It isn't a topic that arises very frequently, because telling muggles often results in the same outcome. Confusion and mild judgement of lifestyle. But when I do decide that sharing the information is necessary (usually in response to "where have you two been all day and why do you look as though you've been crawling through the forest?"), I am presented with that same, ever reliable face of confusion and mild judgement, followed soon after by something along the lines of "a what?"
I'll have to repeat the word 'geocache' several times and maybe even spell it out to my puzzled audience before delving into a (usually terrible and unclear) explanation of it being similar to a game of hide and seek, but for big kids; where you run around in forests and suburban areas, rummaging for hidden treasures using a GPS and cryptic hints... Being the receiver of disapproving glances from the locals, whose road-side doggy-doo-doo-bin is being foraged through, or concerned passers by who notice you emerging out of the bush looking exhausted and triumphant.
It's probably best that you just watch this...
It's probably best that you just watch this...
D and I's geocaching adventure started back in Perth, where we were enjoying a picnic under the big ugly yellow structure (best climbing frame of my childhood) out the front of Curtin University. D spotted a small piece of the structure on the grass, that seemed to have fallen off and on closer inspection realised that it wasn't part of the structure at all. It was in fact a very small, very well disguised magnetic geocache that had come loose from it's hiding place. Upon opening it and reading the log book of past finders, we were instantly curious and began our journey as geocachers...
Here we are, completely surprised and excited after discovering our first geocache... Many moons ago
Here we are, completely surprised and excited after discovering our first geocache... Many moons ago
Within the first few days of arriving in the UK, D and I were off in search of geocaches in Wimbledon common. We walked for miles, following the compass and clues and managed to find two (one of which was dangling high in a tree, the other sitting in some low shrubs). The third geocache we were hunting was left undiscovered (much to our dismay). It's co-ordinates where determined by a combination of clues from places in the area... We obviously made a mistake somewhere along the line because we ended up a long, long way away from home and without the satisfaction of finding a geocache. Mega sad face. I snapped these photos along the way...
Two months later, we set off again... Not really knowing how many geocaches were in the area, I decided to Google it and was amazed at just how many there were in London, the UK and the world... Click on the image below and it'll show the world map and all of it's geocaches.
It's pretty incredible, right? To think there are so many hidden treasures out there, blows my mind.
We found some within walking distance from home and set off in the right direction...The first was in a bit of an awkward position... Behind a church, on the fence, behind a sign, outside a park, on a main road, beside a set of busy traffic lights. We tried to be subtle as we groped around in the bushes, but I'm certain that there were at least forty Wimbledon locals that day who were convinced we were homeless people looking for cigarette butts and miscellaneous rubbish.
We found some within walking distance from home and set off in the right direction...The first was in a bit of an awkward position... Behind a church, on the fence, behind a sign, outside a park, on a main road, beside a set of busy traffic lights. We tried to be subtle as we groped around in the bushes, but I'm certain that there were at least forty Wimbledon locals that day who were convinced we were homeless people looking for cigarette butts and miscellaneous rubbish.
The second cache was on a walking trail through Merton Park. Though, technically I suppose it was off the trail. I had a snack form my graze box (yum yum) and D led the way as we carefully navigated through squishy, slug infested undergrowth... The cache was nestled in amongst some ferns and was full of treasures; temporary Hulk tattoos, pretty hair clips and crayons. A brilliant find.
A sunny walk and unmissable photo opportunity later, D and were well on the way to geocache number three for the day... We finally arrived at the destination and searched for a while before scratching our heads wondering if some muggle had stolen the cache unknowingly or perhaps it had blown away. We couldn't find it anywhere.... Just as we were about to give up, D spotted a stick on the end of a piece of string which was soon to be the most celebrated find of all time. Good job D, I knew there was I reason I liked you..
The walk to the next cache was beautiful. Lots of lovely houses and pretty gardens, we even spotted some friendly squirrels along the way... On arriving at the spot the GPS directed us, we were once again puzzled, because all we could see was a street sign and a doggy-doo-doo-bin... Not wanting to draw too much attention to myself, I casually pushed aside leaves, looked under the sign and opened the doggy-doo-doo-bin to have a quick glance. There is of course, no way to do any of this subtly at all. So I gave in to the fear of being judged by all the fancy people wandering around, got on my hands and knees, and continued to search, with more determination than ever, for... well, I wasn't really sure what I was looking for. But I knew it was there somewhere.
D gave up looking as I continued to hunt, spotting a rather large snail which he had apparently noticed, but not taken as much fascination in as I did... You see, I have a weakness for snails and slugs, they repulse me more than anything and they're so big over here, I can hardly bear to tear my eyes from them. And despite every nerve in my body screaming and shrivelling as I did, I reached out and plucked this one off the metal post.
D gave up looking as I continued to hunt, spotting a rather large snail which he had apparently noticed, but not taken as much fascination in as I did... You see, I have a weakness for snails and slugs, they repulse me more than anything and they're so big over here, I can hardly bear to tear my eyes from them. And despite every nerve in my body screaming and shrivelling as I did, I reached out and plucked this one off the metal post.
Feeing unstoppable we headed off in search of one more cache for the day. Passing through a very photogenic park, which the sun was teasing from behind a huge hanging cloud. We followed the directions and stared blankly at the back of a row of garden sheds... We knew it was there somewhere, but where to begin looking? Surprisingly, it didn't take too long, my curiousity and eye for good hiding places made this one oh-so-easy...
We decided five caches was a pretty decent effort for one day, so we headed back home feeling incredibly triumphant, like two pirates who found several boxes of precious treasure.
There's something about geocaching that makes me really happy, I feel as though I'm fulfilling some wild childhood dream of mine, where I float around the world following clues and leaving ones of my own. It's what I've always wanted to do with my life; explore the quiet corners of the world discovering secrets and leaving notes for other people to find. It's like a wonderful treasure hunt with no end. It's such an amazing way of seeing places you wouldn't otherwise visit, and all the beautiful things along the way. Speaking of such fortuitous moments, here are a few snaps I took on our travels that day.
There's something about geocaching that makes me really happy, I feel as though I'm fulfilling some wild childhood dream of mine, where I float around the world following clues and leaving ones of my own. It's what I've always wanted to do with my life; explore the quiet corners of the world discovering secrets and leaving notes for other people to find. It's like a wonderful treasure hunt with no end. It's such an amazing way of seeing places you wouldn't otherwise visit, and all the beautiful things along the way. Speaking of such fortuitous moments, here are a few snaps I took on our travels that day.
Xxo