Following on from the Pomingalarna courses posted last week, we have now made available some courses on Rocky Hill in Kooringal. Same format as Pommy, with Orange tapes marking the control locations. We have also used some pink tapes to help those on the Easy course as one of the paths is a little vague in places. As with Pommy no facilities are provided and this is non-competitive.

With the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, we have designed a series of courses and tagged control sites at Pomingalarna. Club members can download a course from the options below and then go out to Pommy and have a run, in accordance with current social distancing restrictions. There is no marked start or finish (we have nominally used the sign just inside the western gate), no facilities are provided and is non-competitive. Control sites have been tagged with orange tape but there are no markings on the tapes. It is hoped to extend training opportunities with some courses also planned for Rocky Hill.

Hope everyone is keeping well and getting some physical exercise in this time of isolation and social distancing.

Courtesy of a couple of overseas websites, here are some more opportunities to practice your orienteering skills without leaving home:

The Waggaroos Committee has decided to cancel all scheduled Waggaroos orienteering events effective immediately, due to the escalating health situation with the COVID-19 virus.

While we accept the ONSW position that the advice from the AHPPC does not preclude conduct of small, local orienteering events we feel that for reasons of social responsibility and to mitigate against the risk of reputational damage to the image of orienteering we need to be seen to be doing the right thing by current community expectations. We need to be seen not to be encouraging unnecessary travel, or as providing a possible conduit for introduction of COVID-19 into the Riverina.

While this is very disappointing, it is a consequence of the difficult times we are currently experiencing. Hopefully we can be back in the bush within a few months.

The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee has recently announced new community sport guidelines to combat the spread of COVID-19. Within it is the recommendation that sporting teams, including school sporting teams, maintain local competitions only, with no inter-district, or inter-club travel (see summary by Sport Australia at https://www.sportaus.gov.au/media-centre/news/minister-for-sport-issues-covid-19-guidelines-for-community-sport ). 

In lieu of these guidelines the decision has been taken TO CANCEL THE INTERCLUB CHALLENGE COMPETITION AGAINST ALBURY FOR THIS YEAR and just run our respective local competitions. The scheduled Interclub Challenge events to be organised by Waggaroos at Burngoogee on 26 April, Connorton on 14 June, Rocky Hill on 19 July, and Wolfram on 30 August will go ahead as local events but not as Interclub Challenge events.

Please remember : Do not come to any Waggaroos orienteering event or activity if

• you are feeling unwell;

• you have been in close contact of a confirmed case of COVID-19 until the 14 days isolation period is over;

• you have travelled overseas in the past 14 days.

We are in the midst of unprecedented disruption and Orienteering Australia and the state associations have been working over the weekend to tread the right balance of calm and change of behaviour required. What we are saying today is not a “close down” message but an encouragement to go orienteering - while modifying behaviour. We have a sport that is essentially alone during execution so it lends itself to distancing, and we believe the risk of going orienteering if we modify behaviours is low.

Very large events, such as Easter 2020 at Orange, have been taken out of our hands and have been postponed according to government requirements but the smaller local events, including Waggaroos local events and our Interclub series with Albury, are still viable so let's all work together and enjoy the respite that a bit of sport can give to these anxious times.

John Oliver had a good win in the first of the Waggaroos bush events for 2020 held at Willan's Hill last Sunday.

Starting from the picnic shelter opposite the Museum of the Riverina in Baden Powell Dr, a score event format was used in which participants had 45 minutes to find as many control sites as possible. Points were awarded for each control site found and deducted for exceeding the time limit. Control sites varied in points value depending on distance and navigational difficulty.

Bob Moore set an entertaining course which contained numerous control sites along the southern part of Willan's Hill and fewer in the northern part. Although the northern controls were closer to the start and formed a logical loop to follow they did require some steep hill climbs to access them. The southern controls on the other hand were more conducive to merely proceeding to the next nearest control and were laid out in a way that higher valued controls tempted one further and further south resulting in a long run home if one did not watch the time.

John Oliver decided to take the northern controls first to take on the hill climbs early and to retain flexible options pending on his elapsed time about which controls to take in the southern part. He judged things well finishing a mere 7 seconds inside his time limit and amassing a very good 175 points.

Tadeusz Davenport decided to take the southern controls first and he scored freely in that area. However he then found himself with fewer options in the northern part and running out of time which meant a long run back without adding to his tally. Nonetheless he finished second despite collecting almost as many points as John and losing some points for exceeding the time limit.

Izzi Hutchinson and Chontelle Dailey ran as a team and picked up many of the controls in the southern area finishing in third place.

Next event will be the first of the eight event Interclub Challenges against Albury commencing at 10am on Sunday March 22 at Wallace’s Gully near Chiltern.

1	John Oliver	WRN	0:44:53	175	0	175
2	Tadeusz Davenport	WRN	0:48:03	165	20	145
3	Izzi Hutchinson & Chontelle Dailey	WRN	0:45:15	105	5	100
4	Pauline Moore	WRN	0:44:54	75	0	75
5	Sharni Rajasekera	WRN	0:42:16	55	0	55
6	Kate Davenport	WRN	0:46:52	60	10	50

Competition was close in the final event of the 2019-20 Waggaroos Summer Series of Orienteering conducted around Glenfield Park last Sunday.

Starting from the small park at the corner of Mima St and Bindari Ave participants had to find the answers to questions about Glenfield Park within a set time limit. Points were awarded for correct answers and deducted for exceeding the time limit. Questions included identifying specific features on houses and in gardens, numbers on light poles, and details on signs.

There were 24 questions worth a total of 210 points but they were spread out in such a way that getting from one to another involved careful consideration of the route to avoid excessive distance in spite of the numerous connecting tracks and reserves in the area.

On the 45 minute course most participants focussed on the area north and east of the South City shopping centre attracted by some higher valued questions and as a result scores were close. John Oliver managed to answer just over half the questions and amass 120 points.

Izzi Hutchinson and Chontelle Dailey cut it fine finishing just 2 seconds inside their time limit but they used their time well to score 100 points and finish second. The Buchanan family participating on their second event finished third with a very good 110 points.

Elius Levin tried orienteering for the first time and managed to collect 40 points but gave most of them away when he incurred a time penalty for exceeding his time limit.

6 year old Jarrah Mestan completed the 30 minute course with his mother and scored a good 25 points.

The first bush event for 2020 will be conducted on Willan's Hill next Sunday 8 March starting at 10 am from the picnic shelter in front of the Museum of the Riverina Botanic Gardens Site in Baden Powell Dr.

45 Minute Course		Club	Time	Points	Penalty	Score
1	John Oliver	WRN	0:41:01	120	0	120
2	Izzy Hutchinson & Chontelle Dailey	WRN	0:44:58	110	0	110
3	Tracey, Scott & Mac Buchanan	WRN	0:42:09	100	0	100
4	Bob Moore	WRN	0:43:48	90	0	90
5	Alex Davey	WRN	0:40:41	80	0	80
6	Elius Levin	WRN	0:50:14	40	30	10
30 Minute Course
1	Jarrah & Julie Mestan	WRN	0:28:25	25	0	25