Weston Emus Archives - Orienteering ACT

Weston Park Twilight Event

Andrew Cheffers — Fri, 21 Oct 2022 04:36:14 +0000

With the forecast of 23 degrees and sunny, what more can you expect than a walk in the park. The first twilight event for the season was organised by the Weston Emus, their namesake event. The emus have dwindled in numbers over the years, but that didn’t stop six members to ensure that the proceedings ran smoothly. The event provides two moderate courses (not hard) and two easy courses. Most of Weston Park is open with not too many contour lines, it has lots of features ranging from picnic tables, park benches, BBQs, playgrounds distinguish trees, disc golf baskets, bridges and many water attributes. This range allows for many control points and easier runs. ACT Orienteering has used this area many times over the years and yet we still see lots of people attending the event. With over 154 competitors, park orienteering is alive and well.

Special thank you to John Harding for the memorable photos of the event displayed on Facebook, check it out! Results are available here, and you can upload and view GPS tracks from the event on Livelox.

At the finish, the ACT Australian Schools Orienteering Championship team were able to assembly with pizza and nibbles and be recognised for their outstanding achievements from their ASOC event, the week before. Well Done, Team!

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Isaacs Ridge Success

John Foster — Tue, 17 May 2022 02:58:59 +0000

Thanks to all the Weston Emus who helped at the event on Saturday 14th May.

The event was very successful in spite of threatening rain clouds. Martin Wehner’s courses were appreciated by all those who took part in the event. WE members turned up at 8.45 to set up the event while Martin was finishing off setting out the controls.

Andrew Cheffers organised the event and was assisted on the day by Grant Battersby, Ingrid and John Foster , Bob Mouatt and his Grandson Cameron did the computing. Paul Sheahan and his wife assisted in collecting controls with Ingrid and Grant, and help from Jon Glanville (Parawanga). The whole event was wrapped up by 1: 45. An especial thanks to our course setter Martin who also put out all the controls in the morning.

Results from the event are available here, and GPS tracking from some competitors on the Moderate 1 course can be viewed here.

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Scratching at the Surface – Metro Series #11

Andrew Cheffers — Mon, 09 Aug 2021 02:21:44 +0000

It’s been a year long wait for good weather. The memories of the snow and wind at the 2020 Narrabundah Hill’s event had the organisers hoping for a better outcome. Although, the 2021 event provided a pristine calm and sunny day. The wildlife could be seen lounging on the blackberry covered grass hoping that it remains that way. The reserve brings along a mixture of walkers and runners for their Saturday morning jaunt. Even a local rubbish collector decided to go beyond what is required and remove these funny looking stakes in the ground representing the finish control. It took some professional negotiating skills by our training rep Ken Mansell to retrieve the finishing SI unit, stake and flag. This event could have ended up being a disaster if the competitors couldn’t complete their courses. Although, the organiser was relieved to find out that there was a spare finishing SI unit. But we didn’t need it because Ken made sure that all was restored to normal. Perhaps next time Weston Emus can bring along lolly pops as a trade for the unexpected collecting. Anyway, thanks Ken.

It’s been a while since Martin Wehner put pen to paper as a course setter. He planned long legs for both moderate courses which provided interesting route choices. The choices were either blackberries, boggy ground or both. Even so, the hill provides unexpected challenges for all types. Although, today’s event was also about whether you wore long stocking to protect the skin. If you didn’t, today you would be scratching at the surface.

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Chilly Narrabundah Hill

Andrew Cheffers — Sun, 23 Aug 2020 09:10:17 +0000

There is an orienteering type annual ultra-marathon at the Frozen Head State Park in Tennessee. It is organised by an old geezer named Gary Cantrell. The race has 5 x 20-mile loops and the expected finishing time for each loop is 20 hours. He places books around the park in which each competitor takes a page out of their corresponding number. They return with 14 pages for each loop. It’s an invitational event and the successful competitors receive a letter stating in the first line. I’m unfortunately informing you that you have successfully made the list for the Barkley Marathon. Welcome to your nightmare…

Since it has a 60-hour limit, only 15 runners have finished the race since 1986.

On this frosty wet Saturday morning with snow forecasted, I was tempted to write on the welcoming board at the Narrabundah Hill event. WELCOME TO YOUR NIGHTMARE!

Watching people hunched over as they departed their parked cars trying to avoid the wind and rain. I can only imagine what they were thinking. Why am I here? The course provided a range of challenges. High winds, rain, sleet and snow, the grounds were boggy, pop up creeks in every gully, long gradual climbs and ankle turning vines, the dreaded Blackberries.

Although smiles could be seen at the finishing flag, perhaps a sense of relief or perhaps a hint of enjoyment. The course layout was rock solid, it provided defined directional changes and long and short lengths. It was a masterpiece. Well Done, John Suominen! for the course setting and of course, to the 96-year-old Hermann Wehner for lasting a short time to hand out the maps. Until next time…

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Poetic moment at Weston Park

Andrew Cheffers — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 10:20:03 +0000

The clouds are bursting, the rain is spitting

The controls are out, the emus are sitting

The runners are ready, the start is afar

The chaos is a pond us, searching under the stars

The sprint is on, the ground is clear.

Look out, the stumps are here.

The flags are under, the birds are singing

Not far to go, the controls are beeping

The finish is near, the banner is seen

Disappointed its over, the last punch has been

Anticipation, the moment has arrived

The SI is inserted, ready for to provide

The time is shown, the moment has come

Was it disappointment or was it fun.

Walking back to the car, it’s across the street

Maybe I’ll try again, maybe next week.

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Conquering Mt Taylor

Andrew Cheffers — Thu, 09 Nov 2017 09:58:40 +0000

If you were traveling down Hindmarsh Drive last Wednesday and had seen the orienteering road sign pointing down Eggleston Crescent in Chifley and followed the orienteering signs, it would have taken you to the base of Mt Taylor. 148 people had taken that turn and had enjoy the wonderful weather and exceptional courses that were on offer. John Foster, who has been around orienteering since 1973 when ACT orienteering was established, was the course setter for the day. John comes out of retirement every so often and sets some real beauties. He decided to stay away from the hill climbs and green patches and set along the base of the mountain near the northern part of the reserve. With lots of directional change and deceptive features, it kept the orienteers on their toes, but not lost. Many thanks to John for his efforts and to the Weston Emu crew. In the Photo is John Souminen, who had attack the course with passion, had a bloody good time.

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