Hi,
Looking for keen benchmark hunters to join me in a new group "Australia/NZ Benchmarks". I need 2 Premium Groundspeak members who want to help me create and administer a new category for this purpose.
Currently the only category available for those who pursue benchmarks in Australia is "Australian Trig Points" and the administrators of this group are VERY specific that only Trig Points can be logged in the category. No other form of Vertical or Horizontal control point marker can be logged in the category (i.e. State Survey Marker Disc). I find this very limiting as in Qld where I live, there may only be 2 or 3 Trig Points in a 50km radius. When you consider that at LEAST 50% of Trig Points are on private land or otherwise unaccessible (like on top of a water tower!) it's no wonder that that category currently has only 147 waymarks logged!
My proposal for this new category is to be more of a US Benchmarks style category for Australia and New Zealand where any sort of Surveying Marker Benchmark Disk (or in some cases other clear Vertical position marker) is able to be logged and subsequently enjoyed by all! I would probably ask users to refrain from logging metal pins or painted crosses on the ground etc as this would not be as interesting to find but would be open to all suggestions. Many of these benchmarks are clearly marked on a topo map (I find many of mine using the Australian Govt Mapconnect website).
About me, I'm an avid benchmark disk hunter (got into finding them in the US where the USGS puts them all over the place) and while I never wanted to run a category I just couldn't find a place to log all the State Survey Marker discs I've found while bushwalking up just about any hilltop in Qld!
Thanks!