Coach Crossing Redbank, Queensland, Australia
By Tony & Jade on 22-Apr-03. Waypoint GCG04D

Set up for 2 nights in Eidsvold allowed me to spend the day gathering the abundance of caches available in the area. This cache was the No. 1 target of this trip and didn't disappoint. So much history and even caching history with the placement now being in excess of 21 years. The log book is in near perfect shape and a clear testament to the quality construction of the old pipe caches. Hope the CO still reads cache logs and pondered if they are still involved with mustering at the nearby cattle properties.

I love squeezing every last second out of public holidays which usually combine with RDO's at work. So, with a 4 day long weekend in the offing, a few weeks ago I reviewed my adventure wish list and decided that a solo hike of Carnarvon Gorge and specifically Battleship Spur would fit the bill.Viko Cz subsequently messaged me to say he was back in Australia for business for a few weeks and had some weekends free for a geocaching adventure, and was also keen to visit Carnarvon.On Anzac Day, we travelled from Roma to Carnarvon and hiked out to Big Bend, visiting as many of the side attractions as we had time for including Boolimba Bluff. On Friday, we climbed Battleship Spur in the morning and then spent a lazy day enjoying the gorge at Big Bend. Yesterday, we got an early start and hiked back down the gorge stopping at the Moss Garden along the way. After visiting Mickey's creek Gorge, we finally hit the road, stopping at the Rolleston pub for lunch, before collecting some caches around Moura and Theodore and then enjoying an interesting Saturday night at the Cracow pub and camping in the park across the road. This old cache, which has been on my hit list for a very long time, was the primary reason to take a much longer northern route home from Carnarvon than the shorter route via Roma. The country side here was looking great - the grass was waist high, all the dams and creeks were full and the cattle fat. I can almost imagine the smile on the cockies faces at the moment. May it last. We parked nearby and wandered over to make the find. I love checking out the original old logbooks in these early caches. I explained the history of the location to my Czech visitor friend and we checked out the surveyors blaze on the old iron bark tree. Glad I made the effort to get this one. Many thanks tonyjagoPete#7,877

#5730 [08:07] our extended weekend with crookedpete is ending, the main mission "exploring carnarvon gorge" is over and now we're heading back to brisbane via a bit of side road to enjoy more of local country side and more caches and this was one of them. thanks a lot of placing it here, it's always good to have some reason to stretch legs during long drive.

Having been on the main road a few times in past trips, this time Mr CNQ was on his own this time driving from Emerald to Bribie Island and was definitely stopping here for this old cache. Cache was quickly located and removed the lid only. Fairly active termite activity that may reach the level of the lid, log and contents were good. Thanks for keeping this old cache going. Headed towards Munduberra on the gravel roads not back to Eidsvold.

On a slow, meandering trip out to Longreach for the QOGM 2023 event.
Cache found in the expected area, within a reasonable time, without difficulties.
Cache in good condition.
TNSL TFTC
This cache was placed in April, 2003, but only has 43 finds. To me, that shows that so many of my fellow geocacher's are only after the numbers, and are not interested in going out of their way to find a cache that has history, and is in a lovely area. A bit off the main track, but isn't that one of the reasons we do this game for, to find something different??????
Okay, that's my rant for today>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.

Found this hidden gem deep in the bush today! After navigating the red dirt road, i embarked on a thrilling adventure to discover this well-concealed geocache. The excitement and anticipation built up as i approached the coordinates and began our search.

Upon arriving at the cache location, i carefully surveyed the area, taking note of the natural landmarks and checking behind rocks and fallen logs. Eventually, my efforts paid off, and i uncovered the cleverly disguised container. It blended seamlessly with the environment, fooling even the keenest eye.

We opened the container with a sense of delight and eagerly examined its contents.

After signing the logbook, i took a moment to appreciate the serenity of the bush. The sounds of chirping birds and rustling leaves created a peaceful atmosphere that reminded us of the beauty of nature and the thrill of geocaching.
I want to express our gratitude to the geocache owner for maintaining this hidden gem and providing us with an unforgettable experience. It's evident that a great deal of effort was put into the placement and maintenance of this geocache, and we are truly grateful for the opportunity to enjoy it.

Thank you for the adventure!

We love travelling back roads and liked the red dirt of this one.
The cache’s hiding spot wasn’t hard to spot at all. We had a look at the tree blaze which is slowly being covered up as the tree heals itself. And then tried to imagine the days of horse-drawn coaches passing by.

Then we uncovered the cache and discovered the original logbook was still in play. We love reading the old logs when finders took the time to write a tale of their journey. All very interesting. Cache and contents are in beaut condition.

Thanks for the cache and showing us this place Tony & Jade.

Day thirteen of my outback Queensland trip and the girls have asked me to come home, so I’m cutting the trip short by a couple of days. It has been fun but I still have a couple of must does on my list. The two oldies in this area are a must do, so with one being a short drive in and the other a bit of a walk around to get the plan today is to complete these two and then grab a few I missed on the way out. Still continuing my challenges of a trad a day and a cache a day.

I arrived at this one and parked as close as I could then started my walk around and soon found the cache at a SPOR. So excited to have found this one and after a happy dance completed I signed the log and replaced as found. Jumped back in the car to find my phone had dropped of the position for the next one so a drive to get reception was required.

Thanks for placing this one here, it was great to grab this one and to see it still in play.

January 2013 and May 2014 are at least two times I've been within a couple dozen kilometres of this geocache, thinking about geocaching, but not made the detour out to grab it. A shame for such an old beast. And these far-flung hides are often in fantastic locations seldom visited by geocacher or muggle alike. In those last five years, I've become aware of the oldest one hundred active hides in the state and this fits comfortably onto that list.

Seeing I'm into the nineties of finds from that list, plans to return out here have gotten stronger. I currently drive a 2000 model Lancer 2-door and have planned a trip out here, figuring while it might be a slow drive, it'd make it just fine. Seeing as most of my geocaching mates had been out here, I figured I could do a solo weekend away, grabbing this geocache and a handful of others. Maybe for the end of the year, despite the hot weather?

As it turned out, that plan never happened. But after some back and forth, Fangsoki, 1MinnieMoo and I would head out in Fang's Pajero from Brisbane for a very distant overnight trip in the nearby Auburn River National Park. We'd stopped for all sorts of other geocache en route that others needed, but this was definitely my priority geocache for the trip.

The drive in from Eidsvold was varied. The bitumen Eidsvold-Theodore Road passed through surprisingly green bush and paddocks, which then slowly became drier and drier as we evidently moved into areas where the recent rain missed. Then the turn onto the dirt road. I am always a little unbelieving of dirt coloured so deeply red, but the road was in good condition. Would've been fine for a Lancer, it was nothing for the Pajero.

We rolled along into the peaceful nowhere of someplace random in the outback. I have such a unique feeling here. These parts feel remote but are someone's figurative and literal backyard, someone knows this place as well as I know my own suburban yard. And endless side tracks peel off for who knows how many endless kilometres leading to unknown quantities of similar to what I'm looking at here; both farmland and state forest, private and commercially owned properties. The map on the GPSr and my phone highlighting the interconnected maze of this place.

Perhaps it was too soon after hitting the dirt road, Fangsoki pulled us off into a side track and declared we'd 'made it'. The quiet and stillness of this place struck me once outside the car. The loudest of disruptions would be silenced by the time it reached the next set of ears. Onto the ancient geocache we came here for. It was not hard to find, as you'd expect in such a place. But how nice to know it has been waiting here for over sixteen years, visited just 40 times.

One really must take a moment here. I checked out the blaze tree, pondered the coaches trundling by on an intermittent but predictable schedule and was sure to snap a photo of two nearby roos. Every season would tell a different story I'm sure, and there's no end to what could be discovered out here. It's such a nice change from home.

But for today, with a moment enjoyed and the geocache signed, we need to find our way to our campsite for the night. I thoroughly enjoyed this geocache adventure and am so glad I finally got here. Thanks for bringing me to this place, tonyjago

30/12/19 3:57 pm Find #3095
An overnight journey with Fangsoki and Captain Terror to West Eidsvold picking up a few caches along the way to our final destination to camp the night in Auburn.
This cache was one of our main goals for the journey being one of the oldest.
We couldn’t believe how green the drive was out to here in some spots.
A nice quick find at GZ. Cache in good condition.
Thanks for the cache Tony & Jade.

What a great old cache!
Christened the new car in red dust on the drive here.

Fantastic to touch the survey mark, even if the tree is trying to take it back

Thank you for this one
R

We left the sealed Theodore Eidsvold Road at S 25 22.830 E 150 41.206 turning into Redbank Road which is a wide well formed unsealed road. We drove 17km to the cache and this took us 20 minutes. Rather than go back the way we came we decided to continue along the wide unsealed road. After 12 km we reached a T junction where we turned right toward Eidsvold. (According to the sign if we had continued straight ahead we would have gone to Taroom.) We drove a further 19km on the Rockybar Road which took us back to the sealed Theodore Eidsvold Road at S 25 20.317 E 150 33.732

The entire trip on the unsealed road was 48 km and took 55 minutes. At the time we did this all the road were dry and well maintained. We comfortably drove at between 60-80kph.

Thoroughly enjoyed this drive and I think a lot of people would be put off by the description. We didn’t find it as isolated as we had expected.

A FP from us for the interesting destination and for the well constructed cache that is obviously built to last.

On a road trip north with Beardman75 and it was decided to tackle this oldie. A long route to get here but worth the travel to this interesting location. Thanks for the cache. Took TB6JNQE.
Cheers

After finding the previous cache, this one was only 70-odd km as the crow flies. Unfortunately, we were restricted to the rather indirect roads and it took well over two hours to get here. The last 17km over the dirt road was most enjoyable. For some reason, I was really happy to reach GZ. I really loved the innovative hide. Unfortunately, the survey marking is no longer readable as the tree has reclaimed it. Lol.

I left a trackable and wayn0 took a trackable. Then we had to hightail it to Emerald as it was already 5pm.

Thanks for the cache Tony & Jade. This was find #4135.

The search for Queensland's oldest hundred active geocaches continues ... #99 brings me to - well - here. A somewhat out of the way place indeed, but with a history. History is cool and why I search for historical caches in historical places. History being made. Fangsoki has been here before, but for Crew153 and I the little wander around, checking out the trees - signing the cache - finally working out the actual coach path - somewhat overgrown now ... nice spot. Thanks.
Thanks Tony & Jade for entertaining me at this location.
*{Overall find #6446}*

After an overnight stay in Mundubbera, Pprime, Fangsoki and I headed out to get this old cache before we started heading home.

We stopped close and headed in for a quick find. The cache was in good condition considering the length of time that it has been here.

TFTC tonyjago

TB Drop with Pprime (P`) and Crew 153

I am making my way to Barcaldine for the Queensland Outback Geocaching Muster, via a stop in Ballogie to drop my girls off for a stay with their friend. Knowing I would be travelling this way, how could I not detour for this fine old cache? I travelled down the dirt road with my Police CD blaring on the CD player, once I hit the corrugations poor old Roxanne kept getting back under her red light, and then packed up and went home. Not to worry though, because there was scenery to admire and cows to watch out for. I arrived near gz and soon spotted where I needed to be. The cache is in amazing condition for its age, and I added my name to the many who had come before me. I took some photos and a moment to imagine what this must have been like when it really was a coach crossing. Thanks for bringing me here Tony & Jade and tftc!

I am traveling a very zigzag route to QOGM in Barcaldine. I have been unwell, so delayed the start of my trip by several days. I spent last night in Eidsvold and wanted to find a few caches in the area before I left. This was one of my main targets for this leg of my trip. I turned off the main road and headed down the dirt one. It was in surprisingly good condition. I enjoyed the drive through the countryside and eventually reached a spot to leave the geomobile. A short stroll later, I spotted the old survey blaze on the tree and shortly after, had the cache in hand. I love finding old caches. This one did not disappoint. From GZ, I could imagine an old stage coach continuing on from here.

Log to follow

After leaving a dust trail for kms in our geocaching adventure, i stumbled across the cache. Tftc!

Our first stop on our great central western geocaching adventure. Seeing it was placed fifteen odd years back and also hadn't been found in a year, i insisted we make a short detour out of eidsvold to go sign ourselves an heirloom. Rocks added to the cairn and back through the red dirt we did mosey. Thanks for taking us out here albyalbatross!
Found with offroadcaveman about nine am this morning.

Found Ok

youngoldfella and I are on our way to Barcaldine for a maintenance and planning run. This is Day 1. In some ways this was a bit of an anti climax. We were expecting the drive in to be a lot worse than it was, and the walk to GZ was effortless. The 'Survey Tree" was located quickly and the obvious SPOR. youngoldfella will tell about our surprise Courier Mail visitors. All in all a great experience for a fourteen year old cache.

Log signed & replaced again. Found at 10.25am on 24th March 2017. TFTC, tonyjago.

Caching plan in place with RoddyC and we left Nanango at 0600 this morning and arrived in Emerald at 1800. This one has been on must do list for quite awhile but never had the numbers to find to warrant a trip up here. 5 hours from home. We will be in the Jericho, Barcaldine and Muttaburrra areas for the nest 6 days.Good co ordinates and the container and contents are in excellent condition. On the drive in saw a white sedan and enquired if they were OK and they were and as we were returning th bag to the container the same car pulled up and the two males walked over. They were not geocachers but a journalist from the Courier Mail looking for a state forest nearby. RoddyC assisted them with an answer to their question and we were on our way again. TNLNSL TFTC tony/jago

TFTC 2126# what a wonderful day this old cache and in a round about way makes me wonder when husband great grandfather was out this way when he had 2 bullock wagons and 4 teams heading to Croydon in far Queensland taking supplies for the gold rush following the Cobb and Co track his grandfather was only a kid of 14 but was working the bullock teams no air con in those days thank you for the moment in memories

I set off from home at 1:15am for a selection of geocaches - this was the first one. I arrived at 6:45am.

Why such an effort for a geocache? Well it's part of personal challenge of mine : Getting the oldest caches in Queensland. This particular cache is the 41st oldest and active cache in Queensland.

I was a little worried when I was there was 16km or so of dirt road to traverse. I was in the little Lantra - but the road was not bad at all and the Lantra didn't complain about the task.

I finally pulled up at a (thankfully) lonely area just on dawn. I wasn't complaining about getting out of the car.

I followed the GPSr to a very likely spot and found something suspicious. As expected, a handsome geocache container. I signed the log and take some obligatory photos.

The listing is correct - it is not hard at all to imagine horse drawn carriages out here. No signs of modernism to be seen from GZ. I find it perplexing this geocache is not enjoying a favourite point. It gets one from me as I enjoy history. TFTC tonyjago

Rothy6 and I long travel on way to Barcaldine .. finally found oldest cache we are looking for it but seen there are heap of ants nest I try keep away them but they disturb us TFTC

Dranyer and I start our trip to Barcaldine from Brisbane but stopped at my hometown Eidsvold for overnight at dad s place and we left early to do our geocaching oldest cache so we came here and gosh ants was all over the cache and dranyer had to get stick and try push them away and it took us more than 5 mins to open it anyway we got it signed. I was hoping see some old coach but nah. TFTC

This cache has not been found for 460 days so adding it to my special list.
It seems to just get yearly visitors from the logs.
We decided to call past here on the way home from Moura.
I found the shield tree first.
Then I thought that the cache had gone.
Then I noticed something else and soon I found the cache.
Signed the log and returned all to the hide.
Back to the geomobile and headed for a couple more caches on the way home.
Thanks for bringing us here to feel this moment in history.
TNLNSL TFTC Thanks Tony and Jade (tonyjago) All good with this cache

Looking for a different way back home on the sunshine coast from visiting family in Wandoan. And this looked Real Different .
Not knowing what the road was like we stocked up on food, fuel and water expecting a real slow road or even driving 100k and having to return if the road didn't go through ?The car Gps Said it was straight forward and Google maps showed roads everywhere in all directions, I just let the car garmin gps do its thing and it got us to the cache on roads that all existed for once .
We parked and walked over to shield tree, and Mrs.K. Said that looks a bit suspicious !!
the cache was found .
Container took a bit of opening - finally the logbook was exposed, we signed and all replaced as found.
Tiny & Jade TFTC.
And bringing us out to see the Great Aussie Bush !

Found while out at the QCLNG pipeline. It was too close to pass up.
Smelled a little musty after all that time without a visit but perfectly dry and clean inside.

Found for the second time. Returned after nearly 8 years. Love the country. TFTC.

Gotcha !!! Nice little detour on my way from Isla Gorge NP to Mt. Perry. Thanks for bringing me out here. Dropped of TB for a short visit. TFTC

This was my first cache found!! Great fun.....especially as I should have been at work!!!! Left a Boart Longyear underground helmet key ring with working light. Easy to find, but cache is in good condition. griffo.79

Found it no problems, thanks! Was suppose to be be working but decided to go geocashing for afternoon instead, red dirt roads on trip out and nice river crossings, all sweet

Yes found it ok........... Great design of a cache, very water proof...............removed blanket, koala key ring, pearl badge and rubber. replaced with 2 badges, post card, hair clip. Also left travel bug from wuruma Cache.......AEG3GY

This entry was edited by Shotgun11 on Thursday, 23 September 2010 at 02:53:54.

nice work.

nexxa

Found the cache without a problem, hitting a roo on the way out could be a problem, I knew I bought a bullbar for a reason.
TFTC
Cheers
CamHelen

Interesting spot,came here on the way to Isla Gorge Nat Park. Great to be able to touch a bit of history. TFTC. Took coaster, left AusPearl trinket.

Found no problems, the cows where rather interested in what we were doing. Cache in good condition, roads where ok. Took calculator, left accident foil blanket. TFTC

Second cache for the day and a nice easy find after the last one. We did this on the Expedition run and where in great company.

Very quiet except for 3 4wd's.

Thanks ... Geoff Mel Leah Tara ...

Found on the way to Expedition National Park with the rest of the convoy.

Interesting place with a nice bit of history.

Thanks Tony & Jade.

Thanks for this cache, found this on our outbound trip to Expedition National Park. Great location and an interesting bit of history. Thanks for bringing me here.

Jerry.

We came at this place after visiting Auburn and navigating from the south. Roads in this area are in great condition at the moment and with the big dry, it is a good time to visit even though the area is a little parched. We found the coords spot on although the survey markers may have disappeared in fire.
T lock L toycar

Visited this cache for a checkup. All looks fine. I took out Buuey the Triceratops travel bug and will move him on to somewhere in Brisbane. Cache is in excellent order. Can future visitors ensure that the cache is completely covered in rocks before they leave so that they provide some shelter from the extreme sun. This way this cache should stand the test of time. This cache is probably not the best one to leave travel bugs in as it doesn't get visited all that frequently.

Decided to take a country road run to check out a couple of caches & this one was on the list. A fairly remote & dry area. The caches was easy to find & is in good condition. I like the way it is set up. Left the TB & took the rubber ducky

We found the cache at approx 3:15 in the afternoon it is still in excellent condition.

Left KC Royals coasters (US Baseball team) took the little red felt bag.

The cache was easy to find, came up from the south from Chinchilla, then on to Cracow, Theadore and Moura.
We had come from Victoria and were on our way to Canarvon Gorge.

Rgds,

Did a cache check for the new year. Cache is still in excellent condition and waiting for more people to find it. With the updated coordinates it should be easy!!

Found it after a bit of a jaunt through the local goat tracks.
Country is a bit dry but I think you are right it would be pretty after rain.
Traded nothing, just signed the log it apppears alby was worried that we were late (not late just slow).
Thanks for the cache
Georgie & co

Please note, the previous coordinates were incorrect. Thanks A&W for pointing out my mistake. Congratulations on first find!

[?] OK...Found it (eventually) Wendy says it is a nice spot.. Had lunch there with H20 snoopy..E mail to follow.