Find out about local history through Geocaching

A game called letterboxing – which began in 1954 in Dartmoor (Dartmoor Letterboxing), has taken on a new form called geocaching.This is an outdoor recreational activity a bit like orienteering, in which participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or mobile device and combine this with various navigational techniques. Containers called caches are hidden for others to find. Coordinates are used to identify the location of the cache. The game involves using clues and references to landmarks embedded in stories – often local history stories. According to the History of Geocaching, the first documented placement of a GPS-located cache took place on May 3, 2000, by Dave Ulmer of Beavercreek, Oregon.
The cache often has novelty items of not much value. This first cache contained software, videos, books, money, a can of beans and a slingshot.  These items are not to be damaged or removed.
More information can be found at the Website.

@GoGeocaching is also the official twitter handle.

There are lots of treasures around the Fraser Coast to be found and you can learn a lot about the local history of the area this way also!

Do you participate in geocaching? Have you found many treasures?

References:

ABC (June, 2009) Ask and Expert How Does GPS work? retrieved from https://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2009/06/18/2602027.htm on the 28 August, 2019.

Groundspeak, Inc.(2019) History of Geocaching retrieved from https://www.geocaching.com/about/history.aspx on the 28 August, 2019.

Dartmoor Letterboxing (2019) What is Letterboxing retrieved from  https://dartmoorletterboxing.org/
on the 28 August, 2019.
Tags #localhistory #geocaching #frasercoast #gps #treasurehunt