5th Birthday Bash!

Our campUp early in the morning and took some photos in camp of me and CENT5’s geocoins in our camp – unfortunately I just missed getting a passing kangaroo in the photo!

Our first stop was Land of the Free. What fantastic views of the Tamar and Launceston from here! An easy find, which is good as this cache was pre-coffee and the female slave was being a grumpy pants. So the next stop was a café in Launceston for some brekkie.

Me & HandsomeMan at brekkieHaving not done any preparation for our trip beforehand, the female slave did some quick planning over her coffee and eggs, which didn’t exactly work out all that well! She decided to take us to do a group of caches in the Gorge – in a ‘No Dogs Allowed’ area! I quickly sent the slaves in to find Gorgeous (well, we had to turn around in the car park anyway!), and finding a mouldy logbook we replaced it with a new one and retrieved the old one to give to robtas at the event.

Do we dare try? Could we possibly risk getting another DNF here when we’re due to see the Waterwells this very day?! Buoyed with CENT5’s geocoins for good luck, we decided to make yet another attempt on Power Stepping. For those who are unaware of our pathetic record with this cache, we’ve been DNFing this one for over a year. It has gotten to the point that I don’t log DNFs anymore because Mrs Waterwells just feels too sorry for me. So you can see why my entourage was a bit hesitant. . .but I was ready to find this one!!!

CENT5's geocoins with Power Stepping

We descended into the Gorge and made our way across the bouncy bridge. We arrived at the area the slaves had been scouring ever since receiving the one clue I allowed them to accept from Mrs Waterwells – only to find a landslip! Would this keep the slaves from finding it yet again! I, of course, knew exactly where it would be, so I polished CENT5’s geocoins with my ears, implored the female slave to let them help her, and sent her on her way. Can you believe it – she soon spotted the cache?! The one clue I allowed the female slave to accept from Mrs Waterwells she had COMPLETELY misinterpreted (really, who mistakes ‘without’ and ‘with’?!), and it took the power of 3 CENT5 coins to restore our mojo! FINALLY!!!!!!!!! Victory was finally ours, but we couldn’t phaff around doing victory dances! Onwards!

Next stop: From an Eagles Eye. We approached this one from above, taking an interesting route, and were soon at GZ. The GPSr was sending us everywhere, but my slaves went out on the evil metal ground that I hate just because there were spectacular views in all directions. Grumpf. When I finally was able to interest them in the task at hand, the HandsomeMan set about the hunt logically and soon came up with the cache. Opening it almost proved too much, however just as some muggles arrived (naturally!) he managed to prise it open. I signed, we smiled and nodded as the muggles left, and replaced the cache. I was wondering how michaels mob had found such good camouflage, and was quite amused when I heard the story later at the event.

Denison's ViewONWARDS! Next stop: Denison’s View! And what a view Denison had – fairly stunning! And how much fun was it watching the female slave acquiring those coordinates! We adjourned to GZ and hunted and hunted and hunted. . . Grrhh. What a shame that after the lovely views and great hide From an Eagles Eye that I’ll need to bite michaels mob when next I see him. Hope I brought that stain remover for the Waterwells’ carpet.

Not wanting to rush the other unfound caches in the Launceston area, we decide to start making our way north. I waved my paws at the Riverside Vet surgery and Waterwells HQ #1 on the way past (I would have preferred to cacher-nap Bastvet and Horus, however Tommie and Derek said I couldn’t as that might have impacted their carrot and masseuse budgets).

Next stop was a new offering from CraigRat, Plummer’s Memorial. My entourage very rudely decided it would be safest if I stayed in the cacheMobile, so they bumbled around the site and came up with zilch. They phoned the Cheesy Mister to check on their progress and see if they’d attempted this on yet – the Piggy says ‘No’. Grumpf. Next stop, another new offering from CraigRat: Marion’s Eagle. This one even the female slave could quickly find, so we had lunch while I had an ‘eyrie’ feeling a bird of prey was watching. . .

As we continued north we kept an eye out for the Cheesy Pigs, but didn’t know which caches they were doing, whether Mr CP was holding up OK, how bad these roads might be for potentially car sick Piglets, etc. We were looking forward the next cache, a robtas offering, as it would have lookout towards one of our all-time favourites, Bonnie’s Laments. We’d always intended to stopped at AULD KIRK, but, of course, never had before there was a cache there (how original!). And this cache was great! History, great views, lovely architecture, simple multi, good hide, great weather (although slightly on the too hot side robtas – please rectify to make the cache perfect!). This one was a gem!

Northwards!!! robtas also had some new offerings in Beaconsfield, so we scored some finds at SKATER BOY (why are you yelling at me robtas?) then GOLD ! GOLD! GOLD! (really, as a canine I have fairly sensitive hearing).

NORTHWARDS!!!! Time was getting one, and we couldn’t tell if CAT HOUSE (NNNOOOOO!!) had been replaced, so I sent my slaves for a quite look (you didn’t think I would go there, did you!) and when they came back without having logged anything we decided to head for Greens Beach.

The female slave fired up the GPSr a little too late, so while the HandsomeMan visited the public facilities, she acquired the required information from WPT1 of “Green Acres”.

And now we were ready. . .to make our entrance at the Fifth Birthday Bash!. Woo-hoo! We arrived to find slime all over the decking (howdy, Swampy!), my friend Zoe and my new friend Bella, Mrs Wonderful Welcoming Waterwells, the ‘gizers, mrtack and the lil tacker all getting down to the business of the event – enjoying each other’s company. Ellie was asleep (she’s just young).

Ellie is a very special friend of mine. She’s a working dog, but she is NOT a peasant; she’s a Guide Dog Puppy. My friends the energizers and the cachingdynamo have very generously volunteered their time, home, and love for the next 15 months to start Ellie’s training. Unfortunately she’s incredibly intelligent, so she’ll most likely pass all her exams with flying colours and become essential to a muggle, however we’re so pleased to know her until her graduation!
Over the next few hours more teams arrived: robtas and jantas, Team Tiges and aloysius7, michaels mob, the Cheesy Pigs and Danza Piglet, the forthferals, the DDTs and Harry the GeoPup leading Fairly Magic. Unfortunately mrtack and the lil’ tacker soon had to leave, robtas and jantas had another engagement in Launnie, and Mr Waterwells had to leave for work. But the rest of us partied on. . .

Meanwhile, in secret, I was showing people my new load of geocoins. It’s not that I don’t want to share them with other Tasmanian cachers – that’s exactly what I want to do with them! – but I hadn’t expected them to arrive in time for the event so wasn’t ready for their ‘launch’. Mrs CP has a special disability – sorry, love – that means she needs to touch each one and photograph both sides, so while she got on with that my female slave (unsuccessfully) photographed the coins with some of the other cachers at the event.

Stack of Sistemas!!In other exciting happenings, the DDTs had a special gift for everyone: a Sistema for everyone, including logbook, pen, and $10 towards swaps! They assisted team in the Globetrotter Competition and received a financial reward. Instead of just paying for caching-petrol, they decided to share the reward with the rest of the Tasmanian geocaching community. I just wish I had my camera out when Swampy realise what was happening to capture his expression!!!

After these shenanigans, Mrs Waterwells slaved away on our salads (really – I could have sent my slaves in to do the work), Mrs forthferalz slaved away on some chocolate icing (really – I could have spread that with my tongue!), and we all got into the serious end of things, eating, drinking, and demanding that sticks fly through the air!  You might want to check out the Cheesy Pigs’s photos from the night!

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