Great Aussie Icon Hunt # 7
Round and round they go, and have done such in Australia for almost 2 centuries.
Yes I’m talking about the Windmill – an Aussie Icon seen all over Australia.
Windmill – Aussie Icon
This is one of a series of great Aussie Icon hunts. Travelling around Australia you undoubtedly see windmills: Dead ones, Rusted ones, High ones, Spinning ones, Coloured ones, Huge ones, all seen along the roadside, adjacent farm houses, along river banks, in gullies, in country town parks, in museums, in fact wherever…
This series of geocaches is designed to help you when travelling around Australia, by breaking up the trip, and to discover a bit of a history lesson as you seek windmills in locations with a written history of the windmill and/or local region adjacent.
With each of these trips, I’ll be giving the actual coordinates of some of the relevant windmills along the route – you then have to visit them enroute and determine the vital statistics and any other required info at the location. This will then be put into a formula to determine the final location of the cache. All windmills are accessible by car (no bush bashing required), they are all just a few metres off the highway, or in the centre of towns you will pass through, eg town parks. If there is limited access (to the base of the windmill) due to the time of day a park closes, I’ll mention that for the relevant windmill. All can be easily seen from road though.
Street view could be useful .........
Use that (& your time machine) and all is revealed, 100%.
In many of the windmills, you will be required to count the number of blades on the fan. This will be difficult to impossible depending on the strength of the wind.
Therefore, a digital camera IS ESSENTIAL.
These windmill hunts are in pairs, one from each state’s/territory’s capital city to Canberra, and one separate return hunt. So, for this particular hunt, the “return” is "Great Aussie Icon Hunt # 5.7" – Canberra to Perth
GC63F0A - Great Aussie Icon Hunt # 5.7
Now onto this particular geocache:
PERTH to CANBERRA
Windmill A1
S 31º 57.980 E 115º 50.825
Number of blades = AA. Built 18yy, yy = AB. “. built in enduring ?...? “. (two words). For these missing two words; 7 letter & 9 letter words – numeric value of 1st letter 1st word = AC. Numeric value of 1st letter 2nd word = AD. Numeric value of last letter 1st word = AE. Numeric value of last letter 2nd word = AF. NOTE: you can get the information even if the entrance gate is closed.
Windmill A2
S 31º 58.160 E 115º 53.438
Number of blades = AG. Number of brick steps to get up INTO the windmill = AH. Originally constructed in 19aa-bb. Aa=AI, bb=AJ.
Windmill A3
S 31º 53.784 E 116º 02.067
The windmill viewing location is hard to get to, so from these above coordinates, which is a convenient car-park for you, go 105 metres at a bearing of 112º, then you will clearly see the windmill. Number of blades = AK. Number of legs = AL. On the tail, if Southern Cross AM=1, if Comet AM=2, if Bryan Colac AM=3.
Location of next windmill
S 3(AF-AC)º (AI-AB-AH) (AE-AD+AL-AM) . (AJ-AB+2) (AI-AK-AF-1) (2)
E 11(AF)º (AG+AH-AA) (AE-AL-1) . (AJ-AB) (AJ-AI+1) (7)
Windmill B
Number of blades = BA. Number of legs = BB. Number of tanks = BC. Colour of tank; BD=1 if green, BD=2 if black, BD=3 if red, BD=4 if yellow/cream, BD=5 if silver.
Location of next windmill
S 2(AD-AL)º (BC) (AL-AM) . (BA-AD) (BB-1) (9)
E 11(AK-BA)º (AL-BB) (AC-BD) . (AF-1) (BC) (9)
Windmill C
This is a bit of a detour from the direct route from Perth to Canberra, but these windmills simply cannot be ignored – enjoy. Take your time getting there, it’s not too far. Also when there, if available, go in the shed! This is indeed a Great Aussie Icon Hunt!
Fortescues: Number of blades = CA. Number of spokes in the base support structure = CB.
Baby: Number of blades = CC. Number of spokes in the base support structure = CD.
Challenge: Number of blades = CE. Number of spokes in the base support structure = CF.
Monitor: Number of blades = CG. Number of spokes in the base support structure = CH. (count carefully!)
Metters: Number of blades = CI. There is a letter on the tail, numeric value of that letter = CJ.
Location of next windmill
S 3(AM)º (CG-CC+BC) (CC-CA-1) . (BD-BC) (CH-CI) (4)
E 11(CD-CC)º (AF-AL) (CJ-AF) . (CE-CF-AG-2) (CH+CD-AB+2) (7)
Windmill D
Number of blades on closest windmill = DA. Number of windmills = DB. Blade diameter = DC. The year manufactured/started working = abcd. A=DD, b=DE, c=DF, d=DG.
Location of next windmill
S 3(DG)º (CG-CC+1) (DB-DC-AJ-CH) . (DA-DE) (DD) (0)
E 1(DD)(CG-CJ+DF)º (DC-AJ+DE) (BA-CA+DD) . (CF-DE) (AF-DF) (0)
Windmill E
Number of blades = EA. Number of “X” on tower structure = EB. Total sum of all the numeric digits = EC. Last numeric digit = ED. Second last numeric digit = EE.
Location of next windmill
S 3(ED)º (EA-AG) (EC-BA-CI) . (DC-EC) (EA-EB) (2)
E 13(CG-CC)º (EE) (EB-ED) . (EC-AB+AF+1) (EB-DE) (6)
Windmill F
Number of blades on largest windmill = FA. Number of tanks + 1 = FB. Number of plastic tanks + 1 = FC. Number of blades per segment of largest windmill = FD.
Location of next windmill
S 3(EE)º (FA-AK-1) (EA-EB) . (FA-CD+1) (AJ-FA-1) (6)
E 13(FD)º (FD-BB) (BC-FC) . (EC-FA+FB) (EA/2) (8)
Windmill G
Number of blades = GA. Number of legs = GB. On the tail, if Comet GC=2, if Southern Cross GC=4, if Bryan Colac GC = 6, if Yellow Tail GC = 8. Total number of steps on ladder = GD. Number of tanks at base = GE.
Location of next windmill
S 3(EA-FB)º (GD-CJ+1) (ED) . (GE-BC+1) (GA-GD+DF) (4)
E 13(GA-CJ)º (CC-CA-1) (GD-GC) . (GB) (GC) (7)
Windmill H
Number of blades = HA. Number of legs = HB. Number of horizontal members forming the tail = HC. In the info panel, second date in second paragraph is 1abc ; a=HD, b=HE, c=HF. In the info panel, first paragraph, one word appears twice; numeric value of the first letter of this word = HG. HH = last number in the third paragraph. On the tail are 7 letters, numeric value of 5th letter = HI.
Location of next windmill
S 3(HD-HB)º (HF-HB) (HE-FD) . (HD-EE) (BA-CI) (5)
E 14(HG-CG-GB)º (HA-DC-CH) (HG-HF-GD) . (HH-HC-1) (HI-DD) (8)
Windmill I
Number of blades = IA. Number of blades per segment of the wheel = IB. Number of vertical members on the tail (Less than 6) = IC. If Bryan Colac ID=3, if Metters ID=5, if Comet ID=7, if Southern Cross ID=9. Diameter = IE ft.
Location of next windmill
S 3(HI)º (IC-1) (IA-IE+1) . (IC-1) (ID-FD) (9)
E 14(HC-IC+1)º (ID-IC) (HF-HE) . (HH-ID+1) (EB) (2)
Windmill J
Over behind the BIG shed…Number of blades = JA. Two words on the tail, Number of letters in the 1st word = JB. Number of vowels in the 1st word = JC. Numeric value of the 1st letter in the 1st word = JD. Numeric value of the 2nd letter in the 1st word = JE. Numeric value of the 3rd letter in the 1st word = JF. Number of blades per segment of the wheel = JG.
Location of next windmill
S 3(IE-JA-JC)º (JD-CC) (JF-JB) . (JC-1) (CH-JE) (0)
E 14(JD-CC+1)º (JB) (JG-1) . (ED) (CB) (3)
Windmill K
Find the windmill with the most number of blades, Number of blades = KA. Five words on the rear of the tail, Numeric value of the 1st letter of the 1st word = KB. Numeric value of the 1st letter of the 2nd word = KC. Numeric value of the 1st letter of the 3rd word = KD. Numeric value of the 1st letter of the 4th word = KE. Numeric value of the 1st letter of the 5th word = KF.
Cache is located at:
S 35º NP.QRS
E 14Tº VW.XYZ
Where
N = (KA-AJ-DC+EB-GC)
P = (KE+CH-IE-HE+GE)
Q = (BA+FA-AI-HH+ID-EE)
R = (AD+KB+KF+GA-AB+KC)
S = (CD-HG+FC)
T = (HA-EC-IA+CB+JE)
V = (GD-HI+IC-JB)
W = (KD+AA+AE-AK+AM-DD)
X = (CA+CI-JD-AH)
Y = (CE+JA-CG-CJ)
Z = (BB+EA+ED-HB-JG)
Finally, as with all windmills, from time to time a blade may fall off and you may see the windmill before it is replaced. So, count how many blades should be there. (unless told otherwise).
Feel free also to contact me beforehand and/or on route to confirm details or any other query you may have on the way, or to be prepared. Remember, when plotting the location of the next windmill, it is generally on a main highway or in a town somewhere, never off in the bush or beyond the black stump. There may be the occasional wind farm.