At last the somewhat delayed fifth installment in the series.
Experienced cachers can stop reading now.
Magnets are great friends to Geocachers! So many placements depend on them, including nano containers, mint tin hides, fake electrical or plumbing fittings and some surprisingly large sistema containers. Has anyone ever hidden a magnetic ammo tin, i wonder?
But there is also a type of hide where the magnet itself becomes the cache!
It may be a long thin strip, or even a re-purposed (and repainted) magnetic 'P Plate'. Or something in between. Sometimes it is disguised to look like a sign (possibly just letters and numbers). In this case, however, it is simply painted in a similar colour to the metal to which it adheres.
Finding these types of hide mostly require a sharp eye to spot changes in colour or a raised edge (which, if out of sight you may have to feel for) on a metal surface. Remove the magnet and the log hides safely behind.
In this case the placement is on a feature that is often used to hold a magnetic cache - the metal upright of a traffic noise barrier - the type often used where there are houses near motorways. In this case you are next to the M2.
The placement should be easily tracked down by anyone with an eagle eye (ther colour is not that well matched), however the provided hint, if you are still having trouble (or are desperate for the First2Find) tells you exactly how the cache has been placed. So now you know what you're looking for, and where it is, go get it!
Most of the time you should have no muggle problems unless someone is in their front yard. You are near the end of a cul-de-sac. You should be able to make the grab without leaving the concrete path.
As it's a micro you will need to bring your own pen / pencil - if you don't sign the log you can't claim the find (no "I forgot" or "my geodog ate it" excuses accepted). And remember to replace it the same way you found it, so the cache is still there for the next cacher (and continues to match the hint). Hopefully the nearby tree will provide sufficient camoflague to shield it from passing muggles.
* * *
Feel free to see if you can spot any progress on the NorthConnex project - photos welcome. The start of the tunnel linking the M2 to the F3 (yes I still call it that) is diagonally across the intersection to the west of GZ. Personally I'm looking forward to using it despite the toll - like many I hate Pennant Hills Road!