GoSA

Congratulations to ChrisDen on 9 000 cache finds!!!

Congratulations to iPajero as the first South African geocachers who have just surpassed 20 000 cache finds! Congratulations on this amazing milestone!!! ?

The Cache safety in Africa Booklet is now available to download here .

GoSA may have been quiet for a year but things are heating up a bit again. We have an important announcement in that we are making a minor change to our constitution https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LNjdYqkONHGgzEDvaQGFisKpEq5ZgxtiHaaDuq2QkNU/edit?usp=sharing Simply put, we are replacing the phrase “Organising Committee” with the phrase “Co-ordinating Committee”.

MEGA South Africa 2012 was a huge success and was thoroughly enjoyed by all the attendees and participants. So many cachers have expressed their disappointment at missing out on this epic occasion and with new geocaching teams joining the game on a daily basis, it is now becoming time to start planning the next MEGA in South Africa. The first MEGA took place in Gauteng and in putting together the committee to organise the next one we need to know if there are any teams from other regions in South Africa who would like to take on the task to host the next MEGA. If you and your geocaching friends are interested, please message JP Meintjes from GoSA at info@geocachingsa.com with your details before, Tuesday 2 July 2013.

MOUNTAIN BIKING There are two popular routes - one is easy-going ideal for families and one is more challenging. You can only ride if you have your helmet on. If you would like to do some mountain biking, inform the security at the main entrance that you are bringing your bike as part of the Mega Event at the Picnic Area. If you do this, you will NOT need to pay anything. There will be caches along all the routes and trails, as the hiking, horse riding and mountain bike routes criss cross each other and sometimes get shared. Regards The Organising Committee

!!! NEWSFLASH !!! !!! NEWSFLASH !!! !!! NEWSFLASH !!! !!! NEWSFLASH !!! With the MEGA Event fast approaching we are finalising the commemorative Clothing orders, to have it available in time in your Goodie Bag. Make use of this last opportunity to get your hands on this limited edition sort-after merchandise! For any clothing orders go to www.geocachingsa.com (http://www.geocachingsa.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&view=virtuemart&Itemid=61) and place your order now! All orders need to be submitted, paid and proof payment sent to Finance@geocachingsa.com, by no later than 18:00 on Sunday, 23 September 2012. This is your LAST chance to order your commemorative MEGA Clothing - Don't miss this opportunity!

Guided Nature Hikes We are most honoured to have Accredited Nature Guides & Honourary Rangers husband and wife team - Ella & John Roberts - who will generously give us their time for guiding you on the Hiking Trails. Both are most knowledgeable about our rich and diverse Fauna and Flora and they will impart their knowledge and love for the outdoors with you, as you search for those elusive cache hides. This will be an amazing opportunity to learn more about your environment and make you appreciate the little things around you, while still enjoying your favourite hobby! This service is part of the MEGA Event - there is no additional fee. Kids are very welcome too! Don't miss out, as walks have a limitation to number of people and there will only be a few walks per day. Regards The MEGA Organising Committee

7 Things you DIDN'T know about MEGA South Africa 2012 ... 1. The attendance fee covers you for entry on ALL three days, and it includes the entrance fee to the Voortrekker Monument Heritage Site, the Welcome Pack and most of all - the MEGA EXPERIENCE in South Africa! 2. You don't need to attend all three days to qualify for the Mega Event - you can attend anytime from 5 to 7 October, for as short or as long as you like. 3. Your earliest and closest next chance to get a MEGA Event Icon on your Geocaching statistics will be at NZ MEGA 2012 (GC35TTR). 4. The MEGA Event presents you with a very rare opportunity to find 9 Different Cache Icons on one day. 5. You'll be able to take your caching experience to an entirely new space by doing some night caching and enjoy stargazing with the Pretoria Branch of the Astronomical Society of South Africa. 6. You'll be able to meet the longest active Geocacher in South Africa who found South Africa's first hidden Geocache (he will also be one of the Caching Gurus). 7. You'll get a specific Mega Event icon AND an unique Groundspeak Souvenir created only for this event! .... And just because Geocachers are crazy people we throw in another thing about MEGA South Africa 2012 that may not have been known.... 8. Remember that you must also log your WILL ATTEND for all the other Events that will take place during MEGA South Africa 2012 – there are 7 additional event smileys up for grabs! Look out for the listings as they are published in the next few days.

MEGA Horse Riding Enjoy the freedom and beauty of horse riding in indigenous bush at MEGA South Africa 2012. We are most fortunate to have the availability of the most loving and kind horses at the Cape Riding Horse Club situated a mere 50m from the MEGA Event Venue. If you would like to enjoy this great opportunity, please make your BOOKING right away! Don't Delay or you will lose out. Cape Riding has set riding times and can only accommodate a limited number of people (max. 8) per ride. They are also open to the general public, so if you snooze you will lose. Details for Bookings: Please contact Marlene directly at 082 828 6323 or caperiding@polka.co.za. VERY IMPORTANT: When you make your booking you MUST mention you are part of the MEGA Event. If you do not do this, you will pay the full price. MEGA Attendees get a discounted rate! Webpage: (visit link) Riding Times: Friday, 5 October - 11:00 and 15:00 (if you can get there super early, you could do the 09:00 time slot) Saturday, 6 October - 11:00 and 15:00 (if you can get there super early, you could do the 09:00 time slot) Sunday, 7 October - 09:00 and 11:00 Rates: Short Ride (30 minutes) - R60 per person (Normal Rate : R90) Long Ride (60 minutes) - R100 per person (Normal Rate : R150) REMEMBER - Tell them you are a MEGA Attendee!! Don't Delay - Book Today!

9Icon Walk The first ever South African MEGA Event is less than three weeks away. The excitement is building at a huge pace and you cannot afford to miss this once in a lifetime South African geocaching festival. As all Geocachers know and enjoy so well: the game is about the challenge of finding those elusive hidden treasures! The beauty of the game also lies in the infinitive range of challenges that we can set for ourselves in our quest for yet more treasures and smileys! In this spirit of the game, the organisers of the MEGA Event South Africa 2012 have learnt from our fellow geocachers in Europe and we have set up a unique challenge that only presents itself on rare occasions. We are proud to unveil one of the main attractions of the MEGA Event, namely the opportunity to find caches with 9 different Groundspeak icons on one single day. To make this challenge even more sociable, we will from 14:00 on Saturday 6 October 2012, as a caching group take a leisurely walk from the Voortrekker Monument Heritage Site, past some of Pretoria’s most historical buildings all the way to Church Square; a walk of approximately 4.5 km in distance. Please ensure that you have water, sunscreen and if you are so inclined, some snacks for the road. We have especially designed a Wherigo Cache which will be situated at the Monument. Cachers participating in the 9Icon Walk should play the Wherigo on Saturday shortly before the start of the 9Icon Walk. With a Wherigo Icon in the bag and the MEGA Event Icon earned by signing the logbook on Saturday, the remaining 7 Icons await you along the route of the 9Icon Walk to enable you to collect all 9 Icons on one day: • Wherigo Cache • MEGA Event Cache • Traditional Cache • Earth Cache • Puzzle Cache • Letterbox Hybrid Cache • Multicache • CITO Event Cache • Event Cache The walk will conclude with an Event Cache at Church Square. From there Transport will be provided to take the crowd back to the MEGA Event Site. We are looking forward to you joining us for the MEGA fun on what promises to be an Iconic 9Icon Walk!! Hurry over and book your ticket for the MEGA South Africa 2012 at www.geocachingsa.com Also remember to tell your geo-friends to log their “Will Attend” on the listing at GC3B0EJ on www.geocaching.com

Good news! Due to technology challenges, the website has been struggling to keep up with all the people trying to access it to purchase tickets, geocoins, etc. So ..... The Early Bird 50% Discount has been extended to Sunday, 16 September 2012, to give you a chance to make your bookings successfully. This is your LAST CHANCE to get the tickets at this price. From Monday, 17 September it will be the full price of R120 per adult and R20 per child under 16. Mega regards GoSA

Check out the updated Programme of Events on www.geocachingsa.com and GC3B0EJ Mega South Africa 2012!

HELP NEEDED FOR MEGA! If you are planning to attend the first ever MEGA event in South Africa. Then whoooo whoooo - I am sure you are as excited as we are. We need some volunteers to help us during the MEGA.We need help with the following things for 2 hour time shifts: * Setting up the MEGA - Geocaching event (official smiley) Thursday afternoon 4 October 2012 * Reception at entry gate of Voortrekker Monument Venue (Friday - Sunday) * Parking marshalls (Friday - Sunday) * Registration at arrival (Friday - Sunday) * Manning the Information desk (Friday - Sunday) * Public Announcer (Friday - Sunday) * Manning the Logbook (Friday - Sunday) * Marshalls for the 9Icon Walk (Saturday Afternoon) * Signal the Frog (costume) (Friday - Sunday) Please contact info@geocachingsa.com and indicate with what and which days and or times you are willing to help.

Did you know - the entrance fee of R60 for the TOTAL duration of the Mega Event covers the costs of entry to the Voortrekker Monument itself (the main entrance at the road). There is usually a fee to pay if you were just coming into the area for a visit, but this fee has been taken care of! What a bargain! So hurry up and make your ticket purchases before the early bird discount expires! Mega regards The Mega Planning Committee

Groundspeak has very kindly informed us that at special MEGA South Africa 2012 Souvenir will be available! Thank you so much to Groudspeak !

To all of the MEGA South Africa 2012 Attendees that plan to camp at the nearby Fountains Resort .... Here are the details for the special arrangements that Tshwane Parks made for us. Please make your bookings as soon as possible: Camping Details for MEGA South Africa 2012 Tshwane Municipality have generously offered the following special rate for MEGA Attendees who wish to camp at the nearby Fountains Valley Resort. PLEASE NOTE: These arrangements are ONLY for MEGA Attendees and NOT for the general public. 1. All Geocaching Attendees wishing to camp, can make booking arrangements with Dirk at 012 440 2121 or 012 440 7131 or 082 519 0369. Please mention that you are a Geocaching member as a 30% discount tariff is approved according to the "Caravan & Camping rally clubs " for the MEGA event. a. One camping site to a maximum of 4 persons is R 122 per night. Geocaching members will only pay R 85.40 per night. b. Extra persons (if more than 4 persons on the same camping site) is R 28.50. Geocaching members will only pay R 19.95 per night. c. Extra vehicles (if more than one vehicle on the same camping site) is R 28.50. Geocaching members will only pay R 19.95 per night. Please Note: Tshwane Parks only allows a maximum of 6 persons per camping site, but only 4 are included with the camping site tariff. 2. As the date of the Mega event is on one of the resort's busy weekends, we made alternative entrance arrangements to the caravan park. Please do not enter at the Fountains Valley main entrance as you will run into traffic congestion and long queues which will result in frustration. We will open the emergency gate at the caravan park on Christina de Wit Drive and arrange that an Official meets the Geocachers and campers at that gate. Registration and payments will be handled in the caravan park. The coordinates at this gate are: S25 47.163 E028 11.676. Any questions? Email us at: info@geocachingsa.com

A few committee members and volunteers met last night to discuss the "Stuff" that will take place at the MEGA. There are a few fun and interesting things planned which will be communicated soon. Keep an eye out for emails from "GoSA Newsletter", the website and the Cache Listing for updates and notifications. As part of a Mega Event, there will always be one or two things which won't be communicated so as to keep a bit of an element of "surprise"! It is this sort of thing that makes a Mega special and memorable [].

Thank you for everyone's feedback and support! The indication of a cost was given at the time of Registration to get to more than 500 people. This registration was done on the local geocaching website "www.geocachingsa.com". The description of the Event was as follows: Please register to indicate your attendance. We need a minimum of 500 people on the "Will Attend" list, before Groundspeak will consider to give the event Mega status. More details to follow as the planning progresses. Please note that this is just a "Will Attend" and not the final pricing/packages yet. Perhaps it was not too clear, but it was there none the less. We have also indicated to teams at various Events that there will be a cost involved in order to cover the expenses (absolutely no profit what so ever will be made). We apologise if you missed these opportunities. On the cache listing, we also included an announcement and details about getting tickets, coins, clothing, etc. for the Mega Event. The cost for the Mega was also in the latest Newsletter. This was all done in addition to the announcement on the Facebook Group. Best regards The GoSA Team

Hey Everyone! If you do not know as yet, the BOOKINGS for MEGA South Africa 2012 are now OPEN! There is currently an Early Bird special going, but this will expire on 14 September 2012 then the full price will apply. So take advantage now of the special price. You can also purchase the Mega Geocoin, Clothing and book for your preferred Activities by clicking on the link (Book for MEGA SA): http://www.geocachingsa.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&view=virtuemart&Itemid=61 There is also a "Limited Edition" geocoin in Satin Silver plating. Only 100 of these will be minted - EVER - so get yours now. These will be on a "first paid first serve basis". Should you have any questions or concerns, please email us at : info@geocachingsa.com. MEGA regards The GoSA Team

Yes, Yes, Yes!!! We have official MEGA Status!! Thanks guys for your support and enthusiasm. There is still a lot of work to be done, because we need loads more teams and people to register and of course attend the actual Event in October. The MEGA Event Logbook must have the required number of names to keep the MEGA Status on the Event Listing. It is going to be an awesome weekend and a memorable experience in the history of Geocaching in South Africa! Regards The GoSAm Team

Hi CH...we have just had a committee meeting over the weekend. We are busy finalising the next Newsletter (it is very late) and that contains some of the feedback. We are busy finalising discussions for the MEGA Event Geocoin - there will be two platings. We are also in the process of getting pricing and options for the MEGA Event Clothing. We have added an On-line Survey on the GoSA website (www.geocachingsa.com), where you will need to login to participate. This is to ensure we get attendees and local geocachers responding to the Survey and not just anyone! We get a lot of visits to our website from all over the world, so we don't want the Survey feedback to be non-indicative of what will be happening. We are now at 469 registered attendees, and more than 120 Will Attend logs on the Cache Listing page. There are some duplicates to fix on the Will Attends, but we'll sort those out soon. We just need 31 more to go to reach the 500 for Groundspeak, and then hopefully we'll keep on getting more registrations from then on. We will need loads of help during the three days of the Event. We have indicated the slots will be 1 to 2 hours long, so if any folk are willing to give up an hour or two during the event, they should email us at: info@geocachingsa.com. We also would appreciate folk who could accommodate cachers from out of town, inbox us that info. as well. Thanks so much for everyone's support thus far! Yours in MEGA Planning The GoSA Team

The Newsletter for March 2012 is being sent out. Our apologies with the delay .... we blame the Easter Bunny!! No, seriously it just happened that we ere not able to send it at the end of March as planned. This means that you'll get two newsletters in the month of April - one for March and the other for April! Yours in caching GoSA

Hey Everyone! Have you visited the local Geocaching website - www.geocachingsa.com? If you have any contributions to the website or monthly newsletter, please email us at: info@geocachingsa.com. Regards GoSA

We need input and help from SA's Geocaching community!! Are there any cachers out there who reside in Pretoria/Johannesburg and plan to go to the Mega Event from 05 to 07 October 2012? If YES, are you willing or able to host any cachers in your home? Would you be able to bring them through to the Mega each day? Please let us know! info@geocachingsa.com