eNewsletter 194 - Monday 23^rd December 2024

G'day fellow rogainers

2024 END-OF-YEAR WRAP-UP

A quick review of this year and a sneak-peak of what's on next year for rogaining in NSW

In this issue:

President's Ramble

It's time to reflect once more on the past year of rogaining and rather than measuring our enjoyment with cold hard stats I thought I'd just pass on my impressions and thanks to the people who helped make it a pretty good rogaining year.

We had about the same number of rogaines this year as we did last year - one less really - but I get the feeling that people travelled out of NSW a bit more to sample what other states had on offer. This is great and I'd encourage everyone to check out the grass on the other side of the fence occasionally. Next year, we're building a couple of events that will draw in some of our rogaining neighbours.

Marketing and Event Planning

We achieved a few things in the past year, including ticking off a few of the important items on the to-do list from our strategic plan. We've set up a couple of groups that work with the Committee and draw on the talent and experience of our members to better address our marketing efforts (thanks Julian, Chris and Arthur) and to make event planning a bit more predictable and open (thanks Martin, Ted and Hamish). Our goal is to keep our events at a high standard with interesting locations, challenging, well-planned courses, great maps and high safety standards.

As always, I (and everyone on the Committee) would like to hear from anyone who has something to say about any aspect of our sport - good or bad. The annual members survey (see later in this newsletter) is an easy way to give us some feedback but note that any member can come to a Committee meeting (including the forthcoming AGM after the Minigaine just down the road at Kurnell) and participate in the management of the sport. Look out also for our famous end of year quiz.

Thank Our Volunteers

There are many to thank for making this year a success and I apologise in advance to the humble group that I don't mention.

Everyone who volunteers in any capacity at an event knows of the glow that comes with the effort they put in and this group is the lifeblood of our sport. People who put in the big hours to set, vet and coordinate events form the core of what's needed to bring events to life. I won't name them all, but it's worthwhile taking a walk through the Volunteers Page on the website to see how many people are involved in delivering events each year. Making a commitment to undertake one of these roles can be daunting to a first timer and I'd also like to thank the mentors that have guided and hopefully demystified the process.

There are many volunteers behind the scenes that contribute significantly to the smooth running of events - people like Mark von Huben who keeps the gear in top shape and Julian Ledger who keeps our trailers in his front yard. Gill Fowler who looks after our important relationships with National Parks and Forestry, Chris Stevenson who keeps the website always fresh and stimulating, Mike Hotchkis who keeps our finances on track and of course Robin Cameron who wrangles all the above as volunteer coordinator and VP.

I'd also like to single out Nicole Mealing and Michael Watts for their efforts this year in getting the word out, welcoming and easing novices into the sport by talking to people and passing on their knowledge and wisdom, and of course Bruce Sutton for his work behind the smart end of the camera.

You may not realise, but most of the above, and a few more, are active members of the NSWRA Committee. I'd like to personally thank all of these who serve on the Committee for their efforts and support this year as well as our Event Administrators Anita Bickle and Vivien de Remy de Courcelles who make every event run as smoothly as possible.

We have a few challenges going forward, but I'm confident that we're up to them. In the short term, we need to find more people with an interest and flair at coordinating events - if you've ever had to manage a project in your work life or see this an interesting way to get into managing projects, then organising a rogaine might be a good activity to explore.

Caterers Needed

We also need to find or build a team to provide catering for our events. Stu Warren and the 1^st North Sydney Scouts are taking a well-earned break from providing gourmet eats for spent rogainers and we thank the team for all their support (see Salomé's article later in the newsletter).

If you have any suggestions or recommendations for filling these important gaps, just drop an email to myself or Robin at volunteer@nswroganing.org

Thanks for your support this year - have a safe and happy Christmas and New Year and see you at the first event in 2025, the Kurnell Minigaine.

Graham

Nihal Danis & Richard Sage get the Warwick Marsden Award

Back at the Lane Cove Rivergaine event in November there was public acknowledgement during the presentations of Nihal Danis and Richard Sage, recipients of the Warwick Marsden Award.

Warwick Marsden was an early leader of rogaining in NSW. He wasn't the founder but was instrumental in really getting rogaining on its feet in this state. He was an outstanding person through his commitment, his enthusiasm and capacity to inspire others. He was tragically lost to cancer whilst still a relatively young man. In his memory the Warwick Marsden Award was created to recognise each year a rogainer who has volunteered above and beyond over a sustained period. Rogaines are of course made possible through voluntary effort and time given freely.

Last year the Committee made a joint Warwick Marsden award to Nihal Danis and Richard Sage. Long standing rogainers and volunteers, they can be spotted at most events and especially longer bush rogaines. They have a monster ute capable of carrying a lot of water containers to put out on the course. Richard has served as a past President, a Committee member, Equipment Officer and Safety Officer. They regularly tow one of our two trailers to events.

In 2024 they were organisers of the Festival of Rogaining which included the 24-hour championship event. In 2023 they helped with the running of the Australian Rogaining Championships hosted by NSW, and in 2022 they coordinated the 6/12-hour event in the Garland Valley up the Putty Road.

The award comprises two generous vouchers for the Paddy Pallin shop. Well done Nihal and Richard!

Thanks to Stuart Warren; Star Volunteer & Serial Caterer

To save the life of a newbie newsletter editor, Salomé Hussein ('Sam'), Stu's best friend and business partner, has penned the following tribute upon his 'retirement' from catering:

Stu Warren and the 1st North Sydney Scouts first began leading the catering at the June 2021 Paddy Pallin rogaine. This was the first rogaine after COVID to feature catering. John Havranek was coordinating/setting that event, and I was a late addition to that team. Not even a week later, rogaining again had to endure a second wave of lockdowns. Despite the terrible uncertainty and repeated challenges presented during those times, Stu and the scouts' excellent food and services have been a notable treat and a warm welcome back to the Hash House on many occasions since, and even brekkies the next day after some events.

Since those days, in addition to running a catering team, Stu has had a turn at setting, coordinating, vetting, and has even been known to go rogaining with me.

So, who is this humble man who's been serving us 'soup and toasties'? (and much more!). Outside of catering, Stu has an impressive track record of leadership, team building, and people management. A list of Stu's many titles includes:

• Co-founder of UTS Outdoor Adventure Club in 1993
• Leader-in-Charge of 1st North Sydney Scout Unit
• Training Coordinator for Bush Search and Rescue
• Volunteer for State Emergency Services, North Sydney Unit
• Lead Coordinator and Vettor to this year's Navshield
• Co-coordinator and Setter of last year's 60th Paddy Pallin rogaine (which he also catered)
• Father to 3 bright and adventurous young people
• Co-founder and Staff Engineer of our own shared partnership, Acronyms Unlimited
• Last but not least, NSW Rogaining Master Caterer.

I think this impressive pedigree boils down to two things -- Stu's character and his unbridled cleverness. Although it is easy to envision a man-in-action, pouring out soup etc, the real magic was all behind the scenes. It is the 'intangibles' that make a great leader; managing relationships, thanking and organising his team of volunteers, building people up, and inventing creative solutions for all the emerging pain points. These are the things that those who love him have observed. There is tons of cross-pollination among all the communities he is part of, and many of the things we built or acquired have been used for other groups and events.

You can read an unabridged version of Salomé's article, along with lots more pictures, here.

NSW Rogaining's Year End Survey

NSW Rogaining has been going for forty years and is an active club that strives to keep doing better. Accordingly, the organising team behind NSW Rogaining is very interested in your opinions about rogaining and what we can do better.

We are so keen that we are offering a lucky door prize of $200, or one of three free entries, to people who complete the survey. In order to win you must have completed a NSW rogaine in the last 8 years and leave your name and contact details at the end of the survey. The prize will be awarded on February 1^st 2025, so complete your answers early.

Thank you for helping us make our sport better.

You can start the survey here.

The Annual Rogaining Quiz

How rogaine smart are you? Complete our annual End of Year Quiz and find out.

Start the quiz here.

The First 3 Rogaines for 2025, Plus Some Orienteering:

The dates and locations of three very differently located NSW rogaines have been locked in for the new year.

Kurnell 3-hour Minigaine on Sun 23^rd February (Solo Rogainers Welcome!)

Entries have just opened on the website for our first rogaine of 2025. We will be visiting the unique suburb of Kurnell and the adjacent Kamay Botany Bay National Park. No rogaines have ever been set in this area before.

It will be a 3-hour minigaine and the one time in the year where you can either enter as a team or choose to go solo. Snacks and drinks will be provided at the end and are included in the entry fee. The course is suitable for everyone from walkers, families, and competitive runners/orienteers.

The popular location means our numbers have been capped at 400. Experience shows the shorter events close to the City such as this fill fast. The previous rogaine at Manly last November attracted almost 500 participants, so you are strongly urged to enter as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Kurnell is a site of rich aboriginal heritage and also where Cook first landed. There is only one road in and it is bordered by Silver Beach to the north, cliffs and ocean to the east, wetlands to the west, and an oil terminal to the south. Kamay Botany Bay National Park is right next door to Kurnell and features heavily in the course. There is also rainforest, coastal scrub, mangroves, open rock faces, beach shacks, cafes, a lighthouse, sandstone cliffs, and plenty of ocean. Look out for wallabies, birds, lizards and maybe some dolphins.

The northern half of the course is flat and relatively easy to navigate - rogainers will be off to a flying start. But don’t sprint off on a Kamikaze mission because the course setter, Mat Collin, has found many interesting control locations in the southern half of the map too. There is also a network of tracks which will let smart rogainers compete with the young flyers. Mat might also have found some sand dunes and stairs.

Registration commences at 7:30am. The event starts at 9 and finishes at 12 noon. Prize giving will be around 12:30pm.

The costs will be Adult: $40, Concession: $28, and Child under 14 free.

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

Volunteers Needed

We still need volunteers for this event. Of utmost importance is a caterer! Mat already has a lot of the groundwork done but help on the day might still be needed. You can volunteer on the website, or email our Volunteer Coordinator directly at volunteer@nswroganing.org and Robin will get back to you.

ACTRA 24-hour Australasian Champs, Snowy Mts, 15-16^th March

Entries are now open in the 2024 Australasian Championships -- the 'Murrumbidgee Wayfaring' rogaine, hosted by the ACT Rogaining Association. The ACTRA have 24 hours of fun organised for you and your friends, and although a 'championship' event, it is open to all levels of ability.

The course is being set by experienced rogainers David Baldwin and Julie Quinn, with help from other ACT rogainers. They want you to experience the open plains and high country bush of northern Kosciuszko National Park. Situated at the northern end of Long Plain around the headwaters of the Murrumbidgee River, this area features long tracts of unburnt tall forest with grassy plains. Expect lots of variety in this course, from limestone sinkholes to boulders with good views, a few fire trails and single tracks together with loads of untracked areas. The setters will lure you on a rogaine in an area that is a bit different, and you'll see it all.

Above all, you should expect a course that rewards careful navigation and will encourage you to get off the few fire trails.

The Hash House will be situated in a basic national park campground that has nice grassy areas to camp on and places to park a caravan or RV. There is no power or water on site. There will be drop toilets and portaloos. We will have a large marquee with a limited number of tables and chairs for everyone's use. Camping will be available from Friday night to Sunday night inclusive. The nearest other accommodation is a small amount at Yarrangobilly Caves House and Providence Portal, otherwise Adaminaby (70km) or Tumut (87km) are the nearest towns.

Please be aware that the Hash House is at 1350m elevation with parts of the course above 1600m, so even though it will be late summer, please come prepared in case the weather is very cold (both when you are camping and rogaining).

The event is approximately 3 hours 15 minutes from Canberra, 5 hours 30 minutes from Sydney, and 6 hours 50 minutes from Melbourne.

For more information and to enter, visit the Event Website.

Coffs Harbour 6/12-hour Autumngaine Sat 26^th April

Yes, go bananas at Bucca!

Please don't slip on this opportunity! The setters, Keelan Birch and Mark Hurry, insist this will be a very a-peeling experience for all. Located at Bucca in the Coffs Harbour hinterland, the area is easily reached by freeway from both Sydney and Brisbane. Bring your scarves and flags along too because this rogaine will be a 'State of Origin' battle between NSW and QLD.

To ease the travel pressure, the event will be held over the ANZAC Day long weekend with both the 6 and 12-hour rogaines commencing at 12pm on the Saturday 26^th, the day after the ANZAC Day public holiday.

Keelan and Mark are keen to point out that a rogaine has never been held here before. Highlights include lovely rainforest lined creek lines, waterfalls, old mining relics, and lookouts. The forest contains a mix of dry blackbutt, tallowood, flooded gum, brush box and some old NSW Forestry plantations so it is likely to become part of the new Great Koala National Park. Most of the area has previously been logged by Forestry, resulting in some lantana and other spikey plants, but these have been avoided as much as possible when setting the course.

In the spirit of true rogaining, almost all of the controls have been set off track but at the same time course access is facilitated by a large network of Forestry and informal tracks. Nevertheless, off-track protective clothing, both top and bottom, is strongly recommended.

An All Night Cafe will be set up at a spectacular lookout overlooking the coastal plain, approximately halfway through the course.

Free camping will be available at the event hub on the Friday and Saturday nights but it is also just a 30 minute trip to Coffs Harbour city, where there are lots of accommodation options.

Entries will be opening soon. To find the most up to date info closer to the event, visit the Autumngaine page on the website.

Slow Summer? Revisit the Lane Cove Rivergaine series via MapRun

Ted Woodley's recent classic, last November's Lane Cove Rivergaine VI, is now available on MapRun. If you want to relive happy memories, or sadly missed out, here is your chance!

And if you want to experience more of Ted's Lane Cove Rivergaine series, LCRI, LCRII and LCRV are also available as MapRun events.

Or Try a Little Orienteering Over the Summer Break?

The above are 3 great rogaines in the advanced stages of planning, but in the meantime there is also orienteering; shorter courses yes, but a great way to keep fit, hone your navigation skills close to home, and generally stay rogaining-ready for the coming season. Many of these events have entry categories that even mimic short rogaines, many are on weekdays after work, and most allow casual entries on the day. You'd be amazed at what's on offer, and right on your doorstep.

For Sydney-centric events, take a look at the Sydney Summer Series, an activity of Orienteering NSW. To explore further, full details of these and many more events can be found on Eventor.

2025 World Rogaining Championships, Spain 5-6^th July

The the 2025 World Rogaining Championships are to held in Spain from Saturday 5^th to Sunday 6^th July in the municipalities of Quintanar de la Sierra and Neila, approx 170km N of Madrid. For more info, see the calendar on the International Rogaining Federation website.

Australia gets the 2027 World Rogaining Champs

The International Rogaining Federation has announced that the 20^th World Rogaining Championships (WRC) will be hosted by the Australian Rogaining Association. The Championships are planned for 16-17^th September 2027 in the Flinders Ranges near Wilpena Pound, a spectacular and popular destination for visitors from around the world. This rogaine is bound to attract hundreds of international elite and veteran endurance cross-country navigators.

The course will cover navigationally complex terrain and will present technical challenges amidst spectacular arid scenery very different from the wet forest locations of other recent WRCs. The area is sure to provide a true test for the world's top rogainers.

This will be the fifth WRC to be held in Australia, but only the first in South Australia. The award of the WRC to Australia, the birthplace of rogaining, is recognition of the great depth of talent here for the organisation of major championship rogaines. The local organising team will be supported by personnel drawn from all of the Australian rogaining associations, including a prominent role for the NSWRA.

More detailed information can be found in this Press Release.

2025 Calendar

The 2025 calendar has been locked in - check it out below or grab one of the flyers at the next event. You can download the 'fridge-friendly' version from the website where you will also find the latest info. Put these dates in your diary, but remember to check the website as there may be changes.

Thinking of Volunteering Next Year?

Note all the blanks in the Where and Being set by columns in the calendar above? There are lots of opportunities for you to help delivering our events next year.

Please drop an email to Robin, our Volunteer Coordinator - volunteer@nswrogaining.org or register to help in any event here.

There were some 120 official volunteers helping to run rogaines over 2024 and we would like to take this opportunity to thank every single one of you! Rogaines can't run without volunteers.

(NSWRA celebrates its volunteers. Volunteers earn points. 100 points earns entry to a subsequent event. There is a volunteer rewards points table where you can monitor your progress toward a free entry voucher. For more info see the Volunteer Rewards Policy.)

Thanks for all your support during 2024 and we look forward to seeing everyone again in 2025 for yet another amazing rogaining year.

All the best for the holiday season from the team at the
NSW Rogaining Association.

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