Geocaching on your iPhone

It occurred to Mum recently that Geocaching is the perfect activity for relocating families; it provides a great excuse to get out and about in your new suburb, town or city and will take you to places you might easily overlook in your day to day life.

What’s Geocaching?

Geocaching is a modern take on the traditional family treasure hunt. It’s a high-tech treasure hunt using global positioning system (GPS) devices. These days most people we know use their iPhones.

How does Geocaching work?

Geocaching is a treasure hunt game, also referred to as a sport, where participants retrieve GPS coordinates from the Internet and navigate to the outdoor location using a GPS device (Garmin, iPhone). The aim is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, and log adventures online. Containers can be as small as an old fashioned camera film case, or larger plastic boxes.

How did Geocaching start?

Geocaching was made possible following a decision by the US government in May 2000 to switch off a feature that historically degraded GPS accuracy – this meant that civilian users of GPS devices could pinpoint locations ten times more accurately.

The announcement caused great excitement among GPS enthusiasts. One enthusiast tested the accuracy by navigating to a hidden container using coordinates recorded on a GPS unit. He called the idea “The Great American GPS Stash Hunt” and posted coordinates on an internet GPS users’ group. The rules for those who found the stash were: “Take some stuff, leave some stuff.”

His container was hidden in the woods near Beaver Creek, Oregon and contained a logbook, pencil, and various prize items including videos, books, software, and a slingshot.

Within three days, two people had used their own GPS receivers to find the container, and shared their experiences online. Throughout the next week, others began hiding their own containers and posting coordinates. The “GPS Stash Hunt” mailing list was soon created to discuss the activity and during this time a new name was proposed: geocaching.

Want to Geocache in Australia?

Search for treasure

To start geocaching in Australia, register for free at Geocaching Australia or by installing Geocaching Intro for free on your iPhone. You will be prompted to enter your postcode or town to display a list of local geocaches. If you’re on a PC you may need to print or note down the coordinates to use on your GPS device. If you’re using an iPhone simply select a cache and tap “Let’s go!”

Follow the directions on the map and your GPS device will tell you when you’re getting close to the cache; often text hints and clues provide further assistance.

When searching for a geocache you need to be discreet. Geocaching etiquette says you shouldn’t let non-geocachers, called muggles, see what you’re doing.

Found it? Once you find the container, open it and enjoy your victory. All caches contain a log book (so take a pen) and many contain prizes and other small objects. If you take something, leave something of the same value.

Once you’re in the swing of it, you could hide your own geocache. It can be very exciting for children to maintain the cache and track visits online.

Some geocaches contain trackable items called Swaggies in Australia. These items have a unique ID and their location and activity is logged on online. Many items travel the world as they are passed from geocache to geocache and their online history tells an exciting story.

Remember a pen to sign the log

In New South Wales there are currently 2,259 geocaches, in Western Australia 1,622, and Victoria 763. You walk past them every day without knowing it. If you’ve just moved to Australia and are looking for a new outdoor activity for the whole family, sign up to Geocaching today and please come back to Mum’s gone 2 Aus and tell us how you’re getting on. We expect you’ll be hooked in no time!

Have you started a new activity or sport since moving to Australia that has helped you get to know your new home? We’d love to hear your tips and experiences. Thank you.

Read more about Geocaching Australia here.

Related articles:

Don’t miss critical information about your move to Australia: Join Mum’s Facebook page to receive regular updates. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to have a wrap-up of articles, tips and recommendations delivered straight to your Inbox.