Our club of the year, Goldseekers, has celebrated 20 lively years of orienteering with a gala day back where it all started - Lake Canobolas.
President Richard Carter reports: "Fine spring weather saw 48 participants and families try old-style park orienteering, where everyone drew courses by hand, on the printed 1994 map, punching and timing by clock as it was done 20 years ago. Competitors then chose either an easy or moderate course, on the current map, using Sportident timing, pre-printed courses and a download at the finish."
"The Easy course was won by Portya Hawke (11m31s) and Moderate Course by Freya Hawkes (20:52), just faster than Bridget Bennett (21m10s) and Steve Nugent (21:47).
"Goldseekers’ first event was at Lake Canobolas on Sunday 20 May 1994. The club was formed after Jean Baldwin ran a Community College Course soon after she arrived in Orange. The course participants, including Fiona Wymer, organised the first events in that year. The Club benefited from Dave Lotty making the Lake Canobolas and Rocky Falls map. Maps of Kahli’s Rocks, Ophir and Oaky Creek in the area also helped the club members enjoy bush orienteering locally. The Club also made six street and park maps in and around Orange."
Each year the club runs a weekly Street and Park Orienteering series in Orange from January to March, a monthly winter Bush series from March to October and support State League events in the region. Since 2007 the Club also runs the Great Volcanic Mountain Challenge each March, attracting over 600 competitors in 2014. In 2013 and 2014 the club also ran Space Racing.
In 2013 Goldseekers were the NSW Club of the year. The yproduces a monthly newsletter, regular local media coverage before and after events, and members have regularly represented NSW and Australia- most notable was Matt Parton who represented Australia at JWOC and Jean and Basil Baldwin (left) who regularly represent Australia in age Class competitions.
