Annie & PB

OK - so what did 'muggle' mean and where/when was it used before Harry Potter??? Personally, I'd never heard the word before starting geocaching, and I've never read Harry Potter, so i wouldn't have known 'muggle' was used in it, appart from being told on this forum. Annie

I think New Zealand is the best place in the world to geocache ....... but I might just be a tiny bit biased!!! And it's summer here. So come on over. Annie

Go here: Cacheopedia for definitions and explanations for a heap of stuff. Annie

Well, you actually don't need to worry about pocket queries just yet. Just take it one cache at a time. All you can find at a time is one cache. Read the instruction book for your GPS. Learn how to manually enter co-ordinates. Pick one good cache near your home (good cache = a traditional that has been found frequently and recently, has a terrain rating of 1.5 or 2, a difficulty rating of 1 or 2, and is a regular or large sized container (but definately not a micro or nano!!)) Enter the co-ordinates into your GPS and go find it!!! (Or not find it - that happens some times too.) Really. That's all you need to do. Forget the pocket queries. If you have a low frustration level, geocaching will not be the hobby for you. Annie

Thank you for rescuing the rabbit, and also for trying to find a good home for him/her. It would make a good ' feel-good' short article for your community newspaper (if your area has one?) or local radio - some advertising for the rabbit for a new home, AND a positive geocaching story. As has been suggested try your local vet as well as the animal shelters. Put a notice in the window of any local stores that allow it. Even if you can manange to keep him/her at your place for a few days while you find a good home, you will be doing a kind thing. Annie

LOL!!! Quite right! Annie

Try here at Cacheopedia as well. Heaps of useful definitions and explanations. Annie

Try here also: Cacheopedia Lots of information for newbies. Annie

Cacheopedia has a lot of good beginner's information and terms explained (but probably not the region specific ones!) Annie

We just hope to find A cache over Christmas. We were going to be on a five day trip away, but for family reasons have had to change our plans and stay home. And our local area is pretty thin on caches we haven't found that are terrain/difficulty that we can do. I will enjoy looking at other people's photos! (Or perhaps it will just make the withdrawl symptoms worse ......) Annie

Lots of things! Tramping/hiking/walking - with or without canine companions. Wildlife/Bird watching or photographing - I guess also plants and fungi photography In fact any outdoors photography!! Cycling - street, park or mountain Any kind of all terrain vehicle hobbies whether it be bikes, trucks, ATVs Camping - tenting or mobile homes History & geneology Gemstone hunting Fishing, hunting Horse-riding Boating - motor boats or kayaking/canoeing/rafting Rock climbing Many kinds of computer/technology type interests Mapping, orienteering, navigation type activities kind folk who are into developing Open Source maps And I personally think Postcrossing goes pretty well too for developing a knowledge of and interest in the world around us!! I'm sure there are more. Annie

Yep - mine's in my signature line. And I've got a few others linked. However look here: Geocaching Online for a big list of the best blogs and websites. This will keep you busy for days!! Remember to scroll right down to the bottom of the page to where it says 'more blogs.' Annie

This Geofrees is the Scottish geocaching forum. I believe it is quite a helpful place where you may be able to link up with someone in your area for some advice. (I'm not Scottish, but I know a Scottish geocacher online.) You have to become a member - but it's free. There is also a UK forum somewhere here - no doubt Mrs Bolorange will be along shortly it point it out. Get in touch with some other Scottish cachers, go to an event or out caching with them, and that will be your best route to learning new skills. Annie (from new zealand)

I think the person who said ' someone who can think outside the square' is right. A geocacher is a person who can see new possibilities in almost any place or activity. Someone who can take an ordinary hike or bike ride or day in the park or day at the mall or road trip to or with the family and add a little bit of mystery and adventure!! Someone who is willing to learn and explore and challenge their physical and mental capacities. And it's a great way to find new intersting places to walk your dog! So I'm with those who say go for it! When your family & friends see how much fun you are having and the adventures you are going on, they might well end up joining you. If you have family members who have an interest in hiking, walking or cycling or anything about the outdoors, or history, geneology, photography or puzzles there may be caches that will particularly interest them tha you could get them to go along with you. Annie

The 'point' of Premium membership for me is that I can do Pocket Queries. Really, that's it. I would not know if a cache I found was a PM only cache, I just find them all. And I can't see a situation where I would place a PM only cache. I won't say never, but at present Idon't see it as likely. Annie

Hi! Good to have a new addict join us! I recently started a blog too - so I've added you to my blogroll. I will be looking forward to hearing more about your caching adventures. (And seeing lots of photos too!! ) Annie

A valid point, and I do write log comments that are generally a paragraph or so long rather than a couple of words. However for me, I wanted to start writing a blog to say the things that I could not really say in a cache log. Such as my thoughts about an overall area, or about how a trip as a whole was, or things that might be considered spoilers if they were on the cache log. Plus it's an opportunity to introduce caching (and my country) to a whole swarm of readers who would never see my cache logs. And I enjoy reading such things written by others. Opinions may vary of course. Annie

Very cool!! I can see that you Welsh geocachers are going to have to get together and figure out what the Welsh language word for GPS and travel bug (and a few other things?) would be!!! Annie

That link no longer exists. Try the following... http://www.tftc.us http://www.flentje.com Thanks for the updated links. I did try all the links on this thread yesterday and did find that a few didn't work and a few had not been added to for some time. Your Exploring America posts at flentji.com are a great idea!!! Will add your blog to my blogroll, and will take time to read all the historic info at some point. Annie

Bookcrossing caches are quite common in New Zealand - well in our island anyway, as one of the cachers is a bookcrossing fan too. I have an account at Bookcrossing for tracking any books that we move from cache to cache, but we don't actively participate (have just joined PostCrossing though!!) We have one cache that caters for Bookcrossing books. Book & Bug Box I suspect if you put 'bookcrossing' in the keyword search on the Hide & Seek page that you will come up with lots of bookcrossing caches around the world. Annie

From what I've seen you live in a pretty scenic place already. I'm not sure that I'll sign up for the site but there is a good chance i'll be traveling to Iquitos, Peru, Montpellier, France, and possibly Rome early next year and I'd be happy to send a post card. You are quite right - I do live in a spectacular scenic country, and one of the best bits of it at that. But there's whole other landscapes and cultures out there to explore too - even if just in a 'virtual' way. I would guess you get to some pretty scenic spots too in a kayak!? LOL!! I will pass that on to some of my new geocaching/postcrossing pals!! DulcimerGuy - I will send you a PM and find our your Postcrossing names. I thinkit would be kind of cool if I randomly ended up sending a Postcard to someone I'd already 'met' on another forum or blog. And as you say, it's good to have another hobby for when the weather is truly too rough for geocaching. I can see me developing a bookmark list of caches all around the world that I would dream of visiting. (If we ever suddenly find a money tree ....... LOL). Annie

Sounds like a fantastic event! We'd come ..... if we didn't live half a world away. . Anyhow, just wanted to say that, and I've got no useful comments on extreme events as we've only been to a couple of events. Mind you this one:Easter Event is held at a remote camping ground. We camped overnight before and after as did a number of the other attendees. Annie

Well, a thread about blogs hasn't been around for awhile, so I searched out this one to add my name to the list of blogging cachers. Well, actually my blog is about a little bit of lots of things, but I just posted a geocaching entry today. Are there any other new (or old!) geocaching bloggers who'd like to 'fess up? I'd especially like to read some blogs from Britian, Europe or Australia/New Zealand cachers as I seem to have alot of great American/Canadian ones on my blog roll already. Annie

Hi there, I've just recently discovered another new addictive hobby Postcrossing website. Seeing as I don't travel overseas, this seems like a great way to learn about other ccountries and other people, in the way that geocaching has taught me alot about my own area and country. Plus I can see that I will soon develop a whole bunch of scenic or historic places around the world that I would LOVE to geocache in!!! Annie

I would only do it once. One GC number equals one find as far as I am concerned. Annie