Author Archives: ikoadmin

State League 11 at Belanglo

Illawarra Kareelah Orienteers hosted State League 11 on Sunday 20 July at Belanglo Forest. The event was part of two days of orienteering in the Southern Highlands, with Southern Highlands Occasional Orienteers organising State League 10 on Saturday at Mittagong.

It was very chilly indeed for those hardy club members who turned up to assist with the site set up on Saturday.  The exposed site offered no protection from the icy wind and occasional rain.  Although it was still cool on Sunday the sky was mostly blue and the wind dropped making for a much more pleasant day.

142 competitors registered to compete with a number of other casual entries on the day who were pleased to be able to choose from a full range of courses.

Results from the event are listed on the Eventor website and a few photos from the day are in the gallery below.

 

Orienteering at UOW with Illawarra Blue Stars

Illawarra Kareelah Orienteers joined forces with Illawarra Blue Stars Athletics Club to host a demonstration orienteering event on a new map at the University of Wollongong on Sunday 1st June 2014.

Blue Stars members Melanie and Anthony recently discovered orienteering after attending IKO’s local and Summergong events. Melanie approached IKO about organising a joint event to introduce other Blue Stars members to orienteering.

The weather did not look promising on our run up the freeway, but the weather gods were kind to us and the rain stopped by the time we pulled into the UOW gates.  Melanie fielded last minute texts from Blue Stars club members wanting to know if the event was still on – YES!!! she replied.

A good roll up saw 13 individuals and family teams from Blue Stars and a number of experienced orienteers tackle the short (2km) or longer (4km) courses which wound their way between buildings, around duck ponds and along the roads and pathways of the picturesque campus grounds. The feedback seemed to be mostly positive from the newcomers, and several people have expressed interest in future events. One comment overhead was that “it was something more than a run”.

Thanks to David Green for mapping the Uni and organising the event, and the experienced IKO members who were on hand to provide pre and post run advice and tips (Ken, Helen, Kev, Salme and Vicki).

See the gallery below for a few pics from the morning.  Results are now available on Eventor .

For more information on the Illawarra Blue Stars Athletics Club visit their website.

Metroleague 2014

The inter-club MetrO League competition kicked off on Sunday 23rd March at Mount Annan Botanic Gardens.   This first event saw the IKO Magnetrons take a decisive win in Division 3 against a combined Uringa-Central Coast team (34-21), while in Division 4 the tables were turned with Uringa-Central Coast defeating the IKO Lyrebirds 32-23 (Full results here)

Blue skies and warm weather made for warm conditions out on course but it was a lovely morning to enjoy this great venue.

The MetrO League series runs annually from March through until August/September with events conducted on one Sunday morning per month. Each team is comprised of five people who run individually but earn points for the team based on their relative time.  Courses are set so that the winning time is around 35 minutes and most people are finished within an hour.

As for last year IKO are fielding two teams and require a minimum of 10 runners for each event.  New club members are welcome to participate.  If you are interested please contact our Team Captain Vicki Wilmott.

Finish arena

Finish arena

Results board

Results board

Summer orienteering in the Gong

Illawarra Kareelah Orienteers are inviting anyone who is interested in having a go at orienteering to attend their SummerGong Series which begins on Saturday February 15th.

Designed for both newcomers and experienced orienteers, the four-week series will see competitors using their navigational skills to visit as many check points as possible in a 45 minute time-frame.  The competitor with the highest score wins the event. Although speed can help you win, running is optional and many people enjoy orienteering at a walking pace.

Club President Kevin Curby says anyone who can read a street directory is capable of orienteering.

“Beginners are always welcome at our events, and there are always club members on hand to provide some basic coaching.  You can go by yourself or as part of a group.  Orienteering is a great way to explore parts of the Illawarra that you never knew existed.”

The first event will be held at Stuart Park in Wollongong, with subsequent events at Thirroul, Shell Cove and Shellharbour Village.  Each of the courses will cover parks and local streets, so a compass is not necessary.

Details of all events can be found on the Coming Events page and on the ONSW Eventor website.

A sunny afternoon at Dolls Point

Sunday 1 December 2013OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

 

Illawarra Kareelah held their Southern Summer Series event under sunny skies on a beautiful Sunday afternoon at Dolls Point, on the shores of Botany Bay. The launch of the new map Bado-Berong Creek attracted 42 entrants, six of whom were new to the sport. It was an honour indeed to have Ross Barr attend our event. He is the man who introduced the Summer Series to Sydney 22 years ago.

The map is a delight to run, and although it seems straightforward, many reported some tricky parts that required full attention and careful map reading, especially around the canals.

For those who missed the event, you will have to wait until November 2014 before you can enjoy its delights.

See the Event Results page for results by score and by class.

Kevin Curby