New Brunswick Geocachers Enjoy The Event Life

This article was originally published on Cache Up NB. It has been mirrored here for archive purposes only.

Many places around the world feature geocachers of all shapes and sizes. But only in a Canadian province like New Brunswick, are we lucky enough to have cachers so passionate about geocaching events.

A quick look today at the “Newest in New Brunswick” geocache listings, you’ll spot 10 upcoming events in our province. There are plenty of provinces, states, and other territories where seeing even a couple events is considered lucky. In New Brunswick, less than five events in the next few months is considered a rarity.

Breakfast events are the norm here. Moncton, Fredericton, and Saint John all feature a reoccurring geocaching breakfast that brings geocachers together. St. Stephen has even joined the party and now hosts one that’s shared by our American neighbours.

But it doesn’t stop with a morning meal. New Brunswick is also host to some of the most interesting and popular geocaching events this side of the country. The largest “hike” event every year at Fundy National Park was attended by  more than 250 cachers this year and was the most successful event in the province so far. An “Amazing Race” event has been held in Moncton every year for the last five years. It’s managed to bring in more than 140 attendees in recent years, and has attracted racers from as far away as Ontario, and even garnered attention from Groundspeak’s CEO.

But the warmer months are not the only time for events. The annual Ice Walk held near Shediac, NB consists of groups of cachers crossing the frozen waters of Shediac Bay to reach an island where a dozen or so caches can be found. Cachers go on the hunt then return to the home of “Ma & Pa” who welcome everyone with a bowl of chilli, a brownie, or something else to fill their stomach.

The Bye Bye Winter Bash held in Fredericton served as the culmination of a long winter’s geocaching contest. The contest pits geocachers against each other in an attempt to score points by finding and hiding geocaches during the winter. Winners are crowned at the big finale event at the start of spring.

New Brunswickers are known for being friendly and this has extended into the world of geocaching. Nowhere else in the world can you find so many events of such a diverse nature, combined with people who are so willing to tell you a story, enjoy your company, maybe help you solve a puzzle, or just hit the trails with you.

For anyone who wants to enjoy what geocaching events are really about, you need look no further than the list of upcoming events in our beloved province of New Brunswick.