Since I started riding mountain bikes a bit more seriously, I have been coming to Melrose regularly. Plus we also have friends that have recently moved to Melrose so even more reason to visit.
The Melrose area has become well known in the bike riding circles as a mountain bike mecca. There is quite a large trail network that goes up, around and all over the hills at the base of Mt Remarkable. I can't really say which one of these trails is truly my "favourite", but one I seem to ride the most would have to be "Dodging Bullets".
Dodging Bullets is well known for making you ride right through the ruins of an old building, these ruins feature in many of the photos promoting Melrose and its trails. So I thought there would be no better place for a cache than near these ruins.
In order to preserve the ruins I placed the cache in the low lying hollow of a big gum tree nearby, so there is no need to climb over the ruins.
To get here you have a couple of options, you could park your car at the end of the dirt road where the waypoint for parking is and then take the shortish walk in to the ruins.
OR
The best way to come in is on a mountain bike and ride the trail from the trail head at the monument (see the waypoint for coordinates). This trail will take along some nerve wrecking off camber slopes, then across a couple of creeks as you weave up and down a few valleys. You will then do the slow climb to the "Spiral" which is an old concrete culvert that you get to ride through. From there it is back down a valley over a few jumps and up and down another couple of valleys before the last climb to the turn back down to the ruins. Just before the ruins you have the option to take a good sized jump that will then lead through the ruins. There is a bit of a drop as you come out of the ruins so I suggest using a bit of caution until you get to know it.
Of course at this point you will need to get off your bike and walk over to the tree to find the cache.
After that you can continue along the trail that will go up and down a bit but in the general direction of the monument access road.
If you want more information about the bike trails in the area, just pop in to the bike shop on the main street of Melrose, there they have trail maps available to purchace and they are always willing to help you in any way.