Pobblebonks Traditional Cache
Hidden : 12/2/2017
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:



“At the end of my street where the tall reeds grow,
Live the pobblebonks.
What are they?
Do you know?"
[Garry Fleming]

As I placed this cache one drizzly morning, I was welcomed by first one, and then another "bonk" from the nearby reed bed. If you manage to visit around dusk on a warm, still night you may indeed be greeted by a chorus of such "bonks"!

Unfortunately Garry Fleming's wonderful children's book is out of print now and a little hard to find, but if you don't know it, you may like to spend a couple of minutes listening to Tash, who read it for the MS Readathon.

The other name for a Pobblebonk is the Eastern Banjo Frog Limnodynastes dumerilii. Its genus - Limnodynastes - means 'lord of the swamp'. A typical Pobblebonk is about the size of your palm. All frogs start off as tadpoles, living completely in water. After undergoing metamorphosis to become frogs, they have a permeable skin that can also assist their breathing. Frogs are thus very sensitive to water quality and can be thought of as ecological indicators.

For those interested, there is an App available from Melbourne Water called ‘Frog Census’ that helps you to identify frogs and log where you’ve heard them.

Cache information and CITO
There is no need to cross any fences or enter any revegetation areas to retrieve the cache. It is a micro so you will need to bring your own pen. For additional Cache Karma points, practise 'Cache In Trash Out' (CITO) and post a photo of any rubbish you've collected at the site. The frogs will really appreciate it!

***CONGRATULATIONS to GJMMelb and pwala on the joint FTF***

A Cacher’s Reward: The Mulberry Tree
Once you’ve found the cache, make use of some local knowledge to discover a lone Mulberry Tree close by in the same reserve. The tree, whose leaves provide food for silk worms, also produces wonderful dark, sweet fruit in late spring and early summer that can be eaten straight off the tree. The juice stains fingers an amazing blood red, which adds to the fun! This juiciness also means the fruit don’t store well, which is why you won’t see them grown commercially.

The tree can be found at the following coordinates (also listed as a waypoint): S 37 49.742 E 145 12.607

“Gone but not forgotten”
In memory of the caches that were once also here:
GC1CPE3 BMX Bandits Forever
May 28, 2008 - September 9, 2010
GC2Y5H1 BMX Bandit Revisited
April 20, 2012 - October 3, 2016

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

onfr bs jbbqra srapr cbfg uvqqra va gur ohfurf

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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