warthog

As there is not much difference between the two choices, and the first one selected was *WC*, I suggest we stick with **

My few cents on this: I like the idea from Fish Eagle on the abbreviations. Something I have noticed, is that the searching does a full word seach and not only the front portion, so the abbreviation or identifier can be placed anywhere in the cache name. However to make it affective it should be enclosed by something to make it unique, i.e. *MP*, *WC* or [MP], [WC]. This should resolve any issues where similar characters appear in another word in a cache name. My view is to add it to the end of the cache name. A bigger problem will be to contact cachers not on the forum to inform them of our 'suggested' format. Suggested abreviations for the nine provinces and enclosed by **: Eastern Cape - *EC* Free State - *FS* Gauteng - *GP* KwaZulu-Natal - *KZN* Limpopo - *LIM* Mpumalanga - *MP* North West - *NW* Northern Cape - *NC* Western Cape - *WC*

So who lost their head this time?

If I search hard, I will maybe also find my communications with the Geocaching team on this one. It never materialised even though they did say it got onto there priority list. Last emails never even got answered, when I was checking on progress. This occured during 2005. I then started using one of the "user data" fields in GSAK to manually enter the province code. I then filter on this code to find caches per province. A bit heavy work first time round, but once you have done the first work, keeping it up to date every week is easy.

As I was the one who have started the talk around the "unknown" SA geocoin, maybe I should then close it off now. This is a very nice geocoin and one I think we should all be proud of. I will purchase one (or maybe more) of these. However, I still believe the silver/platinum design from TeamTGF is absolutely the best and would still like to see it on another SA coin in the near future. How about a "small 5" with this on the back? A 2010 geocoin is just to far in the future to let such a design disappear.

Coin and pins is the seller, but their site is currently not opperable. www.coinsandpins.com

Congrats to Larks, DBob, Cache-fan and others that I may have missed.

Now that the real men played with the first XXX-treme travel bug weighting in at only 36 kgs, the little ones can play with this XXXSSS (read extra small)-treme travel bug / geo coin weighing in at only 0.54 kg.

As per the description against the coin on the coinsandpins website: This is a well rounded coin. Developed by a South African geocacher; it contains an image of the flag, a font developed by a South African, and designs from rock art which were created by native South Africans many years ago. Finally, but not least are the five largest, most dangerous, and majestic beasts of South Africa rendered in 3-D images on the backside. All five of these animals are extremely dangerous when cornered. The coins will be offered in both polished gold and antique copper. I have already emailed the coin company on "To contact customer support, send e-mail to: customerspt@coinsandpins.com " to request the name of such mentioned South African Geocacher. Let's see what they come back with. I just think it is only fair to have allowed the cachers that have originated the creation of such coin to take it through to its final product and if this was done by a cacher for his/her own financial or other gains and did not inform/include the rest of the community, I will definately not purchase this coin, but before we run off and get ourselves worked up about this, let's see what coinandpins come back with as a reply. My view is still that some of the other ideas/views on a South African coin looks far better than the product that will go on sale here.

Which coin provider are you talking about here?

I see that a South African Geocoin has now been done and will become available for sale later this month. (30 March). Wonder who created this one? See the South African geocoin here

I think I would rather like to submit a favourite per province: 1. Gauteng - Stoddard's Demise: It was just so bl...y difficult, and when it was eventually deciphered it was absolutely great! 2. Mpumalanga - Pilgrim's Secret Well go and have a look for yourself why. 3. Western Cape - Cape Agulhas Haven't done that many in WC, but the Cuppachinos at the Light House are absolutely marvelous, so do this one on a cold windy day. (Most days around here like that in any case )

Hornbill, can you swim, very nice/interesting cache? Hekpoort, has it been replaced?, was gone during the Event cache. Once you have done all the Magalies caches, please post a write up for the benefit of other chachers doing the Magaliesburg area.

Thanks guys and also a congratulations to QFC, Batsgonemad... and GR (belated). And anyone else I may have missed, as the teams are moving so quickly nowadays, you just can't keep up with everyone.

Don't know if anyone follows the monthly "Countries" Wallpapers. This month South Africa is featured and this becomes the logo for the monthly Signal Geocoin as well. I think a few more locals will be buying geocoins this month

My few cents (or coins) on the designs: All of them are very nice! I really like the ZATeam coin backside. This looks great as a "Standard Background" for SA coins. The Rhino front is also great and would suggest a coloured "outer circle"; where the "The Big 5 Collection" wording is. The different colours of the flag, i.e. red, blue, green, yellow, white and black could be used. One for every different coin to be produced, using five of the colours for the circle and the sixth for the wording. To add a bit more colour, maybe green for the grassy bits, but obviously this is not a "funny design", so you also don't want to over do the colours. Now if I can just get an "artist's impression" of a Rhino Beetle, to see what the "Small Five" would look like. What about placing a "release date" on the outer circle, i.e. "May 2007" if that is the month in which the coin was released the first time. Only problem here is that if for any reason the creation of the coin is delayed, then this wording will have to be changed as well, so maybe this would not be such a good idea.

Maybe the name "committee" isn't really fitting and maybe this should rather been seen as a "Sprecial Interest Group" with the "Special Interest" being to keep a special watch on RESPONSIBLE placement and finding of caches in envornment sensitive areas.

Congrats to Nish4 on your first century. Keep it up!

I believe that all caches have been placed in areas where people may either get out of there vehicles or in camps, which even in the case of not having caches, have been open to "environmental activity" by people, and was declared "safe at own risk" by the KNP. The ONLY real issue in this whole thread comes to your last word RESPONSIBILITY, being the cacher to be responsibile in the way he/she places the cache, and I think most have had the responsibility of placing it correctly. Those that were not placed responsibly were very quickly pointed out as such. There is obvisouly also the RESPONSIBILITY on the next cacher finding the cache to not further affect the environment negatively when doing the cache. Please THINK RESPONSILBLY

I will also be keen to share ideas around the "Big 5/ Small 5" geocoins. A suggestion is that we come up with a standard "backside", as this will obviously make the desgin costs less for future coins. Where are all those creative cachers??? Come, come, come, let us have some pictures of your design ideas. Oh yes, and then into the future someone may want to start thinking of bringing out a "Soccer 2010" geocoin, similar to the "Soccer 2006" geocoin, obviously the person needs to contact the official bodies for authorisation on the use of Logos, etc.

And for those seriously into Micro caching... How about a set of South African micro coins containing the small 5 Ant Lion Leopard Tortoise Elephant Shrew Rhino Beetle Red Billed Buffalo Weaver These type of coins, if cost effective can be done every second month in a set of two, i.e. The Big Five and its associaed Small 5 Micro coin.

How do you intend doing this, If you have the money, I have the time

How about something on the lighter (and no I don't mean in colour) side of muggles at caches. Read my log on the Tribute to Miners cache. Man, did I enjoy it!

Doing that speed in reverse, imagine what you can do going forward

I am more than willing to do my bit as part of such a committee. I would also suggest that the guidelines are shared with cachers in other provinces where there are caches in National / Regional Parks, i.e. Eastern Cape (Addo), Western Cape (Table Mountain and others), North West (Pilanesberg), etc. as the guidelines "controlling/guiding" the one may just as well be used for the other provinces.