Kangaroos' Tales - July 2014

Wednesday, 2 July 2014

Australian Mountain Bike Orienteering Championships - Alice Springs

On Sat 14th to Mon 16th June, a number of BK mountain bikers took part in the Aust MTBO champs, held in Alice Springs.
 
The maps used areas within 10 K of the centre of the town, and offered a variety of challenges - fast tracks-sand-rocks-flat-undulating - it had everything.
 
To escape the local "bindys", especially evolved to puncture pneumatic tyres, we had to customise our tyres with special inserts, which were quite effective (except for Bruce Paterson who gave new meaning to repairs on the run).
 
Peter Cusworth and Angus Robinson came home with well deserved first placings in the Australian Championships. With a number of second and third placings BK members figured prominently in the awards, while the rest of us were quite happy to have taken part in such a wonderful event.
 
John Sheahan

MelBushO 4 - Plenty South

When Pat and I came to live in Australia two years ago, Plenty South was one of the first maps we competed on. Now, I am wearing the planner's hat. Four courses in a benign and friendly area, what can possibly go wrong? As it turns out, not much.

MelBushO events are designed to attract newcomers as well as provide an easy runout for the regular suspects.

The guidelines instruct me to use no more than 20 controls, so I plan the shortest D course first. They need at least eight of them. Then I plan the A course, trying to stretch it out to the required 6km. The B and C courses are compromised between the two.

I am fortunate to have the advice of Prue and Peta to guide me through it. I visit the area several times to check on suitable control sites, while the kangaroos watch on moodily, bouncing away in alarm as I approach.

Next job is to book decent weather and, bearing in mind the wet, squally days which were to follow, we are indeed the lucky people. The sun shines and the rain stays away. Now put the controls in the right place, and with Steve to check, that seems to work out fine.

I tape each location the week before the event which will make finding them accurately much easier the day before. Car parking, start and finish all adjacent, just what newcomers with little ones might hope for.

Lots of new faces come, and we help them through the initial processes. They all come back - some even venture out for a second look. Now the results are finalised, I am very pleased to see that there are few retirals.

I am most grateful for the crew of BK helpers who worked extremely hard to see the event through to completion. Also to Andrew, Murray and Matthew who collected in all the controls to conclude proceedings by 2pm. 140+ folks came, including a loyal band of radio orienteers, with many newcomers promising to return in three weeks time. Now I have paid my debt to society (for a short while), I look forward to it.

Click here to view results. Many thanks to Bruce for interneting them for me.

Dennis Mews

Greg Tamblyn is still alive!

At the end of May he flew to Perth, turned east and started to ride home.

From Perth to Busselton to Albany to Esperance to Norseman across the Nullarbor and he is now at Ceduna.

So far he has cycled 2709 km in 25 days. Best day so far was 186km - thank you tail wind.

Target is to head to Port Lincoln for a few days R and R, then to Adelaide, Mt Gambier, Warnambool and onto home, provided the weather in Melbourne gets better. It looks worse than here.

Target date is second or third week in July if the body holds up. Bike is going beautifully.

Greg Tamblyn

Chris and Katherine Millard

While in Australia for a time they joined BKOC and regularly came to StreetO – provided they could ride their bikes or get a train to the venue. They did come back for a visit after the first child was born and came to StreetO by tram that day.
 
Email from Chris Millard

We hope you are well.  We occasionally look up Australian orienteering results and are pleased to see you active and doing impressively well.

 We have a new addition to the family!  Benjamin was born on 1st June weighing 3.97kg.  Attached is our most recent photo.  We are still orienteering when we can but missing the heat of Melbourne. And of course Bayside Kangaroos!

Best wishes
Chris, Katherine, Jessica and Benjamin xx 

New Club Members - Welcome!

A very warm welcome to:
Martin Kosma and family – Martin, Ansa, Angelina and Neo.