Recently in their cache listing for Seaside Ten, Southern Cross Caching and schatzsuche1 wrote that all good things must come to an end, and last weekend on Australia Day, a great South Australian geocaching tradition did just that. The last Seaside event was held at picturesque Horseshoe Bay in Port Elliott, the tenth in the series. Started by Ken and Margaret of Allchin, and continued by their daughter Josie and Margaret (later joined by husband Shane) after Mr Allchin’s passing.
The very first Seaside in 2009. Photo Credit mundoo.
More than just a casual, social gathering, an event full of activities for geocachers big and small, in addition to the permanent cache placements in the area. Regular fixtures over the years have included a temporary cache hunt around the bay, with prizes for those who complete the set, as well as swimming, beach cricket, petanque and a team caching event. Not to mention the regular pilgrimage to the always popular Flying Fish Cafe nearby.
For those looking for non-geocaching adventures, the cliffs along each side of the bay provide exceptional views after short moderate hikes, spanning most of the wider Encounter Bay region, from the Bluff west of Victor Harbor around to the Murray Mouth and upper reaches of the Coorong in the vast distance to the east. Horseshoe Bay itself is always a popular summer spot for swimming and kayaking, and if conditions are right body boarding is also an option. This great location ensured that muggle family members were regular attendees, connecting not just geocachers but their extended families as well.
Rescue Helicopter at Event GZ (2016). Photo Credit Anymules.
My first Seaside event was in 2014, and it became a regular fixture on my caching calendar, and being the first after Mr Allchin’s passing, was a stand out. Josie created a memorial pathtag for her father, and hid them in envelopes throughout the area, each attendee received a set of coordinates on arrival to one of the many spectacular locations around the Bay where they found their pathtag. A beautiful tribute to a geocacher from his family. Some years, heat meant activities were put on hold, but there was always something happening. Speaking to Josie, a particular highlight was the arrival and training exercise by the rescue helicopter, which setup an emergency landing site right next to event GZ in 2016. Of course, there are a few veteran geocachers whose attendance stands out, with Stephen from Uni & Medusa as well as Margaret (Mrs Allchin) having attended all 10 events.
The Tribute Allchin Pathtag
Shane and Josie have left a small creak in the door to possibly bring back the Seaside event in the future… maybe. But for now it is the end of this fantastic event. A special thank you to Ken, Margaret, Josie and Shane for all their work over the years to make this event such a success for the South Australian geocaching community.
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