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  • Adventure Labs
  • Adventure Labs

     Geocaching Adventure Lab is a new type of cache that is played with a separate app.  The platform allows you to create, play, and share location-based experiences and games. The Adventure Lab app guides players through the process of finding clues, solving puzzles, and completing Adventures one location at a time.  Currently, Adventure Lab caches do not appear on the main geocaching map.

    How to find an adventure lab cache?  Download the appropriate app to your smartphone, open it up, provide your current profile information, and then search the map for adventure lab caches around you.  If you’re already a Geocaching member, these Adventure Lab Caches count towards your Geocaching.com statistics and total finds.

    In September 2020 South Africa boasted 39 Adventure Labs published in 7 of the 9 provinces.  This has dramatically increased to 66 Adventure labs by December 2020. January 2021 sees the number increased to 74.

     

    Current Adventure Labs Available in  South Africa 74
    (as per 5 January 2021)(New indicated in red)
         
    Eastern Cape 19
    A Port Elizabeth beachfront stroll FireflyAfrica 5
    Cape St Francis Sea Point Snotx2 5
    Crossways Village Meander iPajero 5
    East London Historical Adventure iPajero 5
    Futuristic Mall of the Southern Cape TeamTatoo 5
    JBay History Snotx2 5
    Jeffrey's Bay ..... Surfing Mecca Stranslopers w&e 5
    Port Elizabeth Market Square sekhie 5
    Retha's Trail Coco_Rose 5
    Santíssimo Sacramento ChrisDen 5
    Storms River Village FireflyAfrica 5
    Strolling though the Cape Recife Reserve plainoldgraham 5
    The 1922 Sunday Drive to Schoenmakerskop Spook1974 5
    The age of the sail - Algoa Bay Spesbona 5
    The Boardwalk Amble iPajero 5
    The Ghosts of Port Elizabeth MixieLee 5
    van Stadens Wild Flower Reserve ChrisDen 5
    Karoo Gates JPMZA 5
    Western Seaboard Scenic Drive - Port Elizabeth Wikkelgat 5
         
    Free State 2
    Anglo-Boer War Museum Precinct Uncle Chem 5
    Crazy Bloemfontein Uncle Chem 5
         
    Gauteng 12
    A Bygone Era - Parktown maccadikt 9
    A Farm in a City rodnjoan 5
    Emmarentia Meander DAandDI 8
    Greensleeves Fier 5
    Historical Cullinan Urban Campers 5
    Irene Concentration Camp Cemetary Voëlhond 5
    Johannesburg Golden Mile Orosman 5
    Jozi Views ThomasFamilyZA 5
    Scary & Interesting houses of Pretoria Namibseun 4
    South African Air Force Memorial Leon St 5
    The Wilds: Joburg's Garden of Eden Urban Campers 5
    Union Building Forces Namibseun 5
         
    KwaZulu Natal 14
    A Village Stroll Lost Landie 5
    Africa's Oldest Botanical Garden waydom 5
    Ballito Beaches - Promenade Desertal 5
    Durban's Gold Mile Enigma_DKL 5
    Durban's Natural Science Museum M²C²D 5
    Imbibing in Nottingham Road Westview4 5
    Japanese Gardens - Take a Stroll M²C²D 5
    Larger than Life - art by Giffy! fawny 5
    Living in Durban WÅLDO 5
    Pfanner Faces the Pope - East Coast WÅLDO 5
    Queen Elizabeth Park chrisingy 5
    Umhlanga Promenande Carbon Hunter 5
    uShaka Marine World Team_Bateleur 5
    Worlds View Westview4 5
         
    Limpopo 1
    City of Gold macgyver121 4
         
    North West 2
    ABW Church Driveby Adventure cincol 2
    Pilansberg Vista Carbon Hunter 1
         
    Western Cape   24
    Around Durbanville PieterM 5
    Bracken Reserve fiebs team 5
    Camps Bay Fairest Cape 5
    Colonel Gordon's Treasure Adventure_T 5
    Explore where two oceans meet Pte Curb 5
    Exploring the Cape Town Waterfront GoSA 8
    From Norway to New Zealand via Knysna roadrunred 5
    Grootbrak Island Adventure BruceTP 5
    Hip to be Square Commaille 5
    Historic Hout Bay ! omni W 5
    Kirstenbosch Meander terunkie 10
    Knysna Elements - Stone, metal wood, nature + water roadrunred 5
    Route 62, the scenic alternative Pieterix 10
    Sedgefield Slow Town ALC Strandlopers w&e 5
    Sights of Century City Evolutionaries 5
    Signal Hill fiebs team 4
    Simon's Town History Adventure family Behrens 10
    St Helena Bay eneveraa 4
    Stellenbosch Meander PieterM 5
    Strand - Somerset West The Huskies 5
    Table Mountain, a quick tour pieterix 10
    The Cape of Storms paddawan 4
    The Company's Garden Team Niel 5
    The corner of the French udjopa 5
    University of Stellenbosch Botanical Gardens PieterM 5


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  • GoSA Grapevine May 2021

     

    Survey results, Big Blue Switch Day, Tips for Newbies and more…



    GoSA Grapevine
     
    Survey results, Big Blue Switch Day, Tips for Newbies and more…

    From the Desk of the Chairman

    What brilliant timing! April 2021 was a slow month, but I have an entire survey to talk about, so I’ll be using this space to report on that. 101 of your submitted responses and as a committee, we’re incredibly grateful as it gives us good direction.
     
    I found the areas and number of caches found be quite broad. Most of the submissions came from Gauteng, Kwa-Zulu Natal, and the Western Cape with over 25% each and the Eastern Cape with just over 15% and the other five provinces sharing the rest.
    9 out of 10 of you believe this newsletter comes out enough while the other 1 would like to see it come out more often. What was very encouraging though was that 40 people volunteered to contribute to the newsletter so you may be seeing more content very soon.
     
    In terms of social media, Facebook won out, with Instagram coming second and surprise, surprise, TikTok comes in third. We don’t have a TikTok account to be clear but it’s good to know where the demand is. Obviously, we can’t do it all on our own as the social media component is very community driven so, please keep using #GeocachingSouthAfrica and/or feel free to tag us.
     
    In terms of events, looks like the quicker events are preferable though only by a minor margin next to outing events with weekend sleepover events and travelling events also gaining favour, but this was the best indicator for me; answers to what appeals to you as a geocacher and “finding new places” is by far the biggest motivator it would seem.
     
    As far as the other stats, those will be guiding us, and we thank you once again for giving your opinions on things like cache of the month and the like. We’ll be taking them into consideration as we go along.
     
    From a non-survey point of view, it was pretty cool to go caching on the International Space Station as well as seeing Lab Caches on the map. Oh and obviously, what kind of report would it be if I didn’t remind you to log your will attends and invite your friends too for the Bay Cache Bash…only this time, you also get a pretty sweet video!
     
    Have an awesome May and may you find the most awesome places on your geocaching adventures.

    Adventure Lab Caches Update

     
    The Geocaching® app just got a little more adventurous! You will never miss out on an Adventure Lab cache again as GCHQ has added Adventure Lab® pins to the map in the app for Premium members. You can now easily search, filter, and discover the Adventure Labs right from the app.
     
    Adventure Labs take you on a contactless, socially distanced scavenger hunt to unlock fun stories, solve puzzles, and explore new places. Adventures are represented by their own pin type, so they are easily recognizable on the map. Premium members, look for this hot air balloon pin:
    Tapping on the icon will show you the name of the Adventure Lab, the distance to the first point, the overall rating for the lab and how many stages it consists of. Once you then tap on the informational pop-up block you will be directed to the Adventure Lab® app which can be downloaded here! 
     
    Don’t forget that there is the Science of Discovery Challenge that is currently running – you earn the most points toward this souvenir by finding Adventure Labs so check out which of the 77 South African Adventure Lab caches are closest to you and get adventuring!

    Blue Switch Day is Here!

    When GPS was first developed, it was only available for use by the U.S. military. Eventually GPS was opened up to civilians but with Selective Availability. This meant that although everyone had access, the accuracy was lowered for civilians. On 2 May 2000, the U.S. government “flipped the switch” so high-accuracy GPS was available to everyone. For reasons unknown, geocachers know this as Blue Switch Day. However, there really wasn’t a blue switch!
     
    Opening up accurate GPS technology to everyone around the globe launched a flow of innovation and new cutting-edge technology that changed the world forever. It created an entirely new world of possibilities. It’s not a coincidence the first geocache was hidden on May 3, 2000, and the game of geocaching was born!
     
    Starting from 2 May 2021 until 31 December 2021, you can earn the Blue Switch Day 2021 souvenir by finding a geocache, Adventure Lab®, or attending an Event.

    Community Feedback

    Its always good to get feedback from the community, we recently got an email from newbie cacher, Neilke Pretorius AKA Gypsy*7, which she has kindly agreed that we can share in the newsletter:

    “I love Geocaching so thanks guys for all the effort that you put in. I am planning to grade up to the premium app…. So excited!! Attached is a geocache that I did in Rosendal a few weeks back with my log of 103 geocaches. Keep well and hope to see you’ll at a social sometime.”
    Well done Neilke on your finds so far – keep caching and having fun!
     
    Have a story or photo you want to share with the community? Please send us an email on

    Geocaching Tips for Newbies

    I recently came across an article with a list of tips for newbies, things that have become second nature to some of the more experienced geocachers and thought it would be a great idea to share some of them.
    •  It’s a GAME – have fun!
    • Pay attention to the cache page (size, difficulty, description, etc.)
    • If at first you don’t succeed – try, try again!
    • When you get close to Ground Zero (GZ) put the GPS or phone away and look – you will over time hone your geosense.
    • Read the hint, think, and search outside the box!
    • Be polite in logging - There are people under those usernames!
    • Write a great log – as much as you enjoy finding the cache, the cache owner enjoys reading a good log, something more than TFTC!
    • Always BYOP (bring your own pen)
    • Try not to look suspicious – a clipboard or high vis vest goes a long way to help you blend in
    • Respect your surroundings and the environment!
    • Be sure to report any problems to the cache owner but remember that just because you haven’t been able to find the cache and are logging a DNF does not necessarily mean that it is missing – there are some sneaky caches out there.
    • Pack water and snacks – often a quick hour of caching turns into a morning or afternoon outing when the “just one more” bug bites.
    • Be sure to bring trade items (SWAG) with you - you might find something cool to trade – no money, food, cigarettes, or other inappropriate items – remember this is a family friendly game!
    • Attend events – it’s a great way to get to know local geocachers and pick up hints and tips on puzzle solving, etc.
    • Pay attention to the difficulty (1-5) and terrain (1-5) ratings and start with easier caches – especially when working on puzzles.
    • Try not to bundu bash your way to the cache – there are more often than not
    • Read recent logs for up-to-date status of cache, hints, help, clarifications, etc.
    • Use a stick to poke into holes - spiders, snakes, scorpions etc love protecting our caches.
    • Tell someone where you plan to be (especially if you are caching alone) and always be aware of your surroundings.
    • Wear/bring appropriate clothing and footwear – as much as we love slops, they aren’t great for tree climbs and long walks.
    • Have a first aid kit with you – bug bites, scratches and splinters are common.
    • Understand the concept of travel bugs and the procedure – if you take one out of a cache, discover it and move it on to another cache.
    • Replace the geocache exactly as found – the cache owner knows where they wanted it placed, please don’t move it to a spot you think is better.
    • It is a good idea to Find at least 20 caches before hiding your own – try find different sizes, types, etc – it will give you a good feel for the game.
    If you are a newbie (or just new-ish) geocacher, we hope this list was helpful. If you are a veteran geocacher, what tips would YOU add to the list? Please drop us a line and let us know – maybe we can make this a regular feature in the newsletter.
    Have you started to plan your visit to the Friendly City for The Bay Cache Bash on 25 September? Don't just see it as a big event that would give you the opportunity to add a special icon to your profile. See it as an adventure, a full package experience!
     
    • Start by watching the promotional video the PE team has put together.
    • Plan a road trip and line up a whole series of caches along the way. Visit some "must see and do" caches-en-route.
    • Research the area and make a list of all the caches you want to make sure you do during your stay.
    • Plan a holiday and not just a caching trip.
    • Arrive early and spend a few days in the area to grab as many of the awesome caches in and around Port Elizabeth during your stay.
    • Attend some of the events being organised in the week before and the week after.
    • Join some of the outings, walks, excursions, and activities being planned in the week before and after.
    • Link up with a local cacher and let them show you the best caches the area has to offer. 
    We are currently on 211 Will Attend logs for the event and this number needs to reach 300 before we are able to apply for Mega status. Please assist us to get to this magical number as soon as possible so that the planning for the event can go ahead full steam.
     
    Please log your Will Attend today at – The Bay Cache Bash 2021.  If you have any enquiries you can send an email to –  
     

    Souvenir Sorting

    In another new update from GCHQ, you can now sort your souvenirs on both the website and the app!
     
    In the Geocaching® app (8.47.0 or higher), sort souvenir names from A to Z, or by newest first. Your sorting selection will be sticky, so it’s always in the order you prefer. On Geocaching.com, sort souvenir names from A to Z and Z to A—or by newest or oldest first. Plus, for the love of numbers, we added your souvenir count.
     
    Your list of souvenirs can be found on your profile page on the app and in the left-hand menu of your account dashboard on the website.
    Once you click on the link to your souvenirs you will then be able to select how to organise them from a drop down menu. Your souvenir count will display in the same bar on the right hand side.
     
    Clicking on the icon for each souvenir you have earned will give you more information about the souvenir, ie – the artists name and additional information about each souvenir.

    Current Souvenirs

    Souvenirs are virtual pieces of art that you can earn, discover, and display on your profile page. They are associated with a particular location and may also be bound by time.

    We are always on the lookout for photos from events or cool caches, as well as any fun, interesting, unusual or exciting geocaching stories to share with the geocaching community.  If you want to share yours, send it to us by emailing it to our newsletter writers.

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