TS6547 Silent Grove Torrington, New South Wales, Australia
By
Grand Celestial Ambassador of the Geo-Halo Cult on 30-Sep-22. Waypoint TP13421
Cache Details
Difficulty: | |
Terrain: | |
Type: | TrigPoint |
Container: | Other |
Coordinates: | S29° 12.438' E151° 41.147' (WGS 84) |
56J 372245E 6768331N (UTM) | |
Elevation: | 1012 m |
Local Government Area: | Tenterfield |
Description
This is a Trig cache. It is a virtual cache. There are no physical geocache containers with logbooks or swap items here.
So what exactly is a Trig?
"Trig" is the abreviation of Trigonometric Station/Point. They are, or in most cases were, used by surveyors to create accurate maps of the area. Trigonometric Stations are named as such because trigonometry calculations are used to map out the location.
Over time there have been various mapping methods some of which were a little innacurate. Over the last 100 or so years Trigs have proved to be a fairly accurate tool when surveying. More recently though, technology has proved much more reliable. However, if technology suddenly failed forever and all maps went up in flames with it, we would have a great network of Trigs to start over with as seen in THIS MAP.
The locations, aka points or stations, where the surveyors made these calculations from were saved for future surveying using markers. These markers were meant to be permanent, however people have changed the landsape through things like farming and town growth and development meaning some of these markers have been removed. Luckily with the use of satelites and other amazing technology the older markers are pretty much unnecessary for surveying now. But they are great historical markers and fun to find, especially if left long forgotten in the middle of the bush like buried treasure. The long list of trigs on Geocachign Australia will help you find these Trigs.
Across Australia and New Zealand you can find a number of different styles of Trigs. Commonly they consist of a copper pin hammered into the ground or embedded in a concrete pillar with a stand and vane of some shape above it making it easier to find from long distances like other nearby Trigs. A few examples are in the images below:
[Image seen only is web browser, not in apps]
Trig points are generally located at the top of hills or points of prominence in the landscape. Many provide unique views and challenges, with some being difficult to get to. Accessing these Trigs is at your own risk. Please respect local laws and regulations when searching for trig points. If on private property, always seek permission to visit the Trig beforehand. If you think this trig listing should be archived because it is inaccessible, no longer exists, or is in a dangerous location, please log a 'Needs Archiving' log with explaination.
To log this trig as found, take a photo of the Trig with yourself or your GPS or something that represents yourself and proves you were there. Upload the photo with your found log. Other photos of the trig or area are always welcome.
If you can add information to this trig listing, such as access instructions or interesting facts, please add it at the botom of this description. All GCA members can use 'Edit this Cache' to add these details.
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Parking is possible close to the Trig at S29° 12.415' E151° 41.207' , however if boggy there may be a better parking spot 400m away at S29° 12.281' E151° 40.971'. Find your own way up to the white pillar Trig Station at GZ. Enjoy the magestical views.
This Trig was originally TS3933 Rockvale. No sketch can be found for it. No original trig structure was found at GZ in 1979 when they went looking for 'Rockvale' to replace it with a pillar. This 1980s concrete pillar is not at the top of the hill. Maybe the coordinates were out and there is still evidence of the original trig at the top??? I wish I'd read about that before headed out there.
Logs
What a view. I could see the mound that the Carpet Snake Trig was on. The wind was strong, as it had been all day - and so cold. It was all a bit refreshing though, and makes a welcome change from summer heat.
The trig is in good condition, with name plate still attached.
I took a few photos and then made my way back to the car to return home. It had been a nice day of adventure - finding two trigs, both with some awesome views.
Wow, the views!!! After taking in the views for a while, I took a few snaps, and then took a short walk toward the top of the hill. But I turned back not far from the top, calling back to the others still at the trig saying, "Nah, there won't be anything up here. Surely they would have taken any old trig remains away with them when building the pillar one. I'm sure they had a good reason for not placing it at the top." Now that I am home I read that they never even found the remains of the old one, so maybe the coords they were given were actually for a good lookout and they just chose this spot to place the new trig because the view was too amazing. haha. I might never know. But I might also return because that view is worth visiting over and over. Speaking of the view - I didn't get any really good shots of just how far and wide you can see, so you'll just have to go see for yourself.