Latest ONSW News
Belanglo House (The Hut) will reopen over the Xmas holidays.
Subject to the Public Health Order applicable at the time:
- Belanglo House will be available for camping/bunkhouse bookings over the Christmas 5-Days period to orienteers who are registered for one or more Christmas 5-Days events.
- All persons over the age of 16 must be fully vaccinated, reflecting our concern for the health and safety of volunteers and members.
- COVID restrictions which apply at the time may include requirements for social distancing, mask wearing, QR code check-ins.
- Booking is essential and can be done via John Murray, ONSW Administration Officer (
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ). - Total booking numbers may be limited to acknowledge the possible challenge of social distancing.
Fees for Belanglo House have been updated recently.
Other safety conditions to be noted: (1) no BBQ facilities are available due to storm damage and (2) recent tree cutting has left stumps which might not be visible due to long grass and could pose a hazard to vehicles.
Newcastle presented their Orienteer of the Year awards following Sunday's final bush event on a new map at Kitchener.
The cool La Nina system allowed Newcastle to put on two bush events after lockdown ended, meaning they finished with the usual full complement of seven events.
Congratulations to overall series winners Jenny Enderby and Stephen Craig (pictured).
A big thank you to all the setters, controllers, organisers, results people and the many other helpers who make this club one of the biggest and best in Australia.
We look forward to Newcastle hosting us for a State League in March 2022.
Congratulations also to these category winners:
Very Easy: Baxter Peel
Easy: Karen Morante
Moderate Short: Lucy Most
Moderate Long: Graeme Taplin
Hard Short: Carolyn Matthews
Hard Medium: Erika Enderby
Hard Long: Stephen Craig
It was a double celebration on Friday night as Bennelong Northside were awarded Club of the Year at their 50th anniversary dinner.
Australia's first constituted club formed in December 1971, and around 80 people were at Balgowlah RSL to celebrate the milestone.
Little did the attendees know they were also taking out the Club of the Year award for the first time since it was introduced in 1994.
Pictured here is Bennelong president Terry Bluett receiving the perpetual trophy from ONSW president Robyn Pallas.
Bennelong co-hosted a superb Easter carnival at Orange and Molong, with demanding courses on challenging Gumble terrain, and a brilliant new granite map - Noah's Ark Ridge.
They had to do all the leg work (extensive landowner negotiations, setting, checking and tagging sites etc) twice due to covid interruptions.
The 50th dinner brought together many past presidents. Founding members of BOO and NOSH (clubs which merged to form Bennelong Northside) told how they started in orienteering and what has kept them in the sport for so long.
A big thank you to dinner organisers Linda Mandin and Katherine Cameron, to MC Julian Ledger, to Sharon Lambert for tracking down past members, Peter Hopper for collating the history, and Janet Dawkins for the fascinating historical display.
The rest of the ONSW major awards will be handed out during the Xmas 5-Days carnival in the Southern Highlands.
Our junior development squad has a new name and logo - the Bluebottles - as they prepare for their annual pre-Christmas camp.
The squad is the gateway to the NSW Schools Team and eventually our elite National League team, the Stingers.
The Bluebottles name, logo and new T-shirt design were all driven by the junior squad which is always on the lookout for new recruits.
Squad members must be at least in Year 6, and either already doing Moderate courses or looking to move up to Moderate level (where you learn to go cross-country).
The squad is a great chance for junior orienteers to make new friends, develop their skills and travel around the state.
Camp costs are kept down by camping or staying in bunk accommodation, and everyone pitches in for food.
"We love having parents help at our camps, and we encourage them to have a go at the activities as well," said Bluebottles manager Helen O'Callaghan.
"There is a such a good, fun atmosphere in the squad and the kids have a fantastic time."
The next Bluebottles camp is from December 18-20 near Newcastle. Entries are open in Eventor.
For all enquiries, please contact Helen via
