Four Times in One Day

Sunday was a perfect day weather wise, so we decided to place 4 more caches.

Our first cache for the day was on a walking / bike trail, so we decided to cycle for a change. This wasn’t necessarily an easy task. First of all the bike tyres were flat, then there was the problem of Redback webs over the bikes, THEN there was the helmet adjustments to make. (Can’t you tell that we are avid cyclists?) Eventually, the tyres were pumped, the spiders were sprayed and the helmets were fitted (almost) and we were off. It is an easy ride up the bitumen to the head of the trail and then the trail is a pretty average ride through bushland.  It took us about 20 minutes or so of cycling to get to the cache location. Another 20 minutes was taken up with finding somewhere “safe” to hide the cache. C6 and H9 haven’t quite got the gist of hiding things yet, but I hope that we have hidden it well enough to make it a bit tricky. Then we had to think of a name for the cache. Fortunately, there is a shelter there, because it was starting to get pretty warm and naming the cache was to prove itself a difficult feat. The kids has dropped the water bottle in the red dust and had sucked some of the dirt into the bottle, making the water taste quite bitter but it was cool and it was wet so we drank it anyway. The kids haven’t quite got the hang of naming caches either. Our last cache was titled “Rock and Hole” because it is in a hole in a big fat rock. C6 wanted to call this cache “I Love Rock and Roll” all the while singing at the top of his lungs and playing air guitar. We decided on the pathetic name of “Roaring Roora Creek” (because the cache is near the Roora Creek – a dry creek bed). If you do ever hear water “roaring” in the creek, I suggest you take a photo and post it, because it doesn’t happen very often.

“Roaring” Roora Creek

We headed for home to pick up the car, pack a few snacks and hide our next 3 caches. We were heading in the direction of Darke Peak and decided that a pub lunch at the Darke Peak Hotel would make for a nice break to proceedings. On the way to to the Peak, we passed by Carappee Hill, which is the highest point on Eyre Peninusla. We thought that this might be a good place to put the next cache and so we turned in. The sign at the entrance to the conservation park said that you could drive all the way around the hill in a 2WD vehicle. Since the Commodore Wagon has gone where no man has gone before, we felt that it would be well and truly up for the journey. We got about half way around before we decided to turn around and go back. The road was getting progressively worse, having being washed out in places by some recent (and maybe not so recent – who knows how often this road is maintained) rains. Again it took us a while to hide the cache, don’t want to make it too easy, but we don’t want you to get frustrated looking for it. Another debate was held on the name of the cache. “Rocky Mountain High” was submitted by the wife but not very enthusiastically. We gave up in the end and went with the original name of Crappy Hill .

Carappee Hill

The kids were getting hungry by now, so we packed up and headed into town. Unfortunately, Deb and Gearbox, the local publicans, don’t open the pub on Sundays. Luckily, the wife had packed some fruit and some museli bars which had to suffice, and like all good country people we always carry water. Wasn’t a beer and mixed grill, but it kept the tummy rumbles away.

Panoramic View of Darke Peak

Once we left Darke Peak (the town) our next stop would be Darke Peak (the big chunk of dirt and rock that sticks out of the ground). It was too big for the wife to fit all in one picture, so the one above is a miracle of cutting and pasting. The South Australian explorer, John Charles Darke is buried at the base of the hills. We had already thought of  the name for this geocache. A Darke History seemed quite obvious really. Darke died about 6-7 weeks into his expedition to find good farming land on Eyre Peninsula. 

Darkes Grave

   Our final stop for the day would be another part of Eyre Peninsula history. As you might have guessed, Darke didn’t just fall off his horse and cark it. An Even Darker History happened here. On their return from the Gawler Ranges they passed by the place now known as Waddikee Rocks. The previously friendly aboriginals of the area speared Darke through the abdomen and the leg. He survived the night but died the next day. His fellow explorers took him back to the hills and buried him at the base of what is now known as Darke Peak. The story can be found here . 

From the top of Waddikee Rock you can get a good view of the district. There is a even a signpost to indicate some of the more prominent features.  

Atop Waddikee Rock

Then it was time to head for home. It was getting quite late and the tummies were rumbling quite loudly now. Hope you all have fun hunting.