National Parks and Wildlife Service will only consider consent for caches placed in locations that avoid cultural heritage, sensitive environments and visitor safety risks.

To apply for permission to place your cache in a NSW park, complete the 'Geocaching application form' on this page. The form must be sent to the National Parks and Wildlife Service office closest to the park where you want to place the cache. One of the questions in the form asks you to select that office.

To find the correct office, click on the link above, search for the park where you want to put your cache and look for the email address under 'Contact' in the right column of the park page. 

You will need to wait for written consent from National Parks and Wildlife Service before placing the cache. They will respond within 20 working days.

As well as being required to meet the standard conditions for geocaching, it's a good idea for you to include the following information in the geocache description that you post online for other players:

Conditions

You must confirm that you have read and understood the standard conditions before you can submit your form. Please read the conditions carefully.

Standard conditions

Standard conditions

General
  • The cache must only be placed in the location approved by National Parks and Wildlife Service.
  • The cache must not solicit customers or be used to generate commercial gain, such as using the cache to promote a product or service or requiring participants to pay a subscription fee.
  • Soil, rock, substrate or vegetation must not be disturbed to hide the cache.
  • This consent is applicable for the term of consent (starting from the date of approval) specified in the written consent from National Parks and Wildlife Service.
  • The cache owner will assume all responsibility for:
    • cache maintenance, including being responsible for physically checking the cache periodically and especially when a problem has been reported by another geocacher
    • the accuracy of the online content of their cache listings.
  • At the end of the consent period further consent may be sought to have the cache remain.
  • To assess the suitability of the cache remaining, the cache owner may/will provide photos of the cache location at the beginning and end of the previous consent period to National Parks and Wildlife Service.
  • If consent is revoked, the cache owner will archive the cache immediately and remove it as soon as practicable.
Containers
  • The cache container must:
    • be watertight and neutral coloured
    • not be placed inside a plastic bag
    • not have been previously used for food as odours could attract wildlife
    • be no larger than 2.0 L
    • be able to withstand wind, rain, frost and other natural elements
    • have a label on the outside to say it is a geocache.
  • The cache container must include the following items:
    • an explanatory note for people who find the cache by chance which explains that the cache has been approved by National Parks and Wildlife Service and identifies the period of consent
    • an educational message about the cache’s specific location or about the park or area in general
    • the cache coordinates to confirm that the correct cache has been found
    • contact information for the local National Parks and Wildlife Service office and the cache owner in the event the cache needs repair or needs to be removed from its location.
  • The only additional items that may be permitted in a cache container are a logbook, pen, pencil and pencil sharpener.

Geocaching application form

Privacy collection notice

The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water is collecting your personal information through this form.

Why are we collecting your information?

We are collecting your information to review and manage the product or service being requested in this form and your account connected to that service, including providing you with updates about this product/service as required and performing relevant compliance activity. If you have opted in to any marketing, newsletter or membership options, your details may be used to target and share that information with you.

How will we share your information?

We will not share your information with anyone else unless you give your consent, or the law requires or allows us to do so.   

Are you required by law to give us your information?

You are not required by law to give us your information, but if you choose not to, we may not be able to assist with your enquiry or process your application and issue the product or service being requested.

Your right to access and correct your information

To access or correct your information, please contact:

NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service
Locked Bag 5022, Parramatta NSW 2124
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 1300 072 757 (13000 PARKS)

Further information

For more details on how your information is handled, please refer to Privacy and security.

Applicant details




Cache details



The maximum term of consent for a physical cache is 5 years.
Cache location

The UTM zone and grid coordinates must identify whether the datum is Australian Geodetic Datum (AGD) or GDA (Geocentric Datum of Australia)



Describe how visitors will get to the cache using existing tracks or facilities. Please include the nearest public access point. For example identify the walking tracks or roads that lead to the cache.

Location checklist


National Parks and Wildlife Service will also consider potential impacts on Aboriginal objects, Aboriginal places and areas known to contain endangered ecological communities, threatened species populations or their habitats.

Cache container description and contents

The size of the container used must not be greater than 2 litres.

The container must be watertight and be a neutral colour.

The container must have an external label stating it is a geocache.




Acknowledgement of application and standard conditions
Please read the standard conditions carefully before submitting this form.