WALK THE FULL LENGTH OF THIS BEAUTIFUL TRACK OR DO SECTIONS INDIVIDUALLY
Miners Beach South
The Walk
The Port Macquarie Coastal Walk was developed over many years and completed in August 2009. It comprises a well developed bush track, paved sections, beach walks and some steps.
The full length of the Coastal Walk from the Lighthouse to Westport Park is 9.1 km but there are plenty of exit and entry points. Caches in our series can be tackled individually, or the entire track can be walked south-to-north so you can collect several in one stroll. [NOTE: This is part of our second Section. The first Section can be found at GC39ERW “Coastal Walk #1: Beautiful Lighthouse Beach". Please refer to this first cache for public transport information and advice, should you wish to do the whole Coastal Walk]. You will pass other people’s caches along the way, so get these too if you have not done so already. Most people of reasonable fitness should be able to do the full walk, or manage all sections individually.
The locale
This Coastal Walk section passes through Sea Acres National Park which is a place of natural beauty protecting rare coastal subtropical and littoral rainforest only 4 km south of Port Macquarie town centre. The rainforest meets the coast in one of the largest remaining coastal rainforest reserves in New South Wales. Sea Acres was the first coastal landscape to attract heritage listings for the preservation of an outstanding coastal rainforest remnant and distinctive geological features.
At Sea Acres Rainforest Centre, you can find a book and gift shop and a pleasant café. You can explore the tranquil, subtropical rainforest on the elevated and wheelchair-accessible boardwalk, walking by yourself or with a volunteer Rainforest Guide.
We suggest that caching visitors to Port Macquarie visit Sea Acres.
For more information about Sea Acres visit these websites:
Sea Acres Rainforest Centre
Sea Acres National Park
The Coastal Walk is popular with locals and visitors alike and cachers will sometimes need stealth and patience to make their find.
The cache
This cache is placed with the approval of NPWS.
The listed coordinates are the start of "Coastal Walk #2A: Miners Beach South". Walk a few metres along the track, to a sign on your left. Depending on how recently the bush was trimmed, the sign may be obvious or partly concealed by vegetation but is headed "Miners Beach Warning". It will give you some information about Miners Beach so you can answer these questions.
Question 1: How many red pictographic Regulations are shown? A
Question 2: Something is shallow? How many letters are in this word? B
Question 3: How many large yellow Warnings apply to this section of the walk? C
Calculate:
D = A + 1
E = B + 1
F = C + 1
G = A – 1
The coordinates of the cache are found by subtracting 0.DEF from the listed south coordinates and 0.0GD from the listed east coordinates of the start point.
Checksum south 25; east 31.
Following the track in front of you, walk to the new coordinates where you will find the cache. You will see superb coastal views; sub-tropical, littoral and dry rainforest; interesting rock formations and maybe some animals.
We suggest you then walk on about 400 m to find GC3A6BK "Coastal Walk #2B: Miners Beach North".
The full Section 2 ends at Shelly Beach, a further 400 m past GC3A6BK, for a total walk of about 2 km.
If you are pressed for time
If you are pressed for time, or are not doing the full Coastal Walk, you will be able to seek three caches (CW #2A, CW #2B and CW #3) from the Shelly Beach carpark. It's a shorter walk too. You will have to go to the start of CW #2A to get the information to calculate its coordinates then, having done so, drive to Shelly Beach and approach CW #2A and CW #2B from the north. Then seek CW #3.