What better way to spend a Sunday morning than in the picturesque town of Kiama navigating your way around an orienteering course, enjoying a free post event sausage and capping it off with a swim in one of the beautiful beaches or a walk to the famous blowhole. Meet at Coronation Park, Manning Street, Kiama. Details of the event are in Eventor.
Pre-entries are encouraged. First timers and those who are not members of a club need to first register in Eventor then follow the event entry quick guide. That way you won’t need to queue up to enter on the day, just turn up, ask for a map and start your course.
Last week’s event at Windang proved very popular. It was good to see so many families competing. The spread of ages amongst competitors ranged from 5 years to 80 years of age – proof that orienteering truly is a sport for all ages. A special shout out goes to Gemma and Alex who successfully made it around the medium course in a wheel chair with Dermot the Dog in tow.
Newcomers note: if you have attended one or both events in the Illawarra Summer Series you will be in the running for a free membership of Illawarra Kareelah Orienteers for 2025. A good reason for turning up to the final two events. If, at the end of your run you would like to discuss your route choices or any issues you may have had on your course feel free to speak to any of the members volunteering on the day.
Following the success of the first Illawarra Map Running (IMR) Summer Series event for 2025 at Shellcove last Sunday we are looking forward to this weekend’s event at Windang. Keith Jay set a high standard with his courses at Shellcove – the different route choices posing a challenge to the runners. The weather was kind, the rain held off, and we were able to enjoy not only the orienteering but the post event sausage sizzle under a sunny sky. It was pleasing to see so many families and individuals prepared to try orienteering for the first time and we hope to see them again this Sunday at Lake Illawarra.
The venue for IMR Summer Series #2 is Pelican Park, Shellharbour Road, Lake Illawarra. There is street parking (off Reddall Parade). Starts are from 10am – 11am. Course closes at 12pm. For details go to https://eventor.orienteering.asn.au/Events/Show/21573 Newcomers are welcome and club members will be available to help you on your way. There will be a free sausage sizzle for competitors after their run.
NEWCOMERS who take part in 3 out of the 4 listed IMR Summer series 2025 events will have the chance to win a free 12-month membership with the Illawarra Kareelah Orienteering Club. Conditions apply: offer available to newcomers only (not applicable to previous membership holders).
Recently ONSW acknowledged those members who had been actively involved in the sport for 50 years. Kevin (Kev) Curby, a long-time member of Illawarra Kareelah was on the list.
Kev was introduced to orienteering by Len Minty who brought the sport to Gymea High School where Kev was teaching in 1974. Len needed another teacher to assist on sports afternoons. This was the start of a lifetime friendship with Len and a long term (50 year) engagement with orienteering.
Kev went on to introduce orienteering as a sport at Kogarah and Engadine High Schools. This involvement with orienteering in schools continued when, as president of Illawarra Kareelah Orienteers Inc (IKO), and with the help of Keith Jay as course setter and other stalwarts from Southern Highlands and Uringa clubs, he established the School Gala Days for the Illawarra Region at Croome, near Albion Park. These annual events continued until the Department of Main Roads constructed the Albion Park by-pass through the middle of the map.
In the beginning maps were printed in black and white with blue for watercourses. Len and later Ian Prosser set courses in the Royal National Park in the Loftus area on maps that included areas such as Kangaroo Creek. Young Kev enjoyed the challenge of navigating his way by map through bushland in a variety of locations that often, he had not been to before. It started a new life of fitness for him.
He says he is not sure what keeps him involved after 50 years but …“it’s certainly not my performance”. Whilst he confesses to never being a good navigator Kev still enjoys the outdoor activity, especially bush courses. “I keep returning not only for the courses but also for the friendships and satisfaction from both the physical exertion and mental exercise”. He enjoys the challenge of the score events. “It’s a joy to be able to run a bit whilst maintaining my concentration and reading the map”.
Going away to 3-day events was a highlight of the O calendar and a source of much enjoyment. Often the trip, particularly those interstate, would be extended into a family holiday. As a result Kev reckons he has seen a fair bit of the eastern seaboard. The weather wasn’t always predictable and he remembers running through a light covering of snow in a relay on the 3rd day of an event near Lithgow.
Over the years Kev has made an extensive contribution to the sport. He was an active member of the Kareelah Orienteering Club in Southern Sydney, the second club to be established in NSW. As the club grew, members moved on to establish Uringa and Illawarra Orienteering clubs. At Kareelah Kev served in several roles including that of president for a number of years. He was actively engaged in organising events, including major events such as Easter 3-days and Queen’s Birthday Weekend (QBIII) now the KBIII. In fact, it was the Kareelah club, along with Uringa Orienteers, who were instrumental in introducing the QBIII onto the orienteering calendar. Many a meeting was held in the Curby lounge room in Woolooware organising such events.
Kareelah were also responsible for introducing the Budkavle – a relay event on forest maps involving teams of 5 and 7 people that started at midnight and finished in the wee hours of the morning. Kareelah members Bjorn and Monica Bloomstedt set the courses and organised the events along the lines of Budkavle events in Sweden. Teams had to have at least one female runner and a junior. As the event was held in the winter there was always a fire to warm up finishers, until fire restrictions put paid to that.
In 2000 Kareelah and Illawarra Orienteers combined to form Illawarra Kareelah Orienteers. Kev served as President for 5 years from 2011-2015. It was during his time as president that the club was incorporated and became Illawarra Kareelah Orienteers Inc. It was also the time that the club purchased its first SI units and laptop bringing event organising into the 21st century. Before this finish times had to be calculated manually and being a maths teacher the job of calculator often fell upon Kev’s shoulders. He remembers calculating times for relay events as being the most challenging.
Kev’s water supply system
Kev was well known at major events for his Heath Robinson style contraptions for displaying results and supplying water for competitors at the finish. The club also has Kev to thank for the design and organising the purchase of our IKO club clothing. No longer are we a motley crew but look very schmick in our club uniforms. A far cry from the gear of 45 years ago.
Pictured below is Kev at the hand over from Kareelah team mate Peter Howe at a relay event in 1980s and a more recent image of some post-event analysis at Double Bay last year.
Kev has had a long association with the Hut at Belanglo. He has found maintaining the facility to be a rewarding activity and along with the other “friends of the hut” received the ONSW Volunteers-of-the-year for his efforts in 2021.
Well done Kev. Thanks for everything you have done for the sport and for our club.
Get ready for the annual Illawarra Map Running Summer Series in February/March. Four events will be conducted on Sunday mornings throughout the Illawarra in the Shellcove, Windang, Kiama and Figtree areas. Starts will be from 10am to 11am, courses closes at 12noon. There will be a sausage sizzle to follow the event and the opportunity to enjoy a swim at some of Illawarra beautiful beaches. So pack your swimmers and come on down and join us for a run on one of the three line courses that will be available. Families, newcomers and beginners are very welcome. Club members will be available to guide you on your way. The first event will be held at Shellcove. Event details are available at https://eventor.orienteering.asn.au/Events/Show/21572. Enter on the day will be available however we encourage you to pre-enter via Eventor.
Newcomers note: by attending 3 out of the 4 Illawarra Map Running Summer Series: Sun Feb 9, Sun 16 Feb, Sun 2 Mar & Sun 9 Mar you will have the chance of winning a free 12 month membership with the Illawarra Kareelah Orienteers club. Conditions apply: offer available to newcomers only (not applicable to previous membership holders). After completion of the series, those eligible will be notified by email of their success with an option to accept or decline this offer.
Looking for a run in January
If you are keen to have a run in January why not take a trip to the Southern Highlands. This year SHOO (Southern Highlands Orienteering Club) are running their popular park/street Summer Saturdays series around the Macarthur area. There will be two course choices – a 45 minute score course and a 2km line course suitable for our younger competitors and those new to orienteering. Starts are between 9:00 and 10:30 with course closure at 11:30. Coaching will be provided. Check their website or Eventor for further information.
Sydney Summer Series – ‘Sydney Map Running’
Throughout the summer months Sydney orienteering clubs run an event event every Wednesday evening with starts from 4.30pm to 6.45pm. The events take the form of a score event where competitors are required to visit as many controls as they can within 45 minutes. Careful planning is required to maximise your points score. Information about the series is available on the NSW Orienteering website at https://www.sydneysummerseries.com.au/
Drowned rats came to mind as the 157 brave runners who turned up at last night’s Sydney Summer Series event returned from their run on the new IKO Surry Hills map. Not to mention the drenching of those who put out the controls. It was with great foresight that course planner Sue Froude hired out the community hall in Prince Alfred Park and entrants could plan their courses in the dry and club volunteers could manage registrations and downloads in the shelter of the hall. It seems IKO events attract rain, maybe we could hire out our services as rain makers.
Sue Froude’s new city map offered up hills, laneways, pocket parks and open parkland. An excellent addition to Sydney city maps. See Eventor for results. 11 people scored max points of 600 under the 45 min timeline so Sue is looking to extend the map to accommodate those runners needing a longer challenge. A big thanks to Sue and Ian for organising the event and to helpers, Steve, David, Ian, Margaret, Kev, Vicki, James & Rob Prentice of NOC who collected in controls on his bike for us. Oh and BTW a very wet real life rat was spotted whilst collecting controls. EEEEK!!!!
