Fish Eagle

Hi Bats, I stick to it unless there are really special circumstances which warrent an exception. If you're planning something in your local area, then I suggest you contact your local reviewer. If in SA, and you feel you have special circumstances, then email me the details. Regards, Andy

Interesting - I've just had a look at our earthcaches found and created, and I see that we need to find 3 more (anywhere - we already have enough states/countries), and create 2 more, then we're eligable for platinum - mmmm!! We received the bronze pin, but never got the silver - it got stolen in the post. We got the letter, but no pin - pity because Lindy collects pins.

The search by cacher excludes locationless caches (but does include archived caches). To see what I mean, run the search on my finds, go to the last page (oldest logs). I've got locationless finds on 9th & 10th Nov 2005, but they don't show in the search. En die somme klop ook....

CF stats are missing 6 finds that I logged today, and 24 locationless finds. (1307+6+24=1337) Search excludes 24 locationless (1313+24=1337)

Wondeful..!! We had some really special experiences, and the further off the beaten track we went, the better it got.

I have a similar problem: A beautiful, big, fat Puff Adder has just taken up residence at GZ of one of my caches. At the moment the grass is very long and I feel it is unsafe for anyone to visit. It will take a few months for the grass to die back in summer. Is it OK to diable it for 3-4 months? (Any other ideas how to manage the problem?) No sweat. Normally, if a cache is disabled for 3 months, I'll start prodding about getting it sorted out or archived. But, if it's an active cacher with a specific issue with the cache, then no problem. Just periodically log a note on your cache page to say that it's not forgotten, and you'll avoid the evil scythe of the grim cache reaper....LOL!!

Wow! My centroid's close to yours, about 50kms SW, almost due west of Ntwetwe Pan.

Wow! My centroid's close to yours, about 50kms SW, almost due west of Ntwetwe Pan.

Hi Everyone, I'll be away from 10th Sept until 24th Sept. We're going to explore the remote areas of Swaziland and I won't have an internet connection at all during that period. While I'm away, Erik88L-R will be reviewing Africa. Should you have an enquiry or question that can't wait for my return, feel free to contact Erik directly. Happy caching, Andy

Thanks for your enquiry. In principle it sounds OK, but I can't express a real opinion without specific information. When getting close to agenda/commercial territory, a lot comes down to 3 things which are specific to the cache: 1. How the listing is worded - I could write a listing for a church cache that is informational and 100% non-agenda, but I could also write a listing for the same cache that is a serious agenda. 2. Imperative verbs tend to ring a reviewer's agenda-meter. Things like "you must", "you need to", "go to", "do that". If a marginal cache asks or directs the finder to do anything more than find the box and write a log, then it's suspect. 3. The puzzle solution would need to be found on the internet (I assume). The contents of the website could put it into commercial territory or it may be OK depending on the site. If finders need to create a login it's not likely to be allowed. I assume this cache will be in the UAE, so I suggest that you contact Erik88L-R, give him as much info as possible including links, and ask his opinion. Reviewers appreciate enquiries like this. It's so much easier and more pleasant dealing with potential issues up front, than declining a cache once it's already hidden - thank you!!

All published - enjoy!! Well done Sandpitters - 69 new caches today in KZN. Thanks Noddy - a great initiative!!

I have had a bit of a dilemma, plans were changed slightly and I now find that there is a problem with the main cache I was placing. This is my 50th cache. The joys about placing caches and finding out eventually when you do the publication, that someone has placed one just in the 160m minimum distance between caches. That was totally unexpected but unbelievably it was done. I now find my cache just too close to another as yet unpublished cache. My trip to the site is on hold and now what was my 50th hide has been put on hold. So with that I have now got what will be an uninspiring hide that will be registered as the 50th. Phah.... So when I finally get back to the actual 50th's site and get it put in the right spot, please do not be surprised when it still gets named the 50th.... Cause theoretically it still was the 50th. My others will be published and be ready by the 5th so have fun guys. Looking forward to a really interesting weekend. Very sad. It was very difficult to give you the bad news, and especially so because it was a special milestone cache. Had it been just a bit too close, I could have made an exception, but at only 100m it was way beyond my mandate. I guess that's the downside of accumulating many unpublished caches - great minds think alike!! I've had an abnormal number of proximity issues with the 5 Sept submissions (more than 10%), and several cache hiders have had disappointments and frustrations. Hopefully, that will all be forgotten on Saturday. KZN cachers are going to have a ball, beyond your expectations. I've seen a great mix of caches - some mysteries, some multis, and some super trads too. Several easy ones, and a few real toughies also. I'll be emailing the cache owners later today with the drill to prepare for easy and quick publication on Saturday. As a backstop, in case I have connection/internet problems, I've arranged with one of the US west coast reviewers to check at 06:00 SA time, and publish them if I haven't been able to.

Add that to the guidelines for hiding a cache in Africa, Andy! Thank you - Done!!

What about TERMITES!!! Twice in the last 3 weeks I have encountered cache containers filled with termites, "mud" and precious little else that is edible for termites! And all this in the middle of the summer in the middle of a desert! Where on earth do they come from and how do they survive in the heat? Tip - spray the outside of your cache container with a mozzie repellant like peaceful sleep, and kiss that problem good-bye.

That's wonderful news!! You've got mail.

5am - that could cost you guys a few beers!! Aaaaaish!! There are two ways to get your caches pre-reviewed, either..... 1. Submit the listing for review as usual, but add a reviewer note that it's for 5th Sept. I'll review it, leave a confirmation note (which you'll get by email), bookmark it on my 5 Sept list, and disable the listing to drop it from my current review queue. Since this initiative started, if there hasn't been a reviewer note saying it's for 5 Sept, then I've checked with the owner before publishing it. 2. Leave it as a work-in-progress (untick the box "Yes, this cache is active"), and email me with the GC number. I'll review it, leave a confirmation note (which you'll get by email), and bookmark it on my 5 Sept list. On the evening of 4th Sept, as Noddy said, please enable your caches by ticking the little box on the edit page. I'm OK to publish at 5am, but if there are 50 caches, it could take me 30 mins to publish them. Even though they've been pre-reviewed, I'll still have to give them a final run through before pushing the button. At this stage, I've got 14 caches pre-reviewed, and I can see another 3 WIP's in the pipeline which I think are part of it. Great initiative!! You guys are gonna have a lot of Spring fun!!

I mentioned earlier in this thread that I don't experience problems with missing emails, but I've had some recently at my office where I only rarely do any GC stuff. What's weird is that it never happens on my home computer (laptop, WinXP, Firefox), but happens about 50% of the time at the office (desktop, WinXP, Firefox) - huh??

We took a walk up to Mpakeni peak yesterday - lovely!! Three new caches in the area - one at the top of Mpakeni, and this cache and this cache en-route to the Mpakeni event.

Correct!

Hey, that's cool. Sorry it took a while to post a question - I've been out hiking all day. What is a "Lingam"?

That would be the one, but he will be most remembered for what? Deserting his ship and passengers, and letting them fend for themselves...? He didn't understand "captain goes down with the ship". Saw a rehash on Discovery a week or two ago - think he went through legal proceedings, but don't know what came of that.

Greek - mmmm? Maybe the master of the liner Oceanos that went down somewhere off our coast?

GR - spot on and the local cache that you are referring to is that Mystery Cache [i think Crystal Fairy's] Aspiring Stonehenge near Hartebeespoort Dam. Did it a while back and remembered the link between the two after solving the puzzle. Aha, that's the cache I was thinking of too. Found it about 2 years ago.

And where others will be caching soon, I hope.... We're planning to hide a cache near Adam's Calendar on Monday. I should know the answer - this is the topic of an "armchair" virtual cache. But I don't - wish I still had a memory....

Well done - all yours!! It's about a 7 km walk SSE of Kaapsehoop at about S25°37.904 E030°45.602 You can clearly see the trees at the North/South marker stones on Google Earth, but the smaller stones are barely visible. Adam's Calendar