I have been busy today running route queries for our trip to Queensland Australia, It should be fun 9 days and R&R with some Geocaching in there. We hope to get 2 stats under our belt NSW & QLD

So watch out Australian snakes and spiders the Kiwi cachers are coming

kev

Grounspeak have updated there iPhone & iPad application with several bug fixes, however they report that several other reported bugs have not yet been fixed.

Kev

I have just added our own brand Nano & Large log strips from as little as 0.28c each for larger orders.

http://www.geocachers.co.nz/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=13

Kev

We went out Sunday and did a quick cache over on the shore. The iPhone was it’s normal 10 to 15m out but the iPad was spot on. With a 5m accuracy reading.

The iPad is big to walk around with but very usable. I think we will be using it for our Australia trip next month as our main computer, driving GPS (with Cath acting as the dashboard mount) and caching machine. It will be interesting to see how it goes.

Kev

Has been a very quiet geocaching weekend as Kev has been busy buying and playing with his new iPad.  We decided to take it out for a geocaching test drive today.  We had to go to Torbay today to check out Kev’s favourite hidden cache GC26FZ8 Torbay Express (Auckland) which was still there thankfully (he is so proud of this cache and especially the comment “this has to be the best bus stop cache we have done in Auckland”).

To test out the iPad we tried GCKYJT Up Deep Creek (Auckland).  Typically for us, we couldn’t find it!  Next we tried GCYV10 Sherwood Forest (Auckland).  A little bit of a walk for us two (Kev has done his knee in again), we quickly found the cache when we reached the location.  The iPad performed very well, but a bit too big to walk around caching with so I will stick to the iPhone (to be honest I want a nice new fancy GPS but Kev keeps giving me the “one day” speech – which coincidently was the exact amount of time he took to decide to buy himself the iPad once it hit the shops over here!).

Ok I could not resist the Apple iPad anymore
I have purchased the 64gb 3G version and will be test driving the Geocaching application ASAP full details will be posted soon.

I will be very interested in comparing the iPhone vs iPad in terms of accuracy

Kev

Saturday 10th July

Weather was reasonable so Kev and I decided to make the most of it.  We decided to go out Taupaki way.  It was really a hit and miss day, and quite a few we didn’t even get out of the car for. 

Our first find was GC270C6 Harry James The Second (Auckland).  A lovely park for the kids to bring their bikes, bat and balls.  After a few DNF’s it was nice to get this cache with no problems.

A little walk away was another easy cache, GC1NE81Harry James at Taupaki (Auckland).  We were able to do a travel bug swap – always a plus!

The next cache was a drive-by, GC27RXE Lilliput Airport (Auckland).  I decided to stay at the car so Kev crossed the road and made the easy find.

Our last cache of the day was GC1MD5K Toughen up, Petal (Auckland).  We often drive along this road so Kev has been wanting to do this cache for a long time.  Once we finally found the right location, it was a fast find, just be careful as the local chickens don’t seem to enjoy people walking around and they make a lot of noise!

Sunday 11th July

Today Kev wanted to do some photography at Muriwai, and naturally we were going to find the local caches.  Quite a lot involved too much walking so we narrowed down our choices to a select few.  The first one I went for was GC1HKKE Gannet City (Auckland).  I tackled this alone as Kev was taking photo’s, and lucky for us, it was a surfing competition day.  This cache is off the path and I’m a bit of a chicken so I wasn’t feeling confident especially as I had to walk through huge flax bushes.  The thing that made me turn around was the sight off rusty traps – the claw type that snap down on your foot.  I quickly turned around and choose the right moment to get back on the path – didn’t want to arouse suspicious amongst the muggles!

Our next cache was an earth one, GC22Z8H Gannets’ Rock (Auckland). 

Final cache of the day was GC291JX Muriwai Quick "Stop" (Auckland).  As usual, we took a bit longer than necessary but we came up with the find thankfully.

Not a numbers weekend but a lovely scenic drive.

Today we headed out for some geocaching hunting with our friend kai_gotti.  We decided to go to Herald Island to get trav004’s caches which alluded us last week.

First one was GC2AJNX In plane view (Auckland).  Since trying last week a hint was added, so today was a nice easy find.

Hoping the next one will be just as easy this time around, we headed straight to GC2ARCE Herald hide’a'way (Auckland).  Like last week, this cache had kai_gotti and I going around in circles!  We spent a good 30 minutes searching absolutely everywhere and decided to give up.  Just as we were leaving kai_gotti spotted something and decided to have a look – and yipee, we found it! 

GC16K4F Welcome to Herald Island ! (Auckland) had us going up and down looking everywhere.  Luckily we had kai_gotti with us who once again made the lucky find!  Another fantastic hide of glyn’s.

After kai_gotti finished finding the rest of Herald Island’s caches we went straight over to Hobsonville.  One Kev and I always wanted to do but never got around to it was GC16Z6P Wreck Bay (Auckland).  After Kev and kai_gotti went hunting in the wrong direction, I went off with kai and we went the right way this time!  Lots of houses being built in this area so not too sure how much time people will have to easily access this cache – but no worries for us as we found it!

Next one was another one Kev and I couldn’t find before GC2A7QC Bluefin Bush (Auckland).  On the way there we bumped into gadget-tron and had a nice chat.  This time it didn’t take too long to find, not sure how we missed it last attempt!

Time to hit Greenhithe, starting with GC1PT1F When The Tigers Broke Free (Auckland).  Kev and I couldn’t find this one on a previous attempt so we asked for some “guidance” from someone who had done it before – great information as we found it quickly.  The next one just down the road we couldn’t find, even with the inside information, so we reckon it is MIA – GC1TC9V North Camp’s Bomb Bunker(Auckland).

Our next cache was one of the few I found (with kai_gotti finding the majority!) – GC2AJ2K Greenhithe house of mystery (Auckland) – nice and easy.  Kev found the next one, his first of the day GC27VM7 Greenhithe cammo (Greenhithe,Auckland).  A wonderful cache and easily found as the tree was leafless. 

The next cache kai_gotti had already found GC29ZWV Mission ‘Wainoni’ (Greenhithe, Auckland).  He guided us in the right direction so we were able to find it – without his help we would have added it to our DNF list!

The last one before a coffee break was GC2AW28 Why Wainoni (Ackld).  Not too much of a hunt to get this one.

After refuelling with coffee and food we decided just to do a few more caches before calling it a day.  Next one was GC2AMBH Call the Plumber (Auckland).  Kai_gotti and I did the walk to the location and spent a good 5+ minutes looking and looking.  Kai_gotti naturally found it – what a great disguise!  The final one before heading back home was GC1RQZR All Quiet on the Western Front! (Auckland).  Easily found but tricky to get the cache out.  Headed back to our place to have another coffee and thank kai_gotti for a great day’s geocaching.

Later that night we had a FTF alert in the nearby neighbourhood so we quickly went out the door.  We were the first to arrive but naturally couldn’t find the cache GC2B57P Hiding @ The Marina (Auckland).  Wasn’t long before we were joined by the usual FTF teams and we all eventually found it for a four-way FTF effort!

Planned on getting lots of caches before picking Cath up from a first aid course but it was normal Auckland weather AKA rain.. So did not get any finds done but managed to place a new cache out “Nano Hell” which has not been approved yet.

Kev