Latest ONSW News
Due to ongoing covid restrictions, we are postponing the Australian mountain bike orienteering championships to next year.
Congratulations to our Big Foot club who have celebrated their 40th birthday.
Originally formed at UNSW in 1981 to gain free parking spots on campus, the famous pink outfits have grown into one of Australia's strongest orienteering clubs.
And special thanks to Garingal life member Ron Junghans who taught many of the club founders at St Ives HS.
You can read current president Michael Roylance's brief club history here.
Garingal member and rogainer John Anderson - better known as the man who likes to visit every control in the Sydney Summer Series - has been busy researching, writing and self-publishing a book.
Just out is James Macarthur - The Untold Story of Naming of Kosciuszko, containing more than 170 images and maps.
John has been on the case for 12 years and must be one of only a handful of people who have climbed the Hannels Spur Track, the same route used by Polish explorer Pawel Strzelecki in 1840, three times.
It's Australia's biggest vertical ascent, leads up onto the main range and was the original route up Mt K. Macarthur, a grazier looking for new pasture on the Upper Murray was a key player and supporter.
Historian Klaus Hueneke commented: "This book is an expression of love in many of its forms - the love between John and his wife Kath who was with him for every step, a love of books, history and learning, a heartfelt love of the Australian bush especially the rare and dramatic high country; a love for those often neglected in big picture histories, and a love for contributing another volume to the bigger picture - the one that’s called our cultural heritage and history. It is much more than the journey to, or the naming of Kosciuszko."
The book can be purchased via Bush Explorers. Well done, John!
In sad but understandable news, the Australian championships set down for Tasmania next month have now been cancelled.
Our thanks to the organisers for all their hard work preparing - twice - only for Covid outbreaks to derail both attempts to host.
If you have already entered, an email will be heading your way shortly about your refund.
The details are yet to be sorted but at this stage organisers will probably be going ahead with the Turbo Chook 3 days and Tasmanian Middle Distance Championships.
Please be patient while they work out the logistics.
