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The O'Shea 2 day needs to be renamed to the O'Shea Adventure Race according to the intrepid participants at this year's event up near Wyong. Heavy rain didn't deter the teams who started on Saturday with a pairs relay on Dooralong Lodge map. Traditional spur gully terrain was spiced up with some rock for the longer courses, and steeper sections, plus of course the heavier going, courtesy of the weather front passing slowly across the region. Tracks were flooded and racers were soaked by heavy vegetation in the creek crossings, so that the course lengths of 2.9 Easy, 3.9km Moderate, and 4.9km Hard, felt a little longer than usual. 
The weather only added to the fun, according to some of the racers, who described the event as orienteering's version of adventure racing. The Hill family had the best of it in the Long courses with a win for Matt and Barbara Hill, with Angus Roberts and Michele Dawson winning the Moderate courses, and Ian Miller and Samantha Howe taking the top podium places for the Short courses.
The evening event continued on the same map using the extensive path network to keep orienteers on track. Head torches were of limited use with maps hard to read through the rain and light reflecting back off the sheeting deluge limiting visibility to maybe an arm's length. Lightening miles away was never going to cause a fire hazard in such weather instead illuminating the darkness and helping the adventurers with a little extra light. The conditions saw off quite a number of racers but Matt Hill, Angus Roberts and Samantha Howe all tackled the course successfully to take top spots each on their respective courses, giving them their second wins for the weekend.
Sunday dried out and the weather returned to the expected hot and sunny. A scatter course on the Yambo map was set where pairs had to split controls available to ensure full coverage. With the first pair back to win it was Nicola Blatchford and Angus Roberts but as they had won the overall competition it was Matt Hill and Michele Dawson (Garingal) who took the cake on the Long course with Hilary Wood and Robyn Pallas (Central Coast) getting their teeth into the prizes on the Short.
Overall champions for the three events were Fastest Long Pair Nicola Blatchford and Angus Roberts, and Fastest Short Pair Shane Trotter and Maureen Trotter
Wagga and Albury orienteers combined for a training weekend at Beechworth to fine tune their skills for the forthcoming bush event season starting in early March. Nineteen orienteers from the two clubs participated in a series of practical bush exercises in areas that are navigationally very complex.
Three very different areas were visited with each session emphasising the same points of “extending the control” by associating the target feature with other detail to make it a larger target, and identifying the key features to be observed en route so less important detail can be ignored. Sessions were conducted in pairs so that the less experienced members could learn from the more experienced and to exchange ideas on how to a leg could be attacked.
The first session was at Yackandandah where the complicated contour detail offers unique challenges. The importance of having a plan and focussing on key features was emphasised because everywhere looks much the same. Numerous little gullies and mounds make it imperative to focus on key features because trying to read each and every feature is just too difficult. Exactly the same thinking was required at Mt Barambogie where the numerous massive rock features are just everywhere. Focussing on just key features means much of the detail can be ignored, simplifying the navigation.
Each session commenced with a map walk to help interpret how the mapper has represented the area. This proved to be a popular and valuable component of the training.
The skills were further emphasised in a night event conducted around Lake Sambell in the middle of Beechworth. By day this is an open reasonably flat area with good picturesque visibility. By night, even with a full moon and headlamps, the lack of visibility means the same techniques as used in a complicated mining area or boulder riddled area are required. Identifying key easily recognisable features, large enough to see in a light beam of restricted area, even if slightly off-course was paramount.
Leigh Privett proved too fast in the night event winning by almost 8 minutes from Rob Simmons and Alex Davey. First woman to finish was Pauline Moore.
Results: Lake Sambell Night Event: Leigh Privett 27:47; Rob Simmons 35:11; Alex Davey 35:20; Pauline Moore 37:23; Catherine Holland 40:26; Wes Campbell 40:30; Bob Moore 49:57; Matthew Mott 51:39; Don MacIntyre 53:02
Thanks to John Oliver for this report
Junior orienteers are reminded that they need to nominate for the NSW Schools team if they wish to compete in the 2013 Australian Schools Championships by 16th March to Hilary Wood
Selection Criteria for NSW Schools Team
To be considered as a potential school team member for the 2013 Australian Schools Championships competing in Canberra you will need to:
1. Participate
a) Compete in ALL selection events -State Leagues 1-8 inclusive. If unable to compete you must notify the Chairperson of Selection Panel(Andy Hill-
b) Participate in other orienteering events- Easter 3 Days, NOL events in Canberra (May), local club events, Metro Leagues.
For seniors(M/W20E) participate in all the NOL events.
2. Commit to the sport.
This is demonstrated by attendance at Training Camp in April and for those who are 16 and over following a structured training program developed by their coach, mentor and/or parent.
Nominate by March 16th SL1 by email to
Team will be announced Monday 15th July . Please note that positions in the team are provisional based on continued participation in ALL state league events up to Schools Carnival and exhibiting the required level of fitness.
Judging by the number of entries for this week’s Twilight-O from Northern Tablelands, orienteering is alive and well in Armidale!
Numbers were up which resulted in a shortage of maps and some last minute printing by the organiser. There was practically a mass start for the Moderate course, with an atmosphere like a Sprint-O event.
Although the cunning old foxes Don Barker and David Symons were quickest on the Moderate course, some of the Juniors, such as Lindsay & James Symons, Torsten von Strokirch, Sam Watson and the Lesurf boys produced very impressive times (James was quickest on the Easy course). Just as impressive were some of the scratches from the blackberries!
Only 3 people took on the “Wiggly Line” course, with Eric Baker's experience easily meeting the challenge. For those who don't know, a Wiggly Line course is where a competitor gets a normal map, but with no controls shown (control descriptions may be supplied, at discretion of planner). Instead of control circles, the competitor sees a meandering line overprinted on his/her map. If this line is followed closely, controls will be found, as the line runs over or beside various features. Ideally other controls, not right on the line, should be visible, so competitor has to judge whether each control he sees (or more correctly the feature that the control is next to) is on the line or not. As Garry Slocombe commented, it was a good exercise, and made him concentrate much harder on his navigation than he usually does.
Winners:
Moderate: Don Barker 14:36
Wiggly Line: Eric Baker 24:47
Easy: James Symons 16:48
Thanks to Alec Watt for this report
