Hello from the Johannesburg Film Festival where I keep thinking to myself that I should have made an event here. Urgh. Though something did happen this weekend that was quite encouraging. I hosted an event…in Bloemfontein…and new people showed up! What a pleasant experience. It’s the little satisfactions like that which make event hosting so much more special. For others, it’s more about the numbers and as we gear up for the GoSA Awards in just over a week, we also see the return of our monthly stats in this newsletter. Thanks again to Adventure_T and Danie Viljoen on their exceptional work on that front. Also, almost congratulations to terunkie for almost reaching the 9000 mark. No doubt between then and now, he would have made it. We’ll see in the next set of stats.
There are many caches that truly stand out for me and I think one of these must be Security Village (GC8E9XN) by Retro Rex.
When I first found it, I was not on a Geocaching trip. I had a friend from Germany out and we wanted to go hiking to Tugela Falls. After fetching her up from a wedding in Newcastle and with the trip down to Phuthaditjhaba we had ample time to chat about all things, one of them being Geocaching. So obviously I had to show her one that would be impressive. So, I search for something cool and decided to stop by for lunch in Clarens. The first time around we were in a bit of a rush and could not figure it out, so we left it as unfound but on the way back we stopped specifically to grab the cache. This time being successful in figuring out the key.
The reason this one stands out for me is that the idea came from an art piece and the CO built something after many months of planning sourcing parts, truly the makers madness way . Every time someone mentions Clarens it is the first cache I think about and I have taken a few newbies and old cachers to this as I just think it is well made and a bit more than your average park and grab.
Unfortunately, in 2022 the CO decided to disable it for some much needed maintenance and it was somehow just forgotten, the process then follow its course, and the cache was archived in 2023.
After that there were a few conversations about reviving it as such a great cache and even today there are still mumblings of doing so. It does need some love and some new things to be added to it so watch this space it may have a referb project coming soon.
P.S. Clarens is far from my home location so if anyone would like to take up the challenge and get this one going again I would be happy to work with them on it.
Don’t Forget you can add your Interesting and Different Geocaches to be written about in the new letter. Please submit your response here.
Reviewer’s Corner
From Placement to Archive: Tracking the Health of a Geocache
“It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.” In geocaching, that’s often true. The adventure, the unexpected detours, the hidden corners of familiar landscapes. Those are what keep many of us coming back. But sometimes, it is about the destination. Sometimes it’s about standing in the right spot, spotting the hide, signing the log, and adding another smiley to the map.
We all set different goals in this game: daily streaks, monthly targets, first-to-finds, souvenirs and Jasmer challenges. The list goes on. And sometimes those goals are halted by the dreaded DNF. Of course, not every DNF signals a problem. A cleverly concealed container or an inexperienced searcher can all contribute. But when DNFs begin to stack up, it can signal something deeper: declining cache health.
Regular maintenance and monitoring are essential to keeping caches findable, enjoyable, and alive. Behind the scenes, Geocaching HQ has developed an algorithm designed to help identify potentially problematic caches and notify owners before issues spiral toward archival.
Understanding how cache health is assessed helps owners stay proactive and helps the community understand the lifecycle of a geocache.
What contributes to a cache health score?
While the exact algorithm is not public, we do know the key elements that influence cache health:
1. Log Types
Logs are more than stories — they are data points.
Negative logs, such as:
DNF (Did Not Find)
Needs Owner Attention (NOA)
Reviewer Attention Requested (RAR)
…signal potential issues. A single DNF may mean very little. But multiple recent DNFs, especially without a confirming find, begin to lower a cache’s perceived health.
On the other hand, positive logs, including:
Found It
Owner Maintenance (OM)
…strengthen the health score. A steady stream of finds suggests the cache is present, accessible, and enjoyable. Owner maintenance logs demonstrate active stewardship, which is a strong protective factor against archival.
2. The Decay Factor
Every geocache experiences decay — the only question is how fast.
The decay factor can be understood as the rate at which a cache declines over time, particularly in relation to the time between finds. The longer a cache goes without a confirmed find, the more uncertainty grows about its status.
Decay can occur in several forms:
Physical decay – water damage, cracked containers, full or soggy logbooks
Engagement decay – declining interest or visibility
Interestingly, caches with lower Difficulty/Terrain (D/T) ratings may decay faster in perception. Because they are expected to be straightforward finds, repeated DNFs on an “easy” cache raise red flags quickly. A high-D/T cache, however, may tolerate occasional DNFs without triggering immediate concern.
3. Why only the last 10 logs matter
One of the most important aspects of cache health evaluation is recency.
Only the last 10 logs are typically considered when assessing health signals. This means:
Older problems eventually “age out”
Recent trends matter more than historic success
A once-healthy cache can decline quickly if recent logs trend negative
A struggling cache can recover with consistent finds and owner action
This rolling window keeps the system responsive. It focuses on current condition rather than lifetime performance.
For example:
7 Finds + 3 DNFs in the last 10 logs → generally stable
2 Finds + 8 DNFs → high concern
Multiple NOA or RAR logs → urgent review likely
Health Is Managed, Not Accidental
A healthy geocache doesn’t stay healthy by chance. It requires:
Durable containers
Thoughtful placement
Realistic D/T ratings
Active log monitoring
Prompt maintenance
DNFs aren’t the enemy, they are early warning signs. Logs are not just stories, they are vital signs. And decay is not inevitable, it can be slowed with care.
From placement to archive, every geocache tells a story. The question for every cache owner is simple:
Are you actively writing the next chapter or letting decay write it for you?
They are your local go-to people, so keep their details for future reference
Eastern Cape
FireflyAfrica (Jonker Fourie)
082 889 2459
Free State
Uncle Chem (Richard Chemaly)
072 431 7131
Gauteng
Leon St (Leon Stoop)
071 330 8435
KwaZulu-Natal
M²C²D (Mark & Ceinwen Oosthuizen)
M 083 324 6176 C 083 324 2167
Limpopo
Boats007 (Willem Botha)
082 463 3700
Mpumalanga
Bouts777 (Gerhard Botha)
082 876 3572
North-West
Team Tip Top (Hansie & Zaneta Van Huyssteen)
H 082 753 8082 Z 083 258 5926
Western & Northern Cape
SKATTIE@1 (Elize Louw)
074 138 6360
Maintain your details
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