THONG:
a) a narrow strip of leather or other material, used especially as a fastening or as the lash of a whip
b) a skimpy bathing garment or pair of knickers like a G-string
c) a light sandal or flip-flop
As you can see in the image, option C) is correct in Australia.
Why are they hanging on a tree? Legend has it that a houseboat owner kept finding them left on boats, the riverfront and in the water. An employee ( a signwriter) decided to create a little sign and nail a couple of lost thongs to a tree stump, in the hope to reunite it with its owner.
From there, a tourist attraction began when people began leaving momentos and greetings on thongs on the tree. As one tree stump filled, it began to expand onto a second tree.
A local uproar occured in 2019 when the riverfront was redeveloped and one of the trees was removed. It was speculated that both were going to be removed. Common sense prevailed, and only the tree that was closest to the riverbank and deemed at risk of falling or being seriously damaged was removed.
While in the area, wander along the path to S 36 07.132 E 144 44.799 and you can see how high the river rises in flood times, potentially floating all thongs down stream to South Australia.
To log this cache you need to do 2 things:
1. At GZ you will be at the riverboat dock at Port of Echuca. Take and upload a photo of yourself, your device or something with your geocaching name at the tree.
2. On the pathway nearby is a square manhole cover. To verify your attendance, email CO with the weight that is stamped into the edges of the cover.
You may log your find with your photo, but email CO separately.
UPDATE: This was all that was left showing of the tree during the 2022 flood event.
This cache has been placed as part of Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.