July events – Highlands Forest, State League and Metroleague #5

There are plenty of forest events on offer this July. Why not start the month with a run in the Southern Highlands Forest Series on Sunday morning 12 July, starts are from 10 – 11am. The event will be at Welby and will be good training for the up coming forest events in the following weeks. Organised by SHOO, details of the event can be found at https://eventor.orienteering.asn.au/Events/Show/24134.

The following weekend, 18/19 July, there are two State League events, both forest events.

For something different the event on Saturday afternoon will be the NSW State Relays at Waianamatta. A two person relay event with each person running 2 legs. If both team members belong to the same club their points will contribute towards the determination of the NSW Relays Champion Club. Mixed club teams are also welcome. If you can’t find an IKO running partner of similar ability just enter as an individual and a relay manager will assign you a partner. For more information about the event and how to enter check the information bulletin at https://eventor.orienteering.asn.au/Events/Show/24200

NOTE: Entries close on 10 July. No enter on the day courses will be available.

State League # 10 Maraylya on Sunday 19 July

The venue is Mitchell Park, Cattai National Park. Map scale 1:7,500. This is a middle distance event with the usual State League courses available. Expected winning times are around 35minutes. Queueing starts will available from 9.30 -11am. Pre-entry is encouraged. Enter on the day will be restricted to a very limited number of participants and a limited number of courses. For further information, including important instructions on parking, go to https://eventor.orienteering.asn.au/Events/Show/23237

Metroleague #5 Grays Point Sunday 26 July

IKO is organising the next Metroleague event at Grays Point on Sunday 26^th July. Volunteers and runners are needed to help out on the day. All club members are encouraged to enter including those new to the Metroleague format. Enter via Eventor at https://eventor.orienteering.asn.au/EventAdmin/ShowEventEntryFees/23837

Please advise Sue Froude at IKOrienteers@gmail.com if you are able to assist on the day. Volunteers will also be able to run on the day. Pre-entries close at midnight 25 July.

Start window: Non Metroleague competitors: 9.30am-10.00am and 10.30-11.00am. Metroleague competitors 10.00am-10.30am.

Make sure you read the information bulletin before venturing out on your course, especially the Course Setter’s Notes. . There have been 2 separate controlled burns in the last 3 months, affecting about 90% of the course. Vegetation, visibility and runnability changes weekly with leaves falling off bushes and dead saplings being blown over. All divisions will have sections of thicker bush than most metroleague events – long sleeves, long pants and gaiters are strongly recommended.

TIP FOR FIRST TIMERS: You will need to log in to Eventor first & then check the drop down boxes to nominate Illawarra Kareelah Orienteers & select a Division that best suits your ability before proceeding to payment. Division 6 is entry level and is graded easy, Divisions 3-5 are moderate and Divisions 1 & 2 are hard navigation. If you are unsure of what division to run in contact our team captain James at jistuart@bigpond.com. …ON THE DAY…This is a teams event, however you can still pre-enter as an individual runner if you prefer. You may be approached on the day if teams are short. Likewise if we have too many entries for teams you may be asked to run up or down a division or you can just compete as an individual runner for that day. You can find out more about the Metroleague at https://onsw.asn.au/events/metro-league

Metroleague #4 – Sunday 28 June

The next Metroleague event will be held at Pennant Hills on Sunday 28 June. Starts are from 10.00 – 10.30 for teams and 10.30-11.00 for individual orienteers and those entering on the day. Our IKO-SHOO teams in divisions 2 – 5 will be pitted against Western Hills (WHO) whilst Division 1 will run against Bennelong (BN).

We need a good turn out of runners to repeat the performance of the last Metroleague event where IKO-SHOO teams clocked up a win in all 5 Divisions. All club members are encouraged to enter including those new to the Metroleague format. Enter via Eventor at https://eventor.orienteering.asn.au/Events/Show/23836

Tip: You will need to log in to Eventor first & then check the drop down boxes to nominate Illawarra Kareelah Orienteers & select a Division that best suits your ability before proceeding to payment. Division 6 is entry level and is graded easy, Divisions 3-5 are moderate and Divisions 1 & 2 are hard navigation. If you are unsure of what division to run in contact our team captain James at jistuart@bigpond.com. Those club members who have previously advised they are available for a team, please let James know if you can’t attend, if you haven’t already done so.

…ON THE DAY…This is a teams event, however you can still pre-enter as an individual runner if you prefer. You may be approached on the day if teams are short. Likewise if we have too many entries for teams you may be asked to run up or down a division or you can just compete as an individual runner for that day. You can find out more about the Metroleague at https://onsw.asn.au/events/metro-league

Kings Birthday 3 day (KBIII) wrap up

Thirteen IKO members made their way over the Blue Mountains for the three events held over the long weekend. Each day conditions were ideal for orienteering with the early morning fog lifting and the sun shining by the time the first runners started.

DAY 1– Middle distance event on Baal Bone Junction map.Organised by Garingal Orienteers.

Courses were set in classic Western Blue Mountains eucalypt forest surrounding an old farm. The longer courses had some hefty climbs – 235m climb for hard 3b (M60A, M65A), whilst the shorter courses had several barbed wire fences to contend with. A challenge for the 80+ year olds. Two 1sts, a 2nd and two 3rds were achieved – congrats to Phil, Vicki, Michael, Peter and Margaret.

DAY 2– Long distance event in Lidsdale State Forest. Organised by Big Foot Orienteers.

Well who doesn’t love a pine forest to navigate through! Today’s courses offered runnable sections of young and established pine forest and a network of tracks popular also with 4WD and dune buggies. Kangaroos, choughs and wrens were out in force. Winners were Phil in 1st place again, Vicki and Margaret in 2nd and Michael and Pippa in 3rd.

DAY 3– Short distance/sprint event on Rydal Showground map. Organised by Illawarra Kareelah Orienteers

A neat little area of open forest, tracks, parkland and of course the showground itself with a smattering of outbuildings, including one called “The Old Bar”. This was used for the download area, alas there was no beer for the finishers. Thanks to Hamish of Big Foot Orienteers for the new 1:4000 map.

Our volunteers embraced the cold misty morning turning up early to help with parking and general setup and with David and Vicki setting out the controls ahead of schedule people were able to start earlier.

In true sprint fashion times were quick and the overall results for the 3 days were calculated in good time for the presentation of badges by the Bigfoot team. Congrats to all age class winners. IKO’s in the hall of fame were: Phil 1st, Michael 1st, Margaret 3rd.

A big thank you to organiser Sue, and especially to David and Vicki for controlling and course setting and for all the preparation work undertaken beforehand.

It was a great finish to an excellent long weekend of orienteering. Thanks to the 3 clubs involved Garingal, Bigfoot and IKO and to Mark Shingler for being the overall organiser.

Kings Birthday 3 Day event – Lithgow region

Entries close on 31^st May for the Kings Birthday weekend 3 day (KBIII) event. You can compete on any one of the days or all three days. Each event is an NSW State League event, with the Long Distance also being a badge event. Overall results for KBIII will be determined on cumulative time across the three events.

Day 1 (Sat), the middle distance event, will be held near Cullen Bullen. Day 2 (Sun), the long distance event is in the Lidsdale State Forest, 15 minutes NW of Lithgow, and Day 3 (Mon) the short event at the Rydal Showground. Detailed information about the events is available at https://eventor.orienteering.asn.au/Documents/Event/23121/1/Bulletin-1

Enter via Eventor using this link https://eventor.orienteering.asn.au/Events/Show/22678

The default entry is for ALL 3 races. If you don’t want to enter all 3 events or want to enter different classes over the 3 days, follow the instructions given in the “How to enter only some days or different classes” document in the same link.

IKO is responsible for organising Day 3 – the short event at the Rydal Showground. Vicki Wilmott is course planner and has been working on setting interesting courses. All club members are encouraged to attend and have a run as well as help with the smooth running of the event on the day. If you can volunteer to help on the day please let Sue Froude, event organiser, know via email at IKOrienteers@gmail.com

Chris Wilmott – Inducted into OA Hall of Fame

At the Easter 3 Day event in Tasmania this year it was announced that IKO founding member Chris Wilmott had been inducted into the Orienteering Australia Hall of Fame – General Division. This was in acknowledgement of his significant contribution to Australian orienteering mapping over four decades, through his fieldwork and photogrammetry.

Chris started orienteering in 1973, when the production of coloured orienteering maps in Australia was just beginning. He soon became involved in mapping, an interest that took him to Norway, where he spent three summers and one winter, and was the first non-Scandinavian to make maps in Norway. He returned to Australia in 1978 as a skilled fieldworker and photogrammetrist. Using a stereoplotter and his detailed understanding of Australian terrain Chris commenced production of high-quality base maps for state associations and clubs throughout Australia. Fieldworkers now had access to base maps with well plotted contours and detail which could be used for accurate positioning of complex detail on the ground.

In due course Chris went on to pursue his career as Australia’s only full-time orienteering photogrammetrist, plotting a total of 422 base maps. These included the maps for the 1985 World Championships and several World Cup events. If his name is familiar to you it is probably because you have seen it printed on your orienteering map either as “Base map by Chris Wilmott” or “Photogrammetry by Chris Wilmott”. Whilst new technology has reduced the need for skilled manual stereoplotting, maps bearing Chris’s name are likely to continue to be used for many years to come.

In addition to his mapping activities Chris competed at the elite level. He represented Australia in the 1976 World Championships in Scotland and competed in a number of Australia/New Zealand challenges coming first in M35A in 1986. He was also Australian Champion in the M35A age class in 1988 and in M45A in 1998.

Chris was a founding member of two orienteering clubs. The first being the Uringa Orienteering Club which was formed in May 1974 where he was the inaugural secretary & treasurer. The second club was the Illawarra Orienteering Club which was established in December 1982. Chris was involved in map production for both clubs. He had a reputation for being top notch course setter.

Chris’s contribution to Australian orienteering has previously been recognised by receipt of the Silva Award for Services to Australian Orienteering in 2017.