Save the date and log your Will Attend for what (at the time of publishing (07Jan 2020)), will be the first Community Celebration Event in the World, to mark the 20th Anniversay of the 'Big Blue Switch Day'.
What is Big Blue Switch Day?
On May 2, 2000, just past midnight, the U.S government discontinued its use of Selective Availability in order to make GPS more responsive to civil and commercial users worldwide. Twenty-four satellites around the globe processed their new orders, and instantly the accuracy of GPS technology improved tenfold. Tens of thousands of GPS receivers around the world had an instant upgrade. Prior to this date, only the military had the ability to receive accurate GPS readings. Now, the world and all its wonderful people could pinpoint their precise location. For reasons unknown, this is often referred to as the flipping of the “Big Blue Switch”.
The very next day, a computer consultant named Dave Ulmer hid a black bucket in the woods near Portland, Oregon. Along with a logbook and pencil, he left various prize items including videos, books, software, and a slingshot, then posted the coordinates online.
N 45° 17.460 W 122° 24.800
Three days later, the container was located by Mike Teague. Now, twenty years later, geocaching has become a global phenomenon to get off the couch and get outside.
Event Location and Facilities
The location of this event is at the public barbeque in Pollard Park, Blenheim. Facilities here include a public golf course, a playground for the kids (including specific playground facilities for those with disabilities), public toilets, a spring fed stream where you can feed the ducks, tennis, croquet and petanque courts, an exercise/fitness trail, as well as rose and rhododendron gardens. Also there is the odd geocache including the Top of the South's only Adventure Lab cache.
What is the CO going to provide?
The CO will provide a sausage sizzle; real pork sausages, onions, wrapped in a piece of multi grain (soy and linseed) bread topped off with Watties tomato sauce, (a Kiwi classic). While not compulsory, a gold coin donation towards catering costs would be appreciated. For those of you with special dietary requirements feel free to bring food specific to your dietary needs, the barbeque will be made available for you to cater for yourself.
There will also be an appropriately decorated cake to celebrate the event.
There will be some non-alcoholic beverages.
For catering purposes please let the CO know if you and your party would like to partake of the sausage sizzle.
Community Celebration Events - 2020
This Event is part of a limited release of Community Celebration Events to celebrate 20 years of geocaching. Geocachers hosted events between May 2, 2020 and December 31, 2020. Learn more about Community Celebration Events on the Geocaching Blog.