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Updated Google Earth NPWS File
NSW National Parks have just this month released their updated boundry data that shows all areas in NSW that are managed by National Parks.
Download KML (shamelessly stolen from Geocaching NSW )
It's quite interesting to see how many single tracks are within NP boundarys, for example the technical downhill at Cascades only has the last bit of one leg. I can't vouch for the accuracy as I lifted it from the above site but it's interesting for those who like Google Earth.
Incidentally I should mention that we share a common frustration with Geocachers. Geocachers are prohibited from hiding their caches on NP land. Try to figure that one out!
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That's interesting. This file seems to show a couple new parts - the only ones of interest in Sydney seem to be around LCNP.
Would lots of people would geocache on a bike? So long as their cache was stashed within a few metres of defined trails what's the problem?
I've no idea... but you aren't allowed to place a cache within any national park apparently. The geocaching site doesn't even let you do it. The whole point of caching is that it is a great way to bring people to areas of great beauty at minimal impact. One of the slogans is something like take out more litter that you take in. Surely that would be good for the parks....
More info here: http://www.geocachingnsw.asn.au/index.php/geocac...
and here: http://www.geocachingnsw.asn.au/index.php/compon...
and I mountain bike too, so the NPWS is not really in my good books.
The geocaching ban in NPWS has been policy for quite some time but they've only been enforcing it recently. (Possibly since they published the kml file of NPWS boundaries). There used to be loads of caches in National Parks that were in fantastic locations, and while I don't think that they're actively removing these existing ones, any new ones are being rejected.
The NPWS rationale seems to be based on the fact that geocaching is an informal activity (like mtb'ing) without any proper organisation representing it, that the NPWS can engage with. They also don't seem to like the idea of plastic boxes being hidden in the bush for an indefinite period of time, with no idea of how many cachers will actually visit the location. They probaly turned a blind eye for a number of years when geocaching was a fairly low-key underground type of thnig, but now its much more mainstream.
The official NPWS line in the management plan says something about there "not being sufficient nexus between geocaching & the goals of NPWS to warrant it being permissible". I can't fathom this reasoning as geocachers are basically just bushwalkers with some posted coords as a destination. It's even harder to swallow since they do allow orienteering & rogaining events, as long as permission is sought with the relevent manager.
It just seems to be that if they can't easily manage/understand something, they simply ban it......
I rode with a guy from the Blue Mountains council last weekend
I mentioned the NPWS, and I quote,
'oh f***, Andy. Don't start me. They spend all their time putting up fences and locked gates and putting in signs telling you what you can't do. They treat all the National Parks like museums.'
I recently did the walk that the young kid died on last year and the guy recently got lost for 12 days - across the top of Mount Solitary, across the Kedumba river finishing at Wentworth Falls near the old hospital.
On that whole area from the ruined castle to Wenty there is not one trail marker put up by the NPWS. Not even a hunk of wood with an arrow on it - nothing. Walkers have nailed squares of venetian blinds to trees and painted arrows on rocks to mark the correct route.
The first 'sign' we see of the NPWS is long after you reach the unsealed road at Wenty. It's a massive locked gate with a huge sign saying (amongst others) no bicycles - fine $11 000. It a bloody smooth highway almost. With big piles of dirt that has been excavated, and bikes aren't allowed. There is the same sign and another locked gate about 2 km's up this same road towards the hospital.
2 signs and 2 locked gates within 2 kays of each other on a wide unsealed road, but nothing on a reasonably well known walk where people easily become lost and a young kid has died.
That's our tax dollars hard at work.
"with a huge sign saying (amongst others) no bicycles - fine $11 000"
That would be a Sydney Catchment Authority fine rather than NPs.
For the $11 000 is if they were some how able to fine you with every conceivable infringement in the one go
SCA is far worse to deal with than NPWS
and MTB World championships
you just can't predict how many people might turn up to trash the joint.
now on a MTB day of racing yes
orienteering event, well there will be participants
geocache. uhm it's there until a person decides to do it. don't think us geocachers are into planning mass day out caching.
after all, we all want to find it and log it. not much point if the cache is on a table with a queue of people waiting to sign the guest registry.
I mapped Narrow Neck a cpl of weeks ago, there are 3 caches along that, great views, lovely day, all 3 untouched for 18 months. that's how interested we can be.