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Welcome BackWe hope everyone in the geocaching community has had a good break and been able to find lots of caches wherever they may have travelled to. If you didn't get away, we hope that at least you managed to find lots of caches.
We see that Stats Guru Danie has started publishing all his analysis of the caching stats for 2019, and there seems to have been quite a reduction in the amount of geocaching happening, both with new caches being placed, and finds happening being at their lowest levels since 2016. You can see all the stats here on the geocaching forums.
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2020 Festivities Geocaching is what you’ve made it. Entering into the 20th year of geocaching, Groundspeak wants to celebrate what’s most important: this community-driven game, and during 2020 will allow eligible geocachers to apply to host Community Celebration Events in 2020. These events will enable cachers around the world to commemorate the 20th anniversary of geocaching with a new icon and souvenir. This cache type was originally known as the Lost and Found Event Cache. It was created for events that were hosted by geocachers from April 30, 2010 to May 3, 2010 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of geocaching. Just 362 Lost and Found Events were held, so a very limited number of cachers earned the icon. These events have been allocated out now, and the full list of events already published is available at this link. Check back here regularly to find one near you. |
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Meet ChrisDenThis month our feature article is about team ChrisDen, who currently have 9 765 finds, 299 hides, and according to CacherStats are ranked 4th in South Africa.GOSA - Please tell us a little more about yourself/yourselves, who you are and what you do when you are not caching? ChrisDen - Denise and I are in our 60's and have been married for 40ish years. I retired a few years ago after working for the same firm for 37 years. I was a professional Chartered Accountant. Denise, unfortunately, will never be able to retire from her work as the homemaker. We have two married children who live overseas and three grandchildren. We keep ourselves busy by travelling extensively, both locally and overseas. We cache as a team as we both enjoy it. There are very few caches that we have found where only one of us was present. GOSA - When and how did you get involved in Geocaching? ChrisDen - We have been caching since January 2013. We were first told about caching by a friend. My immediate reaction was that it sounded stupid as I had a mental picture of going to the coordinates and seeing a large container. I had no idea what ingenuity went into the hobby. We then attempted a cache using a Garmin Nuvi that was in street mode so took us to the point on the road nearest to the cache. Of course we had no idea where to look. We went home and then used the app to find a cache 100m from our house. Then we were hooked. GOSA - What has been your most memorable find? ChrisDen - There are lots but when asked this question we normally immediately think of Mission 9: Tunnel of light - GC1169. To get to the cache you have to walk 3.6 km in an old train tunnel. Awesome experience. Another that I must add is Sentinel View GC185 GOSA - Can you tell us about some of the interesting places Geocaching has taken you to? ChrisDen - Phew, once again we have been to so many places as a result of geocaching. We use caching as our tour guide. The memorable places include the Oregon forests in the USA, the top of the Koffiebus mountain near Steynsburg, the tip of South Africa in the Kgalagadi Nature reserve. We have even found walks and parks in our home town that we did not even know about. GOSA - What is your favourite cache type and why? ChrisDen - Earth caches. The geological history of earth is fascinating and this cache type has increased our knowledge significantly. Our favourite containers are ones that are hidden in plain sight. It takes skill to hide those sort of caches so we appreciate them that much more. GOSA - What is your greatest Geo-Achievement? ChrisDen - We do not think in these terms. Caching is a fun hobby. It is sort of like asking what our greatest travel achievement is. There is no real answer. GOSA - Have you set yourself any Geocaching Goals? ChrisDen - As an accountant there is always some stat that we are chasing. Calendar loops, DT matrix and so on. Currently we are filling our 6th calendar loop. GOSA - Which caches are on your bucket list? ChrisDen - Match Stash - GC4D is top of the list. We need a cache placed in August 2000 to complete the full house of finding a cache placed in every month since caching started. There are only three other August 2000 caches and they are in the USA and we are not going back there in a hurry. GOSA - Do you have any hints and tips you could share with the rest of the caching community? ChrisDen - I have lots but lets keep it to the main one. Play the game the way you want to and do not worry about the way others play the game. If you worry about others you will remove the pleasure of the game. This is the best advice I can give any cacher. |
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Cache of the MonthJanuary's Cache of the Month called for nominations for the best cache of 2019. We are proud to announce that GC84KPK - The Nest TB Hotel, created by DAandDI, has won this COTM. This cache is impressive for the great attention to creative detail that went into the creation of the cache. It is a must visit stop over for any weary traveller (TBs and Geocoins) on their adventures travelling from cache to cache. .
 Next month we will be looking to award the Cache of the Month to the best event that took place during 2019, so it must be an event that happened during 2019. Please send your nominations to .
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