hazelthehunter - Hooked on Geocaching

Sunday 24th May 2015 - A geocaching day!

 After a lazy morning, trying to decide what to do, I left the house to find geocaches around Subiaco.

Cache #1
 'Zeus' was hidden in a really nice housing estate.  The magnetic mint tin was attached to a lamppost in a little rest area.

Cache #2 - 'Balmy Origami' - was inventively hidden in a bush in a park.  The plastic paint can cache was attached to a rope which was used like a crane to raise the cache over the wall!


 

 

Cache #3 had a clue in the title - 'Pipe down' - and was hidden in a car park.  I had to dodge lots of muggles until I found where I was sure it should be.  After lots of searching I disappointingly had to log a DNF. :(

I was beginning to get hungry so I took advantage of the sausage sizzle which was raising money for a local football club outside Bunnings.

Cache #4 took me to a busy junction and although the title assured me 'It's gonna be nice', I felt too conspicuous searching under the benches and tables - there were just too many to look under!

Cache #5
'Dom Salvado' did a good job concealing the next cache and it was an easy find near a lovely church.
 

Almost at the Domain Stadium and after a successful geocaching trip I took the bus from the same stop as yesterday.  I had a chilled afternoon crocheting and spoke to Jamie and Stuart over Facetime.   As I got home from a trip to the shops I was greeted with a lovely roast chicken dinner.  Mmmm!
 

Monday 25th May 2015 - A non geocaching day

 After a quiet day...
 

... I took an excited Sophie to Cottesloe Beach while Hayden had a play date with Oliver.  It was stunning to be there again as the sun was setting.
 

Tuesday 28th May 2015  - A non geocaching day

Today's completed tasks included more job applications and Hayden's crocheted gloves!
 

Wednesday 27th May 2015  - A slight geocaching day

The day started with even more applications and I rewarded myself with a trip to Kings Park.  I was planning on visiting the Botanical Garden but I'm not convinced I made it there!  I began at a firefighters memorial and then got distracted by a helix lookout tower. 
 

Once I'd climbed to the top I continued to explore amongst the plants and discovered a raised walkway which I followed and found some awesome views.
 

At the end of the walkway I stumbled across a cute pagoda where I relaxed for a while.
 

Returning to the car I found an interesting panel describing the six aboriginal seasons that I had learnt about in Margaret River...
 

... and then an amazing fountain that moved through different sized jets.
 

Feeling frustrated that the day after I logged a DNF for a geocache at Pelican Point in Matilda Bay, another geocacher had found it successfully, I was determined to return and find it myself.  In the raised lookout I ended up climbing around the outside, prodding and poking at the vertical structures which I was sure contained the cache.  Eventually I realised that one moved while the others didn't.  With a lot of perseverance I managed to remove this extra piece of wood and the mint tin flew down the hill!  Scrambling after it, I managed to retrieve it and proudly signed the log.  This has to be the best camouflage I have found to date!
 

Thursday 28th May 2015  - A non geocaching day

After completing another job application, I drove to Joondalup where, after 3 trips to the fitting rooms, I bought a new pair of jeans because the temperature is dropping substantially here now.  After I collected the kids we had to return straight home for the cat flap to be installed and the kids created some amusing games to fill the time!
 

I joined in with some monster consequences and tennis and in the evening I looked after the kids while Justin and Jo went shopping.  After his bath, Hayden decided to practise his hair dressing skills on his fringe - d'oh!  He was pleased with his new gloves though!
 

Friday 29th May 2015  - A geocaching day

The weather was gorgeous and although I didn't wake up until late I wanted to be out and about so I decided on Floreat for a geocaching trip.

Cache #1 was supposed to be in the Rose Garden near our house on Selby Street but I was lacking in perseverance and although I was in the right area, I enjoyed sitting in the sun instead!

Cache #2 took me to the sports centre further along Selby Street and between the logs and hint I knew it was low down at the back of the cricket nets but again minimal perseverance meant I didn't find this one either.

Cache #3 should've been hiding in the bushes at the back of a house but surprise, surprise! Laziness meant I didn't find this one either! Are you noticing a pattern?!

Cache #4 was located on the other side of the fence to the side I was walking along and I was enjoying my walk to much to double back on myself.  Instead, I took the next road into the housing estate to find...

Cache #5!  At last I was successful!  Without too much looking I found this cache, filled with swaps, in a lovely park area which reminded me of the area off Dencer Drive and around Mayfield Drive in Kenilworth.  I enjoyed sitting on a nearby bench for a while and swapped a sticker for a item out of the both before returning it to its hiding spot.
 

Cache #6 and #7 were both near a new housing development so there were too many tradies around to be poking about too long and I didn't find either. While I was navigating my way through the new houses I did wonder about the naming of the streets - Steeplechase Green, Equality Lane, Champion Crescent and Gold Lane.  I didn't think about them long enough to piece them together though.

Cache #8 was hidden underneath a boardwalk which saw mw squeezing between the boardwalk fence and the spikey bushes adjacent.  Just as I had grabbed it, a muggle walked past and I had to innocently say 'Hello!' and try to hide my shock and embarrassment!  This was a very creative log because as well as signing the log I had to draw a picture.
 

I was beginning to get hungry so I returned past Athletes Parade where there was a geometric statue of these racing athletes and an information panel which made the naming of the streets become clear - this area had hosted the 1962 Commonwealth Games!  Geocaching not only gets you out in the fresh air, exploring different areas but also teaches you new facts!
 

After lunch at Floreat Forum I took the bus to the city for a wander and I'm still in awe of all the street art which decorates the city.
 

Judging a person doesn't define you they are, it defines who you are.