Latest ONSW News
ONSW's newest event for junior orienteers, Spooks in the Park, held this weekend on 27th October, was a great success. Nearly 400 participants between the ages of 4-14yrs chased around the novelty course following a map to games which included a Giant Spider's Web, Splat the Bat, the Test of Terror, and Tombstone Riddles amongst others. A firm favorite was the Zombie Run where NSW Junior Squad members and their friends dressed up and scared the runners along the course to where Death waited to help them across the road.
Spooks in the Park was a partnership event with Centennial Park and tested out a new way of attracting junior orienteers in a fun and engaging way. A major effort, work started with planning in February this year. It resulted in a 6 hour spectacular supported by a fantastic crew of some 70 volunteers drawn from Sydney based orienteering clubs and their friends. Sam Crosby, Education and Park Ranger, one of the key members of Centennial Park working on the project with Maggie Jones (Uringa), Barbara Dawson (Garingal) and Helen Murphy (Uringa) was delighted with how it all went. She said 'we've had some great email feedback - thanks to the ONSW team for a great event!'
This weekend saw the three day MTBO Australian Championships in Taree. David West of Mountain Devils was the co-ordinator and delivered a smooth and professional carnival which was enjoyed by MTBO racers from across Australia and NZ. Kay Haarsma reports on the Orienteering Australia website that the NZ contingent considered the 'single tracks in Kiwarrak Forest produced one of the finest maps they had ridden on.'
NSW had some notable successes: Steven Todkill (Newcastle), well known Foot O orienteer, took the Elite men Sprint title and 2nd places in both the Long and the Middle Distance races. Bruce Meder (Northern Tablelands) took the Middle and Long Distance titles in M60. For the women the Newcastle club had a strong outing with Nicola Haigh winning the Sprint and Long distance with Carolyn Matthews hot on her tracks in both to second place. NSW had a clutch of other podium places, which together gave them the State Title. More on the action over the weekend can be found at Orienteering Australia
Last Chance Does a 12x 6x 6m rock impress you. Anything less than 2m is a pebble. Heaps of brown earth features.
Don’t let the above fool you. Ideal underfoot semi bare conditions with plenty yellow interspersed with white forest native pine and a few tarns to bounce off. Your only chance to experience this before we put it in store for a future Aus. Champs.
Brand new Alex Tarr granite and disturbed earth map, with native pines (Alex says it should have been kept for an Aus. champs). Make it a weekend in the northeast which could include:
- Bright 4 Peaks Runs http://www.brightvic.com/alpineclimb/
- NE wineries
Usual AWOC hospitality and atmosphere - hard or easy as you make it. SI used.
Courses: 10.7k, 6.4k, 4.2k hard, 4.5k medium, or 2.2k easy
Where: Make your way to Walbundrie, 50k NW of Albury and you won’t miss us.
Starts: from 10am to 12.30
Entries: Please pre enter advising name/s, courses and SI No/s. to
Cost: $12 senior, $6 junior or local. PAYMENT to AWOC . BSB 640 000, A/c 368114510 with one name as reference. No log in. No password. !!!!!!
Local shop and Pub adjacent: The local shop (only one within 20k) is opening especially for us for healthy sandys and rolls etc. Please support them. Only 20m from the assembly area.
Directions
From Albury: To Lavington roundabout, Urana road NW for 50k through Jindera.
From the South: Turn off the freeway at Chiltern for Howlong. At Howlong 2k towards Albury then left.
From the freeway north: Turn off at Holbrook and west through Culcairn. Culcairn pub is great to stay.
From Darwin ; Down the Matilda Way through Griffith and Urana.
Uringa hosted the orienteering competition of the World Fire Fighter Games at Centennial Park. Teams from Hong Kong, France and Brazil as well as Australian and NZ team competed in the score event. 
Senior Station Officer from Tsuen Wan, HK, Jay Wong, was competing in his first WFFG event, and thoroughly enjoying the experience. 'There are around 110 firefighters from Hong Kong competing, in 15 of the sports on offer. I chose orienteering because I have orienteered before in Hong Kong' The HongKongese teams did well, with a 2nd place in the Team event and 3rd in the Discovery team event, but it was the Aussies team which dominated winning the Team event, and gaining 1st and 2nd in the Discovery team event. 
The results:
Team event: 1st Australia, 2nd Hong Kong, 3rd Australia
Discovery team event: 1st Australia, 2nd Australia, 3rd Hong Kong
Men 18-39yrs: 1st Stefan Boremyr, 2nd Yuk-Tung Chen (HK), 3rd Chris Parfitt (Aus)
Men 40+yr: 1st Jari Tarvus (Fin), 2nd Shaun David -Crowley (NZ), 3rd Stephen Price (Aus)
Women 18-39 yrs: 1st Emilie David (FRA)
Women 40+: Shaun O'Donnell (UK), 2nd Phil Sneddon (NZ)
Southern Sydney Summer Series Co-ordinator, Dave Lotty, spied a chance to provide an additional event to the new Southern Series and Uringa followed up the morning's World Fire Fighter Games with an afternoon event for the general public. The event attracted the largest entry to the Series so far with nearly 50 people attending, including some newcomers to orienteering.
