Just a short post as I only got DNF’s today!  One day a week I come up to Brisbane with Kev.  While he is working I explore the city and try for some caches.  Every week I return thinking I’m going to cross them off my DNF list but I am not having much luck!  They are starting to drive me crazy!  All morning I searched for GC221KA Board gardens and GC220MX City Plaza, but still came up empty handed!  Both have been found, as well as GCKR9K Combination Delta which I was certain was missing.

Better luck next week hopefully!

*** Cath ***

Today was my day in Brisbane and decided to check out the location of City Cacher Catchup to scope where Kev and I could park or if we had to bus / taxi from his work.  My map reading skills were up to its usual tricks and I found myself walking around one or two blocks and coming right back to where I started!  I eventually found it and decided to get some nearby caches, which were not as plentiful as I hoped.  The first one I went for was GC22W0K Raid on the Government Printer.  Once again I walked around the block about three times before I discovered the alleyway!  Once down there and a quick search about, the cache was in my hand.

Now it was time to find one I couldn’t find last week, GC1GRGA Walkover Adelaide.  Since I last searched it has been found a couple of times, so I know it must be there.  The name is the biggest clue as there are two walkover’s above Adelaide Street.  I walked up and down the walkover but just couldn’t see it then out of the corner of my eye, I spotted it.  The hint mentions you might need long arms and mine weren’t quite long enough!  This cache is right in Brisbane CBD so a very muggle busy area, I waited a few minutes for the walkway to clear as much as it could, I tried again.  On my tiptoes and reaching far over I got it – phew!  I took off and signed the log before replacing.  Just over a week ago the grass area was fill of tents for the Occupy Protesters but the police rounded them up and kicked them out.

After having lunch with Kev, I spent the rest of the afternoon at the Queen Street Farmers Market and searching for some of those on my DNF list, with no luck!  They keep getting found (and DNF) so maybe next week!

Until next time

*** Cath ***

Today was my day to go to Brisbane with Kev.  While he is working I normally spend my time at the massive and just as impressive Roma Park, and City Plaza and venture right into the CBD.  Kev told me there is a lovely park up and hill and why not investigate that area.  I walked up the hill and found another huge park, Victoria Park.  I must say, all over Brisbane and Gold Coast you will always find plenty of park areas and if it was back home in Auckland, there would be just as many caches per parks, but over here, it is not so condensed.  At the park was a multi GC35B42 Centenary Pool Spring Hill.  It seemed simple enough, just had to answer three questions about the historic pool and apparently the final location was nearby.  I  entered my answers into the geochecker, which was in German, but the big red wording hinted I had it wrong.  I kept trying until I was locked out and had to wait an hour before another attempt.  I was positive I was right so plugged in the numbers and just went for it.  I ended up in a deserted area with trees and dried dead leaves everywhere, a perfect location for snakes and spiders!  Lucky enough the cache was quick to find and I was quickly out of there!  I did take the travel bug Whistle Blower.

Thinking the next cache wasn’t too far away I went for  GC24DVA Brisbane Tunnels – Clem7.  The walk took so much longer as there was no direct route, but a fair climb up a hill, across, then back down again!  Thankfully the cache wasn’t too hard to find, and not that close to the pay-to-use motorway tunnels .

While having lunch with Kev I noticed a new cache GC36NYV Train Spotter had recently been published and a whole list of DNF’s had been logged.  I decided since I had an afternoon to waste, why not have a little search.  I approached the area and noted three people were huddled having a chit chat.  I assumed they were friends who had spotted each other while one of them was in the nearby parked cars.  I walked slowly past them while looking and sped up the walk when I noticed thousands of midges were flying nearby.  I walked down to the train track to see if it was at the bottom level, watched a few trains go by, and once the muggles had left, went back up the stairs.  Here is a picture of the trains from the bottom platform.

Unfortunately the midges were still present at the spot, so I had a quick search and left before a mouthful of midges flew into my face.  I just knew it had to be there, so I kept going back in short spurts until I found it!  The log had been signed and I realised my three muggles were in fact geocachers.  I was so close to a FTF but was happy just to get away from all the midges.  Here is the view from the top, at the cache location.  If you look closely enough, you might get to see all those midges!

I spent the rest of the afternoon looking for a cache in Roma Park which still eludes me, one day I’ll find it!

Until next time,

*** Cath ***