Around for about the last 15 years, but becoming popular more recently, this worldwide adventure game is one of a kind. Sure to give you a thrill, and hours of entertainment, all whilst exploring the great outdoors.
So, what is it?
I’m glad you asked. Geocaching, pronounced geo-cashing, allows a player to hide an object and publish it’s location online which others can then access. Then, following GPS coordinates or solving riddles and puzzles to open clues, you can head out to find this cache. There are literally thousands of these locations worldwide, and as we’ve recently found out, even our sleepy little neighbourhood has a few.
We have had mixed feelings about the concept after it was reported a while ago that people had vandalised heritage sites while attempting to locate geocaches. The vandalism and damage caused to heritage sites daily across the world, has inspired The Heritage Travels to educate the public on best practice methods of exploring and visiting the worlds heritage destination, without causing harm to them. So to hear of this destruction was something we associated with a craze we’d never be involved with. Since the report, the geocaching community has now made it a regulation that no cache may be buried nor cause unintentional or intentional damage to any archaeological or heritage site. Cache owners will be held accountable if this occurs.
With this new information at hand we thought we’d give it a go. For 3 years we’ve lived in the place we are in now. Daily we go for walks with the dogs and pass by parks and gardens totally oblivious that for months there was a small hidden package just waiting to be found by us and other geocachers. For those of you reading this and thinking, “really”? It’s true. And that’s the part of the game that makes it exciting. Caches vary in size, some tiny, others big enough to swap small gifts, another highlight of the game.
More recently, the guys at Geocaching.com have started a new trend called Cache in Trash Out (CITO). This new idea encourages geocachers to clean up along the way as they search for their prize. Global events have begun and the trend has now taken off.
You might be wondering.. what is a geocache? They vary. Some are small containers which hold nothing more than a log to place your name and the date you found it. Others are containers which hold logbooks, souvenirs, clues for other geocaches etc. Don’t be fooled though, the containers can be mischievous and misleading; golf balls, nuts and bolts, even what looks to be garbage.
Locations of geocaches will take the average adventurer beyond places they would normally go, and challenge them to go further than they otherwise would. Afterwards players log their find on the website or via the app.
Geocaching is great fun for the whole family, pets too! We look forward to hearing from our readers about their experiences, and will share ours as we learn more and explore our surroundings.
Happy Hunting.
If you like it, you should pin it!