Welcome
We are now well through the winter season, with the ACT Championships (Middle and Long) only three weeks away, and the Australian Championships in Victoria just eight weeks away! We are fortunate to again be enjoying a full program of orienteering including the regular Metro, Classic and Mid-Week series and the MapRun Street Orienteering series.
Events – ACT and Interstate/National
Since the publication of the last newsletter in March, we have had Bushflyers competing in the following local, interstate and national events:
- Easter 2022 Orienteering Carnival (15 – 24 April), including the Australian 3 Days (15-18 April), Kingaroy/Gold Coast, Queensland. Results included:
- 1 – Alison Inglis (W55); 1 – Andrew Hobson (M45AS); 1 – Jane Barnett (W55AS)
- 2 – Toni Brown (W60A)
- NSW SL#5 & #6, 14-15 May, Cowra
- QBIII 11-13 June, Wagga Wagga (also ACT AL#4, 5 & 6). Results included:
- 1 – Rob D’Ascenzo (M21AS)
- 2 – Jo Hobson (W45AS)
- 3 – Michael D’Ascenzo (M65AS); Alison Inglis (W55A); Ben Mansell (M12A); Justine Hobson (W20A)
- ACT Sprint Championships, 26 June, AIS. Results included:
- 1 – Eino Meuronen (M85A); 1 – Justine Hobson (W20A); 1 – Valerie Barker (W65A)
Well done to all participants and to all place-getters.
Congratulations
We have much pleasure in acknowledging the following young orienteers who have been selected to represent Australia in international competition this year:
- Caitlin Young – World Orienteering Champs (WOC), Denmark (26-30 June)
- David Stocks – Junior World Orienteering Champs (JWOC), Portugal (10-16 July)
- Tristan Miller – Orienteering World Cup Round 2, Estonia (3-7 August)
Participating in European competition after a hiatus of two years has been a challenge for all competitors and officials, of course. In particular, many of you will be aware that the range of JWOC events had to be significantly curtailed this year when forest access was lost just a few days prior to start of competition because of extreme temperatures and a significant bushfire threat. After the Sprint Championships were held, the first ever JWOC Sprint Relay and unofficial Urban Relay was organised in just 4 days! (New dates will be released in the coming weeks for the 2022 JWOC Middle, Long and forest Relays, probably in early November, 2022).
The ACT team to compete in the Australian Schools Orienteering Championships (ASOC) in Victoria has also just been announced.
Congratulations to the following young Bushflyers in the team:
- Senior Girls – Justine Hobson, Natalie Miller, Zoe Terrill
- Junior Boys – Josh Mansell
Places in the ASOC teams are keenly sought, and it is exciting that this year’s event will go ahead, after having been postponed and cancelled due to COVID restrictions in 2020 and 2021 (both events were to have been held in Tasmania).
We also acknowledge and thank the three team officials, all Bushflyers: Tom de Jongh (Manager), Susanne Harryson (Assistant Manager) and Paul de Jongh (Coach).
We are very fortunate in that although the ACT is still managing persistently high COVID case numbers, we have been able to conduct all of our events safely and effectively. How good it is that can confidently look ahead to major events both at home and nationally. While this is important for all of us, we all know that our juniors have had particularly difficult challenges over the past two years, so we are looking forward to sharing their progress in Victoria as part of the Australian Championships Carnival (24 September – 2 October).
Bushflyers Events
Bushflyers have been organising and presenting a number of events over the past few months, in both the Metro and AL (Classic) series.
Thank you very much to the following club members and their teams of helpers.
- Metro Series: Junior League #1, Saturday 29 April, Weston Park
Course Planner – Stocks Family, Organiser – Stocks Family - Metro Series: Junior League #5, Saturday 28 May, Bruce Ridge
Course Planner – Matt Stocks, Organiser – Valerie Barker - Metro Series: Junior League #8, Saturday 25 June, The Pinnacle
Course Planner – Ross Wilson, Organiser – Susan Hallissy and Greg Wilson - Classic Series: ACT League #8, Sunday 17 July, Castle Hill
Course Planner – Ross Stewart, Matt Stocks, Organisers – Matt and Chris Stocks
Coming Events
- Metro Series: Junior League #11, Saturday 30 July, Stirling Park
Course Planner – Paul de Jongh, Organiser – de Jongh Family - Metro Series: Junior League #12, Saturday 6 August, Remembrance Park
Course Planner – Peter Antcliff, Organiser – Ellen Johnson/Craig - ACT Championships ACT League #13, NSW SL #13, Sunday 21 August, Tidbinbilla
This event is rescheduled from 2021, when it was cancelled due to COVID
restrictions. The Inglis /Miller family is course setting and Chris Anderson is the organiser.
Australian Championships, Victoria 24 September – 2 October, 2022
Entries are now open; standard online entry (via Eventor) closes on August 31, 2022, with NO late entries available. The Bushflyers flag will be flying at all of the events, which are conveniently located in the beautiful Kyneton/Castlemaine/Daylesford region of Victoria.
Thank you!
It is very timely to thank Matt Stocks for the significant role he plays in the team which coordinates the ACT program, and in preparing and managing the Bushflyers roster. Now It’s Your Turn….
The 2022/2023 calendar is now almost prepared, and you should have recently received a request from Matt for your assistance in several scheduled events in the 2022/2023 Twilight Series.
In particular, Bushflyers are responsible for:
- Twilight #3, Campbell Park, 2 November 2022
- Twilight #6, Majura West, 23 November 2022
- Twilight #8, Mugga Mugga (off O’Malley), 7 December 2022
- Twilight #13, Commonwealth Park, 22 February 2023
- Twilight #14, Radford/Gossan Hill, 1 March 2023
As I write, course setters, organisers and controllers/vetters are all needed. Don’t worry if you haven’t taken on either of these roles on before as we have lots of people who would be happy to help you out with the practicalities. The locations are locked in so let Matt know if there is somewhere else you would like to use and we can try to work something out. Contact him on
And if you have recently indicated to Matt Stocks your interest in taking on a role for any of these events, thank you!!
…Now It’s Your Turn…
It is now time for Matt to step down from the roster management, so that he can concentrate on other aspects of event management, such as course-setting and controlling.
We now need you to volunteer to manage the Bushflyers roster. Please consider making this important contribution to the presentation of high quality Bushflyers events. Talk to Matt to find out more.
Looking ahead – Easter 2023
The Easter 2023 Australian 3 Days (7 -10 April), will be brought to you by Orienteering ACT, who are looking forward to presenting a fun-filled carnival of events in the corroboree frog country of alpine NSW , in the Snowy-Cooma region.
Thank you to those Bushflyers who are taking on major roles in the carnival:
- Matt Stocks & the Stocks family – Day 1 Course-planners
- Valerie Barker – Day 3 Organiser
- Ross Stewart – Day 3 Controller
We will be calling upon the assistance and support of all Bushflyers, especially on Day 3, of course. In the meantime, OACT is encouraging all prospective helpers and participants to book accommodation ahead early. The two main accommodation centres are Cooma and Jindabyne, but other smaller localities and villages may also offer suitable accommodation. Not only is the region a thriving tourist area, but the Snowy 2.0 project is also adding to accommodation pressures. Book early!
Other news
- Do you subscribe to the OACT weekly e-bulletin? What about the Orienteering Australia monthly e-bulletin? Find the latest OA e-news, July 2022 here.
This edition has a wide range of articles to suit the interests of all orienteers. You might like to check out the video of this year’s Jukkola Relay (Finland). This amazing event has thousands of competitors; three of our Bushflyers (Andrew Barnett, Toby Lang and David Stocks) took part this year too.
- 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…
- With major championship events ahead of us in 2022, and the possibility of more interstate travel over the next few months, it is timely to remind you that I have a range of Bushflyers’ clothing (O-tops and jackets mostly) for sale. I was able to order new stock last year and there is now a good range of sizes available, for both adults and children. Please check with me if you would like wear our Club colours.
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!