The Mighty C130 Hercules
I spent my time in the RAAF working on the “Herky Bird” or “Fat Albert” if you prefer, but for me it will always be the “Herc”. Many trips I had on them, E, H, and J model. The RAAF has flown 4 variants, starting with A Model in 1958/59, followed by the E Model in 1966/68, The H Model taking over from the A Model in 1978 and finally the J Model replacing the E Model in 1999. The first military aircraft I flew on was an E model, from Mascot to RAAF Base Forest Hill just outside of Wagga Wagga, NSW for my Apprenticeship with the RAAF back in 1982. After graduating from Wagga Wagga I returned to Richmond to start my on again off again 19 year relationship with “The Herc”. I have managed to visit a few countries and be a part of many different exercises and deployments of the C130 Hercules for humanitarian or disaster relief. I ended my military association with the Hercs after 23years in the RAAF. After nearly two years away from my beloved Herc I returned as a civie working for a large aviation company doing depot level servicings on the Hercs for the RAAF. My time with the Herc finally came to an end in 2017 with the handover of our last aircraft my company serviced for the Indonesian Air Force. A sad day that was.
Ok that’s my history with the Hercules, now to create your own bit of history.
Waypoint One (physical location), there you will find a familiar named object (Hint: The name appears in the text above), on this you will find a plaque. You want the lessor of the two years marked on the bronze plaque. The first two digits of the year you need to add the South decimal portion of WP 2. The second two digits you need to add to the East decimal portion of WP 2.
WAYPOINT TWO is currently being refurbished, so Google street view is your friend here.
Waypoint Two, 35.648 E150 46.855 (before correction), you need to take note of a number that appears on the item. There is no need to stop, you should be able to gather the required info as you drive by. Yes it would help to possibly have an observer with you. Bonus question, what is the item on display? Bonus Bonus question, what model Hercules is it from? Nothing is gained by answering the bonus questions, they are there for fun! Ok so with the number you now need to subtract that number from both decimal portions of WP 3. Easy!
Waypoint Three, S33 36.493 E150 47.096 (before correction) you will need to find something with the name Strickland on it. What day in August was the opening? Or if you prefer the Unveiling? A nice bit of symmetry…. So, with that, you can now find the Cache itself, but first add your answer to the South portion, and subtract it from the East.
Final Waypoint, S33 36.180 E150 46.063 (before correction) The Cache! If you have completed the calculations correctly then you should still be near the Home of the Hercules.
You can check your answers for this puzzle on GeoChecker.com.