Entries for the 2022 Wildfire Sports Autumn Classics, 
which are National League and ACT
League events, and which will be staged over the weekend of 2-3 April 2022, have now closed and arrangements for staging the events are now finalised.
Wildfire Sports Sponsorship
Wildfire Sports will sponsor the 2022 NOL season.
Sponsorship details will be provided at a later date.
REMEMBER: Daylight saving ends on the morning of Sunday 3 April; clocks go back an hour at 3.00 am.
SportIdent Air+ (SIAC). All events will be full SIAC events. A SIAC Battery Test unit will be located strategically near the beginning of the walk to the Start on both days. Rented SIAC sticks will be available for collection from Registration.
NO DOGS: Both the venues on which these events are being conducted are working farms, with a variety of farm animals. The Landholders of both venues have made a condition of access to their property that competitors do not bring dogs to these events, even if the dogs remain in their cars. Please help Orienteering ACT continue to have access to these excellent venues for orienteering by complying with the landholders requirements and not bringing dogs to either event.
COVID-19. Competitors and officials both need to be aware COVID-19 is highly prevalent in the community and they need to observe COVID-19 safe practices. Hand sanitizers will be available outside the toilets and at the Registration/Finish. Thus far we have had five competitors cancel their entry and we have given those competitors a full refund. We do not want these events to be super-spreader events leading up to the AUS 3-Days in two weeks time.
Special Features for these events
Although these events are not Championships, both will be badge qualifying events to make up somewhat for the lack of ACT Middle and Long Championships in 2021. Also, all competitors on Hard courses will be included in a competition, the 2022 Autumn Challenge, to ascertain the top three competitors over the two days, as determined by Orienteering ACT age/gender handicap factors. Orienteering ACT will acquire suitable mementos to recognise the achievements of the top three competitors; see the image below. The presentation of the mementos will be made at an appropriate time after the event, as it will not be possible to calculate the scores until after the results for Day 2 have been confirmed and before most competitors have departed.
Sport Class to be trialled at NOL Round 2
In both women and men, open (21 and over) and juniors, there will be an “elite class” (which exists at the moment) and a “sport class”. The Sport class replaces the A class used previously and brings it into the NOL competition.
The Sport class is designed for competitive orienteers who may have other priorities than just the goal of elite racing on the international level. The sport classes will be approximately 80% of the distance of their corresponding elite class, will be hard navigation and will score points (albeit a reduced amount compared to the elite class). This means that there will be 8 NOL scoring classes on offer at NOL Round 2. The teams’ competition for each category (e.g. Open Men) will combine scores from both the elite and sport class, with the 3 top scorers from each state being counted.
For more details please see the document on the OA website at: https://orienteering.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/NOL-2022-Guidelines-Update-Division-Change-Trial.pdf
Contact Information
Website: http://act.orienteering.asn.au/events/
Enquiries/Contacts: 0429 398 794,
Event Director: Bob Mouatt
Whistles. Given the terrain, all competitors, especially on Hard courses are encouraged to carry a whistle with them and only use it in an emergency.
Water at Events
To help prevent the spread of Covid-19 shared water containers are not being provided at most orienteering events organised by OACT. For the two events on 2-3 April, the organisers want to avoid those events becoming super-spreaders leading up to the AUS 3-Days, just two weeks afterwards.
Thus, no water will be provided at the Start, on the courses or at the Finish for the Middle Distance event on Saturday, and no water will be provided at the Start or at the Finish for the Long Distance event on Sunday. Please bring your own water.
However, due to the potential for warm weather and the length of the longer courses for the Long Distance on Sunday, water and cups will be provided at two controls on Course 1 (at approximately 33% and 66% distance) and at one control on Courses 2, 3 and 4 (at approximately 50% distance). Anyone not comfortable with using this water should carry their own water. There will be NO WATER on other courses (Courses 5 – 13) and competitors on these courses should carry their own water, if they consider they will need it.
Other Matters Common to Both Days
Toilets: Portaloos will be located adjacent to the Assembly areas at both events. There will be no toilets at the Starts on either day.
First Aid: St John Ambulance will be in attendance at both events.
Catering: There will no catering at either event.
Results: The organisers are planning to provide results via Live On Line
Bibs: NOL competitors are required to wear their bibs for both races. There will not be bibs for other competitors. Bibs may be collected at Registration from 12.00pm on Saturday
Roadworks in Bungendore and on Kings Hwy. Allow for 5-minute delays driving through Bungendore and on Sunday along Kings Hwy heading towards Birkenburn, due to roadworks.
Starting Procedures for Both Days
Starting sequence:
- All competitors should be in their Starting Lane at minus six minutes; ie, six minutes before their Start time.
- At minus four minutes, as competitors move forward to collect their loose control descriptions {Control descriptions will also be on the competition maps}, an official will ask all competitors to punch a Check unit which will be used to determine which competitors have started.
- At minus two minutes, competitors will move forward to stand behind the map box for their course.
- On the final beep of the Start clock for their Start time, they will pick up their map and follow one of the two Starting processes set out in the next paragraph.
The Starting processes for competitors are:
- National League: Competitors will start on the final beep for their assigned Start time, without punching a Start unit. For National League competitors who miss their assigned Start time, they were be permitted to Start at the next available odd minute and the Starter will record their actual Start time, for resolution as to which Start time should be recorded officially.
- ACT League and other competitors: Competitors will Start on final beep for designated Start intervals (two minutes, unless otherwise determined by the Starter) and should not look at their map until they have punched a Start unit.
Saturday 2 April: Wildfire Sports Autumn Classics Day 1
2022 National Orienteering League # 4
2022 ACT League # 1
Organising Club: Parawanga
Event Controllers: Ann & John Scown
Organisers: Sue Garr & Andrew Cumming Thom
Course Planner: Jon Glanville
Location: Gibraltar Hill, on Kings Hwy, just south-east of Bungendore NSW
Directions to the Event
From Canberra travel to Bungendore either via the Federal Highway and Macs Reef Road or via Queanbeyan and the Kings Highway. Travel east on the Kings Highway towards Braidwood.
3 km from Bungendore turn right into the rodeo ground. This turn is shortly after the end of the first overtaking lane. Please take care making this right-hand turn. From the gate, proceed to the rodeo ground, follow the gravel road approximately 300 m and park as directed.
Allow 45 minutes from central Canberra. Allow a possible 5-minute delay for roadworks in Bungendore.
Directions to the event are available from Eventor.
Parking. Parking is adjacent to the Assembly Area. Please follow directions when parking.
Assembly Area and Finish. The assembly area is at the Bungendore rodeo ground and adjacent to the parking. The area can be extremely windy at times. There is very little shade. The finish area has a good view of the rocky ridge line down which most courses finish and competitors will be visible at times.
Out Of Bounds. The rodeo ground is surrounded by a fence that marks out the assembly area. The yards to the east and the area outside the fence to the west and south are Out of Bounds. There is a lot of construction material lying around which is all out of bounds. Dams in the paddocks are Out of Bounds.
Warm-up areas: Warming up is possible along the route to the start.
Clothing Return: There will be one clothing return after the last NOL start at about 1500 (3:00pm).
Distances:
- Parking to Assembly Area: The assembly is adjacent to parking.
- Assembly Area to the Start: There is a 1 km walk to the start with 30m climb. Follow pink & blue tapes from the arena.
Start Area. There is one general Start location, with two adjacent Starts. A clock showing NEXT START time will be at the Pre-start area. For Course 1 to Course 11, follow the pink and blue tapes 60m from the Pre-start to the Start. You must pass through the Start. The Start for Course 12 and Course 13 is adjacent to the Pre-Start.
Start times
- ACTL: Starts from 12:30 – 13:40 (12:30pm-1:40pm). Queued starts at two-minute intervals by course. Organisers may adjust this to one-minute intervals by course if required. The document ‘Number of Competitors Per Course NOL 4 & ACTL 1’ which has course distance, climb and number of controls is here.
- NOL: First starts from 1400 (2:00 pm), at scheduled two-minute intervals. The Start list is here
Course closure: 1600 hours (4.00 pm)
- All competitors who have not completed their courses must abandon their course and report to the finish by 1600 (4.00 pm). After this time controls will be brought in.
- All competitors who do not complete their courses for any reason must report to the finish officials so that their safe return is recorded.
Safety bearing: Head north towards the Kings Highway, then east to the Rodeo Ground.
Map: The Gib 2022 (2013 – with minor revisions in 2022) Scale 1:10,000. 5m contours. First 
mapped by Bob Allison and Hugh Moore 2012-2013. First used in 2013 for the Australian Middle Distance Championships. Subsequently used in 2014, 2017 and 2019 for ACT League events. Links to examples of previous maps are at Documents & Links at the Eventor.
Course Planner’s Notes
The Gib is a large granite covered ridge. The steeper western slopes and top of the ridge are covered in very detailed granite outcrops and large boulders. The eastern side is less steep with scattered rock outcrops and areas of erosion.
The area has been grazed and has light forest cover with many open areas. Some areas are covered in native rushes and sedges disguising very rocky ground, and a few areas have fallen timber.
The lower slopes and surrounding paddocks have long grass, but the open areas higher up generally have shorter grass and better runnability. The areas of native rushes and sedges have expanded since the area was last used, and the map has been updated to show them with shading for ‘slow run – good visibility’ where they significantly affect runnability. This is intended as guidance for route planning, but should not be relied on for accurate fine navigation.
Course 13 (Very Easy) important information: Sections of the Very Easy course are taped with pink and blue streamers where the fence is indistinct because of fallen timber.
There is a high fence around the north-east of the hill. This fence is mapped as impassable. All courses except Course 12 (Easy) and Course 13 (Very Easy) are advised to use the marked crossing points. They are not compulsory. Crossing points are marked on the map and in the field with pink and blue tapes.
The Gib is home to a variety of wildlife and wombats, kangaroos, wallabies, rabbits and foxes have been seen. There are many spiders, including distinctive black and yellow jewel spiders (austracantha minax). The spiders are not dangerous but their webs can be a nuisance.
The area includes steep slopes and high cliffs, so please take care. There are a few broken fences and loose sections of fence wire that can be a trip hazard.
Event Format:
National League: This will be a standard middle distance format event, with the inclusion of the new classes, M21Sport, M20Sport, W21Sport, and W20Sport, which replace the previously used M21A, W21A, M20A and W20A. Competitors who would normally enter the A class should enter the equivalent Sport class. Other than completing their course as usual, nothing else is expected of competitors in Sport classes, but their result will be included in NOL scoring. See more above, under the heading, Sport Class to be trialled at NOL Round 2.
ACT League: This will be a standard middle distance format event for all competitors. See the comment in the National League paragraph above, about Sport classes replacing A classes.
Classes
National League: M21E, W21E, M20E, W20E, M21Sport, M20Sport, W21Sport, W20Sport.
ACT League Classes:
Men: M10, M12A, M14A, M16A, M35A, M40A, M45A, M50A, M55A, M60A, M65A, M70A, M75A, M80A, M85A, M90A; M95A.
Women: W10, W12A, W14A, W16A, W35A, W40A, W45A, W50A, W55A, W60A, W65A, W70A, W75A, W80A, W85A, W90A.
Other Classes: MJuniorB, MOpenB, WJuniorB, WOpenB, M/WOpenEasy, M/WOpenVeryEasy, M/W10Novice.
Sunday 3 April: Wildfire Sports Autumn Classics Day 2
2022 National Orienteering League # 5
2022 ACT League # 2
Organising Club: Red Roos
Event Controller: Bill Jones
Organiser: Bob Mouatt
Course Planner: Rob Walter
Location: Birkenburn Farm, approximately 20 km east of Bungendore NSW, about five km, north of Kings Hwy.
Directions to the Event
From Canberra travel to Bungendore either via the Federal Highway and Macs Reef Road or via Queanbeyan and the Kings Highway. Travel east on the Kings Highway towards Braidwood.
About 14 km from Bungendore, turn left into a farm road (with orienteering signs). This turn is shortly after the end of an overtaking lane. Follow orienteering signs for approximately 6 kms along a some times rough farm road to the Parking area on the right (signposted). Please drive slowly along the farm road and be watchful for animals, farm, feral and native.
Allow 55 minutes from central Canberra. Allow a possible 5-minute delay for roadworks in Bungendore.
Directions to the event are available from Eventor.
Parking. Parking (signposted) is on the right of the farm road, adjacent to the Assembly Area. Please follow directions 
when parking.
Assembly Area and Finish. The Assembly area (signposted) and Finish are together approximately 300 metres across the road from the Parking. The Finish is on the edge of the forest and competitors will only be visible for the last 100 metres.
Spectators. Spectators will have to cross through the Finish chute to get past the Finish. Please take care crossing through the Finish chute and watch for competitors, especially those on Courses 12 and 13, who enter the Finish chute from a different direction to the other courses.
Warm-up areas: Warming up is possible along the route to Start 1.
Clothing Return: There will be one clothing return from Start 1 around 1200 hours (12:00pm).
Distances:
- Parking to Assembly Area/Finish: The Assembly Area is approximately 300 metres from Parking continuing north along the farm road in, about 150 metres, and across the road (signposted) along a bush track about 150 metres. There is no need for competitors to go via the Assembly area on their way to the Start.
- Parking to Start 1 (Pink) (courses 1 to 11): There is a 1.6 km walk to the start with 40 m climb. From the Parking area or the Assembly area head north along the farm road and follow the Pink signs and Pink tapes.
- Parking to Start 2 (Blue) (courses 12 and 13): There is a 250 metre walk along a fence from the Assembly area, following Blue tapes.
Start times at Start 1 (Courses 1 to 11):
- NOL: First starts from 0930 (9.30 am), at scheduled two-minute intervals. The Start list is here
- ACTL: (Start 1) (Pink)Starts from 1030 – 1146 (10.30 am-11:46 am). Queued starts at two-minute intervals by course. Organisers may adjust this to one-minute intervals by course if required. The document ‘Number of Competitors Per Course NOL 5 & ACTL 2’ which has course distance, climb and number of controls is here.
Start times at Start 2 (Blue) (Courses 12 to 13): Starts from 1100 – 1146 (11.00 am-11:46 am). Queued starts at two-minute intervals by course.
Course closure: 1400 hours (2.00 pm)
- All competitors who have not completed their courses must abandon their course and report to the finish by 1400 (2.00 pm). After this time controls will be brought in.
- All competitors who do not complete their courses for any reason must report to the finish officials so that their safe return is recorded.
Safety bearing: The safety bearing for all courses is east to main access road, the farm road in..
Map: Birkenburn 2022. Scale: 1:15000 for courses 1 to 4, 1:10000 for courses 5-13, 
5m contours. The area was first used, as The Sandhills, for the 1983 ACT Championships and since then has been used for numerous events including a long distance National League race in 2015 and the ACT Long Distance Championship in 2018. The 2022 map will be the 2018 version with minor revisions to take account of a new road and an area no longer being out of bounds.
Course Setters Notes
The Birkenburn Farm map is dominated by a large rocky hill with many unusual small knolls and gullies on its slopes as well as scattered granite rock detail. There is a small area of pine forest that has been newly mapped for the event, this as well as other nearby areas has some remnant sand mining detail. There are lots of termite mounds in the terrain and due to the age of the map there are now a few new termite mounds which are not on the map.
There is good visibility over almost the entire map apart from a few small areas near the finish where there is young wattle regrowth. The runability is reduced by the rocky ground and fallen branches. Due to the very wet summer, gullies and marshes are very wet and boggy and there is a lot of long grass in parts of the map. Go carefully in these areas as the grass can obscure the rocks and fallen branches. The long grass can also obscure the visibility of some smaller point features like termite mounds, cliffs and boulders. Deer and kangaroos have made many small paths through the grass, these are clearly temporary and not on the map. The wet summer has also caused areas of bracken to expand so these are often slightly larger than mapped. Small dams and depressions are full of water and can also appear larger than mapped.
Some courses cross a fence line and there is a marked crossing point on this to make it easy to cross.
On the Easy (Course 12) and Very Easy (Course 13) there is an indistinct track running through bracken. This has been marked with blue tape to make it easier to follow.
Event Format:
National League: This will be a standard long distance format event, with the inclusion of the new classes, M21Sport, M20Sport, W21Sport, and W20Sport, which replace the previously used M21A, W21A, M20A and W20A. Competitors who would normally enter the A class should enter the equivalent Sport class. Other than completing their course as usual, nothing else is expected of competitors in Sport classes, but their result will be included in NOL scoring. See more above, under the heading, Sport Class to be trialed at NOL Round 2.
ACT League: This will be a standard long distance format event for all competitors. See the comment in the National League paragraph above, about Sport classes replacing A classes.
Classes
National League: M21E, W21E, M20E, W20E. M21Sport, M20Sport, W21Sport, W20Sport.
ACT League Classes
Men: M10, M12A, M14A, M16A, M35A, M40A, M45A, M50A, M55A, M60A, M65A, M70A, M75A, M80A, M85A, M90A; M95A, M35AS, M45AS, M55AS, M65AS.
Women: W10, W12A, W14A, W16A, W35A, W40A, W45A, W50A, W55A, W60A, W65A, W70A, W75A, W80A, W85A, W90A. W35AS, W45AS, W55AS, W65AS.
Other Classes: MJuniorB, MOpenB, WJuniorB, WOpenB, M/WOpenEasy, M/WOpenVeryEasy, M/W10Novice.
General Information
General information about Canberra, including accommodation, places to eat is available here.
Embargoes
The areas covered by the maps known as The Gib (2013 and later) and the areas covered by the maps known as The Sandhills (1983 and later) and others known as Birkenburn, Timber Tops, and Wild Deer Sands are embargoed until after 4 April 2022.
Enter-On-the-Day
Very limited Entries-On-The-Day will be accepted only for Course 6 (Hard), Course 11 (Moderate), Course 12 (Easy) and Course 13 (Very Easy), subject to the availability of maps.