After checking out the church situation, Randolph decided that a drink was in order.
"Which Pub would you like to go to?", I asked.
"There are more than one in a town with so many Churches?"
"As many Pubs as there are Churches."
"Well, maybe we had better go visit them all!", Randolph declared, "and do some sampling."
....and that was the start of a lengthy night.
As I recalled (a lot later), not all of them still served beer, but Randolph always seemed to find somewhere to drink nearby.
Not surprisingly, the names and locations (and photos) got a bit muddled after a while.
Can you help?
The Cache
There are eleven waypoints, but they are not far apart. They can be done in any order you like.
What you need to do to find the final is to link up the Pub number with the letter on the image.
For example, if there was an image of a horse head hitching post labelled Z, and you saw it outside the Gallery at Pub1, then Z = 1.
You can walk, ride, or even skateboard between the waypoints. Randolph doesn't recommend driving as you will miss too many interesting buildings.
Randolph and I rode the cache (the next morning - well, it was more like the afternoon) as written and it took us about 30 minutes and is approximately 2.5 km.
Pub 1: Unknown Hotel - Beechworth Gallery
36 21.794 146 41.449
The old gallery building was built in 1857, and is a beautifully restored structure. The building is currently for sale and the asking price for the building is a cool 1 million dollars.
Pub 2: Nicholas Hotel
36 21.628 146 41.274
The first train arrived in Beechworth on 13 July 1876. This was the closest hotel to the railway. The name was eventually changed from the Alliance to the Railway in 1887. Nicholas took over the hotel in 1931. In 1935 he added a second story, and in a burst of modesty, renamed it, "Hotel Nicholas".
Pub 3: Empire Hotel
36 21.618 146 41.280
The most notable thing about the Empire Hotel that was built in the 1850’s is that it is the only hotel in town that has burned down three times and been rebuilt, the last time in 1871. Looks like it is about due for its next one.
Pub 4: Post Office Hotel
36 21.590 146 41.251
The first site of the Empire Hotel, also known previously as the Post Office Hotel and the Central Hotel. The great fire of 1867 is thought to have begun here. All the buildings on this side of Camp street were destroyed.
The building in now the Beechworth Emporium.
Pub 5: Hibernian Hotel
36 21.516 146 41.172
The only Beechworth hotel to retain its original name. It was built in 1868 at the height of the gold rush.
The first owners established the Hibernian Lodge here which provided fellowship and welfare for people far from home and family.
Pub 6: London Tavern
36 21.490 146 41.125
The London Tavern was erected in stages from 1859-1862. The original wing comprised of bars and dining rooms facing onto Camp street. The other wings contained bedroom accommodation and these rooms open onto the courtyard verandah. A bath house, located in the centre of the courtyard, was an integral part of the operation of the hotel. Judges such as Sir Redmond Barry and Sir William Stawell chose to stay in the warm comfort of the Tavern, rather than in the cold austerity of the Judge's Rooms at the Courthouse.
It is now a private residence.
Pub 7: Corner Hotel
36 21.568 146 41.213
Site of the Argus office, the first newspaper sold in Beechworth. James Ingram, the newsagent, walked from here to the Woolshed goldfields to sell Argus newspapers.
It was also the site of a drapery and clothing store, a tobacconist, and from 1861 to 1871 the Corner Hotel. The verandah was added and it became Charlie Prater's Central Hotel.
Currently it is a milk bar.
Pub 8: Star Hotel
36 21.603 146 41.171
Built in 1853, this was the site of the earliest timber hotel in Beechworth. A wealthy miner, JA Wallace, bought the hotel in 1857, named it The Star and rebuilt it with weatherboard walls and shingle roof, then in 1864, the new owner, JS Clarke rebuilt it in brick, this is the Hotel that stands here today. This hotel was also the site of a murder - a drunken patron killed the owner. The building was restored by the National Trust in 1974. It is now shops (much to Randolph's disappointment!)
Pub 9: Tanswell’s Commercial Hotel
36 21.612 146 41.169
This hotel was originally owned by J.D. Fisher who had it as a wood structure in 1853. The hotel was sold to Thomas Tanswell in 1861 who rebuilt the hotel as the brick structure you see today in 1871. The entrance to the Stables was originally to the left of the hotel. The extensive stables and coach house at the rear still survive. (See Pub 11)
The building has been carefully restored; unfortunately the original colour and texture of the facade's brickwork was destroyed when it was sandblasted.
Pub 10: Warden's Hotel
36 21.654 146 41.119
Originally called Warden's Midland Counties Hotel - now an Indian restaurant.
Pub 11: Bridge Road Brewers
36 21.642 146 41.169
The stables and coach house at the rear of Tanswell’s Commercial Hotel have become The Bridge Road Breweries.
This is about as far as Randolph got (see image below).
Final
You are looking for a small cache at a themed location:
S36 21.(M-K)(G+D)(C-Z) E146 41.(A-E)(F-D-Z-H)(E-B))
Randolph hopes you enjoyed your tour of Beechworth. (and that you ended up a bit better than he did!)
Don't forget the clue for Randolph's final.
Randolph has produced 10 tokens that go with his caches for any cachers who find the matching caches.
When you find the caches, PM me your address, and Randolph will post the ones you have earned out to you.
This is the only way you can get one of Randolph's tokens.
The caches that presently have tokens are: 01 Treeclimber, 02 Vampire Hunter, 04 Pirate's Treasure, 05 Shred the Trails, 09 Thirsty work, 10 Rat Hoppet, 11 Ready Aim Fire, 13 Hang Glider, 14 Winton Racer, and 15 The Final.