Geocaching is a type of global treasure-hunt involving people looking for hidden stashes of objects – or “geocaches”. Geocaching may also be described as a series of hide-and-seek games, where hiders provide online clues for seekers. Seekers use global positioning system (GPS) devices, or their phones, to find hidden geocaches.
The hobby has changed little since it started in Oregon in 2000, and has evolved from a small hobby to huge, well-organized treasure hunts for people of every age and ability.
Since geocaching is generally an outdoor activity, the participants are required to know their environment. Travellers sometimes get to know an area they are visiting by trekking to find caches, while weekend geocachers notice features in their own habitat.
Geocaching is a way to learn about the environment and help clean it up. Cache in, trash out is a common activity. “Earthcaches” (developed by the Geological Society of America) provide educational lessons about the physical geography of the geocache’s region.
In Greytown there are over 80 geocaches within a 5km radius, and on the trail there are six, plus several others within a short distance of the trail. So if you aren’t already a geocacher, why not check this fun activity out – www.geocaching.com, you can create an account for free and get started straight away.
