The cache is not at the listed coordinates it’s near the lookout, the Forgotten Lookout.
There’s a small park at the end of Barnett’s Road in Berowra with a lookout with great views over Berowra Creek, Berowra Waters and across to Glenorie. There are picnic tables, a small playground, ample parking and lots of space to run around. A great place for lunch.
Like many other plateaux in the north Sydney area this one is underlain by Hawkesbury Sandstone. It was deposited in the Middle Triassic – (specifically Anisian- 242-247Ma) in a fluvial environment, perhaps as part of an extensive river delta that emptied off the eastern margin of the Australian landmass.
There are a number of caches in the Sydney area that feature Hawkesbury Sandstone. There’s the nearby earthcache at Berowra Waters that can almost be seen from the lookout (Hawkesbury Sandstones- GC22ZD0) and the one at Mrs Macquarie’s chair in the CBD (Mrs Macquarie’s Chair - GC1YH39). Neither say that much about the mineral composition of the rock, so for this cache we thought we would provide a list of sandstone “ingredients” and use these to make up a puzzle.
So along with small grains of quartz that make up most of the rock Hawkesbury Sandstone may also contain (in no particular order) grains of:
Different varieties of quartz, fragments of other rocks, Feldspar (K-Feldspar and Plagioclase), Pyrite, Dickite, Calcite, Siderite, Kaolinite, Illite, Muscovite, other micas, Chlorite, Zircon, Rutile, Tourmaline and Ilmenite.
If you think some are missing please let us know.
The cache can be found at:
-33.36. YYY. Where YYY = Zircon – Rose Quartz – 5 x (Ilmenite-Illite)
151.07. XXX. Where XXX = Tourmaline - Pyrite
The cache is on the safe side of the fence, however as usual at the margins of Hawkesbury Plateaux cliffs abound so watch your step and keep an eye the geokids.
The signs say the lookout is open from dawn to dusk so beware of treading after hours, the sign says fines may apply!
Please make sure you leave as found, and it there are any problems draw them to the CO's attention.
Small prize for FTF ($1 scratchie-good luck!).
FTF honours go to...drum roll...Mr&MrsFish, well done!