darth trader: So I received call from PPrass yesterday, he mentioned that he couldn't find Ex-Calibre. I thought that maybe it had been replaced incorrectly and planned to check on it today.
This cache has been safely hidden for over 2 years with 120 finds and 19 favourites and is away from anywhere unfavourable. It has my caching name and my email address on the stash note of which the reverse side is the log sheet.
HOWEVER, this morning I received an email to my geocaching address and one through geocaching.com from constable McNamara from Maitland Police.
"Hi,
We are sorry to wreck your game, but we have had to destroy your ammunition note holder due to its appearance. It was brought in yesterday afternoon by a young boy and his grandfather. I give you credit, it was extremely well hidden and someone has gone to alot of effort. If you can provide something with a safer appearance so as to not put fear into the community we would be glad to assist in the continuation of your game. I will attempt to go online and update the items location. For your record the item is recorded with exhibits to be destroyed as X000108..."
and the other:
"Hi again,
I went on the site, but do not wish to add my details to register. We will disguise the note and leave it at the Maitland Police Station, GPS coordinates are
32'43'38"S, 151'32'57"E"
I decided that it would be prudent to call her immediately.
If you haven't found the cache, it WAS a stick of timber about the size of your forearm, hollowed out with a berroca tube inserted into one end that held a rather large, USED, 50 calibre bullet that I obtained from a second hand dealer. I had it set up so that when you pulled out the projectile (held in magnetically) the log sheet would emerge from the casing.
Now, IN HINDSIGHT, using a bullet was probably not a good idea, although i don't find it far removed from using an ammo tin.
It turns out that a Grandfather was walking with his grandson and the young lad found the bullet.
He was playing with it and the log sheet fell out and as the email suggests, he turned it in to the police.
I talked to the constable on the phone and then visited the station to take return of my geocache.
It turns out that the police had a good laugh over the construction of the cache and the amount of people who had signed the sheet.
Although they were not aware of geocaching, they visited the website and were surprised to discover that there are over 2 million hidden around the world.
My 50 calibre casing will not be returned. It has been disposed of. but my log Sheet was returned to me in a custom built police geocache. A canister much like a spice tube, wraped in 'New South Wales Police Evidence' tape with 'official geocache' written on it. It seems they thought it may have a new life at the new co-ordinates of our local police station.
Although I am sorry to be archiving this cache, it would seem that it has already lived an interesting life.
This entry was edited by darth trader on Thursday, 10 October 2013 at 04:51:42 UTC.