Smelly Pot Traditional Cache
Hidden : 11/15/2012
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size: small (small)

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Geocache Description:


Smelly Pot

Stinkpot Bay is on the eastern side of North West Bay, a bay that separates Margate from Howden in the Kingborough municipality in southern Tasmania.

This cache commemorates the opening of a new track allowing access to Stinkpot Bay. The track is mostly gently undulating and less than 1 km return. You walk through well maintained bushland and excellent water views await you at the track's end. (The Smelly Pot cache is hidden part way along the track but it is definitely worth completing the walk to the end.)

The track starts at Howden Road, opposite the junction with Allenwood Road and is part of a narrow coastal reserve: please respect the privacy of nearby residents. The walk is suitable for children under supervision (there are low cliffs at the viewing point). Dogs, bikes and horses are not allowed.

Kingborough Council developed the track to Stinkpot Bay and the area is maintained by the Friends of Stinkpot Bay volunteer group who are to be congratulated for the weed-free state of this part of the reserve. More details (pdf document) are available on line from the Kingborough Council.


Start here and the way to go.
Source of Smell
Sometimes Stinkpot Bay can be, well, quite stinky, other times not. The smell is due mainly to hydrogen sulfide (H2S). Humans find the smell objectionable since H2S is produced by rotten eggs and it occurs in sewers and in flatus (the result of 'farting').

Hydrogen sulfide is also formed on muddy shores like Stinkpot Bay and it is a sign of nature at work. The fine sediments are rich with decaying organic material and this supports abundant microbial life. Aerobic bacteria live in the top oxygenated layer. Below this are the anaerobic bacteria. There is no oxygen here so these sulfate-reducing bacteria utilise sulfate (SO42-) as a source of oxygen thereby converting it to hydrogen sulfide. When the wind is right and the tide is out one should really rejoice on smelling H2S. It means that anaerobic bacteria are busy growing and cleaning up organic debris. The bacteria in turn are eaten and support the invertebrates, birds and fish that we like to observe.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Ba gur jngre fvqr bs gur genpx, va na byq fghzc.

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)


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