Welcome Back to Orienteering!
Welcome to all of new and returning members!
Our last newsletter was issued as we were getting back into orienteering after the lack of opportunities over our COVID winter. Everyone was obviously very keen to be out on real terrain again; we have been fortunate to have had a very busy, if shortened winter season, and are now enjoying both the Twilight season and the Sprint season as we draw close to the end of the year.
It is encouraging to see so many members out regularly competing in these events. Many have been noticed at the Monday evening Street-O series, and in the past three weeks, back out on their ParkRuns. The MTBO Champs, postponed to next weekend, 21-22nd November, are also attracting a small number of Bushflyers.
OACT End-of Year Function – SUNDAY 29TH NOVEMBER
Starts from 10.30am. Finish before 3.00pm
Given the upheaval experienced by so many of us this year, the Board has decided on a less formal approach to our regular end of season function. This year, we will gather outdoors for an informal event at Kambah Woolshed on Springbett Street.
This is a BYO picnic event. There are BBQs available at the Woolshed if you would like to use them. Undercover seating and tables are available.
This event will follow hard on the heels of the Sprint event to be held on a new map of the area, including Namadgi School. For those of you “sprinting” just come along after you finish.
Presentations of the Wehner Cup, Mike Cassells Award, Services to Coaching and the Jim Sawkins Award will take place at 11.30am.
Please indicate your intention to attend by entering this Eventor ‘event’ ASAP. Entry is free.
The Bushflyers banner will be flying. Please come along to join us all!
‘Getting O-ing Going Again’
Bushflyers has organised and set courses for a number of events over the past four months. Thank you to the following people for their hard work.
- Metro #1, Saturday 25th July, Weston Park
Course Planner – Caitlin Young; Organiser – Susanne Harryson
Helpers – Carol Harding; Susan Hallissy; Greg, Brendan & Joseph Wilson; Ken & Vicky Mansell; Bruce Barnett - Metro #3, Saturday 8th August, The Pinnacle
Course Planner – Ellen Johnson; Organiser – Jo Hobson - Classic AL#3, Sunday 16th August, Mt Jerrabomberra
Course Planner – Toby Lang; Controller – Ross Stewart; Organiser – Valerie Barker
Helpers – Mark Parsons, Coral Dow, Alison Inglis, Peter Miller - Metro #8, Saturday 12th September, The Arboretum
Course Planner – Zoe Terrill; Organiser – Matt Stocks - Twilight #2, Wednesday 28th October, Stromlo West
Course Planner – David Stocks; Organiser – Valerie Barker
Helpers – Jane Barnett, Carol Harding, David Jenkins, Chris Stocks, Matt Stocks, Ryan Stocks, Elise Palethorpe
And Coming up…
- Twilight #6, Wednesday 25th November, Stromlo Forest Park
Course Planner – Matt Stocks; Organiser – Ross Stewart
It is appropriate to once again thank Matt Stocks for all of his work with the roster, most recently for the Twilight season, and currently for the 2021 Classic and Metro series. It is a complex process as the events of other states, especially NSW, as well as the national events, all have to be considered. This year we have the added restrictions caused by the loss of some wonderful maps following the terrible bushfires of last summer.
Even in recent weeks, venues have had to be changed at short notice because of restricted access to local bush areas; there is native vegetation to be protected, as well as problems with the long grass, weeds and thistles that have flourished after our wet and warm Spring. However, there are new maps being prepared and waiting for our use early next year, so we have much to look forward to.
Matt has been approaching you to help with the current Twilight program, as well as for next year’s events. If you are keen to course set or organise any particular events/maps in the next year, please let Matt know so that he can indicate your interest as the new program is being prepared.
Having had almost every inter-state event cancelled or postponed this year, we can now tentatively look forward to events being available in 2021:
- The Christmas 5-Days events, from 27th – 31st December 2020. This year they are being held within easy reach of the ACT in the Southern Highlands. Check out the ONSW website for further details or go to Eventor.
- Easter 2021 is now being advertised; postponed from this year, the event will take place in the Orange/Molong, NSW region, from 2nd – 5th April. Again, there are no state borders to be crossed!
What else?
- After only one event in the Autumn series, OACT has now presented three of the four events in the Spring SC-ORE series. Susanne Harryson is again organising and managing this, with the courses being set by Caitlin Young. A number of Bushflyers have been helping out on Thursday mornings, including Tom de Jongh (photographer), Valerie Barker, Carol Harding, Ken Mansell, David Jenkins, David Poland, Toni Brown and Mark Parsons.
- Do you subscribe to the OACT weekly e-bulletin? What about the Orienteering Australia monthly e-bulletin? (Find the latest here).
I encourage you to subscribe to each of these bulletins, to enable you to keep up-to-date at both a local and a national level. They have so many links to interesting and inspiring articles, news items, YouTube videos, health and fitness advice… - Now that we are competing again, it is timely to remind you that I have a limited range of Bushflyers’ clothing (O-tops and jackets mostly) for sale. However, I will not be placing an order for further stock this year. I know this will be disappointing to a couple of you whose sizes I do not currently have in stock. I will certainly do a new order early next year, when delivery times might be a little more reliable than they are at present.
Did you know… Bushflyers has a Facebook page. “Like” our page and keep up to date with what’s happening in our club.
Keep safe, keep well; keep moving; and keep apart!
Valerie Barker (Club Convenor)
6251 5459 / 0410 151 554
For Bushflyers Orienteering – where no-one gets left on the bench!