Latest ONSW News
Orienteering relies on controllers to ensure our sport is safe, fair and as enjoyable as possible.
Controllers check the design of courses, control location and mapping; and are responsible for overseeing the organisation of events, in particular ONSW’s safety requirements.
To ensure we keep up to date, and continue to accredit and reaccredit controllers, ONSW will on Saturday April 6 conduct a free full-day workshop for people wishing to attain (or renew) Level 1 and Level 2 qualifications.
For attendees from regional clubs, ONSW will (1) pay travel expenses and (2) find you accommodation.
See the flyer for full details.
Our regional clubs are getting back into the swing of things this year now that school children have returned.
Waggaroos' Summer Series starts up again on Thursday after a 7-week break. You can choose from a 30-minute or 45-minute score course with a start window of 6-6.45pm.
Goldseekers (Orange) conduct a Street Series in February and start on Friday - these are scatter courses (you choose to get 10, 15 or 20 controls) with a mass start at 6pm.
Illawarra Kareelah start their Summergong series on Saturday afternoon at Lang Park in Wollongong with a choice of three line courses. The start window is 3-4pm.
All our events cater for newcomers as well as experienced orienteers. Next week Coffs Harbour and Armidale return, along with Grafton where Bush n Beach put on a monthly event over summer.
A big thank you to all the volunteers who put in big time at a working bee at The Hut at Belanglo State Forest last weekend.
Friday was a stinker (temps nearing 40C and humidity over 80%), so minor chores were the go.
But when conditions were much more pleasant on the Saturday it was time for some hard yakka - and thankfully our intrepid handymen and women had the help of logging contractor (and now honorary Friend of the Hut Peter Perrett).
Peter's expertise and equipment meant our crew cut, collected and stacked approximately four tons of firewood in just a few hours (see attached photos)!
"It was a real treat to see how a professional chainsaw operator works," said FOTH organiser Peter Howe.
It was sad to see the removal of several trees considered too close to power lines or dangerous, but in the long run this was done for safety on the advice of a forester (a huge limb fell on the outhouse not long ago).
Thanks to other helpers on the weekend: Simone, Doug, Livinia and Jackson Jay; Len Minty, Sue Healy, Barry Pearce, Dave Lotty, Kevin Curby and Hugh Cameron.
The next working bee will probably be sometime mid-year when it will be much cooler.
Thanks to Peter Howe for this update and the photos.
The annual Sydney Sprint Series begins at Gladesville Hospital on Sunday afternoon.
To cater for more abilities, each event will now offer 3 courses (distance is via shortest route):
* Hard (3.5-4km)
* Moderate (2.5-3km)
* Easy (2km and almost all off-road, hence suitable for kids).
The start window is 5-6pm.
If you are anywhere near Orange on Saturday, our Goldseekers club is putting on their annual Australia Day maze course - at 10am at Cook Park.
All participants are asked to be mindful of the special out-of-bounds areas on sprint maps (see the table on the right). You are not allowed to cross those features.
