Hi Bushies
The Oceania Orienteering championships kicks off this weekend. It promises to be a fun and challenging event for all the competitors. We have over 40 Bushflyers entered in the array of events.
A big thanks to all involved in organising the event, with special thanks to those who stepped up to do the overall organisation for this large event, with Natalie Smith (Parawanga) and Allison Jones (Red Roos) taking on the Carnival Directors role, and Cath Chalmers (Red Roos) as the Technical Director. From our Bushflyer community, Valerie Barker is the Information Services lead, and Nina David is responsible for the Logo and bulletin design. And our Bushflyers club is supporting the Oceania Long and Sprint events, with special thanks to Jo Hobson and Chris Anderson for leading the organisation for those two days, and Matt Stocks being the Controller for the Sprint.
We will have time to reflect on the championships at our upcoming Swarm, though I have to flag a change of date for that event. Due to other activities, I have brought it forward a week, to the 18th October. Further details later in the newsletter.
And finally, we have had one new (returning) member since the last newsletter join the Bushflyers, Ken Young. Welcome Ken!
Recent Events
Since the last newsletter, we have run four events, all very fun and well attended.
| Metro Series #10 | Campbell Park | 8-Aug-26 |
| ACT League #9 | Foxlow | 23-Aug-26 |
| Metro Series #13 | Mt Taylor | 29-Aug-26 |
Campbell Park
Thanks to Matt Stocks for setting this course, and for Ryan and Elise for putting out the controls as Matt jetted back from Europe. The course offered some good open running opportunities, plus a bit of traversing the edge of Mt Ainslie. And as noted above the weather was glorious for early August.
Mt Taylor
Our second Metro event in late August was at Mt Taylor. Mt Taylor has been used a number of times, but course setter David Penton explored a few less used areas, sending the Moderate 1 participants on a circumnavigation of Mt Taylor. I suspect that short cuts across the shoulder of the mountain proved less efficient to the options of running around the base of the mountain, but they were more adventurous.
Foxlow
Thanks to Chris Anderson for setting this course and Ross Stewart for being the controller. Foxlow offers some good runability, but also a lack of distinct features in parts of the course to work off. Chris set a series of courses that provided the crowd with some challenges early in the course, particularly heading over to the eastern side of the map. It also had a run uphill to the last control, meaning that everyone was showing the recent exertion as they came into the arena.
Upcoming Events
As mentioned up front, the Oceania Championships are the focus of the next while. But if mountain biking orienteering is your thing, then the Australian MTBO championships are on in early October in Ballarat, followed by the ACT and NSW MTBO championships down the south coast soon after. And in November, the new ACT Short Series kicks off on Sunday 1 November plus a relaunch of the street-O series.
ASOC
Congratulations to four the Bushflyer juniors who have qualified for a very strong ACT team to participate in the Australian Schools Orienteering championships. They will be competing on Tuesday 29 Sept, Wednesday 30 Sept, and Thursday 1 Oct as part of the Oceania festivities. I’m looking forward to seeing how they (and the team perform) in this event.
Matty Maundrell – Senior Boys
Ben Mansell – Junior Boys
Patrick Maundrell– Junior Boys
Naomi Penton– Junior Girls
2026 National Representative Teams
World Cup 2026 Round 3, 5-9 August, Czechia
Last newsletter I mentioned that Justine Hobson represented Australia in the third World Cup event, but failed to mention that David Stocks was also representing Australia, where he picked up 2nd place in the C finals in the middle distance event.
Spring Bushflyer Swarm – Updated Date – 18 October 2026
Please update your calendar to put Sunday 18th October in your diary for our second local Swarm of 2026. As noted earlier, I’m happy to host the event at my place. It will be from 5pm, with people bringing a plate to share (salad or dessert). I’ll provide some meat and bread and drinks to keep the group happy.
For those not familiar with the Swarm concept, they are social events for the Bushflyer club. They can either be held locally, at a residence of one of our members or after an event, or at an interstate event that has a few Bushflyers attending, often in a pub. They are another opportunity to get to know a few of your fellow members. We try to have two local events, with this one in October and one at the beginning of the year.
I’ll send out another notice about this event but feel free to RSVP to me (cmj109@gmail.com) if you know you can make it.
Bushflyer Clothing
I now house the range of Bushflyers’ clothing (O-tops and jackets mostly) for sale. As noted in previous newsletters, the range of sizes is becoming a little limited, but we will still be able to meet the needs of some of our members. Please check with me if you would like wear our Club colours, especially if you are competing in major interstate events.
Keep safe; keep well; and keep moving!
Craig Johnson (Club Convenor)
cmj109@gmail.com
0408 492 808
For Bushflyers Orienteering – where no-one gets left on the bench!