2023-07-19 -37 144
| Wed 19 Jul 2023 in -37,144: -37.7032615, 144.5889059 geohashing.info google osm bing/os kml crox |
Location
In a paddock beside a road linking Cobblebank and Melton South.
Participants
The Adventure
Well I am just a greedy goblin and today one Geohash is not enough. I must have two. Gobble gobble gobble.
Spurred on by the afternoon's success at the Clarkesdale Bird Sanctuary, I noticed a second hashpoint. It would be the smallest blip of a detour on my way back to Melbourne. Location seemed ambiguous – likely farmland, but possibly industrial, but quite close to residential – I was cautiously optimistic but wasn't getting my hopes of a double-whammy too high.
It was dusk as I made the turn-off to Melton South, a worrying amount of traffic considering this would involve mild trespassing. I rehearsed potential confrontations between myself and angry landowners in my head ("please! I'm still trying to impress a boy!") as I waited an excruciatingly long time for a right turn. As I turned, optimism waned. The land was occupied by huge industrial lots, bordered by cyclone fences topped with razor wire. Oh dear.
I kept on down the road, a secondary concern emerging at the complete lack of anywhere to park and investigate. Traffic made it difficult to even slow down, but at some stage the industrial estates turned to paddocked farmland. At least, I think it was farmland. Visibility was low and I couldn't see the fences.
The road became a bridge that led to a residential area. Once I'd crossed, there was parking to the right so I flipped a u-ey and pulled in.
According to the app, I was about a kilometre away from the hashpoint. I'd have a decent shot at walking to the hash if it fell on farmland, and no chance if it was industrial. I was 65% confident of a farmland outcome, so I zipped my coat against the evening chill and headed to find out.
The sky was darkening with sunset, and the headlights of the cars and the overhead lamps created orange glows in the fog. It was cold, and I felt small and alive to be the only person amongst it. I tucked my hands into my sleeve and was thankful for a decent path as the little blue dot got closer to the hash point.
About 150m away, it was clear that victory would be mine if I turned into the farmland. There were no fences at all, which felt strange for what was otherwise recognisable as a paddock, but I didn't question my good fortune. Ignoring fears that a passing motorist might call the trespassing police (who are probably also the regular police), I walked confidently into the dark and tussocked field. Aah. Tussocks in the dark. My confidence was replaced by the cautious feeling-out of each step.
I reached a half-hearted tree line where it felt like another fence intuitively should have been but wasn't, and then success was mine. Two in one day! I took a photo of the sunset and did my best at a selfie but tbh it was quite dark at this point.
I performed my brisk evening walk back to the car and warmed up with some fish and chips. Success!
