Eagle’s nest in tree on CCT between Oak Hill and Northern Campsite
Monday 25 June: Mulligans Flat and CCT Geocaching – M/E-M,ptX. A wander through the Mulligans Flat NR, the high edge of Bonner and the Canberra Centenary Trail to pick up a few non-premium geocaches.
Further Information
A little caching with Kambahkid, even though my feet are very sore.
Summary
Distance: 16.5km | Climb: 250m | Time: 8.05am – 2.35pm (6hrs 30mins), including 30 mins of breaks and plenty of geocache hunting minutes | Grading: M/E-M,ptX; M(8)
Photographs
Photographs are available, where you can start a large sized slideshow.
Waypoint and Track Files
Download the gpx file for this trip (if your browser does not automatically download the file, it will open the gpx file in a new window and you can then save it). To use in Google Earth, do File, Open… and select Gps or All files as the File Type.
Track Notes
Another foray to non-premium caches. This time some of the JackaKid’s series (and anything nearby) and on up to the Champs2Monkeys’ CCT series. Another perfect Canberra Winter’s day – although the starts are a bit cool until you get into the sun and have been walking a bit.
We parked at the Amy Ackman St entrance to the Mulligans Flat NR, Left at 8.05am and walked in through the Red Gum Gate. Found and logged GC5X74E JackaKid’s Geocache 20 – Jackson VC, GC5X74R JackaKid’s Geocache 21 – Leak VC and GC5X74W JackaKid’s Geocache 22 – O’Meara VC. A DNF at GC5X754 JackaKid’s Geocache 23 – Castleton VC. Next, a bonus near the JackKid series, a log of GC5MWBZ That’s Amore !. Then another 4 of JackaKid’s – GC5X772 JackaKid’s Geocache 24 – Cooke VC, GC5X77C JackaKid’s Geocache 25 – Carroll VC, GC5X77F JackaKid’s Geocache 26 – Dwyer VC and GC5X77H JackaKid’s Geocache 27 – Grieve VC. Another bonus near the line of GC47D0Z Three Stump Bushman’s Retreat.
From here, our next cache took us to the animal-proof fence, where we spoke with a nature photographer on the other side. Kambahkid, being a highly principled geocacher, would not allow me to ask the guy to walk just 35m to find our cache. So it was NW down to the Bandicoot Gate and back up the other side of the fence to log GC2B6W6 Kangaroo. From there, it was back onto the main series, logging GC5X77P JackaKid’s Geocache 28 – Howell VC, GC5X77R JackaKid’s Geocache 29 – Inwood VC and GC5X77W JackaKid’s Geocache 30 – Jensen VC.
Being 9.50am, we wandered down towards the Old Gundaroo Road and stopped in a sunny spot for morning tea.
Refreshed and re-planned, we decided to follow the JackaKid series up around the northern flank of Bonner (my digital maps are 2006 vintage, so no Bonner there!). We logged GC5VTAM JackaKid’s Geocache 14 – Wylly VC, GC5VTAD JackaKid’s Geocache 13 – Bisdee VC, GC5VTAC JackaKid’s Geocache 12 – Howse VC, GC5TWW6 JackaKid’s Geocache 10 – Throssell VC, GC5TWW3 JackaKid’s Geocache 9 – Symons VC. A DNF of GC5TWVY JackaKid’s Geocache 8 – Shout VC. Found GC5TWVM JackaKid’s Geocache 7 – Keysor VC.
We were working along a fence line. Backing up a bit to where Kambahkid remembered seeing a gate (no sign on it), we headed up a spur to join the Canberra Centenary Trail. We walked north, to the west of Oak Hill and down to the northern camp ground. We found GC64THH CCT – S2 – What a View (not according to the hint, but covered with rocks on the ground around 15m from the cache location), GC64THM CCT – S2 – Now the fun bit, GC64THP CCT – S2 – Don’t want to stop and GC64THT CCT – S2 – Almost at the end.
Through the northern camp ground, we found the remaining 8 caches on the CCT that I wanted. They were GC64TJG CCT – S3 – Start of Section 3, GC659K4 CCT – S3 – Climbing Again, GC659KB CCT – S3 – Little Bridge, GC659KP CCT – S3 – Breather, GC659KX CCT – S3 – Rock Art (sadly, I think, the rock art has been knocked down), GC659M6 CCT – S3 – Summit, GC659M9 CCT – S3 – Cross Roads and, finally after a lot of searching, GC659N0 CCT – S3 – Twisting.
Lunch was called.
With my feet very sore, I set off whilst Kambahkid was finishing lunch. We made our way generally back down to the edge of Bonner, then through the suburb, across Mulligans Flat Drive and back to the car.
A productive day.
Track Map
Party
2 walkers – Derek S (Kambahkid), me (JohnnyBoyACT).