Challenge cache

This page contains information specific to Geocaching Australia.

A Challenge Cache requires other geocachers to achieve a goal or challenge set by the geocache owner and then when qualified, to find the physical geocache hidden by the cache owner. Challenge Caches encourage geocachers to set and achieve fun goals that can reasonably be achieved by geocachers in your area and the Challenge Cache is an attraction to the area. Challenge Cache challenges should be restricted to information that can be obtained from existing or new statistics on the Geocaching Australia website.

When you believe you have met the challenge, simply click or tap on the "Challenge Checker" link on the right hand side of the geocache listing page. This will check the challenge and if you are successful you will be presented with a codeword that you will need when you place your "Found It" log. The codewords are unique to each geocacher, so they cannot be shared amongst team mates or other teams.

You are welcome to find and log a Note on a Challenge Cache before you qualify and receive the codeword. When you qualify for the Challenge you can then either edit your note to a "Found It" log or create a new "Found It" log with the date you qualified. This means you would be leaving both a note of the date you found the cache and a "Found It" on the date you qualified.

Before you think of applying for a Challenge Cache, please consider the following which may be applied by the Challenge Cache administrators when determining if your Challenge Cache is worthy.

• Keep the challenge clear.
  i.e. Complex challenge rules may not able to be applied and may cause confusion as to whether a cache qualifies or not.
  
  

• Are the statistics for your challenge to be achieved only after your geocache has been published or do all statistics count?
  i.e. Do you want to include historical statistics.
  
  

• What sort of geocaches are included in your challenge statistics?
  e.g. Only Moveable caches. Traditional and Multi-Cache. Any Geocaching Australia cache. All caches excluding locationless. Be aware that there may be "temporary" cache hides such as Ephemeral or Virtual / History geocaches just to allow a cacher to qualify.
  
  

• Do finds on own geocaches count?
  In general only finds on owned moveables would count unless you specifically consider otherwise.
  
  

• Would you readily qualify for the challenge?
  i.e. Only set challenges that you would personally like to achieve.
  
  

• Are there sufficient qualifying geocaches to meet the Challenge Cache in your area?
  i.e. Avoid "10 terrain 5 caches" if there are none within 100km of the Challenge Cache co-ordinates.
  
  

• Is there a challenge cache in your area where a very similar or identical challenge cache already exists?
  i.e. Avoid flooding the same areas with the same sorts of challenges.
  
  

• Is the challenge cache appealing to and is attainable by a reasonable number of cachers in your area?
  You don't need to list them, just think about whether this will be an attraction or a distraction to the area and whether people are likely to try and attempt it or it's too far out of reach.
  
  

• Is your challenge cache positive and require that a geocaching goal be achieved?
  Avoid negative goals in achieving challenges.
  
  

• The Challenge Cache container must be hidden at posted coordinates on the cache page.
  i.e. No setting additional goals other than the challenge itself to find the geocache.
  
  

• The physical cache must be findable without contacting the owner.
  i.e. No interaction with the geocache owner should be required (e.g. send me a photo, or prove you were there).
  
  

• Reasonable time limitations can be applied for challenges such as streaks or daily, weekly, monthly goals.
  Be reasonable and ask yourself whether you would find that challenge fun or attainable.
  
  
  
  

Challenge Caches will be offered by way of a competition run at Geocaching Australia. Not every Challenge Cache idea submitted may be selected.

• You will be asked to submit your general location and idea along with any information needed to create the challenge.
  
  

• The Challenge Cache administrators will then select Challenge Caches that best suite to Challenge Cache ethos.
  
  

• A dedicated challenge checker will be created for each Challenge Cache.
  
  

• A Challenge Cache geocache listing page will be created by the Challenge Cache administrators and transferred to the successful geocache owner with the checker attached.
  
  

• The owner will then be asked to complete the geocacher listing page and arrange for it to be published at their convenience.