GEO936
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Posts posted by GEO936
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Hi guys... On the newsletter it said u can download a free app for Challenge caches. But we can't find this for the iPhone and we r not certain if we need the app to do the Challenge. We can view the challenges caches in Stockholm where we r currently but we r not certain if we r missing something. Any advice and help will be greatly appreciated!! Greetings from GEO936
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And the Western Cape representatives are?
Gisela (g.i.s.) will represent WC
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We now have a Constitution which has been looked at by our Legal Eagle JP, and it has been signed. This was done during the co-ordinating body meeting on 02 August 2011. We had representation from CT and KZN and they provided their valuable input. This Constitution will now enable us to open the much needed bank account so that we can get the ball rolling on our first major Event - the SAMP (South African Mega Party).
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Hi Everyone
The Mega planning is happening. Since the last co-ordinating body meeting held on 31 May 2011, we've had various sub-committee meetings. The sub-committees include:
a ) Marketing (includes fundraising, sponsorships and IT)
b ) Financial & Legal
c ) Logistics
d ) Programme
We had another co-ordinating body meeting on 02 August 2011, where we agreed on a constitution, as well as had feedback from the sub-committee meetings.
We needed to get the constitution (for Geocachers of South Africa - GoSA) sorted, so that we could get resolutions and that would enable us to open a bank account. We need a bank account asap in order to start fundraising.
The next major hurdle is finding a suitable Venue. We are busy researching possible Venues with a list of requirements. As soon as the ideal Venue is found, we will need to pay deposits to secure that Venue for the Mega. It may sound like the Mega is a long way away, but Venues get booked up so quickly, therefore we need to act soon.
The Marketing Committee co-ordinator will arrange a meeting with all the IT guys who offered their help and services, so that a website can be set up. The website will include a "registration" facility. We need teams to start registering their intention to attend the Mega so that we can start to get an idea of numbers - especially for the Venue but also for Groundspeak.
We'll be attending two Mega Events in the next four weeks - one in Finland and the other in Germany. We've already picked up one or two issues that we have said we should not do here, so we'll learn a lot more once we are part of everything. We also have other fellow cachers who have already attended Megas in both Scotland and Canada and have received a lot of advice and feedback from them.
We are certain that with all this information we'll be able to put together an awesome Mega Event where all us crazy people can get together and have one of the most memorable geocaching experience EVER!!
Watch this space....
Warmest regards
the GEO936 team
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Hi Team_Zenboom....we've sent you a PM (Private Message)....look forward to hearing from you! Cheers GEO936
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We've successfully purchased from Socalgeocoins in the past. We bought so much that they gave us a free "write in the rain" notebook....which some cachers have already experienced on our BR Series.
Great bunch the guys at Socal! -
Wow Danie! That's incredible and is very interesting. Dankie vir al die moeite!!
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I too am "not a fan" (to understate it in the extreme) of powertrails. I too feel they detract from the ethos of taking people to unique places of interest. I also feel the undermine the whole purpose of a multicache. If the area is a fantastic area, placing a multicache would be able to take visitors to that area.
Powertrails raise an issue for me. Let it be said, that from the beginning, I know that what I am about to ask is somewhat rhetorical:
Is there a place for some kind of referendum system, where local cachers can vote on certain issues, to allow certain local rules, that may break from the overall GC rules?
If for example, most cachers in the county did NOT want power trails,could we decide locally to disallow them?
As I said, a rhetorical question. There can never be local rules. It would be nice though to have some forum where cachers could air their feelings regarding issues like these. It would be nice if we could have a system where the reviewer had a sense of what the majority of cachers felt on issues, and then could "advise" cachers that, although legal, their cache was against the general local communities desires for geocaching. "I will publish your cache in the KFC parking lot, but perhaps consider....."
Nobody knows what the majority of geocachers in South Africa would prefer. We have such a diverse population with all sorts of preferences. Thinking of the number of geocachers in the country though, I reckon that there would be no majority rule in any area of geocaching. I am certain there would be a balance of what geocachers would prefer across the country...there would be an even spread all round.
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Could anyone tell me how a true geocaher looks like?
YOU look like a "true" geocacher.
A person registered on geocaching.com, who has found and logged a geocache, is a true geocacher! You don't need to have any stats - you just need to have found a cache or hidden one! The way I see it...all geocachers are true geocachers!
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Shew! I've been off the forum for a while - been really busy with all sorts of other things (called work yuk!). Well, well, well....I've just read the recent logs about the new power trail in Gauteng - the GPS. So much negativity and criticism....why??? Why so much hatred and pointing fingers? What is wrong with geocachers here? To me geocaching is about fun - lots of it - and it means different things for different people. Geocaching is an experience and that experience is different for each individual.
We were privileged to be part of this momentous GPS Series and we had a lot of fun with all the hides we placed. We decided to place micros for "muggle" reasons, but we put down some easy and some not so easy hides. It was a busy road but we chose the service road alongside and hid most of the caches along there. We did a maintenance run recently of our 43 hides within 1.5 hours. Only 5 caches had gone missing - 3 due to veld fires and 2 due to being muggled. The majority of them were there after three months of hiding them. The one cache I still remember that I battled to find - it was very amusing. To see the CO scratching around in the wrong OPOR!! I laughed at myself. Another of the caches we met up with a snake when we hid the cache. It would be a challenge to find the cache - so many rocks and a well camouflaged spec bottle - and a snake in the vicinity!
Yesterday, I went out scouting a venue to host the upcoming Mega Event. A section of the GPS route was in the area. I had to find a cache for the day so I decided to find one of the GPS ones. It was great. It made me stop at an interesting spot and I got a closer view of the structure that the cache highlighted. I had always driven past this structure without getting close to it. Yesterday I had a reason to get out of my car and take a closer look. I must say that I was so tempted to stop for all the other caches as I headed on home. It was really exciting to see these little green boxes light up on SASHA's screen. My heart started pounding with the excitement, but I exercised discipline and did not continue finding them. I had promised Rolf to do the GPS some other time and see how many we could find as a team. We may even hook up with other teams if we can get the planning right.
Not all the GPS caches are micros, some are smalls as well. Many of them are in interesting spots, or structures and they are just loads of fun. The caches were placed by a lot of teams and each cache took effort to place and were not just slapped together. Being involved with the GPS also brought a lot of teams together, from newbies to not so newbies. Through the planning and discussions, we have got to know many teams a lot better. I know I spoke to other teams and they too had lots of fun with the placement of caches (even meeting up with a lion at the one cache - seriously). So many memories were made just by hiding the caches, never mind finding them. I know it was a memorable day when the teams set off just after midnight to go and find these caches. It was by no means an easy task and it required a lot of teamwork and careful planning. It was an endurance challenge and so what if over 600 smilies were attained? Some folk choose to take 5 years to reach a target, others wish to take 5 months to reach a target. It is a matter of individual choice.
As for our Reviewer ROTSIP - he had the choice not to support this idea. But he chose to support it and he committed to make it happen. We are very grateful for his support and dedication, and we have enormous respect for him and for his better half as she also supported him through the hard work. And it was loads of hard work, but he was happy to do it. The main thing was that he was not forced to do it. Thank goodness for his open mind! Yay - we don't have a dictator for a Reviewer! Thank goodness for that.
Geocaching is about so many things - taking you to an interesting spot, showing you something different, enlightening you about some historical event, sharing some personal experience with you, giving you a challenge, allowing you the opportunity of having fun, giving you a reason to climb a mountain, making you take note of geological/earth science phenomenons, making you stop and smell the roses, giving you the opportunity of the wind in your hair, making your heart pound loudly in your chest, giving you a challenge to encounter. Each cache type and idea will give you one or two or more of these experiences AND it could be in from one or two or 600 caches. Geocaching is about the zest for life.....Geocaching is about the journey - whether it is for one cache or for 600. For some folk some aspects will not please them or interest them, but that is all a personal opinion and should be kept to his/her own personal point of view. To shoot other people down and to dictate how things should be, is in my opinion not in the spirit of geocaching.
I guess it is a lot like parenting. So many parents have their own view about parenting. Some agree to discipline, others prefer the "laissez faire" method. There is no right or wrong way of being a parent - you do what you think is best for your children. So geocaching to me is very similar - there is no right or wrong way - there is the way that you like it and if it is different to what the next person likes, then that is just one of those things. But don't criticise a guy if he enjoys something different to you. So what if we have a cache hidden every 161m? So what if we have a cache hidden in a leopard's lair in the middle of nowhere? So what if we have a cache hidden in a cave with a muggle sleeping there and it is pitch dark? If you want to find it you will, if it does not appeal to you, you ignore it.
We like all the different facets of the geocaching gem! AND... I think we are very fortunate to have so much to offer in our country with regards to geocaching. We have something for everyone - isn't that an achievement? I think so, and I'm proud to have been part of so many of the geocaching experiences in South Africa, including the GPS series.
PS: We love Fish Eagle's idea of the hike!! That is a brilliant idea and that route he is looking at is in a very beautiful part of the country. We may just join you for that one
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Hi there
We would like to do the 10 Icon Walk BUT on Friday, 26 August. Apparently this walk will take place on Saturday but we are already booked on the boat trip during the same time as the walk. We were advised to post on here whether there would be any one else interested in joining us on this walk but on the Friday instead. It would also mean that we would only be able to do 9 of the Icons because the tenth icon is a CITO which is only going to be on the Saturday.
We have two small children with us, so the pace will be slow.
Is there anyone else who would like to join us on this walk on the Friday?
Please PM us on geo936@gmail.com.
Greetings from GEO936 from South Africa
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We use the etrex Vista HCX (Rolf) as well as the Garmin Nuvi 500 (Silvia). We also have iPhones (Silvia has the 4, Rolf has the 3), and I've been using my iPhone lately because SASHA (my Nuvi 500) wasn't up to date with the caches. I found the iPhone to be very accurate and reliable.
SASHA has been great - I've been doing all my caching since Feb with her and I have successfully found all the caches. Sometimes, the co-ords are off, and you struggle to find the cache, but you would struggle with any device in that case. What is nice about SASHA is that she is great as a road GPS (good navigation) and she is great when finding a cache! So you get the best of both worlds with her. She is very accurate for a Nuvi.
Rolf always uses the etrex for placing caches, as it gives an average of readings for a point, so the co-ords on the listing are generally accurate.
A lot of our geocaching friends have the Dakota, and some of them are happy with it and others not so happy. So perhaps it boils down to a needs and personal choice thing.
Our advice is to try and hook up with cachers in your area, and go out caching with them and see how their instruments work out in field. Don't buy the new device just yet....
Good luck!
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The density for the USA is 539, and for Germany it is 5543. (This means that for the same area, Germany has 105 times as many caches as South Africa!)
Thanks for the great stats Danie! It is very interesting....we have come a long way over the years.
We are so thrilled to hear about the cache density in Germany....we will be going there soon and we are so looking forward to it!
Greetings from GEO936
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Hi Bremar Josrut
Welcome to Geocaching!! We hope you begin to enjoy it as much as we do. Some would say we are obsessed or addicted to the sport - but hey, we're just having a great time!
You are not alone when struggling to work out Mystery/Puzzle caches. Most of the time they just require a creative mind or a logical mind, it just depends. I generally struggle with puzzles, whereas Rolf is very good at solving them. We have also found that solving puzzle caches with a group is very effective. You will find that each individual has skills in specific areas and by getting together you harness the best out of everyone and the solving becomes so much easier.
Many of the puzzle caches we have done, have had clues or co-ords as part of the picture's properties. Sometime you have to work something out, and sometimes you need to go on site to get some information. It just depends.
I had a look at the one "A view from the hill". There is a geo checker on the page, which means you can calculate the final co-ords from your armchair. I also notice that picture/photograph in listing looks like a puzzle in itself. I think this picture is giving clues, maybe even the final co-ords but how to interpret it? Initially I thought it had something to do with the structures - if you look at them they can be translated into numbers e.g. six pillars in the one pic. That's just an idea.
Another tip is to look at the given co-ords. The final co-ords should be more or less around the same degrees or just out by one digit. So if you are working out a puzzle and you find the final co-ords you have calculated are no where near the given co-ords, then chances are you've made an error.
On the cache with the riddle (In search of temporal...), you need to read "between the lines". The co-ords are in the story - notice the paragraphs - there are two of them. Read the text carefully - there are numbers as well as the mention of "South" and "East". Note these things down and see if you can make sense of it.
The one on the rocket, the CO has given a whole bunch of images, which you need to go through. I just looked at the one attachment, but again I see it has numbers and things. I think if you take a look at everything again - you'll find some much needed info. Remember, he says "perhaps this added info will assist you...."
If you do not know any other geocachers, try to attend the next Event that comes up. Events are social get-togethers of geocachers and you get to meet a lot of teams. Then you can perhaps hook up with the new contacts you have made and set up sessions for cracking puzzle caches as a team. Up here in Gauteng, we'll be attending a Techno Event that will focus on solving Puzzle Caches. Tips and tricks and then group solving. If you are keen to be a part of it and have skype, let me know and we can connect with you. PM me on: geo936@gmail.com.
Good luck!
Silvia (GEO936)
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Hi cincol....I will provide some more details soon. Cheers Silvia
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OK - my guesses - agricultural (citrus and livestock) or archeological - there were some amazing rock art finds down there from the late stone age and some good fishing in the Mooi plus some peripheral activity on the Zulu wars.
But I will go for something economically based - I'd say there were precious metal deposits found - and mine activity was started.
When you "play the board" like GEO936 then based on the balance of probabilities you are likely to hit the right number at some point in time!
I think you need to be a little more specific on this one now that you have mentioned just about everything there is to mention. 
Let me say that you have mentioned the correct "answer" but I will need you to now elaborate a bit on it in order to qualify. 
Ha! Ha! Poor GEO936...is it only the "3" part aka Silvia that participates...so please don't think it is poor Rolf! I get all creative with my answers because I'm not allowed to use my good friend Google! I would also say that this had something to do with Royalty...didn't Queen Elizabeth visit RSA in the early 60's?
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I would like to reserve 23 July 2011 as the date for the next techno event.
It should be a techno event with a difference, so watch this space and all will be revealed.
Damhuisclan would like organise a hands on event for solving puzzles. The idea is to get into groups and solve puzzles together from scratch without help or hints. Two heads are always better than one.
This is a great idea of Damhuisclan. We tried this out with MadSons when we went away on a camping weekend. The puzzles that did not require information from a location, were solved between all of us. We managed to solve about 8 puzzles over the two evenings...each of us had strengths in differnt areas so when all our four brains were combined we were quite resourceful.
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Hi VryBurgers
We have purchased many geocoins and other geo goodies from various places on the internet. We have only had two incidents where the order did not reach us and in one case one of the geocoins got damaged. Both these shipments were re-sent or replaced, so we did not lose out.
It is always a great thing to team up with other teams who also wish to purchase coins and goodies, because then the shipping costs are divided amongst the parties and it makes your particular order more cost effective.
We usually purchase from the following places:
www.geocoinshop.de
www.coinsandpins.com
www.chqualitycoins.com
www.socalgeocoins.com
We also know that BruceTP does a lot of purchasing on the net for geocaching goodies, like caches, camo tape, etc. So drop him an email to find out what he has in stock. You are also welcome to contact us when you want to purchase some geocoins, as we are certain there will be lots of other people who will also be interested to purchase coins and we could all share the load.
Another cacher who may still have stock of geocoins is GreenJaM - he purchased a whole bunch a while ago and he may still have some stock left.
Happy Caching!
GEO936
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I want to host an event on the 16th of June 2011, that is Youthday, at Red Star Motorcycle Raceway. It's a new venue near Delmas. There is a get together of some 500 - 1000 motorbikes on that day, with a host of entertainment and things to see. Can be a great family outing. Any objections or clashes?
Sounds great! We'll help you host it......
We can have our own geocaching thing at a great place such as this, plus we'll make the journey to the venue worthwhile with a cache or two or more to find! -
Not sure if this is allowed or not but...... I have a Garmin Etrex legend with world basemaps loaded for sale that would be a very good starter GPS for any newbie out there. Available for any reasonable offer. I will put it on gumtree in a few days but wanted to give fellow cachers first dibs. It is a good machine and only getting rid of it as my son gave me something with a few more bells and whistles.
Hi Phil
At an event today, one of the cachers mentioned he was looking for a second hand gps. Is this one of yours still up for grabs? I will PM you for details. Many thanks Silvia
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We originally missed this thread, but as it turned out we met up with Team hobel on the 26 March when they attended our Event. Rolf then took them on a caching spree and they found almost 40 caches together, right into the night. They enjoyed themselves immensely and Rolf learned a lot too from their geocaching experiences. A great time was had by all.
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As of today (29 March)= the following caches have the most favourite points:
(1)(+2) 28 Sentinel View by Prof Charles Merry (GC185)Western Cape, South Africa
(2)(+1) 21 Little Netherlands TB Hotel by GEO936 (GC1GZ0K) Gauteng, South Africa
(3)(+1) 20 Ipanema by louwtjievdw (GC20XJH)Free State, South Africa
(4)(--) 18 Sailors' Star by vespax (GCVDHN)Western Cape, South Africa
(4)(+1) 18 Table Top Trove by Richter Family (GCMYYZ)Western Cape, South Africa
(6)(--) 17 Kirstenbosch Gardens - Big 5 by CapeDoc (GC1BZ22) Western Cape, South Africa(
(7)(+1) 16 Longfinger by Louwtjievdw (GC1WBRJ)Free State, South Africa
(8)(--) 15 Training by John-Gill (GCW8AV)Western Cape, South Africa
(8)(+1) 15 A Tribute to Friends and Family by Pixel and Possum (GC2926W)Western Cape, South Africa
(10)(+1)14 Table Mountain - Cape Town by spuzva (GC1ABZK) Western Cape, South Africa
(10)(NE)14 The Darkness Beckons by Capeccr (& Thunder) (GC2G0ZA) Western Cape, South Africa
Wow, only one cache from Gauteng and none from KZN or the other provinces besides Western Cape and Free State.
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But soon I will pay these chaps a visit and then it is PAYBACK TIME.
What is all this about? Cachers can log their finds in whichever way they want to. Who are we as the geocaching community to point fingers and tell other cachers what they should be doing? So what if a cacher writes "TFTC" or copies a log which incorporates his/her caching experience? Some cachers don't even write anything and leave an empty log. So what? You can't be serious that you take personal offence to certain types of log contents?
For us, we are grateful when our caches are found and replaced as they were found, available for the next cacher. The way the cache finder logs his experience is his/her personal choice and none of us should be telling him/her how to log nor should we be threatening with "PAYBACK" and stuff. That is silly and not in the spirit of geocaching.
Our 2c worth.
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A few belated congrats from the GEO936 team...
Jors, "jors truly" well done on reaching your 1000. We certainly hope you will keep in the game as we enjoy your company, your logs, just you!! So you cannot stop now and we hope to be able to share your 2000 milestone .... soon!
iPajero, WOW, big WOW...it seems just like yesterday when we were discussing your 2000 finds Achievement Coin. The planning behind getting the coin, how the community was going to give it to you, and all that. And all of a sudden you've hit over 4000. That is an amazing feat and we are very proud of you! Congratulations!
dakardrix, sneaky, very sneaky. You got to your 1000 without a sound! Or is it a case of GEO936 sleeping on the job and not keeping abreast with the happenings? We still remember following your frantic race to reach 500 within a year and how you pushed yourself to the limits, blood, sweat and some tears.....etc. And then WHAM! before you know it you've just clocked another 500 without us knowing about it. But it is cool, we are proud of you too! Well done!
MadSons, the mad one of us all but the most entertaining too. Who would've said on the 24th September 2010 that you would've achieved 1000 cache finds in just 6 months? Does the Busa have something to do with all this - the lightning speed? Or is it the pure determination of the Lion not to give up? It is one hell of an achievement and we congratulate you. We enjoy reading your logs, listening to your caching stories, so please keep them coming. Well done! Here's to the next 1000!
I think you need to be a little more specific on this one now that you have mentioned just about everything there is to mention. 
Let me say that you have mentioned the correct "answer" but I will need you to now elaborate a bit on it in order to qualify. 
We can have our own geocaching thing at a great place such as this, plus we'll make the journey to the venue worthwhile with a cache or two or more to find!
Mega event- Yay or Nay
in South Africa
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YAY!!!! For sure! We've just attended our first Mega Event in Finland and it was a fantastic experience. It really was just like our normal events but just that there were loads more people. In fact it as like going to a school fete or Lusito Land or something like that. Lekker kuier, eating and drinking, laughing, exchanging stories, discovering trackables, etc.
It was an amazing experience. We met so many different people from a number of countries and we did tell them about our Mega, so there can be no backing out now!!!
We learnt a lot from the Finnish, but also spent time with the organizer of the Swiss Mega and chatted briefly with the organizers of the Austrian 2009 Mega.
We even met up with teams that have an aim to attend as many Megas as possible, and they have travelled all over the world.
I think hosting a Mega is doable and a great event to have for every geocacher in the geocaching community - both locally and abroad.