The Search for Skippy Socialgaine

Skippy

What:

6 hr Rogaine

When:

Sunday, 20 Nov

Where:

Terrey Hills

How Much:

Adult: $45
Concession: $32
Child <14 free

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The Search for Skippy Socialgaine

The Socialgaine is back on Sunday 20 November after a two-year hiatus. 2022 has seen a great variety of rogaines in NSW and the Socialgaine is the last event of the year. It is designed to be accessible and fun for newcomers whilst also providing a challenge for the gun teams. It’s an opportunity to stretch your legs in a special part of Sydney, catch up with people and ideal for introducing friends, family, workmates to the sport of rogaining. 

This will be a 6-hour event in Terrey Hills/Duffys Forest/Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park.  The Hash House will be at the Alexander primary school in Duffy’s Forest. There is on street parking, but as usual carpooling is encouraged.

Teams will spend most of their event in the bush in the area bounded by the Cowan and Smiths creek catchments. The event has been approved by the National Parks and Wildlife Service and, to comply with their conditions, teams must stay on tracks. Some tracks drop from the plateau at up to 200m, down to sea level and vary greatly from easy walking to scrambling.

The course setting team has been busy, and it is envisaged there will be approximately 50 controls with routes suitable for families, novices and the top teams.

  • Maps from 8.00am
  • Event start 9.30am
  • Event Finish 3.30pm


Event related queries can be directed to: admin@nswrogaining.org

Click on an image to see fullscreen slideshow

History of the area

Prior to European settlement, indigenous people lived in the area for thousands of years and their rock carvings on the sandstone platforms remain. The Northern Beaches Council area has identified more than 300 Aboriginal sites dating back up to 6000 years. On the course, one set of carvings depicts hunting scenes with kangaroos, human figures and footprints (for viewing, not walking on).

Terrey Hills is named after two landowners – Obediah Terrey and Samuel Hills. Timber cutter – Patrick Duffy – gave his name to Duffys Forest as well as to a track, and former wharf on Cowan Creek, from where he shipped his timber.

Location

Terrey Hills is one of the highest parts of Sydney, hence the weather radar located here. It is surrounded by Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park which features eucalypt forest, rocky cliffs and deep gorges with rain forest and mangroves on the tidal areas.

Beyond the Terrey Hills shops the area retains a semi-rural character. It features horse studs, pet boarding kennels and eight schools. In between are large homesteads with extensive landscaping.

The area includes dressage arenas and horse trails, some of which will be used in the rogaine. 

The map even features a Christmas Tree Farm! A big thank you to Ron and Barbara Junghans (long standing orienteers/rogainers and owners of the farm), who have been generous in sharing their local knowledge.

Fun Facts

Skippy the Bush Kangaroo once lived at Waratah Park in Duffys Forest and was star of the television series with the same name (spoiler alert – over the 91 episodes a number of kangaroos played Skippy).

For the international market it was filmed in colour before Australia had colour TV. The series revolved around a national park ranger, his family and Skippy who was very intelligent and had skills beyond the average kangaroo. Skippy was smart and resourceful and regularly caught villains up to no good in the national park.

Skippy was BIG internationally and broadcast in 140 countries from Ghana to Iran to Cuba to the former Czechoslovakia, behind the then Iron Curtain.  In French speaking Canada it was Skippy le kangourou. In the UK, Skippy rivalled Doctor Who for popularity. Skippy was dubbed into Spanish in Mexico, Skippy el canguro, and was seen in most Spanish speaking countries. In Germany, it was Skippy, das Buschkänguruh, whilst in Italy Skyppy il canguro.

In Norway a chain of shopping centres were named in honour of the program but in Sweden psychologists claimed children’s development could be impaired by talking animals.

In Skippy’s heyday you could buy Skippy pyjamas, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, toys, jewellery, comics, rulers, pencils, puzzles, T-shirts, towels, jellybeans, cornflakes, soft drinks and ice cream.

Aussies who went on gap years pulling beers in London pubs found themselves being called Skips.

Free entry to The Search for Skippy Socialgaine is offered to any rogainer who can provide evidence that they were once one of the 67,000 members of the Skippy fan club.

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