Stage 3 COVID lockdown in Ballarat. Probably good if you stay at home. Welcome to the Poverty Point geocache. It's a plastic screw-top container. You'll find it hidden in some foliage a short walk from a monument marking the discovery of gold in Ballarat. With a volume of only 750 ml this cache is a Small (S)* size but it shouldn't be too hard for you to find.
Gold was discovered at Poverty Point (now East Ballarat), on 21 August 1851 The discovery sparked the Ballarat gold rush.
Rumours that one could simply pick gold nuggets up off the ground fanned the flames of gold fever. Of course the rumours were exaggerated but there was so much gold in the region that many miners became rich, at least at the start of the rush before the alluvial gold petered out.
Visiting the monument gives parents the opportunity to teach their geokids about the gold rush and sound super smart! Of course there's a risk that they'll ask you questions like, “What did you you do in the gold rush?”
The cache contains a log, a pen and a pencil, and some swag. Please remember the Geocaching rule: only take swag if you swap it for something of equal or greater value. Please return the cache to its hiding place as you found it.
There is a big, free public car park nearby to the south.
* Greater than 100ml but less than 1 litre.