grab a good letterbox. This TB hotel was cleverly organised, inc good condition and very well stocked. A few TB's were taken to move along and then a quick CITO before hitting the road.

Many thanks magpiecottage

Pete

Crookedpete and I were given leave passes from our respective families for the Easter long weekend for a geocaching road trip. I suspect that this was our families' Easter present to themselves to have a weekend alone without our company .

As members of The Bromance geocaching collective, we are a rather contrarian bunch, so while the main geocaching action was apparently up north over Easter we decided to instead head south from Brisbane. Our main focus was on caches with lots of favourites, good DT combinations, high elevation or sitting sad and neglected with no visitors for an extended period.

After a second night camped on the roadside on the way into Armidale, our plan for the day was to head out towards Ebor and a little further afield to Mt Hyland in search of a FTF.

Crookedpete and I are always keen to visit Large sized caches, and as we were carrying a TB we had picked up earlier on the trip, this seemed an ideal spot to drop it off. One of the best laid out TB hotels I have seen in some time, and fully stocked with TB’s too! We picked up a few to move on back in Brisbane and discovered the rest, before adding our names to the logbook. TFTC

Stopped here for geokid to check out what travel bug to help on its way.
Just as we unlocked the cache it started to rain, then thunder.
A super quick search, sign the name and outta here haha.

We saw all the favourite points here and decided to come find this one. It was raining at the time we thought of it but good luck followed us to GZ and by the time we got there it had stopped raining. We made the find and with good luck still on our side we accessed the logbook and were able to sign the log and give some attention to this unloved log.
A great cache that we admired and happily award a favourite point.
Cheers and thanks for all the enjoyment you’ve given us with your geocaches Magpiecottage.

EleniB55 and I are going on an adventure along the Long Point Road today, with Little Jimmy tagging along. But first a visit to Hillgrove TBXchange that seems to be an Aladdin's Cave of treasures.

EleniB55 spotted the cache first and we soon had it open. We have gathered up the Cornish and Canadian TBs to travel with us for a little while.

Thanks so much for the cache, magpiecottage - took two travellers but, sadly, had none to leave. We signed the log and headed off to Hillgrove. Oh, and a favourite point from me.

**Today:**

Driving between Gold Coast QLD - Tamworth NSW today, grabbing a couple caches mainly for the new LGA/county's but some absolutely huge favourite points in the Tamworth / Uralla region meant I had to sacrifice some precious driving time to see what the fuss was about!

After checking in to the motel in Tamworth I also managed to sneak back out solo for a couple of letterbox caches just outside town that I had my eyes on!

Only 11 finds today but absolutely incredible quality in the ones I found! Just awesome!

---

**This Cache**

Was pretty excited to see a large travel bug hotel on the highway, especially given that I had a whole heap of TB's on me that I had just been waiting for a safe cache to put them in!

This cache only had a couple of TB's in it when I opened it up, so I took them out but then FULLY stocked it up! I dropped a total of 20 TB's. Given there is only 24 rooms in this hotel, and at least one or two room's were already occupied with swag, this was a massive effort! The next finder is going to be able to check in / check out whatever they like A wide range of TB icons were dropped, as well as some very old TB's with decimal only codes!

Thanks magpiecottage! Favourite point from me as well

While travelling from Tamworth to Grafton today I thought I would drop some TB's in that would like to travel around NSW or Victoria.

What a great Cache.Im only new at this so didn't take a trackable just in case I did it wrong. left a swag .
Tftc

After finishing off the Chandler trail we had to make just one more stop. Great cache, FP awarded. LetterBoxes are very few and far between. Thanks magpiecottage

Chasing favourite points and Adventure Labs brought us off the highway on our way home from Dayboro.
So glad we came this way or I would have missed this beaut cache.
What a cunning idea.
Congratulations on the uniqueness of this cache.
I noticed you had put two trackables in here to begin their journey, so have picked up both of them to take back to Victoria, as I’m going to attend two events shortly after we arrive home.
Sorry I didn’t have any to leave in their place as I didn’t bring any home from Dayboro.
Another favourite point from us.

Checked inventory is correct - ok. Dropped off two copy rages of missing TBs to restart their journeys - 'Go Like the Clappers' and 'Head of the Class'. Dropped off two new hidden creatures to begin their journeys in the Wild - 'Gryphon' and 'Mermaid'. Bon Voyage little guys

Wow. Excellent work! Took 1 TB copy and 1 Geocoin. Gets a favourite point from us.

TFTC

Logged with [GCDroid](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gcdroid).

Opened and took nothing but a stamp

Found with bedlem2

Wow, never seen anything like that one.

Dropped off Steamy 09 with the bottle opener attached, several copy tags of missing TBs to restart their journeys (CUL8R Alligator, Anyone for Tennis, Stein o'beer), and three new ones to start their journeys (15yrs if geocaching micro geocoin, Avarice and Jelly Belly Deadly Ducks). Safe travels guys

Tftc found with earthly 65

Fun...thankyou...fave point

KTB and I were headed into Armidale for new years eve it seemed, but on the approach to town I singled out a couple of non traditional caches to find beforehand. I have to mark new years eve with at least one find, c'mon...
So the GPS got us off the road nearby and I grabbed the phone to follow the compass but then spied the hide easily, who needs a GPS? Wow that's a sturdy and safe travel bug hotel, one of the better ones I've seen in my travels. Unfortunatley today there was vacancy in all the hotel rooms, as in no TB's available, i guess I'm the only one holidaying here tonight. Not to worry, I'm sure they are in safe hands and just yet to be logged.
We signed the log gleefully and popped everything back as found, to kick over the final few kilometres of driving for the day.
Our thanks to magpiecottage for the great hide here, looks like this neck of the woods has some quality caches.. I might need to track down a couple more methinks. TFTC.

-- This log is trackable ! --
-- Feel free to discover --
-- Please mention, in which cache you've seen this code: --
-- 3TABQX --

Heading home after a quick trip to Scone and the idea was quickest way and oh wow there is a letterbox and double wow it is a large. We have to stop and an extra wow is for the cache. Loved it. TFTC and of course another fav point from me.

Great cache, travelling with DiamonJs. TFTC

On a few weeks holiday travelling through the high country. Mr, Mrs Coongoola & Geodog found your cache today while enjoying another day out adding to our tally. Favourite point given for this hotel, fabulous cache hide. TFTC magpiecottage

Best TBX I've ever seen

Great xchange hotel TNLN discovered and SL TFTC!

Fancy finding a letterbox way out here. Great cache. Taking one tb to travel on. Favourite point awarded.

What a great setup. Favourite. There was a few trackable dt but not enough to justify me taking one. Tftc tnln

Great idea. Dropped two trackables. TFTC

TFTC took abit to find because we were facing the wrong way .... grabbed Schildi to move along he is our pace

This cache was my main mission for today. I left 3 TBs which have come up with me from the coast and took 2 to keep them moving. Thanks for placing a TB exchange up here Magpiecottage

Out collecting the various trails and a few extra caches today. A good day in total with only 1 DNF

Thankyou to the CO's for placing and maintaining the caches

Another big day of caching with @itsonlybarney, @TeamPQS and @hubbyandmrs. We decided that we would head out to Hillgrove from where we were staying in Armidale. We had a great time on the Hilllgrove-Metz trail, then we headed into town, luckily we had lunch with us and stopped off by the little playground for the geokids to be able to have a run around to stretch their legs. Once lunch was done we collected all the caches in Hillgrove and then headed out to complete the Long Point Trail. Loved all the Hillgrove history with all the signs indicating what was originally there. The Oyster Saloon sounded yummy. TFTC.

Took a few attempts to figure out the code to lock this cache. Once opened, we soon found the spider guardians of the cache. We carefully extracted the log to avoid disturbing the guardians. Signed and returned log.

**Total find count: 1077**

After what has felt like an eternity, we are finally taking our first geocaching road trip since Clear Waters with Crzymelly, TeamPQS and HubbyandMrs.

Today was "trail' day. We elected to complete the Gara Loop, Hillgrove-Metz and Long Point geocache trails. All found logs were dry and had room for more names.

**TFTC magpiecottage**

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The following TBs and Geocoins helped with the search to find the hidden cache:
* Miniature Itsonlybarney
* GeocachingNSW 2016 Geocoin
* GeocachingNSW 2017 Geocoin
* Geocache Talk Geocoin
* Planetary Pursuit Micro Geocoin
* Geocoin Club Jan 2015 - Rescue Coin
* Geocoin Club May 2018 - Blodeuwedd
* OzGeomuster 2018 Geocoin
* Col Miner HAVOC Geocoin
* Geocoin Club June 2018 - Illumination
* Caching Under the Moon
* Geocoin Club July 2018 - Dive Deep
* Geocache Talk Blackout Geocoin
* GeocachingNSW 2018 Geocoin
* Clear Waters 2019 Geocoin
* OzGeomuster 2019 Geocoin

TFTC Thank you for hiding this cache. You have shown us a new place and have helped make geocaching an enjoyable activity.

Aweosme way to protect Tb!! What a cool idea. A fav from me

After an awesome weekend of caching with some great friends from the Canberra caching crew (Onieferret, Barb2E, Smittengranny, Joolay, K8TYBEE, Kittykatch and GLISS!) K8TYBEE, GLISS! and I peeled off for another week of fun travelling around Northern NSW gathering as many counties as was humanly possible. Have managed to clear up much of the state! Thanks so much for all the fun. Thanks for the cache!

Avoiding Covid places and needing a time out from work so hitched a ride with Nibletricecakes and GLISS! armed with hand sanitiser and face masks, we went touring NSW collecting counties.

We started in Canberra and spent a weekend in Bathurst with the capital crunchers then continued on North and West before heading home again. TFTC!

Great TB Hotel! Well constructed. TFTC

A nice easy find TFTC

Awesome, awesome cache. Well put together. TFTC

What a fab cache. Grabbed a couple of TBs to more on. Tftc and a favorite point from us.

Great exchange point. Trackable taken. Swaps made. Well done and thank you.

What a cracking container this is. Was tempted to visit a few but I’ve gotten a bit lazy with TBs of late. FP for the effort though. TNLN TFTC

When I was there 2 days ago it was apparent they had been cleaning out the culvert on Waterfall Way as part of the annual roads maintenance, so they might be using the access for equipment parking. It doesn't look like they'll be there for very long so I don't see the point in disabling the cache.

CACHE INACCESSIBLE:
Due to roadworks, the geocache is currently inaccessible in this area, roadworks are occurring on the road that has access to the geocache.

Audit trackables. There's a collectible bottle cap geoswag, it can be collected or discovered but not grabbed or dropped so not listed in inventory. Fox and Geese geocoin, and XiJe not found. All the rest are there.

Dropped in to check on the Xchange .Picked up a couple of trackables to do a short trip, Fox or the Geese ? Xije by Bike.. for a ride Spotted Whiskers the cat ..Simon Seahorse..The Alexandra Event 2017..* find joy in journey*..Koala (3/18,3377)..Teenie Lips The Fish the 2nd..&
Dog tag ..

left 4 trackables.

Let me start by thanking the cache owner for the time and effort they have put into caching for ourselves and others to enjoy.

Most will be cut and paste logs but in no way does that mean we don't appreciate your efforts
At the end of day 2 my gps reset its self and in the process deleted all my comments so I can't really remember which was what. sorry
This was a great cache, which was well thought out. Loved your stamp. Took 4 TB's & left 4.

TFTC SL
Fav found with staybe and co

Wow, what a cache!!

On a geocaching weekend with Ozglory. Beautiful day for it today.

TNLN SL TFTC

Tamworth and Amrmidale Trip March 2020. Day 6. I headed north with Fitzy_1965 along the New England Highway towards Tamworth. This was our day to get the cache trails to the North and east of Armidale, it was a long day with rain showers on and off all day. The day was mostly roadside caches, but they were all of differing levels of challenges, especially when you have to deal with Farmers Friends and Stinging Nettles at almost every cache.

Thanks for the cache magpiecottage

28696.31 TNLN
Visited: World Traveling Gold GC A#6 & 2012 Sure Footed A#238

**Albida**

20,677. Found with albida33 during a meander up to and around the Tamworth and Armidale regions.

Day 6 of our trip. Enjoying the luxury of staying in a hotel room after our campsite booking got cancelled, it was a nice easy start to the day. Headed out to where we finished last night for what turned out to be another big days caching. We aimed to finish the various trails around Armidale. Next stop for the day, and we came up with a quick find and managed to get in when we realised what was required. Signed the log, replaced the cache, then headed off to the next one.

TFTC magpiecottage !! We took a few and dropped a bunch.

Found tyftc. Here in armidale for a tennis tourn but has been cancelled due to covid9. So caching instead. Find# 1785

TFTC
A geocaching trip has been needed for over a month, so today was Day 2, heading from Armidale back to Casino.

Awesome TB hotel, and a cool way to get the codes.
It was very well arranged, definitely worthy of a Favorite

Cheers
Seemyshell

After camping nearby this was my first find of the day. Thanks for the cache. Impressive build.
Cheers

We escaped the drought and heat in Armidale for the green glory of Dorrigo today, with Scruffy the geodog and a little caching on the way.

What a great motel! We took two TBs, and left two in their place.

TFTC, magpiecottage!

Dropping off, Signal, Phantom Corsair, Earthcache Fossil, and Hello 2019 LastFirst TBs.

Who doesn't love a mailbox cache ?? [:o]
Especially if they are done in the correct way
Like this fabulous example by the highway.

I wasn't quite expecting something so BIG !! [:o]
And double padlocked !!
So how do I get in

The clue gave the game away,
and I was soon posting me find ...hooray
What a fabulous cache find [^]

Fave dance time for this one

Awesome thank you

Nice! Really enjoyed this cache, though it took waaaayyyy longer than it should have! This was our 6 attempt at it, and finally worked out the combination! Doesn’t make things any easier when you look at the previous logs and everyone is saying how easy it is! Thanks heaps, well made! TFTC+ dropped off a couple travel bugs.

Found while on a geocaching holiday with tmann421.
Enjoyed the trip around and all the great hides.
Stamped TM/WW NZ, or if in pen our full names

Another very nice find today with woolwood9.
*Thanks for helping make our tour around fun!*
Stamped logs as TM/WW NZ or our full user names or tm421/ww9 in pen.

Soon worked out the code.