Purpose of the Awards

The Geocache of the Year Awards (GOTYA)s have been established to recognise and celebrate excellence in geocaching across Queensland.

The awards aim to highlight caches and log entries that demonstrate creativity, quality, and the spirit of adventure that defines the geocaching community. 

Through the GOTYAs, Geocaching Queensland seeks to acknowledge those who go above and beyond in creating, sharing, and celebrating the game of geocaching in Queensland.

Eligibility

The GOTYAs apply to a single calendar year, defined as 1 January to 31 December, and include caches published, and log entries written within that period.

Awards are open to:

• Eligible geocaches hidden within Queensland.

• Eligible log entries written by Queensland geocachers on Queensland caches.

• Caches and logs published on geocaching.com.

Members of the Geocaching Queensland Management Committee are eligible for nomination, finalist selection and awards.

To be eligible, a cache or log must meet the relevant category requirements and comply with applicable Geocaching Queensland and geocaching.com guidelines.

Award Categories

The GOTYAs may be presented in the following categories:

• Best Traditional Cache

• Best Multi Cache

• Best Mystery Cache

• Best Wherigo / Letterbox / EarthCache / Virtual Cache

• Best Event Cache

• Best Cache Series

• Best Log Entry

• Geocache of the Year — Overall Award

Geocaching Queensland may introduce additional categories, combine categories or amend existing categories where required.

Where insufficient eligible nominations are received for a category, Geocaching Queensland reserves the right to withdraw or combine that category for the relevant award year.

Community Nominations

Nominations will be opened during the award year and remain open until 31 January of the following year, allowing the Queensland geocaching community an opportunity to nominate caches or log entries they believe are worthy of recognition.

To maximise participation, Geocaching Queensland will issue:

• An initial announcement when nominations open.

• A reminder at least two weeks before nominations close.

• A final reminder approximately two days before nominations close.

Each nomination must include:

• Name of the person nominating

• Award category.

• GC code.

• Cache name

• Cache owner / event host / or log author

• Date of find / event / or log entry

• A brief explanation of why the cache or log entry deserves recognition

Nominators may nominate as many caches/events/logs as they choose, including their own caches, events or log entries.

A cache, event or log entry may be nominated in only one award category unless Geocaching Queensland determines that it is eligible for multiple categories.

Selection of Finalists

Following the close of nominations, a Geocaching Queensland Review Panel will assess the nominations and determine the finalists for each category.

The Review Panel will select three finalists in each award category, subject to there being sufficient eligible nominations.

The purpose of the review process is to ensure that:

• Nominated entries meet the eligibility requirements.

• Nominated caches meet the standards expected of a Geocaching Queensland award entry.

• Entries are placed in the most appropriate category.

• The finalist selection process is consistent across all categories.

The Review Panel may decline a nomination that does not meet the eligibility requirements or the intent of the relevant award category.

The Review Panel does not determine the award winners.

Publication of Finalists

Once the finalists have been determined, Geocaching Queensland will publish the finalists on its website and relevant social media platforms.

The announcement will include:

• Cache name and GC code.

• Cache owner, event host or log author.

• Award category.

• A link to the official voting page.

Publication of the finalists provides recognition to the cache owners and creators and allows Geocaching Queensland members an opportunity to review the shortlisted entries before voting.

Member Voting

Member voting will open following publication of the finalists and will remain open for six weeks.

Eligible Geocaching Queensland members will be invited to rank the three finalists in each category using a 3-2-1 points system:

• 3 points — First choice

• 2 points — Second choice

• 1 point — Third choice

Members should consider the qualities and criteria relevant to the particular award category when determining their preferences.

The 3-2-1 system is intended to reward broad support among Geocaching Queensland members and provide a more balanced outcome than a simple single-vote system.

Only financial members of Geocaching Queensland in the applicable year are eligible to vote.

Voting by Cache Owners

Cache owners are permitted to vote for their own caches.

All financial members are entitled to participate in the voting process on the same basis, regardless of whether they own, co-own or have otherwise contributed to a nominated cache.

A member may not award more than one set of 3-2-1 points within a category.

Voting eligibility requirements and the method of verifying membership will be announced annually as part of the voting process.

Determination of Category Winners

At the conclusion of the voting period, all valid votes will be tallied.

The finalist receiving the highest total number of points in each category will be declared the winner of that category.

The second-highest scoring finalist may be recognised as the runner-up where Geocaching Queensland elects to publish runner-up results.

Category Tie-Break

If two or more finalists receive the same highest number of points in a category, the finalist with the higher number of Favourite Points on geocaching.com at the close of voting will be declared the winner.

If a tie remains due to identical Favourite Point totals, Geocaching Queensland may determine an appropriate secondary tie-break process and publish the result.

Geocache of the Year - Overall Award

The Geocache of the Year is the overall award and recognises the cache that receives the highest overall level of support from Geocaching Queensland members across all eligible cache categories.

The Geocache of the Year will be determined from the total points received by each cache during the member voting process.

The cache receiving the highest total number of points across all eligible cache categories will be declared the Geocache of the Year.

No separate vote will be conducted for the Overall Award.

This means that every member vote cast for an eligible cache contributes not only towards that category result but also towards its consideration for the overall Geocache of the Year award.

Overall Award Tie-Break

If two or more caches receive the same highest total number of points across all eligible cache categories, the cache with the higher number of Favourite Points on geocaching.com at the close of voting will be declared the Geocache of the Year.

If a tie remains due to identical Favourite Point totals, Geocaching Queensland may determine an appropriate secondary tie-break process and publish the result.

Conflict of Interest

Members of the Geocaching Queensland Review Panel must declare any conflict of interest relating to a nominated cache or log entry.

A Review Panel member must not participate in the assessment or finalist selection of:

• A cache they own or co-own.

• A log entry they have written.

• An entry where a close personal, professional or other association could reasonably be considered to compromise impartiality.

Where a conflict exists, the panel member must abstain from discussion and decision-making relating to that entry.

A conflict of interest does not make a cache or log entry ineligible for nomination or member voting.

Members of the Review Panel remain eligible to vote in their capacity as Geocaching Queensland members, including voting for a cache they own or co-own.

Member Voting Integrity

Geocaching Queensland is committed to ensuring that member voting is conducted fairly and transparently.

Geocaching Queensland reserves the right to:

• Verify votes where necessary.

• Confirm the membership status of voters.

• Remove duplicate, fraudulent or otherwise invalid votes.

• Restrict or disqualify voting activity that attempts to manipulate the result.

• Suspend or extend voting where technical or other circumstances materially affect the voting process.

Each financial member is entitled to one set of 3-2-1 points per category.

Geocaching Queensland will not be required to disclose individual member voting information.

The final determination of valid votes rests with Geocaching Queensland.

Announcement of Awards

GOTYA winners will generally be announced during April each year, recognising achievements from the preceding calendar year.

Winners may be recognised through:

• The Geocaching Queensland website.

• The Waypoint newsletter.

• Geocaching Queensland social media channels.

• Geocaching Queensland events.

• Other appropriate community communications.

Geocaching Queensland may also recognise finalists and runners-up as appropriate.

Definitions

For the purposes of the Geocache of the Year Awards:

Geocache - A geocache is a cache listing published on geocaching.com and physically located within Queensland.

Cache Series - A cache series refers to a group of related geocaches placed by the same cache owner or group of cache owners and intended to be completed as part of a themed, connected or sequential experience.

Queensland Geocacher - A Queensland geocacher is a participant in the geocaching community who is primarily based in Queensland or who regularly participates in geocaching activities within the state.

Log Entry - A log entry refers to a written log posted on a geocache listing that documents a geocacher's experience of finding or attempting the cache.

Favourite Points - Favourite Points are the points awarded to geocaches by eligible geocachers through the geocaching.com Favourite Point system.

Financial Member - A financial member is a person whose membership of Geocaching Queensland is current and paid in accordance with the Association's membership requirements at the time of voting.

Award Year - The award year is the calendar year from 1 January to 31 December to which the nominated caches and log entries relate.

General Conditions

Geocaching Queensland reserves the right to amend the award categories, eligibility criteria, nomination process, voting process and other procedures where necessary to ensure the effective and fair operation of the GOTYAs.

Geocaching Queensland may decline or remove nominations that do not meet eligibility requirements or are considered inconsistent with the spirit or purpose of the awards.

Geocaching Queensland may withdraw an award category where insufficient eligible nominations are received.

Geocaching Queensland may combine categories where the number of eligible nominations does not support three finalists.

Participation in the GOTYAs constitutes acceptance of these Guidelines, Rules and Conditions.

The decisions of Geocaching Queensland regarding eligibility, finalist selection, vote validity and the final award results are final.

Geocaching Queensland may publish additional information, instructions or deadlines for each annual GOTYA program where required.

Annual GOTYA Timeline

The following provides a general framework for the annual awards process:

Stage  Timing

Award year 1 January – 31 December

Nominations open During the award year

Award year concludes 31 December

First nomination reminder At least two weeks before closing

Nominations close 31 January of the following year

Final nomination reminder Approximately two days before closing

Review Panel assessment February

Finalists announced Following completion of review

Member voting Six weeks

Votes tallied and verified Following voting closure

Winners announced Generally April

Administration of the GOTYAs

The Geocache of the Year Awards are administered by Geocaching Queensland Inc.

Geocaching Queensland is responsible for:

• Managing the annual nomination process.

• Appointing the Review Panel.

• Confirming eligibility and finalists.

• Publishing finalists.

• Managing and verifying member voting.

• Calculating final results.

• Determining the Geocache of the Year from the overall voting results.

• Announcing award recipients.

• Maintaining the integrity and consistency of the awards process.

The Management Committee of Geocaching Queensland may delegate operational responsibilities associated with the GOTYAs while retaining overall responsibility for the administration of the awards.