KANGAROOS' TALES ARCHIVE

Kangaroos' Tales, the Bayside Kangaroos newsletter, was published as a hard copy up until June 2014.

Older issues

KT Issue 59 July 2013.pdf (2.1MB)
KT Issue 58 Dec 2012.pdf (1.6MB)
KT Issue 57June 2012.pdf (2.1MB)
KT Issue 56 Jan 2012.pdf (2MB)
KT Issue 55 July 2011.pdf
(1MB)
KT Issue 54 Nov 2010.pdf (2.1MB)
KT Issue 53 Jun 2010.pdf (2.5MB)       
KT Issue 52 Feb 2010.pdf
 (1.1MB)
KT Issue 51 Aug 2009.pdf (770KB)
KT Issue 50 Mar 2009.pdf (1.2MB)

After that date 'soft' copies of the newsletter were emailed to members.

You can read any of the electronic editions below. Below the current article is a list of all available articles.

Kangaroos' Tales - December 2015

Thursday, 14 January 2016

2015 BK Bush Orienteering Highlights

It was hot!  The ‘Hill Climb leg’ involved ascending the highest peak in Brimbank Park with a climb of 70m.  I’d done it! I knew to keep my head but was absolutely stuffed.  And then came the words “You’ve missed control 12!  Was there a problem?”  Well – yes, me! Not the course.  I’d mispunched!!  Aaagh!  Many of us have suffered the mis-punch but there have also been a considerable number of highlights in the year just ended.  Not necessarily wins. Orienteering also gives the opportunity to run in beautiful locations, achieve personal goals and enjoy the company of people who appreciate all the outdoors has to offer including wind, rain, snow, sleet and scorching sun.

One of my most memorable events was in January in Tasmania, Day 3 of the Oceania Carnival held on Kelvedon Winery estate.  Heading to control #3 required an ascent up a rather brown hill to be greeted with a view across the strait to Freycinet Peninsula.  Spectacular!  Absolutely beautiful!  Or Easter, Day 1 in Wonna Creek, mid-north SA.  The huge erosion gully acted like a mouth into which orienteers were digested and expunged somewhat later. I liked it.  Somehow the trees and bare rock added an attractive element.  I also admit this was the map I kept my head, didn’t rush and so raced into first place in AS category.

Bruce Patterson recalls ‘taking it carefully and quietly ‘getting it’ whilst all around others were clearly panicking’ in the Australian MTBO Middle Distant championships. Helen Alexander, a regular champion in her age class and someone who has encouraged me immensely, recalls racing another younger competitor, Debbie Dodd, to the finish as one her most memorable moments. Judi Herkes, presently running a marathon caring for relatives, considers just making an event an achievement.

Orienteering also takes many club members overseas. Tim Hatley noted that his highlight for 2015 was ‘running in the home of ‘O’, Sweden, for the World Masters Championships.  ‘Such physical and technical terrain on the edge of a major city was amazing.  While I struggled to stay upright and keep in contact with the map the best were sprinting through it as though it was Victorian spur/gully!’  2015 saw Anne Robinson involved in her first overseas event with participation in the Scottish 6 days based in Inverness. She recalls "After travelling for 48 hours I got up the next morning for the first event feeling fresh.  Mistaking a power line symbol for a fence on the map had me noodling around control one for some 20 minutes.  I soon got over an aversion to wet feet and finished midfield with a top 5 place in the finish split!  The event locations and scenery including straths, glens, pine, beech forests, streams, moss, bogs and even the grounds of the castle were superb and so different to the dry Australian native spur gully!"

Stephen and I managed the Victorian Schools Team again and watching these young people achieve personal bests was a privilege.  So too was sharing in Anne Robinson’s moment when her son, Angus Robinson, won the World Junior MTBO Sprint Championship.  Some months later I heard Angus speak about his achievement to the young people representing their States at the schools championships.  This World Title was achieved with much training, more training, coaching, clear strategic thinking and guts.  BK – be proud of your young club members – they do the club so well.

Philippa Lohmeyer-Collins

Sprint into Spring 2015

 

After six weeks of sprint racing, several members received their winning jerseys.
 
Shane Mallia - Green (SPRINT) on Course 1
Stephen O’Connell - Green on Course 2
Claire Adams - Green on Course 3
Anne Robinson - Polkadot (HILL CLIMB) on Course 2
 
Top 3 placings in other jerseys also went to Claire, Anne, Shane and Philippa Lohmeyer Collins.
 
Many people had a lot of fun competing in this series and for the jerseys, with most awards in doubt until the final race. Events were held in parks and campuses around Melbourne, with many newcomers and those more experienced at other types of orienteering joining in.
 
Look out for more sprint racing over the March long weekend (12-14 March) in 2016.
 
Anne Robinson

Victorian Sprint Championships 2015

Congratulations to our latest crop of Victorian Champions!

The Sprint Distance Champs were held on Sunday 29 November at new venue RMIT Bundoora. Great map, great courses, great results! On the podium were:

1st: Philippa Lohmeyer Collins W55, Helen Alexander W75, Even Fossum M16, Alex Ikin M35, Tim Hatley M55, Vic Sedunary M65, Ian Baker M75

2nd: Anita Brierty W10, Janet King W65, Rosie Salvaris W70, Angus Robinson M20, Des Gregory M75

3rd: Anne Robinson W45, Magnus Fossum M14, Nick Collins M20, Henk de Jong M65

Soon-to-be member, Peter Tipping, also placed 3rd in a fast time on the EOD course.

We have several new members in the junior ranks after an OV project to promote further orienteering to children at the Primary School Championships. Good to see their families getting in on the fun too.

BK Christmas Dinner and Annual Awards

About 70 members enjoyed a very nice meal and drinks at the East Malvern RSL on 5 December. Travel talks were given by Tim and Liz Hatley (Europe and World Masters), Greg Tamblyn (cycling in Russia) and Matthew and Janet King (China, train across Russia, hiking and orienteering).

The 2015 awards were made to Angus Robinson (Andrews Trophy for Outstanding Personal Achievement in Orienteering) for winning the World Championship in Junior MTBO Sprint distance; Philippa Lohmeyer Collins and Stephen Collins (Baker Trophy) for their management of the Victorian Secondary Schools Orienteering team; and Carolyn and Peter Cusworth and Heather Leslie and John Gavens (Miller Trophy) for their organisation of the 2015 Australian MTBO Championships.


Top 6 places

 Handicap Outright
Helen Alexander
565
Bruce Paterson576
Even Fossum551
Peter Collins
568
Philipa Lohmeyer-Collins
546
Even Fossum
559
Stephen Collins
545
Stephen Collins
556
Peter Collins
540
Nicholas Collins542
Bruce Paterson
535
Tim Hatley
537

Event Handicap Results

For each event, it determines the fastest BK runner in the chute. Each person's time is normalized to this fastest time using their personal multiplier (which is a bit like a golf handicap).

The personal multiplier is the average of the previous up-tp-16 championship events multipliers that that person attended (and ran, obviously). If you stuff up your course, don't forget to punch the last control and the finish, as I will still count it, even if you mispunched elsewhere.

Yearly Scores
Now for the 2015 cumulatives. A rank is assigned, just like for street-O, with the winner getting 100, next 99, and so on. This is done for both handicap and outright separately. The yearly total is the best 5 of your ranks over the year (so far), plus 10% of the other 'not quite so good' ranks. So if you attend more events, it still helps, even if you won the others.

If you attend poorly attended events (eg. WA last year), you do better as your rank is usually higher. If you attend a lot of events, your total is higher, as you get at least 10%, and you might improve your best 5 too. This year includes Oceania (except a few events had dissimilar finish punches and therefore didn't count).

Bruce Paterson

Members' News

A warm welcome to the Collie family:  Michael, Elspeth, Lucy and Katherine.


Newsletter List
Kangaroos' Tales - February 2016 Tuesday, 9 February 2016
Kangaroos' Tales - December 2015 Thursday, 14 January 2016
Kangaroos' Tales - September 2015 Sunday, 6 September 2015
Kangaroos' Tales - July 2015 Saturday, 11 July 2015
Kangaroos' Tales - June 2015 Tuesday, 16 June 2015
Kangaroos' Tales - May 2015 Thursday, 14 May 2015
Kangaroos' Tales - April 2015 Wednesday, 15 April 2015
Kangaroos' Tales - March 2015 Thursday, 5 March 2015
Kangaroos' Tales - January 2015 Sunday, 25 January 2015
Kangaroos' Tales - December 2014 Monday, 22 December 2014
Kangaroos' Tales - November 2014 Thursday, 20 November 2014
Kangaroos' Tales - October 2014 Wednesday, 15 October 2014
Kangaroos' Tales - September 2014 Friday, 5 September 2014
Kangaroos' Tales - August 2014 Saturday, 9 August 2014
Kangaroos' Tales - July 2014 Wednesday, 2 July 2014
Kangaroos' Tales - May 2014 Tuesday, 3 June 2014
Kangaroos' Tales - April 2014 Saturday, 3 May 2014