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    • Orienteering Wellington August News
      • Orienteering Wellington August News View this email in your browser Schools, scores & more - a team effort Ngā mihi kia koutou I’m really proud of the way Orienteering Wellington pulled together to deliver a highly successful New Zealand Secondary Schools Orienteering Championships. For some, this may seem detached from your orienteering experiences – but many schools from around the region were represented, and we had a strong showing from Auckland and the rest of the North Island. It’s important to throw our full support behind the next generation of orienteers, and I express my deepest thanks to the volunteer team. I specially want to call out Helen Hughes and Anna Varnham, for stepping in as co-event coordinators; Will Vale for providing a wonderful new sprint map to use in Kāpiti; and Alan Horn for providing the backbone of our digital logistics. We are extremely fortunate to have Orienteering NZ life member Gillian Turner in our club – our “controller supreme” – who went above and beyond in ensuring the events were of a high standard. Our next major event is the trans-Tasman Oceania 2025 orienteering carnival, from Saturday 18 to Monday 27 January. Find out more below. In the meantime, we have a lineup of events designed to provide fun and challenge for all. Paul President Events calendar Map- and web-master Jake Hanson has skillfully provided a way to help keep up with events. Simply nominate the calendar you want to populate with Orienteering Wellington events and… ta-da! They’ll be added to your calendar instantly, saving you the hassle of looking further. Seatoun Score Come along tomorrow for the Seatoun Score event! A score events differs from conventional Foot-O in that there is no course. Instead, everyone starts at the same, controls are worth differing point values, and you have an hour to complete the event. You then see how many points you can get in an hour… think of it like a “mini rogaine”! The event starts at 10am. If this doesn’t work for you then you can start afterwards, but must be back by 11.30am. Entries are open The Twilight Zone…. In previous years we’ve had a night event, in winter. We still will! Our event at Berhampore Golf Course and Tawatawa includes options to start at dusk or after dark. Be there on Saturday 10 August. Queen Elizabeth Park score Try your hand at another score at Queen Elizabeth Park on Sunday 18 August. This is a great opportunity to refine your strategy and route choice skills, and to enjoy a nice outing up the coast. Events Oceania 2025 Orienteering Wellington is revving up to host the Oceania Orienteering Championships 2025, a trans-Tasman carnival, in collaboration with neighbouring clubs Orienteering Taranaki and Red Kiwis, and supported by Orienteering Hutt Valley. Two warm-up events around New Plymouth are followed by two training days at Waitārere, then four official championship races in and around the Manawatū. Oceania isn’t just for the competitive orienteers – there’ll be courses for all, and we suggest you to base yourselves in New Plymouth for the warm-up and Palmerston North for the training and champs, so you can socialise and relax with others. For more details, visit Oceania 20205, or read the first Bulletin Training time! “Wintervals, sprintervals…” weekly training Don’t forget, weekly training sessions every Wednesday evening at 6pm. Sessions are relaxed and informal but aimed at improving your fitness and orienteering techniques, and meeting others. Often sessions are focused on intervals, and sometimes on orienteering sprints. These typically start from the Ōtari upper carpark… and you’ll need a headlamp given it’s winter! Join our Facebook group Wellington Orienteers for the latest on locations and times. Orienteering techniques Have you checked out Orienteering NZ’s Training Hub? There are excellent resources for participants and coaches. As well as finding out which techniques you should be developing at your level, the workbooks include fantastic self-learning exercises. Get stuck in! We’re always looking for volunteers to help with event setup, registration, and control collection and often put out a call for volunteers in advance. Volunteers get a free run at club events – we can give you a discount code for your nominated event. Or pitch in in on the day... anything’s good! Our social media superstar Lane Howell has also now left our shores to follow her dreams overseas. So, we're looking for a couple of people to help out with Facebook and Instagram accounts. If you think this might be something that suits your skills, get in touch with our secretary, Lachlan, at secretary@wellingtonorienteering.org.nz Upcoming events Sunday 4 August – Seatoun Score Saturday 10 August – Twilight event, Berhampore Sunday 18 August – Queen Elizabeth Park score with white and yellow courses Thursday 22 August – Afterwork rogaine, Churton Park, Wellington Sunday 8 September – Te Ahumairangi Wednesday 18 September – Afterwork rogaine, West Belmont … For all events, visit Orienteering New Zealand About us We welcome all who live around Te Whanganui-a-Tara to discover our special region through orienteering. Be part of our community at Orienteering Wellington Copyright (C) 2024 Orienteering Wellington. All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe

    • Help needed! NZ Secondary Schools Champs
      • Help needed! NZ Secondary Schools Champs We need your help to make NZ Secondary Schools Champs a stellar event! View this email in your browser Help your club stage the ultimate Secondary School Champs! Kia ora <> Orienteering Wellington is hosting this year’s NZ Secondary Schools Championships, from Friday 19 to Sunday 21 July and we need your help to make it an awesome experience for all! Duties will be for a maximum of two hours, likely less, and volunteers run free (subject to the Controller’s approval) at Sprint and Long events. We need everyone’s help, and especially those who hold current first aid certificates or can act as medics. Volunteer roles at events Friday 19 July: Sprint, Kāpiti College/Marine Gardens 11:30 - 4:30pm Event centre setup, car-parking, registration, first aid, on-call medic, Starts, road-crossing marshals, on course marshaling (x2), computer, control collection and pack-up. Saturday 20 July: Long, Hydrabad (Waitārere South Forest) 9am - 4:30pm Event centre setup, car-parking, registration, first aid, computers, control collection and pack-up. Sunday 21 July: Relay, Spicer Botanical Park, Porirua 8:30am - 2pm Event centre setup, car-parking, registration, first aid, pegging out maps, computers, control collection and pack-up. I’m keen to help Please Helen Hughes, Event Coordinator with your availability (day and time) and duty preferences. Get in touch Sprinting to the finish at Spicers Reserve, Porirua. Copyright (C) 2024 Orienteering Wellington. All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe

    • The Autumn Wrap
      • The Autumn Wrap Review of Nationals, Secondary Schools Champs and more View this email in your browser Orienteering Wellington: Autumn wrap Ngā mihi kia koutou Our year has started with a couple of fast and fun sprint events, and it’s exciting to see the new intake of college students. At Easter, more than 50 from Orienteering Wellington travelled to Taupō and Rotorua for Nationals. That’s a majority of members and reinforces a key idea that Nationals is for everyone. Those who went enjoyed some terrific orienteering on extremely challenging maps, with some great personal achievements and strong competitive successes. You can read more about Nationals below. Coming up we have a number of local events and in July will host the National Secondary School Championships, our major event for this year. There’s also plenty of work underway given Orienteering Wellington is organising Oceania 2025, which will be the first opportunity many club members will have had to attend this trans-Tasman week-long orienteering gala. Have a great Anzac Day and see you on the map. Paul President Nationals 2024 in review The NZ Orienteering Champs 2024 were hosted by Taupō and Bay of Plenty. The Good Friday sprint at Crown Park saw runners weave through Taupō Intermediate and Tauhara College. On Saturday, hundreds attended the mihi whakatau on the shores of Lake Rerewhakaaitu, where Ngāti Rangitihi welcomed us to their land at Te Pūtake o te Maunga on the lower slopes of Mount Tarawera. The map was formerly known as “Crater Block” and hadn’t been used for decades. The volcanic terrain was superb – navigationally testing and physically demanding, and its undulating downward slope with numerous boulders, pines and scrub was quite a contrast to local terrain. Te Pūtake o te Maunga was used for the Middle Distance, Long, and Relay events. There were some awesome results from club members across the grades. We want to specifically acknowledge these placings. Sprint Lizzie Ingham - 1st - W21E Gillian Ingham - 1st - W65A Kate Fortune - 1st - W75A Sarah O'Sullivan - 2nd - W35A Tova Bengtsson - 2nd - W10A Lachlan McKenzie - 3rd - M40A Yvette Baker - 3rd - W50A Katie Hill - 3rd - W55A David King - 3rd - M60A Dick Dinsdale - 3rd - M70A Haruka Ino - 1st - Open Easy Jake McLellan - 3rd - M20E Middle distance Lizzie Ingham - 1st - W21E Melissa Edwards - 1st - W45A Katie Hill - 1st - W55A Gillian Ingham - 1st - W65A Neil Kane - 1st - M75A Sarah O'Sullivan - 2nd - W35A Magnus Bengtsson - 2nd - M45A Ed Cory-Wright - 3rd - M21E David King - 3rd - M60A Kate Fortune - 3rd - W75A Juliana McMillan - 3rd - W21A Ellie Molloy - 1st - W21AS Matthew Power - 1st - Open Easy Morag McLellan - 3rd - W20E Long Lizzie Ingham - 1st - W21E Sarah O'Sullivan - 1st - W35A Katie Hill - 1st - W55A Melissa Edwards - 2nd - W45A Magnus Bengtsson - 2nd - M45A Yvette Baker - 2nd - W50A Gillian Ingham - 2nd - W65A Dick Dinsdale - 3rd - M70A Kate Fortune - 3rd - W75A Lachlan McKenzie – 1st M40AS William Power - 1st - M55AS Matthew Power - 1st - Open Easy Jake McLellan - 2nd - M20E Relay Although our club had no top three placings in the relay, we’re particularly proud of the results of our Mixed Open (Ed Cory-Wright, Lara Molloy and Lizzie Ingham) and Mixed Masters teams (Yvette Baker, Katie Hill and Magnus Bengtsson), both of which placed fourth. These teams had two women and one man, in contrast to most Mixed Open and Mixed Masters teams—including those placing first, second and third—which had two men and one woman. Wellington on the world stage Orienteers who will go on to represent New Zealand internationally this year were announced at Nationals, with several club members named. We’re thrilled that Jake McLellan and Rachel Baker, who will compete at European Youth Orienteering Champs (Poland) and Junior World Orienteering Champs (Czechia). Congratulations too to the ever-stellar Lizzie Ingham, who managed a clean sweep in Women’s 21 Elite at Nationals and will compete at World Orienteering Champs in Edinburgh. National Secondary School Championships Orienteering Wellington is hosting this year’s Secondary School Championships on Friday 19 to Sunday 21 July, which is at the end of the school holidays. Although these are school championships, there will be events for orienteers of all ages and stages. The events are: Sprint – Raumati Beach (streets, parkland, school campuses) Long – Tikara map, Porirua (native bush, pine forest, open farmland) Relay – Spicer Botanical Park (native bush, pine forest, open farmland) More information coming soon on the Secondary Schools Championships website New website! Have you noticed we’ve had an online makeover? Orienteering Wellington’s new website at https://orienteeringwellington.org.nz/ is the best place for information about events, membership, training and resources. There’s also information for people who are new to orienteering. You’ll find it cleaner and simpler to use on any device. Redeveloping the website has been a longstanding project. Thanks to Jake, Magnus, Will and Lachlan for making it happen. Website Wednesday is the day for Group training! For over a year, Lizzie and Magnus have generously offered interval training to Orienteering Wellington members. Those who take part are benefitting hugely, as well as enjoying a good dose of camaraderie. Sessions are now at 6pm Wednesday. They last for about an hour but are flexible as timing isn’t strict. They’re appropriate for all levels of fitness, too—so you just have to bring your gear and headlamp! Meet at Ōtari Carpark on Wilton Road. Our Wellington Orienteers Facebook page also has a Training chat for any “on the day” updates. Member of the Month: Magnus Bengtsson Magnus was awarded the Fortune Cup for Services to Orienteering Wellington at our AGM in 2023, and the club nominated him for ONZ’s ‘Administrator of the Year’. Although he did not receive ONZ’s honour, we thought we’d share why we thought him such a worthy candidate. Magnus has provided an enormous amount of support to Orienteering Wellington including initiating training and development opportunities for members, planning and controlling courses, and will routinely oversee registrations and IT support for club events to ensure high-quality events are available and run smoothly. Magnus willingly contributes his skills to national events as well. Magnus has provided the facility for our entry system and developed software both to simplify relay entries and calculate points in school championships. He has helped build the club's new website and assisted with brand development too. He is passionate about building club culture and ensuring orienteers at all stages are able to develop and realise their potential. Magnus, Lisa, Mattias and Tova will head to Sweden for an extended period in May. From there, Magnus will maintain online registrations for our events, but largely step away from other roles. His “hands on” involvement at events, depth of knowledge, and willingness to share these with others will be greatly missed. Kate Fortune presents Magnus with the Fortune Cup, Orienteering Wellington AGM 2023 Upcoming events Sunday 5 May – OY, Hydrabad, Waitārere Sunday 12 May – CSW Series 3, Normandale Sunday 19 May – CSW Series 4 and OY, Kaukau, Johnsonville Park Wednesday 22 May – Afterwork rogaine, Wellington Sunday 26 May – CSW Series 5 and OY,Whareroa, Paekākāriki Sunday 9 June – CSW Series 6, Matairangi Mount Victoria Sunday 16 June – Parewanui, Bulls Wednesday 19 June – Afterwork rogaine, Wellington … For all events, visit Orienteering New Zealand About us We welcome all who live around Te Whanganui-a-Tara to discover our special region through orienteering. Be part of our community at Orienteering Wellington Copyright (C) 2024 Orienteering Wellington. All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe

    • Your 2024 subscriptions are due!
      • Your 2024 subscriptions are due! Continue enjoying the benefits of membership if you haven't paid already. View this email in your browser Subscriptions are due! Kia ora <> Invoices for 2024 membership to Orienteering Wellington were emailed last week. You should have received your invoice from Revolutionise Sport (no-reply@revolutionise.com.au), which we use to handle our membership and payments. Your invoice is due within 7 days of being issued, after which membership for 2024 will lapse. That means it’s time to pay if you haven’t done so already! We are aware some people might not have received an invoice. In other cases, the invoice may be in your junk folder. If you did not receive an invoice and think you are a renewing member or would like to be a member, please email us. If you do not intend to renew your membership, please also let us know. Membership is for a calendar year and there are two classes: Premium and Standard. Premium members pay no entry fee forclub-level events hosted by Orienteering Wellington. Standard members pay 50%of the entry fee for club-level events. Both options provide access to training and social activities. Your invoice will be based on your current membership class. Email us if you would like to change your membership class. You can also find out more about Premium and Standard membership for adults and juniors below. About membership Get your gear on! Do you need a new shirt or sporty headband? Our new club kit is essential if you’re attending Nationals at Easter – but also super comfortable and suave for local events. We have plenty of shirts available, in a variety of sizes, and headbands too. Order here Major events NZ National Orienteering Champs at Easter Nationals 2024 will be held by Orienteering Bay of Plenty in Rotorua and Taupō over Easter (Friday 29 March – Monday 1 April). The maps are shaping up to be fantastic and this is a great part of the country for a family holiday if you need to coax others who aren’t so fussed on orienteering! Find out more about Nationals 2024 NZ Secondary Schools Orienteering Championships NZSSOC 2024 will be from Friday 19 to Sunday 21 July, during the school holidays. Events will be within easy reach of urban Wellington and include a sprint, long event, and relay. There will be courses for everybody and, with a focus on local and accessible events, we’re looking forward to folks getting involved, both running and helping run the events. Coming events Wednesday 28 — CSW sprint, Petone, Wellington Sunday 3 March — CSW Series 1, Kaitoke Wednesday 6 March — CSW sprint, Tawa College Sunday 10 March — CSW Series 2, Belmont Bunkers, Lower Hutt Wednesday 13 March — CSW sprint, Scots College, Strathmore Sunday 17 March — Parewanui, Scotts Ferry, Bulls Wednesday 20 March — CSW sprint, Upper Hutt ... For all events, visit Orienteering New Zealand About us We welcome all who live around Te Whanganui-a-Tara to discover our special region through orienteering. Be part of our community at Orienteering Wellington Copyright (C) 2024 Orienteering Wellington. All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe

    • Setting the scene for 2024
      • Setting the scene for 2024 A member's memoir plus CSW just around the corner! View this email in your browser Setting the scene for 2024 Happy New Year! I am thrilled to serve as the President of Orienteering Wellington for another year. It has been an incredible journey leading this dedicated community who are committed to promoting the love of orienteering for all in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Wellington. We finished last year with our AGM, Christmas Social and maze race. The Fortune Cup, awarded for service, rightly went to Magnus Bengtsson for all his support with software, programming, IT, planning, controlling, and generally helping keep things going. Other nominations were Helen Hughes, Jane Harding and Lauren Wills. The Endeavour Cup for performance was presented to Jake McLellan for the second year in a row—other nominees were Rachel Baker and Mattias Bengtsson. We had a quick look at the results of the member survey. A number of common themes came through from members and, for 2024, we will prioritise the following: delivering a new website reviewing the package of events on offer—do we have a sufficient range of event types and locations? growing the engaged membership (and therefore the volunteer base) providing more opportunities for training (planning, controlling, software, mapping) working towards greater consistency of map scales boosting the event centre experience. We’d love to hear from you if you have other ideas—you can email Lachlan at secretary@wellingtonorienteering.org.nz Looking ahead, 2024 promises to be a year of even more opportunities for growth, camaraderie, and success—even if one must unfortunately say goodbye to friends from time to time. In this newsletter we have a lovely memoir from Don Locke who is heading back to the UK after 18 years with Orienteering Wellington. Don, you’ll be greatly missed. Thank you for all you have done for the club, and safe travels! Paul Teesdale-Spittle President Local events – CSW 2024 Our College Sport Wellington (CSW) series has two types of events: short-distance sprint events held in complex urban environments, and which require quick decision making; and classic foot orienteering in regional parks, forests and farms. Orienteering Wellington co-hosts these with Orienteering Hutt Valley. CSW Sprint series The CSW Sprint Series is a good chance for newcomers to have a go at orienteering in an urban environment on Wednesday evening, with some trickier courses to challenge the more experienced orienteers. Start times are from 6-7pm on Wednesday. Wednesday 14 February—Newlands College and Newlands Intermediate Wednesday 21 February—Upper Hutt College Wednesday 28 February—Petone Recreation Ground Wednesday 6 March—Tawa College Wednesday 13 March—Scots College, Strathmore Wednesday 20 March—Upper Hutt CBD CSW Orienteering series These are traditional orienteering events held in parks around Greater Wellington. They provide an opportunity for students new to orienteering to experience non-urban events and learn how to orienteer and a challenge for experienced orienteers. The series begins with a ‘Have a Go’ event, followed by six others that count towards the competition. Start times are 11am–1pm on Sundays. Sunday 25 February—CSW ‘Have a go’ at Massey University Sunday 3 March—CSW 1 at Kaitoke Sunday 10 March—CSW 2 at Belmont Bunkers, Belmont Sunday 12 May—CSW 3 at Stratton Street, Maungaraki Sunday 19 May—CSW 4, location TBC Sunday 26 May—CSW 5, location TBC Sunday 9 June—CSW 6, location TBC Also look out for the CSW prizegiving at date and location yet to be determined. Locations are subject to change and will be confirmed closer to the time. Full details can be found at Orienteering New Zealand’s events listings For more information email Peter Thomson at csworienteering@gmail.com NZ Orienteering Champs 2024 Orienteering Bay of Plenty is hosting this year’s National Orienteering Champs. There will be three events on the Crater Block map, Te Pūtake Maunga. This promises to be an epic gala—one of “one of the best Nationals maps in decades” is how mapper Russell Higham has described the terrain. Early entries close Sunday 25 February, but if you enter before Waitangi Day then you’ll also go in the draw to win cool spot prizes for free entries to local Rotorua attractions—Secret Spot Hot Tubs, Te Puia, Redwoods Tree Walk and Waikite Valley Hot Pools. If you’re going to Nationals, don’t forget to pack your new club shirt and headband! Find out more and enter Don Locke: A Memoir I have been an orienteer for 45 years. It began shortly after I turned 40. I was, as they say, filling out nicely and not very fit, so my birthday resolution was to try some gentle jogging. When I saw an event advertised in a local paper (this was in the UK), I thought I would give it a try—and was instantly and permanently hooked. Since then I have gone to almost everything available in the way of standard orienteering, though I’ve never got into night orienteering, rogaines, MBO or mountain marathons. I did once do the Beat the Train Run in Wales (I didn’t, quite), and the Remutaka Rail Trail Run two or three times. I was very sorry when they gave that up. By the time I started, they were using color maps, though I did once enter a club anniversary event where they used the map and courses from their initial event, 25 years before. It was a complete disaster. The photocopied hand-drawn black-and-white map was unreadable and the whole area was now covered in blackberry. It’s the only event where I failed to get a single control. I never even left the track; I was definitely not going into that! Blackberry and stinging nettle are familiar features of English orienteering. I developed an immunity to nettle and used to wear specially reinforced socks called bramble bashers (I still have them but have never used them here). I also remember a medical examination where the nurse looked at me oddly and demanded to know how I got all those marks on my legs. I’m not sure she believed me. In those days we typically had to draw our courses in by hand in red biro. It was a matter of controversy whether this should be allowed before or after the timed start. If the latter, there was always the risk of putting a circle in the wrong place, as I learnt to my cost. But undoubtedly the biggest change was the introduction of electronic punching in the late 1990s. Before that we each had a control card pinned to our waist (pins supplied free at major events) and we punched it at each control. There would then have to be an after-event ‘results party’ where club members would gather in the organiser’s garage or garden to check cards and calculate times. One group would hold the card up to the light and compare it with a template for that course, to check that the correct marks were in the correct boxes (I was strongly reminded of this during the ‘hanging chads’ fiasco after the 2000 US Presidential election—they should have used a bunch of orienteers!). Another group would subtract the start times from the finish times and record each result. All this could take several hours, depending on the number of ‘volunteers’. Each card also had a detachable stub where we were expected to record our own times and attach it at the appropriate point on a clothesline set up for that purpose, one for each course, fastest to the left, slowest to the right. If I ever found myself at the head of the line I checked, then corrected, my calculation. At one event we attracted far more runners than expected (no pre-entry in those days either) and the clotheslines I had set up were nowhere near long enough, so people had to staple their stubs to those already stapled to the line, and others had to staple theirs to those, and so on until it was like Christmas decorations. Then it rained and the whole thing became a sodden mess. In 1989 I took early retirement and spent several years messing around, enjoying myself. I did a lot of traveling, including two driving tours in eastern Europe shortly after the Berlin wall came down. It was a fascinating time to do that – people would stop and stare at my right-hand-drive car – and I was able to orienteer in Poland, Czechoslovakia (as it was then), Hungary and Romania as the only competitor listed as GBR (I once put UK by mistake and found myself entered as Ukrainian). Then, around 1996, I was appointed Secretary-General of the British Orienteering Federation, a very grand title for a pretty minor role. I was in charge of the National Office near Matlock on the edge of the Peak District (my home was in the West Midlands but this was still convenient because my wife was working in Sheffield and we both lived there during the week). It was lovely country with some wonderful running, but a funny little job: pure administration with almost nothing to do with orienteering. We were funded largely by various sports councils and the bureaucracy was overwhelming. I used to say that my job was filling in enough forms and completing enough reports to ensure that we got enough funding to pay my salary. Is that what they mean by a circular economy? I did that for five years and after another gap came back to New Zealand in 2006 (I was born in Wellington but grew up in Christchurch). And now, after almost 18 years as a member of Orienteering Wellington, we are going back to the UK (my wife is English and we have family and friends in both countries). I shall be rejoining my old club, the obscurely-named Octavian Droobers (and thereby hangs another tale, which I tell below) where I was a member for 28 years. But I shall take with me the fondest memories of Kiwi orienteering and the many friends I have made in the Wellington and Hutt Valley clubs. What’s in a name? Octavian Droobers, commonly known as OD, is the orienteering club for Coventry and Warwickshire in the English West Midlands. We lived in Coventry for a couple of years, just down the road from its leading independent school, King Henry VIII. Time was when they had a Latin teacher (of all things) who loved nothing better than to take a bunch of lads – and in those days they were all lads – on long cross-country runs, the rainier and muddier the better. His name was Ted Norrish and his nickname was The Droob, so this activity was known as droobing. When orienteering arrived in the UK, Norris embraced it enthusiastically, so when a bunch of old and current boys set up the local club they decided to call it Octavian (after King Henry) Droobers (after Norrish). I never myself met the Original Droober. He abandoned orienteering when they introduced colour maps. He thought it was against the spirit of the sport. That’s only half an explanation, though, because why was Norrish called the Droob? The story there – and I'm not sure I believe it myself – is that when the Romans left Britain, and the country came under attack from the Vikings, communication between settlements was slow and precarious. So every monastery would have its fit young man, to run up hills, down valleys, and through woods to the next monastery, with any urgent warning—and this runner was called a ‘druba’. So happy drubing. I shall miss you, one and all. Don Locke Don at the NZ Orienteering Championships 2023 About us We welcome all who live around Te Whanganui-a-Tara to discover our special region through orienteering. Be part of our community at Orienteering Wellington Copyright (C) 2024 Orienteering Wellington. All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe

    • Social and AGM evening
      • Social and AGM evening View this email in your browser Social and AGM - Saturday Kia ora koutou, This is just a quick message as a reminder of our upcoming social evening and AGM this Saturday night. Get all the timing and activity details here: https://www.orienteering.org.nz/events/agm-and-social-event/ Key features to be aware of: We will start with a fun orienteering-related mystery activity - bring your gear! The AGM component is quick, slick and painless. Who are your picks for the Endeavour Trophy and the Fortune Cup? Bring a plate, bring something to drink, share the joy! Our major talking point will be a short overview of the feedback from the Orienteering New Zealand member’s survey - which will give us a chance to set some priorities for the club for the coming year. Come and have your say. Copyright (C) 2023 Orienteering Wellington. All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe

    • Orienteering Wellington - Afterwork series and AGM
      • Orienteering Wellington - Afterwork series and AGM Spring sees us back in full swing—read on to find out more! View this email in your browser Tis the season for Afterwork Orienteering and our Christmas AGM Mihi nui kia <> Our start to spring has been a bit quiet locally but now we have plenty of news for November! Next weekend is the 37th Anniversary of the Wayne Cretney Classic, organised by Bryan Teahan. It’ll be a true endurance event using new maps around Mornington and Berhampore. Red medium, Orange, Yellow and White courses on-the-day courses are still available. We also have a club events in the pipeline, including afterwork events at Onslow College on Wednesday 15 November and Te Herenga Waka VUW campus on Wednesday 29 November. Orienteering Hutt Valley will also offer some afterwork events before Christmas and the annual Big Trig rogaine on Sunday 10 December. See you at the next event! Paul Teesdale-Spittle President Club achievements at Nationals Orienteering Wellington can celebrate a number of achievements from the NZ National Orienteering Championships held in Hawke’s Bay recently. Many members placed well, especially some of our veteran runners. Here are some of the standout achievements – which in no way overshadow the satisfaction and personal success all runners should feel irrespective of where they finished. In the sprint, Lauren Wills came first in W40A, as did Gillian Ingham in W65A, Neil Kane in M75A and Don Locke in M85A. Mattias Bengtsson took second place in M10, as did Lisa Bengtsson in W40A and Dorothy Kane in W75A. In the middle distance, Yvette Baker took first in W50A. So too did Gillian Ingham in W65A, Neil Kane in M75A and Don Locke in M85A. David King took second place in M60A, as did Kate Fortune in W75A. The long event on the Tuna Nui map was a standout whereby seven members came first in their grades: Katie Cory-Wright in W21A, Lisa Bengtsson in W21AS, Sarah O’Sullivan in W35A, William Power in M40AS, and David Middleton in M55AS. Gillian Ingham and Neil Kane took triple crowns, coming first in their classes too. Lara Molloy was hot on Katie’s heels coming second in W21A, as did Lauren Wills in W40A, Yvette Baker in W50A, and David King in M60A. We have a lot to be proud of from this year’s Nationals, and can look forward to taking spirit of fun and success to Rotorua next year. Snaps from National 2023 of club competitors and our relay team. Photos courtesy of Helen Howell. Annual General Meeting Our AGM will be on Saturday 9 December, so mark this in your calendar now. We’ll confirm the venue and details soon but our gathering tends to include plenty of time for orienteering antics, food and socialising as well as business. The Fortune Cup for service and Endeavour Cup for performance are also awarded. On the topic of business, club officers must be elected. I, Lachlan, and Gerald are all happy to stand again as president, secretary and treasurer respectively but equally happy to step aside if you’d like to have a go. Similarly, email Lachlan if you’re interested in serving on the committee in a different way. Look fit with new kit! Finally, our new gear has arrived and orders are ready to be distributed! There are several options to collect your gear: Collect from Anna Varnham at home Collect from Anna at Samuel Marsden Collegiate, 8am – 5.30pm Collect at one of our not-to-be-missed coming events. Email Anna at to let her know your preference. It’d be great if you could arrange collection at your earliest possible convenience. Extra stock is available across a range of sizes – so if what you ordered isn't perfect, there may be an option to swap. Note it seems the supplier has not included the mesh panel on the white shirts—and we’re unlikely to send them back! Sarah O’Sullivan to lead ONZ Congratulations to Sarah O’Sullivan, who has been elected Chair of Orienteering New Zealand from December! Sarah was our own club president immediately before Paul and has been active in the club for many years. Sarah runs elite grades at major events. We’re really excited for Sarah and know she’ll lead ONZ extremely capably. She is the second woman to hold the position of chair after our own Jane Harding. Here she is modelling the new club kit! Technical tip: Visualise the circle When you look to the next control, how well can you picture exactly what your approach will look like? To know precisely where the control will be placed you need to convert the map into an image in your mind of how the terrain in the control circle will look. Watch the video about developing a clear mental image of stepping stones and handrails, how they relate to each other and how you will flow through them. You should flow though control sites just as you flow through the rest of the leg. Content provided by Orienteering New Zealand Fitter, faster, better together! Magnus Bengtsson and Lizzie Ingham are continuing with group interval and sprint training at 6pm Tuesdays. You’ll get to build fitness running along the flat, up hills, or maybe a mix—and doing intervals as a group is much more motivating than doing intervals on your own. This training is primarily for Orienteering Wellington members but anyone is welcome to attend for free. The location is movable, so email Magnus if you’re keen. Looking ahead: Major events in 2024 Sprint clinic Orienteering Wellington will hold a Sprint Clinic on Saturday 20 to Monday 22 January (Wellington Anniversary Weekend) on local sprint maps. This is deliberately held ahead of the Oceania Sprint Championships but will be useful for any runner looking to develop their sprint skills. Find out more about the Sprint Clinic Oceania Sprint Champs 2024 Oceania is a trans-Tasman sprint championship, next year hosted by Orienteering Taranaki with their Lonely Mountain Sprints (26-29 January) and Auckland Orienteers with the Auckland Triple Crown (3-6 February). Lonely Mountain includes six sprints as well as a knock-out championship and relay championship, while the Triple Crown has three sprint races and Oceania Sprint Championship. Enter or find out more about Oceania 2024 NZ National Orienteering Champs in Rotorua Nationals 2024 will be held by Orienteering Bay of Plenty in Rotorua and Taupō over Easter (Friday 29 March – Monday 1 April). The maps are shaping up to be fantastic and this is a great part of the country fora family holiday if you need to coax others who aren’t so fussed on orienteering! Find out more about Nationals 2024 NZ Secondary Schools Orienteering Championships Next year it’s us—we’re hosting NZSSOC 2024 in the July school holidays! Orienteering Wellington has made an ‘in principle’ decision that events be in or within easy reach of urban Wellington. There will be courses for everybody and, with a focus on local and accessible events, we’re looking forward to folks getting involved, both running and helping run the events. Coming events Saturday 11 November — 37th ‘Classic’ and Wayne Cretney Memorial Cup, Wakefield Park, Wellington (“on the day” courses available) Wednesday 15 November — Onslow College sprint, Wellington Wednesday 22 November — afterwork event, Lower Hutt Thursday 23 November — afterwork rogaine, Whitireia Wednesday 29 November — Te Herenga Waka VUW sprint, Wellington Wednesday 6 December — afterwork event, Lower Hutt Saturday 9 December — AGM, Wellington Sunday 10 December — Big Trig ... For all events, visit Orienteering New Zealand About us We welcome all who live around Te Whanganui-a-Tara to discover our special region through orienteering. Be part of our community at Orienteering Wellington Copyright (C) 2023 Orienteering Wellington. All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe

    • Orienteering Wellington - Your September news
      • Orienteering Wellington - Your September news Meet member Helen Howell and don't miss Nationals 2023 View this email in your browser Let's hear it for Hawke’s Bay Kia ora tātou I’d first like to say thanks to Micky, Will and Laura Vale for hosting the midwinter social. It was a fun evening with plenty of food and Helen Howell also brought along some neat homemade jigsaws of orienteering maps used at various national events. You’ll get a chance to meet Helen in greater depth in this newsletter. We’ve also now finished our College Sport Wellington series for the year and our coordinator Peter Thompson has provided a good write-up of the competition. There are also some nice photos of the winners standing in the mud slick that was Te Ahumairangi at the prizegiving. This Sunday there is a score event of two parts at Newlands: A starter in the close terrain of Newlands College and Intermediate, coupled to an extensive set of courses in the surrounding reserves and streets… I know this as I’m the planner! The map has been re-drawn thanks to Sarah O'Sullivan and Will Vale, and you will find tips on the new map and a link to registration on the event page E noho rā, and see you on the map! Paul Teesdale-Spittle Orienteering Wellington President NZ Orienteering Champs – Hawkes Bay This year’s NZ Orienteering Championships (Nationals) will be held in the Bay from Friday 20 October through to Monday 23 October (Labour and Hawke’s Bay Anniversary weekends). Friday 20th October 2023 – Sprint – Windsor, Hastings Saturday 21st October 2023 –Middle – Mangatarata, Waipukurau Sunday 22nd October 2023 – Long – Tuna Nui, Sherenden Monday 23rd October 2023 –Relay – Tuna Nui, Sherenden Entries close at 11.59pm Sunday, 1 October. Enter now Member spotlight: Helen Howell Sticking with Hawke’s Bay connections, our Member Spotlight this time is on Helen Howell, who hails from the Bay. When did you start orienteering? Dad took me to my first event in Hawke's Bay in 1999, so I would have been about one-and-half or two years old. He used to run his course with me on his back in a baby carrier. At first it was a way of giving mum a break from me, but it quite quickly became a whole family outing – there are photos of us at orienteering events from before my sister was walking. What were some differences back then? When I started orienteering, we still used clip cards and drew the controls on our maps by hand before starting our run. I remember feeling very proud of myself the first time I drew my own controls on my map! The older kids would often be running the finish and I remember watching them calculate finishers' course times before hanging our clip cards on the fence – I couldn't wait to be part of it. Of course, Sport Idents came in well before then! What excites you about orienteering? We get to see places in such a unique way, and I love running off-road. I also love the atmosphere at event centres – people gearing up to start their run, finishers discussing route choices and errors. It has such potential to grow as a sport and I'm excited to see how we grow it in Aotearoa. Do you have a favourite event? Sprint! I've never been the fastest sprinter, but I have ADHD so sprint orienteering really appeals to the part of my brain which loves quick decision making under pressure. I find it difficult to focus during long legs so I can be quite inconsistent over a longer distance. What’s your favourite map, and why? Bannockburn, in Otago. I’ve only run there once, during a junior camp about ten years ago, but loved it. The rock pillars were like nothing I've seen before and the smell of thyme rising up with every step made for a very enjoyable race. Tell us something about yourself… I grew up in Hawke’s Bay and moved to Wellington to study law, linguistics and French in 2016, adding a maths minor at the last minute, so it took me six years all up. I hope to do my postgrad overseas in a couple of years – I’ve already checked and there's an orienteering club in the city I’m eyeing up! What is one of your hobbies outside of orienteering? I'm part of a New Zealand Response Team. NZRTs are described as "professional volunteers" able to pitch in and do a variety of things needing doing in an emergency. Most teams are trained in things like reconnaissance, first aid, rubble searches and stretcher extractions. Some also add more specialised training like mass casualty support, storm or flood response, high angle rope rescue and USAR support. I was deployed up to Hawke's Bay this year after Cyclone Gabrielle to support the recovery effort in some of the more isolated communities – an experience for which I'm very grateful. Correspondence Will Vale put an interesting question to the committee about whether enlarged control circles and numbering, along with a white outline, could be made standard for score events. The reason for this is to help the orienteer quickly scan the map and not potentially miss controls, which could happen where there is lots of dark shading on the map due to vegetation or contours. The committee thinks this a good idea and will allow non-standard circles and numbers to be used where appropriate for the map. White outlines around the control circles are not allowed at IOF events, but for Club-level events it probably doesn’t matter and is best to do what looks good and feels right for the map. For A-Grade events, we'll need to stick to the Rules. Condes, our mapping software, contains setting defaults that are correct as per the International Orienteering Federation Rules. The size of the circle will be consistent with the scale, so a circle on a map at 1:5,000 will appear twice as large as where the printed map is 1:10,000. If you’ve a question you’d like the committee to consider, send it to Lachlan at secretary@wellingtonorienteering.org.nz Technical tip: Pace counting Pace counting should be part of the toolkit for Orange- and Red-level orienteers when it’s difficult to judge distance in the terrain. This could be due to a lack of clear features, visibility or runnability– for example, a flat forest with few contour features or vast, sandy terrain. In this short video ONZ’s Gene Beveridge talks about pace counting: What it is, how to do it, and when to use it. Club kit New shirts and headbands have now been ordered. We hope to receive these in time for Nationals but the supplier, Oland Sport, is based in Europe and these may take a little time to reach us. If you’re keen to put your name down for shirts and headbands in the future, contact Anna Varnham, Membership Officer at anna.varnham@gmail.com Upcoming events Sunday 17 September – Score event: Newlands Thursday 21 September – Afterwork Rogaine: Crofton Downs and Ōtari Sunday 15 October – Score event: Lower Hutt Wednesday18 October – Afterwork Rogaine: Te Ahumairangi ... For all events, visit Orienteering New Zealand About us We welcome all who live around Te Whanganui-a-Tara to discover our special region through orienteering. Be part of our community at Orienteering Wellington Copyright (C) 2023 Orienteering Wellington. All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe

    • Putting the OW in Wellington's WOW!
      • Putting the OW in Wellington's WOW! Cool club stuff… for you! View this email in your browser Cool club stuff… for you! Ngā mihi nui! Message from Paul All of us in Orienteering Wellington love orienteering, and I believe ‘fun through participation’ is the number one reason motivating you, me, and all others to continue attending events. But a club is more than events – it’s about community, and this update is as much about our club life as it is events. I’m very much looking forward to our club midwinter social next Saturday – and to seeing you all there. You’ll find details below. What’s more, after many months, I’m thrilled we’re finally launching our new shirts and headbands… and they look incredible! We’re also able to offer the shirts at a far cheaper price than ever before – and cheaper still at only $40 a shirt if you order by 31 August! On behalf of Orienteering Wellington, I want to extend my deepest thanks to longstanding and loyal member Stuart Engleback for his fantastic designs, and for working through logistics with the supplier. We also have a social event coming up this weekend, and I’d love to see you there. Ka kite Paul Teesdale-Spittle Orienteering Wellington President New shirts, new headbands, new you! We’re now taking orders for new shirts, at just $40 each as a first-run special price until 31August (the RRP following the first run is $50). And, for an extra $5, why not slap a headband on your noggin too? There are two options: 1. White background with mesh backing, perfect for sprints and hot runs 2. Black background, without mesh backing. The new kit reflects the club’s branding and will be the sleekest of additions to any Orienteering Wellington member’s wardrobe. Shirts are about half the price as before—and subsidised by Orienteering Wellington—so you may want to think about getting more than one shirt while we’re offering a discount, which will be especially handy for those multi-day events. While we hope deliveries from the first run will arrive in time for the NZ Orienteering Championships at Labour Weekend, Orienteering Wellington does not guarantee this. Do try for size before purchasing. And where to do that? Well, any club event or… our midwinter social! Get my kit! Midwinter social Orienteering Wellington members are warmly invited to our midwinter social this coming Saturday, 12 August. Thanks to the Vale whānau (Micky, Laura and Will) for hosting us this year! As we all know, orienteering is not exactly a team sport, and with people starting their courses at different time it can be tricky to catch up with others at events. So enjoy this time to see your friends and get to know other club members. We’ll have a few ‘armchair orienteering’ exercises and, of course, the famous Orienteering Wellington potluck! Who? Orienteering Wellington members and their immediate families Where? 153 Orangi Kaupapa Road, Northland, Wellington 6012. If you can’t get a parking spot on Orangi Kaupapa Road then try near the grassy corner at Bedford Street (see map below, 5m contours) When? 5.30pm Saturday, 12 August Bring a plate, with enough food for a few others BYO beverages (responsible drinking permitted) Arrive anytime from 5.30pm, dinner from 6.30pm. Plus, remember to try samples of our new shirts for sizing! Events Wellington Night Championships While our event didn’t quite line up with Matariki this year, Magnus Bengtsson and Alan Horn still did us proud putting on our annual night event last night, repeated today. See results for Night Champs See results for the Day event Te Ahumairangi Score and CSW prizegiving Our next event on Sunday 13 August will be a ‘score’ event on Te Ahumairangi hill, followed by the CSW prizegiving. Score events differ from conventional orienteering in that they are strategy events. Runners familiar with rogaine will be well versed with ‘score’ format. Controls are scattered across a map and worth different points (in multiples of 10) There’s an 11am mass start from the event centre Participants have 1 hour to collect as many points as possible The winner is the person who collects the most points 10 points are deducted for every minute, or part thereof, that you are late back to the event centre. Our thanks to Ali Power for planning this event, and to William Power for controlling. As always, please let us know if you’d like to help – helpers get a free run. Alternatively, click the link for full details and to register. Enter Te Ahumairangi Score Subscriptions If you aren’t a member of Orienteering Wellington and would like to join us, we’d love to have you. Get in touch with Anna Varnham for details. Upcoming events Wednesday 16 August – Afterwork rogaine: Newlands Sunday 27 August – OY 2: Whirokino Sunday 3 September – Score event: Hutt Valley Sunday 10 September – Foxtangi Dunes Sunday 17 September – Score event: Newlands ... For all events, visit Orienteering New Zealand About us We welcome all who live around Te Whanganui-a-Tara to discover our special region through orienteering. Be part of our community at Orienteering Wellington Copyright (C) 2023 Orienteering Wellington. All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe

    • Weekend events: Night...🌙 and Day...🌥️
      • Weekend events: Night...🌙 and Day...🌥️ Night Champs at Spicer Botanic Park this weekend View this email in your browser Events at Spicer Park this weekend! Kia ora <> Daylight or dark night? Take your pick – or do both! Thanks to our planner Magnus Bengtsson and controller Alan Horn, Orienteering Wellington is once again offering the Night Champs this Saturday, at Spicer Park, Porirua. The event will be repeated on Sunday at our usual time of 11am. The courses aren’t long but the terrain is steep. Red Long — 2.9km. Technically demanding Red Short — 2.1km. Technically demanding Orange — 1.9km. Intermediate Yellow — 1.2km. Easy/Developing White — 1.1km. Easy Entries on the day will be accepted but pre-entry is preferred. See event pricing Night Champs Night champs definitely require a head torch – as well as the usual arsenal of navigation and coordination. Start times are 6-7pm. Pre-entries close at noon Saturday. Register for Night Champs Sunday event Start are from 11am – 1pm, and competitors re-using their map from Saturday night get a free run. Bring your lunch and make use of the picnic tables as you cheer on your friends at the finish line! Pre-entries close at 11.59pm Saturday. If you are also running on Saturday night, note Night Champs in the ‘Discount Code’ field of the registration so we know not to chase you for payment. Register for Sunday Winter social Orienteering Wellington members are warmly invited to our midyear social on Saturday 12 August. This will be at the Vale family’s home near the top of Te Ahumairangi in Northland – information including time, location, and any other details are coming soon. CSW Prizegiving and Winter Score If you’ve camped out overnight on Te Ahumairangi after the winter social, you’ll be in the right place for the College Sport Wellington prizegiving and first Winter Score event on Sunday 13 August. More details coming soon in the event listing About us We welcome all who live around Te Whanganui-a-Tara to discover our special region through orienteering. Be part of our community at Orienteering Wellington Copyright (C) 2023 Orienteering Wellington. All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe

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