Araucaria Lookout is named after the hoop pines Araucaria cunninghamii, which can be viewed from the lookout. These hoop pine communities are a living representative of the Jurassic Age (the age of the conifers) of about 180 million years ago.
At 18km return it's a long walk but on graded tracks so there are no navigational issues or bush bashing to worry about. There are a few ups and downs to contend with but nothing really steep or nasty (550m total ascent). Allow 5-6 hours at a steady pace including time to enjoy the views.
From Binna Burra main car park, take the Border Track heading south towards Mt Hobwee. Leave the Border Track and take the Mt Hobwee circuit for approx 900m to the start of the Araucaria Lookout track. Stop at Orchid Bower for a nice view then shortly afterwards you'll arrive at the start of the loop that circumnavigates the lookout.
To find this geocache you'll need to go to the lookout, grabbing a few numbers on the way. GZ can then be calculated as follows:
Firstly you need to work out the "divisor" (X)
- At Waypoint 1: Hobwee/Araucaria Tracks Junction. Record the four numbers on both the signs individually (ignore decimal points). The four numbers are A, B, C, & D, it doesn't matter which order.
- At Waypoint 2: Orchid Bower lookout. Count the number of letters in the sign = E.
- At Araucaria Lookout: Count the number of letters in the green NP sign closest to the lookout (not the older brown one lower down) = F
X = AxBxCxDxExF.
GZ can then be found outside the National Park boundary at:
- S 59382597120 divided by X
- E 323370960000 divided by X
Mobile coverage is good at the lookout so you may be able to check your calculations here:
You can check your answers for this puzzle on GeoChecker.com.