• Bendigo Orienteers would like to acknowledge and pay respects to the traditional owners, the Dja Dja Wurrung people, whose country we are on and extend our respect to their Elders, both past and present.

Bendigo Bush events 2021

Course setters required
See the events that still require a course setter: http://bendigo-orienteers.com.au/wordpress/fixture/

Please email secretary@bendigo-orienteers.com.au  if you would like to be a course setter.

 

Covid requirements
QR code scanning.
From April 17 everyone attending must check-in using the QR code provided at the event. This is a Victorian Government requirement – please bring your phone to the table to scan the QR code before you run. (Internet coverage permitting)

 

Pre-entry in 2021
All events will be set up on Eventor for pre-entry in 2021. All members are asked to pre-enter events to reduce the burden on the course setter on the event day. The pre-entry deadline will be 6pm Friday.
Enter on the day will be available for newcomers.

From June 19 Enter on the day cost: $20. Pre-entry cost: $10.

 

Vale Viv McMillan

It was with great sadness that we learned of the death of Viv on December 13. Viv took part in many local events over the years and was a keen rogainer with daughter Katherine. Our thoughts and prayers are with Viv’s family.

Photo: Don Cherry

Viv and Katherine negotiating a punch control at the Retro 40th Anniversary event, Wildflower Drive, 2017

Pilchers Bridge South

Cool overcast conditions greeted 53 participants at today’s event organised by Bendigo Orienteers. Pilchers Bridge provides subtle spur/gully orienteering and after the recent rain, it was a pleasure to run through.

The seasoned Peter and Diane Searle were today’s organisers and made use of the terrain subtleties on the longer courses. A pace of 4:16min/km saw Patrick Jaffe take the win with Matthew Schepisi 8:54 minutes behind closely followed by Craig Feuerherdt a further 21 seconds back.

Course 2 saw 25 starters. The 5.4km course was won by Christopher Naunton in a time of 35:06. Some good competition in this course always means plenty of rivalry among participants and excellent discussions after the running has been done.

Participants on course 3 were appreciative of the course and terrain. A Goldilocks course for those in the older age groups with no erosion gullies to climb through and no steep climbs. On course for the Slater family took the win for the slowest time, however, I think they ended up the wettest and muddiest and ultimately had the most fun today.

Fundamentally we should all be driven by the fun and enjoyment of orienteering. Things go wrong. We make mistakes. But in the end, we are privileged to be out, especially in these times.

Results are available on Eventor and you can relive the event via Livelox.
Results have also been loaded onto Winsplits.

Craig Feuerherdt
President, Bendigo Orienteers
0438 050 074

MapRun your Orienteering Fix

Bendigo Orienteers now has access to some local Park Street Challenge maps, courtesy of Jimmy Cameron (thanks Jimmy!). These can be used in conjunction with the MapRunF app on your smartphone as a suggested exercise activity, while formal orienteering events are not being organised during this period.

There is an instruction sheet about the application and its use. Please read and follow this before you go any further.

We also recommended that you print a paper copy of the map, as a phone screen is hard to read when outside during daylight.

Maps archive: (handy hint: right-click PDF file and open in new tab)

Mount Kooyoora Update

As foreshadowed in a previous message advice and concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic have changed markedly in the last few days. With great disappointment, Bendigo Orienteers Committee has decided on significant changes to our Local Event programme for 2020. The changes are significant but in the best interests of public health, in these difficult times. The changes are:

Bendigo Bush Classic #1: Mt Kooyoora, Saturday March 21

Orienteering will be provided this Saturday at Mt Kooyoora, but in a modified format.

The timing system (SIME) will be available only for people doing Courses 4 and 5 on the east side of the road, from 12:30 – 3:00pm. No drinking water will be provided for people attending. All participants are expected to bring their own water to be used whilst running and after running. To support social distancing during this pandemic, people re not being encouraged to congregate. Despite this, there will be a friendly volunteer to greet newcomers and provide them with support and guidance so they know what to do.

There will be 3 hard navigation practice courses (Courses 1, 2, & 3) with stands and flags only. These will be out in the terrain from Friday (20/3) to Tuesday (24/3). PDF versions of the maps for courses 1, 2, and 3 are available from the links below. If you wish to run these courses you should print out maps yourself. There will be no maps for these courses at the event. This means that experienced orienteers can visit Kooyoora at any time from Friday to Tuesday (inclusive of those days) and complete a course in their own time, using their own timing system.

Kooyoora Course 1
Kooyoora Course 2
Kooyoora Course 3

If printing maps is a problem for you, contact Julie Flynn before Friday: julieflynn@fastmail.fm

Please remember that much of Kooyoora State Park is remote; if you go out on a course on your own, you are advised to let someone know where you are going and which course you are doing, then let that person know when you have finished. It is recommended that you take a mobile phone with you. Please remember to take your own water with you; there will be no water out on the courses.

Frederic Tranchand’s training sessions on Saturday at Mt Kooyoora and Sunday at Korong Spur will continue as advertised.

Bendigo Bush Classic #2: Mt Alexander, Saturday March 28
This event has been cancelled. The courses will be used during the 2021 season.

Local Events after March 28
All Bendigo local events after March 28 have been cancelled. Members will be advised when events are reinstated.

Orienteering is something that we are all passionate about however Bendigo Orienteers believe these changes are a minor inconvenience in the current situation.

Craig Feuerherdt, President
Peter Searle, Secretary

Coronavirus Update

Dear Bendigo Orienteers,

No doubt you have all been watching the circumstances surrounding coronavirus. Things have been escalating for a few weeks and it is a forgone conclusion that the situation will get worse before it gets better. Recent interviews from several medical experts indicate that authorities aren’t doing enough to curb the spread of COVID19. While the Federal Government has implemented a ban on gatherings of 500+ people, in Austria, gatherings of 5+ people have been banned. The possibility exists that there may be a tightening of restrictions at orienteering events (some Orienteering Associations in Europe have either a 100-person limit or a total ban).

The events being held over the next two weekends at Kooyoora/Mount Korong (March 21/22) and Mount Alexander as well as Autumn Series #2 at Mount Tarrengower (March 28/29) will go ahead as planned (unless tighter bans come in to play from the government).

Given medical advice is changing almost on a daily basis, for April events and beyond, the club Committee will review the situation and make a decision at the April 6 meeting. After March 28, Bush Classic #3 is the next event and is not until April 18. Be advised that cancellations may have to be made at short notice, so keep an eye on both your email inbox as well as the Eventor site.

In the meantime, organizers are encouraged to continue as normal, planning courses and events. Although disappointing, if events need to be cancelled, the work is not lost as they can be transferred to the 2021 calendar. Orienteering Australia has developed useful guidelines for competitors and organizers that I have reproduced below. Keep in mind that some of the points listed will be relevant to large events only.

Guidance for Competitors

You must not come to any Australian orienteering event or activity if you fall into one of the following categories.
· If you are unwell with a cough or fever or other respiratory symptoms. This is particularly so for people who have recently travelled from overseas.
· If you have been a close contact of a confirmed case of COVID-19 until 14 days after having contact with a confirmed case even if they are completely symptom free.
· If you have returned from or transited through a listed higher risk country (currently mainland China, Iran, Italy, South Korea), until 14 days after leaving the country.
· If you are undergoing COVID-19 testing until you have received your results
· If you have been advised to stay at home by a health professional.

Risk Management
Event organisers should look at opportunities to reduce the risk of close contact for orienteers, officials and volunteers:
· No drinks controls or water at start or finish for competitors. Any drinks at controls must have a volunteer stationed to ensure good hygiene or ask competitors to carry water.
· Asking competitors to bring their own hand sanitisers.
· Providing hand washing or sanitising facilities at the assembly area if possible.
· Asking all that attend to follow good hygiene practices.
· Providing refunds to those that absent themselves for health reasons
· Checking first aid kits have thermometers and emergency local contact information is known.
· No results (make available on line) or presentations at events.
· Maps will be kept by competitors following finish at all events.
· Providing some protective equipment, disinfectant and briefing to event volunteers.
· Arranging starts and finishes to allow 1m distance between people

Event organisers should draw attention to the Competition Guidance (above). And they should provide information in advance (e.g. about the personal hygiene facilities available at the event) to help people in make an informed decision as to whether to compete.

Peter Searle
Secretary,
Bendigo Orienteers

GENERAL MEETING OF BENDIGO ORIENTEERS INC.

An invitation to a General Meeting of the club on Friday, 21st February, 2020. The sole purpose of the meeting is to discuss the crisis caused by the lack of nominations for the positions of President and Vice-President at the AGM held on February 2nd.

This is an important meeting in the life of our club and the views of all members are sought in our attempt to solve the problem and continue as a viable organization. Only a few years ago the club celebrated its 40th anniversary. After a proud history of involvement in school activities, mapping, technology, and organizing events large and small, it would be a disaster for the club and orienteering in Victoria if we ceased to exist.

Date and Time: Friday 21st February, 7:30pm
Venue: Strathdale Community Centre, Crook Street, Bendigo
Item of Business: To consider the vacancies on the Committee of President and Vice-President
Quorum: A quorum of 10% of eligible members (viz. 2020 members who are aged 18 or above) is required
Background: The lack of nominations for President and Vice-President at the 2020 AGM means that we cannot function as an organization under the rules of our constitution.

The purpose of the meeting is to either:
(1) receive nominations for President and Vice President and confirm their appointments, or,
(2) failing (1) above, to consider other options for the future of the club.

I would be delighted to receive nominations or expressions of interest for President or Vice-President before February 21.

Peter Searle
Secretary
Bendigo Orienteers
secretary@bendigo-orienteers.com.au

Bendigo Orienteering Fixture for 2020

The 2020 season fixture has been finalised; several members have already volunteered to organise and help run some of these events. We are relying on members to look at the fixture (it can be viewed in the Events Tab), decide which event they will organise or help with and send Julie Flynn an email at julieflynn@fastmail.fm so your name can be added to the document. The club relies on members to volunteer and organise our events.

There is a change to the collection of controls policy for 2020. No longer are people expected to collect controls at the previous event. Organisers will put out and arrange for their controls to be collected, so they do not have to attend events on 2 consecutive weeks. This has been adopted because the trailer is used regularly and members can access this at the Bendigo Woollen Mills site at 4 Lansell Street.

The club finished our very successful 2019 season with a short sprint event inside the Victoria Hill Diggings reserve and a barbeque in the adjacent park. Trophies and medallions were awarded to those people who finished the season in 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each of our categories.

The Noodle award was decided by popular vote and the winner was Peter Forbes, for his performance at Mt Kooyoora.

The Golden Leg award for the best course setting was also decided from the members’ vote, and this was awarded to Clare Brownridge, for her courses on Sedgwick.

This year there were no officially nominated members for the Black Crow, despite many great efforts at stuffing up.

On Friday 6 December, the Regional Primary Schools Orienteering Championships event was held at Hanging Rock. Two of our members, Hugo and Josh each won 1st places in their classes, and two schools we have supported this year placed in the Loddon Mallee schools category: Maldon Primary School won 1 st place and Eppalock Primary School won 3rd place.

The club is planning for and looking forward to March 2020, when the Coach in Residence, Frederic Tranchand will be spending 2 weeks in Bendigo to provide training for members and working in local schools to bring the joys of orienteering to children and their families.

Julie Flynn

Ian’s 91st birthday event

This sprint O event was held in very cold weather conditions at Black Jack Gully near Castlemaine. The courses were set by Ian Johnson, our club’s oldest member, and organised by Colin Walker and John Wilkinson. The area contains old gold mining features with erosion gullies and relatively flat bushland. It is suited to a sprint style event.

Competitors had three courses to choose from: hard (3-4 km), moderate (2.5 km) and easy (1.5-2 km). A small field completed the courses with only one or two showers dampening conditions. Everyone enjoyed the event as well as the variety of cakes to celebrate Ian’s 91st birthday. Ian was on hand to offer advice (thanks to Derek Morris for bringing him from Melton). It was great to see him looking so well. He appreciated the opportunity to visit controls, having a break in between. Thanks to Lorraine, Alison, Sue and Jenny who brought sweet treats. Thanks also to those who helped collect the controls at the end.

A really good social day.

John Wilkinson
Jenny Ball

RESULTS