New map – Come and explore Bomaderry Creek

On Saturday 2 August we are looking forward to the debut of our new map in the rugged and picturesque Bomaderry Creek Regional Park just north of Nowra. Map-maker Keith has been working hard on this map over the past year and its finally time for our first run! The park features a mix of forest, sandstone cliffs and boulders, and a hidden gorge filled with the sound of running water (and cicadas in summer!).

Access: Head south on the Princes Highway and once you pass the Golden Arches turn right onto Narang Rd at the round-about. Look for the club flag to indicate the track access and follow the track to the picnic area. The parking area is tiny so park on Nerang Road. Toilets, water and BBQ facilities are available at the picnic area.

Courses and terrain: Traditional line courses of 5km, 3km and 1.5km will be available. The terrain is quite rugged and some of the cliffs are high and dangerous. Keith has advised that full body cover is recommended due to the thickness of the vegetation. The creek is generally uncrossable except where indicated on the map.

Starts are from 12:00 – 1:00pm. After packing up we will adjourn to the Bomaderry Bowling Club for drinks and a bite to eat.

Entry and more info here: https://eventor.orienteering.asn.au/Events/Show/21577

Bush Training this Sunday 1 June 2025

A final reminder that the club is conducting a training day in the forest in the Helensburgh area this coming Sunday 1 June from 10am to 3pm.

The focus of the training will be on techniques for navigating in the bush/forest to help you improve your bush orienteering skills. Both newer club members and regulars who’d like to brush up on their bush navigation skills are welcome to attend. Activities will be suitable for those new to competing in the MetrO League events. Come along and learn how to recognise rock features and navigate your way accurately through the bush. You will receive an introduction to, and a walk-through, of the map, guidance on navigation techniques before participating in some orienteering navigation exercises. At the end of the day you will be able to compare your route choice with the other competitors and discuss optimal route choices using Livelox technology. Instruction on Livelox will be provided. Bring your compass and GPS watch if you have one.

Enter via Eventor by midnight 31 May 2024. Note: there will be no enter on the day.

Newcomers should check out the IKO newcomers guide to orienteering webpage before attending at https://illawarrakareelahorienteers.com/resources/newcomers-guide-to-orienteering

For those of you who know the basics of orienteering and are now keen to improve your performance when competing in the forest we suggest you check out the British Orienteering “Think Fast, Run Hard, Go Orienteering” series of instructional videos.

MetrO League #3 this Sunday 25th May 2025

Our sister club Southern Highlands Orienteers (SHOO) will be hosting this event at Kentlyn, near Campbelltown . All club members are eligible and encouraged to participate. We would like a repeat of the last MetrO League event where all IKO teams had a win. Non members can also attend and run as individuals. Limited enter on the day courses will be available. These events are a good way of trying out orienteering in the bush.

Enter through Eventor at https://eventor.orienteering.asn.au/Events/Show/21605 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. NOTE: Division 2 team have a bye this round, so will compete as individual entries.

For those club members new to Metro League, come along and give it a try. Divisions 3-5 are Moderate and Divisions 1 & 2 are Hard navigation.

…ON THE DAY… You may be approached on the day if teams are short. Likewise if we have too many for teams you may be asked to run up (or down if appropriate) a division or you can just compete as an individual runner for that day.

MetrO League #2 event at Picnic Point Sunday 4 May

The next MetrO League club challenge event is being organized by IKO and will be held on the Yerambah Lagoon map at Picnic Point on 4 May. We need a good turn out to have enough club members to help on the day as well as field the required teams. Team standings after MetrO League#1 at Centennial Park are: Div 2 and Div 3 – a win each. Div 4 and 5 – a loss each. Congratulations to Joel Mion for coming 1^st in Div 3 and Artem Karavaev 4^th in Div 4, to Caleb Curby for 2^nd place in Very Easy and those new to Metro League who put in some credible performances.

Starts are from 10am – 10.30am for Metro League competitors. Pre-enter in Eventor and choose a division on the drop-down box. Moderate (Divn 4-6) or Hard (Divn 1-3). Once you have entered it’s up to you if you want to be in a team or not on the day. You can compete individually if you don’t want to run in a team. Let James Stuart, our Metro League team captain jistuart@bigpond.com, know if you want to run in a team and/or if you need advice on which Division you would feel comfortable running in. You need to pre-enter before midnight on Saturday 3 May. For details see https://eventor.orienteering.asn.au/Events/Show/21602

Limited enter on the day courses will be available between 9.30-10am and 10.30-11.30am.

BYO water – there is none available at the event.

THERE ARE NO TOILETS at the event. Allow extra time to visit toilet facilities before you arrive. Closest toilets: from M5 turnoff, head south along Henry Lawson Drive to Monash Reserve (open Sun 8am-6pm) or Lambeth Reserve (open daylight hrs). Approaching from the east toilets can be found in the Georges River National Park off Henry Lawson Drive (open daylight hrs). Toilets also available at Fitzpatrick Park, Carinya Rd (off Henry Lawson Dr) follow signage to Fitzpatrick Park.

Parking will be in surrounding residential streets. Please be mindful when parking outside homes, keeping all residential driveways and accesses clear.

Guide to Orienteering webpage

If you are new to orienteering and want to find out more about the sport or improve your orienteering skills check out the Newcomers Guide to Orienteering on the new Guide to Orienteering section on our website. You will find some useful tips and videos to help you develop your map reading and navigation skills. There are links to videos of Australian championship races to give you a taste of what it is like to orienteer in the forest as well as videos of the world champion Hubmann brothers running against each other in the forest of their Swiss homeland.