2024-08-02 -35 149

Location

On a street(sign) in Bungendore, New South Wales

Participants

Patrick
Liz - first geohash

Plans

I (Patrick) planned to visit Canberra to see friends and engage in mysterious activities (it is the site of our federal government). Obviously there would be some geohashing — I of course couldn’t know where in advance, and accordingly didn’t advise anyone of those plans.

Expedition

I booked my flight a genteel week and a half in advance. In anticipation of the geohashing, I spent a few minutes examining the locations of Canberra breweries, but mostly kept my own counsel and did the normal things that I do.

I decided to fly with Rex (née Regional Express), an airline I’ve never flown before. Technically this was $8 more expensive than flying with Jetstar, but that doesn’t seem like much money (I would simply forgo an airport coffee), and it’s always good to fly with new airlines.

As a consequence of this decision, Rex entered voluntary administration and ceased flying its jet-operated routes. Oops.

Having caused one airline collapse in service of geohashing, I considered my position. Perhaps I could just geohash in Melbourne, like normal people. Perhaps I could drive to Canberra. But I decided to go for the big score, and called up the Evil Villain Airline Qantas, who very generously rebooked me on virtually-identical flights without requesting any money.

I arrived at the airport (attempting to check-in online provoked ominous “Error - Check-in at airport” messages) and... everything ran smoothly. I passed tantalisingly close to the -36 147 hashpoint but otherwise the flight was uneventful.

Liz very kindly picked me up from the airport, and I got in the car and ignored her for 15 minutes while having a complicated arguement-discussion phone conversation with my housemate. I got off the phone and said “Hello! Would you like to do a geohash? We just need to go to Boon-jenn-doree.” (This is not how it’s pronounced.)

She agreed this was a sensible use of time, and we were soon on the open road, with me explaining the details and lore of geohashing. We crossed the territorial border into New South Wales and searched up the hashpoint, which I had surveyed was on or very close to a road in a small residential neighbourhood. As we entered the neighbourhood, there were some twisty turns, and a car behind us followed us for a little while. Liz asked: “Do you think they might also be geohashing?” and I had to admit the sport is not that popular. I am also instructed that I must stop referring to it as a “sport”.

We soon found the hashpoint. My phone took a while to get a sensible reading, so we did a lot of random wandering on the quiet residential street, but in the end holding it above the end-of-road curve marker sign got an acceptable reading.

The drive back to Canberra was uneventful so we celebrated with steak. Hash success.