Anyone for soda? Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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A relatively easy cache in an interesting location not far off the Gippsland Rail Trail.
Picnic tables and wood barbeques are available nearby (not for use on Total Fire Ban days, or in hot windy weather, use nearby water to extinguish before leaving.) Toilets can be found up on the rail trail at the nearby cache "No More Trains" by Crisp Image. You could probably overnight here without drawing attention to yourself, particularly if in a vehicle you could sleep in or a small tent.
Located in an unusual gorge uncharacteristic of the terrain surrounding the area you will find a modest weir. Though small this structure nonetheless provides a good example of the use of local materials to provide a water supply for firefighting. Originally a small earthen dam wall was constructed downstream from the concrete dam which was used as a water supply for the steam trains on the Orbost line.
The widespread and disastrous 1939 bush fires prompted the construction of this weir as a reliable water source. ‘Jack’ (John Hilbert) Costick was the forester of the day who supervised the building of the weir as a fire fighting supply water.
Apparently the weir was built by the womens land army. The weir today provides a rare example of a substantial structure built of local materials to provide a supply for fire fighting. It was no longer needed by the railway when steam trains where replaced with diesel locomotives.
Even today this forms a water point for DSE crews to replenish supplies for firefighting for back burns or wildfire.
The cache is located a short distance from the weir.
DJ
Sources: DSE Park Notes, Gippsland Lakes Discovery Trail Notes & local knowledge.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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