Leading the standings at this stage are the juniors taking nine of the top ten positions. Current leader is Banjo Bluett-Jones with 856 points out of a possible 875. Below that it is very close amongst those competitors who have completed seven or more events. Not to be forgotten is last season’s winner Hayden Dent who is at position 21 on 618 points from just five events. With good performances after the break, there is every chance that Hayden could go back-to-back titles.

Full standings are at Eventor Australia – Series – 2025-26 ACT Runners Shop Twilight Series

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The twilight events have also seen the latest group of Learn-to-Orienteer (L2O) participants growing their skills and we welcome back many who have participated in previous L2O programs as well as a good grouping of younger orienteers who have entered the sport through the SC-ORE program of Schools orienteering.

The next event is Wednesday 12 November at Mt Painter followed by the Cooleman Ridge event on 19 November.

Current standings are at; Eventor Australia – Series – 2025-26 ACT Runners Shop Twilight Series

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Strategic Planning & Volunteer Support

The annual review of progress against the 2025-2030 OACT Strategic Plan is scheduled for the next Board meeting, to be held late November. A copy of the Strategic Plan is at; Orienteering-ACT-Strategic-Plan-2025-2030.pdf.

Coaching Coordination, ASOC & Sporting Schools Support

The Board congratulates the ACT ASOC Team on their success in Brisbane, winning the ASOC trophy. We note that no one mispunched in any event which is a testament to the skills and dedication across the team. Additionally, ACT became the only Australian team ever to get their name etched on the Southern Cross Junior Challenge Trophy (in a tie with NZ Harua). The Board also thanks and congratulates the team coach, officials and parents who assisted throughout the carnival.

Valerie Barker has received an Orienteering Australia award for Services to Australian Schools Orienteering Championships. The Board congratulates and gives a hearty thanks to Valerie for her extensive service and passion for ASOC and supporting the ACT ASOC Team over the years.

Finance

OACT is projecting a small end of year loss, however the finances remain in a healthy state. An auditor has been engaged for the 2025 Annual Statements. The Board thanked Emily Stewart-Reed for standing in as the Treasurer (in addition to her role as Secretary) while Andrew Cheffers was away.

Participation & Events

The Discover Orienteering event on 8th October was very successful, with over 60 attendees. Kudos to David Stocks for leading it. Thanks also to Andrew Cheffers who has volunteered to continue as the ‘Welcome Person’ for the upcoming Twilight series.

Each year, the Board sets entry fees that cover a set of base costs for all events that are non-Championship or Carnivals. If a club is organising an event and wants additional things (e.g. prizes, participation gifts), they need to increase the entry fees to cover the extra costs. We need to communicate that the clubs have agency in this respect, but also that any event that goes outside of the set base costs requires Board approval in advance. The Board will not retrospectively approve invoices for non-approved payments —it will be up to the club and individuals to decide how to cover those extra costs.

The Board agreed out of session that we will implement late entry for ACT League events for a limited set of courses: Very Easy, Easy, Mod 2, and the second-shortest Hard (usually H3 or H4). The late entry fee will be +50% of the standard entry price (applicable to members and non-members). This change will be communicated well ahead of the 2026 events.

Other Business

The Board thanked the Scowns for their oversight of the repairs to the Giralang equipment shed.

Office opening hours were discussed. Any changes will be notified in advance through the website and weekly eNews.

The next meeting (final meeting for the calendar year) will be 7.30pm 24th November 2025.

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Extracts from the applications submitted by OACT are:

Drone and Lidar Unit: Accurate, up-to-date maps are essential for a quality experience of orienteering. Incorrect mapping of the vegetation in particular can lead to frustration when the chosen route comprises thick, slow undergrowth rather than the easy fast running represented on the map. The LIDAR drone will enable frequent updating of orienteering maps with significantly reduced volunteer requirements, building on our existing experience using LIDAR data. While map makers have been utilising LIDAR data, they have been dependent on publicly available data or paying for LIDAR surveys from commercial operators with commensurately high costs. Ownership of the drone will provide OACT with much greater flexibility for improving maps through the use of the mapping digital tools. For example, data can be downloaded from the drone and the mapping software run while in the field. The mapping software parameters can then be adjusted live in the field to better reflect the vegetation.

Mesh-O:  Implementation of enhanced radio tracking technology items to improve competitor safety and emergency management at events, and to provide an improved experience for participants and supporters. The items will be configured to enable event organisers to better track competitors start times, their progress on course and finish times. If a competitor is late in completing a course the event organisers will have clearer information on where the competitor may be found. The technology will be used to provide real time display of competitors progress for spectators and supporters.

Thanks to Matt Stocks, David Stocks and Tate Needham who provided the plain English versions of the technical requirements and project plans that were required by the ACT Government as supporting evidence in the applications.

Detail of ACT Government Sport & Recreation 2025 grant recipients is at; Funding Recipients – Sport and Recreation

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The location offers a mix of fast running and complex maze of tracks and paths to test the skills at all levels. Even if you are not a competitive athlete, you will enjoy the courses that take you through a variety of landscape types, gardens, rainforest and bushlands settings .

Event details are at Information-flyer.

Entries are now open; Eventor Australia – Event information: ACT Sprint Championships: ACT League #1, Australian National Botanic Gardens.

Entries close 2359 Sunday 9th March. No late entries will be accepted and there is no Enter-on-the Day.
Enter now, don’t leave it too late and risk missing the entry closure date.

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OACT’s applications for funding support for equipment purchases and improvements to the governance of the sport were approved by ACT Sport & Recreation. The funding received totals $28,000, through the Club Enhancement Program (CEP) and the State Organisation Support Program (SOSP), will be used for the purchase of event timing equipment, updating the OACT Office computers and bringing OACT’s governance, budget planning and risk management in line with the updated best practice guidance provided by the Australian Sports Commission, (ASC).

Detail of ACT Government Sport & Recreation grant recipients is at; Funding Recipients – Sport and Recreation (act.gov.au)

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Course setter Jon Glanville made the most of the terrain, setting courses to avoid the thick new tea-tree growth and the worst of the fallen timber, (yes – the worst was avoided). The courses took runners in and out of a granite cliff and boulder rock line through somewhat vague terrain of shallow gullies interspersed with large termite mounds. The fallen timber presented an additional challenge for navigation to hold a bearing, not be pushed off course and to accurately assess distances as running speed varied.

The previous two days of rain meant there were changes to the parking and positioning of the toilets: Moving from Plan A , to a short-lived Plan B and then onto Plan C after the Event Organiser, Rohan Hyslop, negotiated with 2 of the 4 landowners involved. 27 Parawangans took on allocated roles for the day, that included at first light arranging the new parking area, putting out signs, taping the new route to the Assembly Area. Everything was in place, Assembly area set-up, all controls checked and Si-Air enabled for a Start on time.

Two major incidents occurred late in the day with a seriously injured runner at a remote location furthest from the Assembly area and a young boy who was lost triggering a search and rescue. Thankfully both incidents ended well. A third incident saw one of OACT’s long term members take on horse wrangling to secure a horse that escaped from the carparking paddock. All up an eventful yet successful day.

• Results
• Splits
• Livelox GPS tracking
• Photos by John Harding
• ACT League standings

Words by event controller Phil Walker, photos by John Harding.

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Hugh was attracted into orienteering in 1982 from long distance running by running mates who were also orienteers, and joined the Red Kangaroos (later Red Roos) Club. From around 1984, orienteering became his main sport and, as he gradually improved as a competitor, he became involved also in course planning and controlling. In 1996, he won his first Australian Championships (in M45) and remained near the top of his age class nationally for the next 13 years. From 2003, he regularly travelled overseas, particularly to compete in the World Masters Orienteering Championships, with his best result being 10th in M60 in Portugal in 2008.

Hugh’s mapping career began in 2004, when he teamed up with Bob Allison (also an OACT Life Member) to learn the intricacies of field mapping. Working with Bob as partners in Red Roo Maps, they updated, reviewed, extended and created numerous maps for OACT. Many of these were used for national events or ACT Championships, including Wild Deer Sands, Boboyan Divide, The Gib and Isaacs Ridge.

Hugh’s competition and mapping career experienced a major setback in 2009 when, as a result of a tick bite in Finland, he contracted tick-borne encephalitis. Within days of returning to Australia, he was admitted to Canberra Hospital, spending a week in intensive care, suffering a brain seizure and nearly dying on three occasions. After three months in hospital and having to learn to walk again, he gradually recovered over the next few years but was left with permanent nerve damage affecting his strength and balance.

He eventually returned to orienteering, but not at his previous competitive standard, due to problems with balance. Importantly for OACT, he resumed his commitment to mapping, producing what he considers to be his best maps including Broulee Dunes, used for National Orienteering League events in 2022, and Highlands, used for this year’s Easter events near Nimmitabel. He is planning to continuing his mapping role for years to come.

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OACT representatives have met on several occasions with the relevant Directors and Rangers from ACT Parks to work through what this new plan means for the future of orienteering in the Canberra Nature Reserves. Conversations to date have been well received and there is an intent from both parties to come to a manageable arrangement, noting that the policy is legislated and there is only so much that can be done within the bounds of the policy. There is no quick and simple fix and to allow time to work through the issues, the OACT Board and Clubs will not schedule events over the 2023/24 summer series in the Canberra Nature Reserves that are listed as Zone 1 Core Conservation areas. ACT Parks Ecologists and Rangers are working on a more detailed map of the Zone 1 Core Conservation areas that will be provided to OACT later this year, from which we may be able to resume events in some of the affected Canberra Nature Reserves by avoiding the specific areas of sensitive, endangered or protected flora and fauna. This would probably see large parts of our maps hatched as out-of-bounds and for course setters to be creative in designing courses to avoid control placements and routes through the out-of-bounds, particularly as there would be no visible indication on the ground as to the out-of-bounds areas.

Updates will be provided as OACT and ACT Parks work through what the future will look like for orienteering in the Canberra Nature Reserves.

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