Geocaching

Whilst looking around online at hobby related websites (research for the e-zine) I came across Geocaching. I was excited and a little frightened by the idea of a world wide treasure hunt..

Geocaching (pronounced geo-cashing) is basically orienteering on a global scale. Anyone can participate, providing they have a global positioning system. The point is to find a cache (a container type thing?) using GPS locations posted online by the cache owner. A cache contains a log book with visitor notes and supposedly valuable information. A cache also contains treasure such as CD's, toys, currency or trinkets which if you take, you must replace it with something of equal or higher value.

This picture is of a cache found in Germany

Geocaching also has elements of extreme and bad ass. Bomb squads have been called in to destroy caches which members of the unsuspecting public have mistaken for weapons of mass distruction. Geocaches are often questioned by the police for suspicious behaviour. It's hide Hide and seek with an edge.

You can join in this treasure hunt by registering on the geocaching website, buying yourself a sweet GPS, learning the lingo (waypoints, cache, geocions, travel bugs), seeking cache co ordinates online and going to find the sucker.

Geocaching loves you.