Skip to content

Chasing Waterfalls 1 - Coorumbine Creek Multi-cache

This cache has been archived.

barefootjeff: The pink ribbon trail appears to have been gobbled up by the undergrowth between the parking waypoint and the power line service road. South of that road, it's still pretty clear and well-marked down to the first set of falls, however the chain descent to the second falls seems to have lost whatever footholds there were and is now a slippery slimy vertical descent that I would have struggled to get back up again. With another spring, summer and autumn of intense rainfall in the offing, I can't see this improving any time in the foreseeable future so it's time to cut my losses on it.

More
Hidden : 3/28/2016
Difficulty:
2.5 out of 5
Terrain:
4 out of 5

Size: Size:   regular (regular)

Join now to view geocache location details. It's free!

Watch

How Geocaching Works

Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions in our disclaimer.

Geocache Description:

The first in a series of caches showcasing some of the Central Coast's lesser-known waterfalls. My thanks to Elev8!on (formerly mrnoo17) for introducing me to these falls.


Coorumbine Creek begins its journey in Kariong, its major tributaries emerging from huge drainpipes on the edge of the built-up area, so whatever you do, don't drink the water! Also take note that the track down the falls is steep and slippery in places, requiring a fair degree of physical agility. Take particular care at the top of each set of falls as the edge is very slippery and the sudden stop at the bottom unforgiving. This is no park-and-grab cache.

The falls themselves are within the Brisbane Water National Park, so you'll need to visit the virtual waypoints at each of the drops to determine the coordinates of the physical cache hidden elsewhere along the creek.

Stage 1: From the trackhead on the Central Coast Highway, follow the narrow path marked with pink ribbons to reach the listed coordinates at the first falls. Choose which of the following four photos best matches what you can see here, giving the digits A and B.

Four waterfall images with options for A and B

Stage 2: Still following the pink ribbons, descend to the base of the next falls and again identify the correct photo to yield digits C and D.

Four waterfall images with options for C and D

Stage 3: Finally, make your way to the base of the third falls. While there are no ribbons to follow this time, there's an easy way down on the southern side of the water. Find the right photo to determine E and F.

Four waterfall images with options for E and F

The journey's end, where the water from the falls meets the briny, is at SOUTH 33° 25.ABC EAST 151° 18.DEF.

Now you have a choice. You can continue on foot, following the creek down the gully to GZ, or you can walk back to your car and drive down. The bottom of the creek is heavily overgrown with lantana and other thorny weeds, so in all honesty I wouldn't recommend that option. If driving down, you can take advantage of the U-turn bay a couple of hundred metres further west along the highway. It's not a difficult choice, is it, but if you do decide to walk, head for the end of Nari Road to avoid the worst of the undergrowth.

Since this cache is all about water, look for a container that fits this theme, and please rehide so it's out of sight to stray muggles. While it's a good size, the opening in the base is only about 40mm across so don't try to put anything large in it. Anything bigger than a geocoin or small TB will be hard to get out again.

Congratulations to bella at waggy, the first to complete the journey!

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Ba uvture tebhaq nobhg 4z sebz perrx.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)