The weekly e-newsletter of

Bendigo Orienteers Inc.

Issue 08/14: 5 March, 2014

Contact (for this publication): Peter J. Creely: luddcreely@impulse.net.au (Ph. 5443 1975)

Web site: www.bendigo-orienteers.com.au

 Important! If you don’t want to receive the bulletin, or if, at any time, you wish to discontinue receiving it, please advise me by return e-mail and your name will be taken off my list.

 Note that there will be no e-Bulletin next week so you will find that details of the Fiddler’s Green event are included.

 Bendigo’s event program for 2014 – fridge magnets now available – from Peter Creely at the CATI on 8 March or at Fiddlers Green.

 AGM 2014: Office Bearers and other outcomes. The BO AGM was held Tues 4 March – a good roll up of people given the circumstances (would have been good to have more there!). The new Office Bearers are: President: Jim Russell, VP: Julie Flynn, Secretary: John Wilkinson, Treasurer: Andrew Wallace. Committee: Andrew Cameron, Jenny Ball and Peter Creely.

 The Black Crow is awarded each year to the club member who is responsible for the most spectacular misadventure of the year. As an example, the BC mentioned below on Fiddlers Green (a long time ago) came about when the course setter forgot the scale of the map was 1:15,000 and estimated course lengths on a 1:10,000 scale, thus causing all courses to be 50% longer; the runners on the long course, believing they were running 6 kms actually completed 9 kms and so on down the chain. This week, the second nomination for the year:

The latest nomination: The chap who was asked to bring a copy of the Mt. Alexander map to an event for someone, and it wasn’t until he handed the map over that he found that he had actually brought along the Mt. Tarrengower map: a mountain, yes, granite, yes, but in a different place! (This year all names will be suppressed until the presentations.)

 Come to beautiful Yackandandah – Saturday 22 March Bendigo member and controller for the State Series bush orienteering event coming up on Saturday 22 March, Mark Hennessy, tells us that the Yackandandah map will be the original 1:5000 map made by Leigh Privett, with courses set by Leigh. This is a magnificent, legible gold mining map, and the terrain is as good as the best that even Bendigo has to offer. And the bush is not too thick.

Entries close this Saturday night, so get yours in. Like our Bendigo events, there are now no age classes for State Series events – so people are more free to choose the level at which they participate.

And, if you like music, the Yackandandah folk festival is on from Friday to Sunday, with top acts like Jan Preston (piano) and Kavisha Mazella, plus overseas performers. Even if you don’t buy a ticket, enjoy the ambience and the buskers, and the food tents.

Sunday’s event is on granite terrain, so if you like Kooyoora (who doesn’t?), Mt Korong or Mt Tarrengower, you will love Kangaroo Crossing at Eldorado.

See Eventor for details. Mark Hennessy

 But, an event just as important: Fiddler’s Green (and it’s closer!) (15 March) is gently undulating to very flat, with a lot of old mining detail. One of our older maps, it was created in the days when we traced the base map from contour maps obtained from (the then) State Rivers and Water Supply Commission (now Coliban Water). There was very little other detail, mostly only major roads and tracks. The area was subsequently remapped to a high standard by Chris Creely. See event details below.

I originally found the name on a very old mining map of the area. One of the many explanations of FG is that it is a legendary, supposed afterlife where there is perpetual mirth, fiddles that never stop playing and dancers that never tire, thought to be inspired by the mythical Greek Elysian Fields. It is mentioned a lot in nautical terms: nautically it is at the bottom of the ocean and sailors supposedly go there if they die through drowning at sea. Whatever, I find it all very interesting — I’ll leave it to you. It was also the scene of a very high standard  Black Crow nomination back in the day!

 Come and Try It. Please, don’t forget our CATI’s. It is important that we have enough people in attendance to ensure that any new people are well looked after. A lot of effort has gone into the preparation – course setting, publicity so let’s make an effort (don’t forget your Bendigo tops). I also look forward to our JSquad people helping to look after newcomers out in the forest – as they did last year – good training and a chance for Bendigo to show off our very talented kids (in their JSquad tops, weather permitting of course).

 Coming Events. Saturday 8 March.

Come and Try It, Day 2

Map: Guy’s Hill Road (on the eastern side of One Tree Hill)

Organiser: Peter Creely et al  Course Setters: Julie Flynn and Terry Davidson

Start: 10.00 am to 12.00 Noon

Courses: Three courses: Cse. 1 Easy; Cse 2 Moderate (both for Newcomers); Cse. 3 Difficult.If Bendigo members come out, it is expected that you give priority to assisting Newcomers before your own run. You are most welcome to have a run (I recommend Course 3) but a lot of work has been put in to allow new people to have an enjoyable experience in orienteering: please remember this and put in a bit of time for your club!

Directions: Travel out Condon Street/Strathfieldsaye Road. Approximately 2 kms past the Reservoir Hotel (Kennington Reservoir) turn right into Guy’s Hill Road (O sign). After 1.8 kms (at the end of the bush/beginning of the housing estate on the left), turn left into Brentwood Drive (O sign) and follow the O signs.

 15 March – Bendigo Bush Classic

Bendigo Orienteers’ Bush Classic series gets back underway on Saturday March 15th. Come and see why plenty of orienteers regularly travel from Melbourne and Ballarat to take part in these friendly and high quality bush events. The opening event is on the Fiddlers Green map, a fast open map with subtle contour detail and a scatter of gold mining detail. This is a map where many will run faster than they can navigate. Start times are from 12.30 to 2 pm. Enter on the day.

Course setter Warwick Williams.

Courses: 1 7.1 km hard, 2 5.1 km hard, 3 3.2 km hard, 4 2.9 km moderate, 5 2.3 km easy

Directions:Travel to Bendigo and then out to Eaglehawk. From the traffic lights in the middle of Eaglehawk continue north west and take the second right onto the road towards Mitiamo andPyramid Hill (C336). Follow the C336 for 4.7 kilometres, then turn right into Janaway Road and look for orienteering signs.

NOTE THAT IN THE EVENT OF A DAY OF TOTAL FIRE BAN IN THE NORTHERN COUNTRY REGION ANY EVENT SCHEDULED FOR THAT DAY WILL BE CANCELLED.

 Next Bulletin 12 March

The weekly e-newsletter of

Bendigo Orienteers Inc.

Issue 07/14: 26 February, 2014

Contact (for this publication): Peter J. Creely: luddcreely@impulse.net.au (Ph. 5443 1975)

Web site: www.bendigo-orienteers.com.au

 Important! If you don’t want to receive the bulletin, or if, at any time, you wish to discontinue receiving it, please advise me by return e-mail and your name will be taken off my list.

Reward points. How about we bring in a rewards system where people earn points for things they do for the club. Thus you could earn X points for course setting an event, or Y points for helping out at our CATI’s and so on. These points could then be put towards cancelling out any Black Crow nominations you may receive. What do you think? JMT.

 SS1 Mt. Baw Baw 9 March. (repeat): Entries are now open via Eventor. Normal entries close midnight 1st March 2014.

 A Big Weekend (repeat) of orienteering in NE Victoria is coming up on 22-23 March.Saturday on Rowdy Flat at Yackandandah. Courses set for this event are set by the original mapper.  And Sunday back to Kangaroo Crossing near Eldorado.
Both events are National Orienteering League events (and Sunday is a World Ranking Event) so the best Australian orienteers will be there. But careful note has been taken by the course setters of the needs of the younger and older competitors.  There will be good orienteering for everyone

The Closing Date is approaching fast: 8th March. (We need this earlier-than-usual date to organise things for the NOL and WRE so we’re hoping that everyone else can also get organised early!). Entries via Eventor, Saturday or Sunday There will be only limited opportunities for entering on the day, so please plan ahead and do your entries online.

 Fiddler’s Green (15 March) is gently undulating to very flat, with a lot of old mining detail. One of our older maps, it was created in the days when we traced the base map from contour maps obtained from (the then) State Rivers and Water Supply Commission (now Coliban Water). There was very little other detail, mostly only major roads and tracks. The area was subsequently remapped to a high standard by Chris Creely.

I originally found the name on a very old mining map of the area. One of the many explanations of FG is that it is a legendary, supposed afterlife where there is perpetual mirth, fiddles that never stop playing and dancers that never tire, thought to be inspired by the mythical Greek Elysian Fields. It is mentioned a lot in nautical terms: nautically it is at the bottom of the ocean and sailors supposedly go there if they die through drowning at sea. Whatever, I find it all very interesting — I’ll leave it to you. It was also the scene of a very high standard  Black Crow nomination back in the day!

 Come and Try It. Please, don’t forget our CATI’s. It is important that we have enough people in attendance to ensure that any new people are well looked after. A lot of effort has gone into the preparation – course setting, publicity so let’s make an effort (don’t forget your Bendigo tops). I also look forward to our JSquad people helping to look after newcomers out in the forest – as they did last year – good training and a chance for Bendigo to show off our very talented kids (in their JSquad tops, weather permitting of course).

 AGM. Tuesday 4 March. Athletic Centre (LUBAC), Retreat Road Flora Hill at 7.30 pm. You will receive more info on this in the very near future (if you haven’t already).

 Coming Events. Saturday 1 March.

Come and Try It, Day 1

Map: Guy’s Hill Road (on the eastern side of One Tree Hill)

Organiser: Peter Creely et al

Course Setters: Julie Flynn and Terry Davidson

Start: 10.00 am to 12.00 Noon

Courses: Three courses: Cse. 1 Easy; Cse 2 Moderate (both for Newcomers); Cse. 3 Difficult.

If Bendigo members come out, it is expected that you give priority to assisting Newcomers before your own run. You are most welcome to have a run (I recommend Course 3) but a lot of work has been put in to allow new people to have an enjoyable experience in orienteering: please remember this and put in a bit of time for your club!

Directions: Travel out Condon Street/Strathfieldsaye Road. Approximately 2 kms past the Reservoir Hotel (Kennington Reservoir) turn right into Guy’s Hill Road (O sign). After 1.8 kms (at the end of the bush/beginning of the housing estate on the left), turn left into Brentwood Drive (O sign) and follow the O signs.

 Preliminary notice

15 March – Bendigo Bush Classic

Bendigo Orienteers’ Bush Classic series gets back underway on Saturday March 15th. Come and see why plenty of orienteers regularly travel from Melbourne and Ballarat to take part in these friendly and high quality bush events. The opening event is on the Fiddlers Green map, a fast open map with subtle contour detail and a scatter of gold mining detail. This is a map where many will run faster than they can navigate. Start times are from 12.30 to 2 pm. Enter on the day.

Course setter Warwick Williams.

Courses:1, 7.1 km hard 2, 5.1 km hard3, 3.2 km hard 4, 2.9 km moderate5, 2.3 km easy

Directions:Travel to Bendigo and then out to Eaglehawk. From the traffic lights in the middle of Eaglehawk continue north west and take the second right onto the road towards Mitiamo andPyramid Hill (C336). Follow the C336 for 4.7 kilometres, then turn right into Janaway Road and look for orienteering signs.

 NOTE THAT IN THE EVENT OF A DAY OF TOTAL FIRE BAN IN THE NORTHERN COUNTRY REGION ANY EVENT SCHEDULED FOR THAT DAY WILL BE CANCELLED.

 Next Bulletin 5 March

Bendigo Orienteers Inc.

Issue 06/14: 19 February, 2014

Contact (for this publication): Peter J. Creely: luddcreely@impulse.net.au (Ph. 5443 1975)

Web site: www.bendigo-orienteers.com.au

 Important! If you don’t want to receive the bulletin, or if, at any time, you wish to discontinue receiving it, please advise me by return e-mail and your name will be taken off my list.

 Black Crow! It may not be the first for the year but I believe that it could be a first for our JSquad. A very experienced and talented Junior took off in the first session of the ToDay last Saturday and was immediately in all sorts of bother. Could not relate the map to the terrain or get into gear at all! Then all became clear. The map had two sides and he was looking at the wrong side. Well done, another one for the experience bank!

(All BC’s will remain anonymous this year until the presentations.)

 Results2014 BendiGo “Getting into Autumn” ToDay

B. 2.6 & 5.9k

5 875 m, 33 starting competitors

C. 2.0 & 4.0k

3 950 m, 9 starting competitors

SS1 Mt. Baw Baw: Entries are now open via Eventor. Normal entries close midnight 1st March 2014. 

A Big Weekend of orienteering in NE Victoria is coming up on 22-23 March.
Saturday on Rowdy Flat at Yackandandah. Courses set for this event are set by the original mapper.  And Sunday back to Kangaroo Crossing near Eldorado
Both events are National Orienteering League events (and Sunday is a World Ranking Event) so the best Australian orienteers will be there. But careful note has been taken by the course setters of the needs of the younger and older competitors.  There will be good orienteering for everyone!

The Closing Date is approaching fast: 8th March. (We need this earlier-than-usual date to organise things for the NOL and WRE so we’re hoping that everyone else can also get organised early!). Entries via Eventor. There will be only limited opportunities for entering on the day, so please plan ahead and do your entries online. 

Come and Try It. As advised last week, we will be running two CATI events on Saturday 1^st. and Saturday 8^th. March. They will be held on Terry Davidson’s new Guy’s Hill Road map. Julie Flynn is setting two Newcomer courses and Terry is setting one longer, more challenging course.

Everyone is welcome to have a run but I would like the primary thrust to be helping out and talking to people about orienteering. I also look forward to our JSquad people helping to look after newcomers out in the forest – as they did last year – good training and a chance for Bendigo to show off our very relented kids (in their JSquad tops, of course weather permitting).

Centre (LUBAC), Retreat Road Flora Hill. More details later. 

Coming Events. Saturday 1 March.

Come and Try It, Day 1

Map: Guy’s Hill Road (on the eastern side of One Tree Hill)

Organiser: Peter Creely et al

Course Setters: Julie Flynn and Terry Davidson

Start: 10.00 am to 12.00 Noon

Courses: Three courses: Cse. 1 Easy; Cse 2 Moderate (both for Newcomers); Cse. 3 Difficult.

If Bendigo members come out, it is expected that you give priority to assisting Newcomers before your own run. You are most welcome to have a run (I recommend Course 3) but a lot of work has been put in to allow new people to have an enjoyable experience in orienteering: please remember this and put in a bit of time for your club!

Directions: Travel out Condon Street/Strathfieldsaye Road. Approximately 2 kms past the Reservoir Hotel (Kennington Reservoir) turn right into Guy’s Hill Road (O sign). After 1.8 kms (at the end of the bush/beginning of the housing estate on the left), turn left into Brentwood Drive (O sign) and follow the O signs.

 NOTE THAT IN THE EVENT OF A DAY OF TOTAL FIRE BAN IN THE NORTHERN COUNTRY REGION ANY EVENT SCHEDULED FOR THAT DAY WILL BE CANCELLED.

Next Bulletin 26 February

The weekly e-newsletter of

Bendigo Orienteers Inc.

Issue 05/14: 12 February, 2014

Contact (for this publication): Peter J. Creely: luddcreely@impulse.net.au (Ph. 5443 1975)

Web site: www.bendigo-orienteers.com.au

 Important! If you don’t want to receive the bulletin, or if, at any time, you wish to discontinue receiving it, please advise me by return e-mail and your name will be taken off my list.

 Sadly, we had to again cancel (postpone?) the C&C! I suppose we should count ourselves lucky that that’s the only inconvenience we have to shoulder at this time in Vic! I am still fiddling around trying to find a date that fits in with everything else. When (and if) we reschedule you will all be notified.

 Sprint The Bay (New Zealand). Bendigo’s Jim Russell (M50) was undefeated in the 6 events of this important NZ event that took place on rough, hilly maps. Well done Jim. See full results, splits and maps on the STB website:  http://www.sprintthebay.org/results/2014/main.html”

Come and Try It. We will be running two CATI events on Saturday 1^st. and Saturday 8^th. March. They will be held on Terry Davidson’s new Guy’s Hill Road map. This is a nice little bundle of spur/gully and some old mining terrain on the east side of our One Tree Hill map. Julie Flynn is setting two Newcomer courses and Terry is setting one longer, more challenging course. Everyone is welcome to have a run but I would like the primary thrust to be helping out with people. However, I would like to ask club members to come out and help talk to people about orienteering. Also, last year some of our JSquad people came out and helped look after newcomers out in the forest – they would be most welcome again this year. Full details will be in next week’s e-Bulletin.

 Space Racing Update. SR’ing will be on again in 2014, starting late April. Having talked to some parents, I am looking at making it more ‘user friendly’ and fun for the kids. Also, I am picking the brains of a professional re promotion and looking at ways of putting the word around other than dealing directly with schools. Space Racing has a tremendous potential for attracting kids to orienteering (and there’s not much of that around in our sport at the moment) so it would be good if it could get some support when the time comes. You will be kept up to date.

 Permanent courses. “There are 2 currently around Bendigo. If anyone wants to help in their up keep, please let us know.” Any takers? There are many advantages in having a Permanent Course on our doorstep – training, demonstrating our sport, taking friends out, picking up a bit of revenue. Anyone want to talk about it further?

 AGM: the AGM, will be held on Tuesday 4 March at Latrobe University Bendigo Athletic Centre (LUBAC), Retreat Road Flora Hill. More details later.

 Coming Events.

2014 BendiGo “Getting into Autumn” ToDay
Dates: Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th February
Format: Saturday, Sprint,
Map: Latrobe Uni – Bendigo
Scale: 1:4,000, 5m contours
Start times: 6.30pm-7.00pm, 1 min start interval
Courses close 7.30pm

Format: Sunday, Hagaby,
Map: One Tree Hill (Uses same assembly area as Saturday)
Scale: 1:10,000, 5m contours
Start time: 8.00am, mass start
Courses close 10.00am
More Info: http://www.bendigo-orienteers.com.au
Enter Online: Use Eventor Both Days  http://eventor.orienteering.asn.au/Events/Show/1406
Normal Entries close, 12th Feb, 2014
Course 1 & 2, Saturday only, $8, Sunday only, $10, both days $16
Course 3, Saturday only, $6, Sunday only, $8, both days $12

Directions: From the centre of Bendigo (Shamrock Hotel) travel south east on Williamson Street. You will go through one set of traffic lights, cross the railway line, cross the creek and come to a large roundabout. Continue roughly SE and follow signs towards Strathfieldsaye. Approx. a kilometre on from the roundabout you will come to the Edwards Rd. traffic lights (Strath Village and signs to Latrobe Uni). Turn right into Edwards Road and continue to Latrobe University. Go through the roundabout and look for O signs on the right. From Melbourne/Castlemaine travel to Bendigo and then as above.

 NOTE THAT IN THE EVENT OF A DAY OF TOTAL FIRE BAN IN THE NORTHERN COUNTRY REGION THE EVENT WILL BE CANCELLED.

 Next Bulletin 19 February