Orienteering NSW

Coming Events

map	Wed 6 Nov 4:30 pm 2024/25 Sydney Summer Series #5 - Lindfield Primula Oval, Lindfield.

map	Wed 6 Nov 5:00 pm Newcastle Summer Street Series #4 - Blackalls Park Blackalls Park

map	Thu 7 Nov 5:00 pm Summer series #1 Robina Park (between Robina & Cynthia Crescents)

map	Fri 8 Nov 5:30 pm Goldseekers Park #2 - Gosling Creek Gosling Creek

map	Sat 9 Nov 9:30 am SOS 4 - St Leonards Gore Hill Oval, 209 Pacific Highway, St Leonards. Meet by the oval car park and playground.

map	Sat 9 Nov 10:00 am Illawarra Map Running Series - Spring #4 Unanderra Lindsay Maynes Park, cnr Princes Highway & Factory Rd, Unanderra

map	Sun 10 Nov 9:00 am Central Coast Summer Series 1 - Shelly Beach Naomi Honey Reserve, Shelly Beach Rd, Shelly Beach

map	Sun 10 Nov 4:00 pm River and Bay Series #3 - Canterbury The Gallops, Tasker park, Phillips Avenue Canterbury

map	Mon 11 Nov 7:30 pm Learn to Orienteer coaching information session

map	Wed 13 Nov 4:30 pm 2024/25 Sydney Summer Series #6 - Camperdown Memorial Rest Park, Camperdown.

A revamp of the Southern Sydney Summer Series is reaping rewards with an encouraging spike in attendance.

The first two events have drawn 79 and 62 entries (for actual numbers of about 100 and 80). The kids have loved it and came back for more, which is always a good sign.

Main host club Uringa decided to offer a Long Line (~6km) and Short Line (~2km) in addition to the usual score course of around 8km for the lot.

And the first 6 weeks are clustered along the Cooks River, using three maps back-to-back so that locals and newcomers don't have far to go to the next event.

We have also had a paid Facebook ad campaign, done letterbox drops and made direct email invites to scouts and guides in the area.

The dates and venues can be found here.

The NSW MTBO champs unveiled a brilliant new map on Sydney's southwestern fringe and heralded the end of the 2018 bush season.

Wedderburn (south of Campbelltown and just east of Appin) has an aerodrome, and the sight of small planes flying low overhead was a tad surreal as 60-plus riders battled it out for honours in an otherwise secluded bush area.

Both days featured tough courses matched by difficult riding conditions (mud, ruts, roots, puddles etc) where the purists prevailed while still managing 4 minutes per km.

We had 13 New Zealand guests doubling up after last weekend's ACT MTBO champs, a young couple from the UK, and riders from ACT, Queensland and Victoria.

And what a weekend of contrasts it was: 30C, stifling humidity, and a 5km ride to the start (and back from the finish) for Saturday's Middle Distance event, then temps in the teens on Sunday morning for the Long. Thankfully the threat of storms and heavy rain did not eventuate.

This map covers a massive area and the western fringes of Saturday's map included our SHOO club's Appin Foot O map.

Congratulations to our NSW Middle champs: M12 Nat Carroll (SH), W20 Rhiannon Prentice (NC), M40 Ant Nolan (UR), W40 Carolyn Haupt (GO), W50 Carolyn Matthews (NC) and M60 Eoin Rothery (BF).

Congratulations to our NSW Long champs: M12 Nat Carroll (SH), W20 Rhiannon Prentice (NC), M40 Tim Giles (BF), M50 Andrew Power (NC), W50 Carolyn Matthews (NC) and M60 Rob Vincent (NC).

Also coming out on top in non-champs categories on both days were Martyn Carroll (SH, Recreational) and Greg Bacon (NC, eBike).

A big thank you to setters (Ori Gudes and Hamish Mackie), the controllers, results people, and the Uringa and Big Foot clubs for a great weekend in trying weather conditions.

If you're hanging out for more MTBO, check out Newcastle's BOSS series of monthly rides starting on Nov 3. And a reminder that next year's NSW MTBO champs are on April 6-7 in the Newcastle area.

Welcome to our new overseas scholar Grace Molloy, from Scotland.

"I am 18 years old and I am from Scotland. For the past 3 years I have competed for Great Britain and raced at JWOC twice, where this year we came 4th in the relay.

"Over the past couple of years I have become more involved with coaching, especially of juniors, and have worked with athletes through my school, the Scottish Squad and from across Britain.

"I have travelled all over Europe to orienteer but never to Australia, so this is a new adventure for me.

"I am looking forward to coaching, putting on events and making maps over the next few months."

Grace helped the NSW Schools team at the recent Australian champs in South Australia and has begun her scholarship with the Goldseekers club in Orange.

In November she'll come to Sydney, and in early February she moves to Coffs Harbour. Please make Grace feel most welcome.

Junior world championship silver medallist Lucy Mackie returned from shoulder surgery to take out the women's elite Middle Distance event at the ACT MTBO titles on Saturday.

Lucy won by two minutes from visiting Kiwi Marquita Gelderman over the 7.5km course at Kowen Forest.

"I am fitter than ever (having been training a lot on the road), but definitely struggled to make fast and accurate route choices - something that normally would’ve taken me a split second to decide ended up taking me ages!," she said.

"I have decided to take a break from MTBO and focus on enduro mountain biking. This decision has not been easy, and is something I have been thinking about for a while now. That being said, I will be at the NSW MTBO champs, and other events around Australia when I can. Hope to see everyone out there soon!"

Other NSW winners were: Nat Carroll (SH, M12), Rhiannon Prentice (NC, W20) and Carolyn Matthews (NC, W50). NSW riders also achieved two seconds and two thirds in the championship classes.

Sunday saw the Long Champs at a hilly Pierce's Creek, where Malcolm Roberts (Newcastle) took out a very competitive M60 field, while Rhiannon and Carolyn backed up to win again.

Lucy's dad Hamish finished a creditable second in M21 to go with his third placing in the Middle. The only other NSW Long placegetter was Big Foot stablemate Nick Wilkinson who was third in M50.

The weekend attracted around 80 competitors from seven states plus New Zealand, and were the first races for the 2019 World Masters MTBO series.

They also concluded the 2018 MTBO National League. Congratulations to these age class season winners: Rhiannon (W20), Carolyn (W50), and Uringa's Ori Gudes (M40). Victoria pipped NSW for the OA MTBO Plaque.

A reminder that the NSW MTBO champs are this weekend at Appin - entries have been extended to midnight Tuesday night.