BT I – Under the Clocks Multi-Cache

For many years Flinders Street Station has been a favourite meeting place for Melburnians, at the corner of two of the city's busiest thoroughfares. The Melburnian idiom "I'll meet you under the clocks" refers to the row of clocks above the station's main entrance that indicate the departure time of the next train on each line. The original analogue clocks were replaced for a short time with digital ones, however, these were not accepted by the public, who preferred the tradition of analogue clocks, and they were quickly replaced.

Flinders Street Station has been the central point of Melbourne's extensive suburban rail system since 1854, and is the oldest city station in Australia. However, by the 1880's, the makeshift buildings were deemed inadequate, and a competition was held for a new design. The building that we see today was completed in 1911. It is the busiest suburban railway station in the southern hemisphere. Each weekday, approximately 110,000 commuters and 1500 trains pass through the station.

Some interesting facts about the station:

• The main steps are embedded with electrical circuits to keep them dry (fitted in June 1985).
• Platform No. 1 is the longest railway platform in Australia, and the 4th longest in the world (708m long).
• The concourse building contains a ballroom (now no longer in use), and a creche existed inside the main dome when the station's offices were still in use. The creche included an open-air playground on an adjoining roof.

You can find out more about Flinders Street Station here.

All caches in this series can be reached by public transport, using this location as the starting point.

This description assumes that you are a business traveller, that you are staying at a hotel in or near Melbourne's CBD, and you are starting from Flinders Street Station at the corner of Flinders and Swanston Streets.

Since the starting point for this cache is located at Flinders Street Station, you need no further instructions about how to get there.

Melway street directory reference for the cache is: 2F G5
UBD street directory reference for the cache is: 17 R10

Gather the following data:

• Number of clocks above the main entrance = A
• Number of clocks above the smaller entrance to the left = B

• The first year mentioned on the plaque = CDEF
• The second year mentioned on the plaque = GHJK
• Number of letters in the surname of the first-named designer = L
• Number of letters in the surname of the second-named designer = M

S 37º 49.(M–L–K)(D–E+B)(H–A)
E 144º 57.(H–J)(D+C–J)(B+F)

This is a log-only micro cache. The cache container is a plastic DDS tape box (about 8cm × 6cm × 1.5cm). Bring your own pen!

The initial contents are:

Bee 'N Gees Butternut TB
Clue for the Business Traveller's Cache
Log sheet and stash note

There is a high probability of encountering muggles around the cache site. The difficulty rating reflects this. Be watchful! As always, please replace the cache exactly where you found it to discourage accidental discovery.

• Catch a train to another BT cache.
• Do some train spotting.
• Visit Federation Square, opposite the station to the east.
• Visit the Aquarium, further along Flinders Street to the west.
• Cross the river via the foot bridge and take a stroll around Southbank
• Visit the historic Young and Jacksons Hotel, opposite the station, to the north. Have a beer with the famous Chloe.
• Of course, the CBD has many, many possibilities. Explore the theatres, shops, pubs, clubs, and restaurants. If you have deep pockets, and an appetite for good Chinese food, try the Flower Drum Restaurant in Market Lane at Melbourne's "China Town".

You might also consider the following nearby caches that are also reachable by public transport or on foot from this cache: