32nd Annual Hunter Region Schools Orienteering Championships – Glendale

Tuesday, 1 July 2008

The 32nd Annual Hunter Region Schools Orienteering Championships have been run at Glendale.

Good weather meant that the event was enjoyed by all participants.

Avondale School managed to take the trophy off Morriset High as some of their runners were unable to attend due to exams. Bonnells Bay public also mounted a strong campaign despite being a Primary school with entries in only the M12 and W12 age groups.

 Results
 

NOY5 - Pelton

Monday, 23 June 2008

Glorious weather saw a return to large competitor numbers for the fifth round of the Newcastle Orienteer of the Year Series (NOY).  

Above: Nigel Thompson spikes the last control of the orange course. Unfortunately he was on the medium red course, but quickly realised his mistake and located the corect one.

Word of mouth is still our greatest recruitement tool with even more newcomers attending, most due to encouragement from friends recently converted to our sport.

Malcolm Roberts did a great job setting some challenging courses that sometimes traversed areas of low visibility and slow run, depending of course on your route choice, but by no means were unpleasant. Personally I really enjoyed some of these creek areas and the need for extra concentration whilst there.

Credits
Organisation: Malcolm Roberts
Course Planning: Malcolm Roberts
Course Vetting: Josh Roberts
Control Placement: Malcolm & Josh Roberts
Set-up Assistance: Mick Kavur
Registration: Malcolm Roberts, Kate Dynon & Robert Preston
Finish: Julia Preston, Denis Lyons, Keith Dove
Control Collection: The Charlton Family, Denis Lyons, Steven Todkill, Joy Guy, Keith Dove

Results

Comments 

Courses
(view album for all courses)   
 

Orienteering Short Film – not quite.

Saturday, 21 June 2008

Maybe this isn't the correct place for blantant self promotion but since I have the keys to the castle I'm gunna use them.....

Below is a link to a short film Mapgirl and I made for a competition in the local newspaper. It is about an individual sport….the word “orienteering” does appear in it …..and it is about the great outdoors and the average Aussie’s attitude towards it.

If you have a couple of minutes please have a look, it’s titled “I fish and I vote”, and if you think it is OK then vote for it (you don’t have to fish) so we can win some cash and a camera. If you think it’s "rubbish" that’s fine as well.

We filmed it in about 3 hours with no pre-planning except for a bit of location scouting via google maps (satellite) and got a friend to do voice over the next evening. The film had to be no longer than 2 minutes and contain 4 of the following items. The Newcastle Herald; Grapes; a Knight; the Beach, the Hunter River. We used all 5 but you wont notice the beach.

To make it even more difficult it had to be shot only using in-camera editing meaning you are not allowed to download the video footage and alter it on a PC editing package although you can do whatever you like with the sound.

There are also judges considering these for first and second place that attract even better prizes (AUD$2500 for first), but scoring some of that would be wishful thinking. Personally I think the standout winner is “Little Jim” made by a local advertising agency. 

TO VIEW FILM in Windows Media Player (BEST) http://theherald.yourguide.com.au/files/65/71/00/000007165/IFISHANDIVOTE.wmv

TO VIEW FILM in small window that doesn’t always work 
http://theherald.yourguide.com.au/multimediaplayer.aspx?id=2431&fileid=7165

TO VOTE
 http://theherald.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/good-bad-and-ugly-in-films-screen-test/794065.aspx

COMMENTS

Junior Training at The Quarry

Thursday, 19 June 2008

Cold, some drizzle and a howling wind did not stop our Newcastle Juniors at a training day held in conjunction with the club minor event at The Quarry. Everyone completed their normal course in the club minor event and then did two training exercises. First was a map memory course going out and back from the start point. Josh Blatchford expertly set this exercise with varying course difficulty for our Orange or Red orienteers. Next was the Star Relay with teams of four (who said we do not have relays anymore – well in training we do) with two loops. Team Superawesome (Alex, Scott, Lewis and Angus) defeated Team Teletubes (Glen, Nicola, Louis and Callum). After a bit of push and shove between team captains Glen and Alex, Teletubes gained the early lead only to overhauled late in the event by the Superawesomes. Team Teletubes could protest that one of the controls was removed before their team finished so there will have to be a rematch later in the year. The only hiccup of the day was a wardrobe malfunction with some o-pants that had to be held together with safety pins and electrical tape. We will not mention her name though. Thanks to Josh Blatchford for setting the courses/instructions as well as Josh Roberts and Tamara Orr for helping run things. Another training day is planned for later this year. Any of our club juniors doing orange or red are invited to participate.

A new club member!

Tuesday, 17 June 2008

On Wednesday 11/06/2008 at  6.15pm a little girl 3.38kg at 49.5cm decided that she would catch us a little unprepared by being about a week early. At least she let mum have a dream birth (Yes she did let us get to the hospital in time). Both of them are in great shape and going well. Isabella and Anakin are very excited of having a little sister. Dad and mum are proud parents again. The growing family of Shane (dad), Melanie (mum), Isabella (big sister), Anakin (big brother) and Sophie Rose Trotter.
Item Summary
32nd Annual Hunter Region Schools Orienteering Championships – Glendale Tuesday, 1 July 2008 The 32nd Annual Hunter Region Schools Orienteering Championships have been run at Glendale. Result are now available
NOY5 - Pelton Monday, 23 June 2008 Glorious weather saw a return to large competitor turnout for the fifth round of the Newcastle Orienteer of the Year Series (NOY)
Orienteering Short Film – not quite. Saturday, 21 June 2008 Below is a link to a short film Mapgirl and I made for a competition in the local newspaper. It is about an individual sport….the word “orienteering” does appear in it …..and it is about the great outdoors and the average Aussie’s attitude towards it.
Junior Training at The Quarry Thursday, 19 June 2008 Cold, some drizzle and a howling wind did not stop our Newcastle Juniors at a training day held in conjunction with the club minor event at The Quarry.
A new club member! Tuesday, 17 June 2008 The Trotter family gets a bit bigger.
Update from - Ireland Monday, 16 June 2008 Rob Preston sends a quick update from Ireland where he is preparing for another huge adventure race.
Club Members walk Kokoda Monday, 16 June 2008 Recently Greg and Kerry Bacon spent some time walking the Kokoda Trek.
First time setters at Freemans Monday, 16 June 2008 The Roberts family (that’s the Wangi ones) took up the challenge of course setting and teamed up with Denis Lyons to produce some fun orienteering at Freemans Waterhole.
Astleys Tower MTBO (SuperSeries 4) – 1 June 2008 Monday, 2 June 2008 Despite the grey clouds, and the forecast of showers, the weather held off until all the controls had been collected and everything was packed away.
Newcastle Junior Orienteers Training Day - Sunday 15th June Wednesday, 28 May 2008 A training day is being held for junior orienteers in conjunction with the minor event at "The Quarry" on the 15th June.
NOY series past half way mark Monday, 26 May 2008 100+ runners turned out to participate in Wallaroo state forest, just North of Raymond Terrace for event Number 4 in the Newcastle Orienteer of the year series.
Newcastle Club Member makes Australian MTBO team. Friday, 23 May 2008 Congratulations to Melanie Simpson who has broken through to take a place on the Australian MTBO team to contest the world champs in Poland this August.
MTBO Super Series Event 4 – Sunday 1st June 2008 Friday, 16 May 2008 We are now accepting entries for SS4 "Asleys Tower", which is at Kitchener (near Cessnock)
Vale Bill Chalmers Monday, 12 May 2008 Newcastle Club member Bill Chalmers died suddenly last Wednesday while holidaying in WA.
Record Numbers for a Newcastle Club event. Monday, 5 May 2008 It was National Orienteering Day yesterday and Newcastle Club officials were ecstatic with the response to their “free for first-timers”, promotion at Glendale.