G'day Rogainers,

NSW Rogaining eNewsletter, 21st February 2021

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Compiled by Tristan White

“Contouring Killara” 3-hour Minigaine, Sunday 28th February – Entries Close Monday at 11:50pm!

The first NSW rogaine of 2021 is just about to fall upon us with the “Contouring Killara” Minigaine organised by Steve Ryan and his tribe of volunteers, with the Hash House at Killara High School, only a few kilometres from the recent Willoughby Paddy Pallin.

The course offers something for everyone with plenty of route options through the streets, parks, public gardens, undulating fire-trails or challenging mountain goat tracks for the intrepid.

The event is special in allowing both solo and team entries. For covid safety reasons, we will have a staggered start window. Individuals can collect maps from 7:15am start between 8 and 9:30am, and teams can get maps from 7:45am to start between 8:30 and 10am.

Annual General Meeting – 28 February 2021

The AGM will be held approximately 1:30pm (yes, apparently rogainers understand the word “approximately”) following the conclusion of the Minigaine and is very important as it is the chance to formally elect the coming year’s committee. We thank those who have served on the committee throughout 2020 (and some of them many years prior).

If you are interested in stepping up to the challenge, please contact President Trevor Gollan at president@nswrogaining.org

Rest of the Year

Here’s a reminder of the other events we have planned in 2021 – beyond the Minigaine in Killara.

  • Sun. 7-Mar, 6-hour “Back to Bay” at Durras – run by ACT Rogaining Ass’n
  • Sun. 28-Mar, 6-hour Metrogaine at Wollongong
  • TBD in April, Nav Workshop, probably at Rydal
  • Sat. 8-May, 12/6-hour Autumngaine at Belanglo
  • 29-30 May, Australian Championships at Burra – run by SA Rogaining Ass’n
  • Sun. 20 Jun, 6-hour Paddy Pallin Rogaine, Blue Mountains
  • Sat. 3-Jul, 5/3-hour Night Rogaine
  • Sat. 7-Aug, 12/6-hour Lake Macquarie
  • 28-29 Aug, 24/8-hour NSW Championships at Gundabooka NP (Bourke)
  • Sun. 17-Oct, Surprise Event near Newcastle
  • Sat. 20-Nov, 8/4-hour Socialgaine

The complete, up to date list, is on our website here including all events run by the ACT Rogaining Association, and virtual rogaines can be still accessed on MapRunF here.

Rogainers – Queens of the Screen and Princes of Print

After making headlines across NSW, Vic and Qld with the rogaining article published jointly in the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and the Brisbane Times (plus a feature in the subsequent week’s Good Weekend quiz), Channel 10’s flamboyant Dan Doody mustered up a bunch of rogainers to feature in two ~3-minute scenes on national TV several weeks ago. They have kindly sent us these clips for posterity, which you can view on our website. In addition to myself (Tristan), our acting stars included Salome Hussein, Julian Ledger (Director), Nathan Kulinitsch, Ashton Kulinitsch, Cooper Horley, Aidan Horley, Iona Horley, Kirsten Horley, and Adam Horley.

See you all at the Oscars!. If you haven't seen the video you can watch it here

Australian Rogaining Championships 29-30 April, South Australia

The Australian Rogaining Association has opted to proceed with the “Deceptive Lands” Australian Rogaining Championships* to be held in the Goyder region of SA, approximately 250km from Adelaide airport. This was postponed from last year owing to covid restrictions and we hope that border policies will allow rogainers from all states to make the trip and determine who will hold national titles for each category.

Here is reprinted the correspondence with event coordinator Jenny Casanova, originally published last year, to remind Waratahs why a “holiday” to South Australia would be so worthwhile!

“30 Years Ago; The Story Begins…” writes SA Rogaining Association’s “Chief Conspirator” Jenny Casanova, “On a dark rainy windswept night in 1989, the young girl trudged up the road in the glow of torchlight after 14 hours in the wilderness, lagging behind her companion who turned back to her, map in hand, and they conferred about whether to head towards the hash house and a warm bed in a dry* tent, or else to venture further into the Deceptive Lands…”

Tristan White: Introduce us to the organising team.
Jenny Casanova: After the magnificent and extremely well-organised 2012 ARC at Angorichina in the Northern Flinders Ranges I started thinking about who I could get to help me showcase my favourite rogaining terrain to the rest of Australia. So, I asked my favourite past-and-present South Aussie team mates: Zara Soden (L) Mark Corbett, and Steve Cooper, to be part of the setting team. The extended Corbett clan has also been giving us assistance and advice.


The setting team: Zara, Steve, Jenny, Mark

We are also very lucky to have Craig Colwell as the event coordinator; he focuses on all the logistics and we primarily need only concern ourselves with preparing a 24-hour which we wish we ourselves could compete in.

TW: Where are the Deceptive Lands?
JC: Only half as far from Adelaide as the Northern Flinders (about 240km). A about a 3hr drive (there will also be a chartered bus).

TW: Why did the setters choose this area for the Australasian Championships?
JC: I’ve always loved the mallee country east of the Barrier Highway, and we’ve been coming here for 30 years now, orienteering in little pockets of it, and have built up a good relationship with a number of the farmers in the region. With my parents and Zara, I set the 2013 God’s Country; Beyond Hell’s Gates 12 hour in this vicinity and we enjoyed every minute of doing so.


There is nothing quite like the view to the north and east from a high hill, with wedge-tailed eagles soaring overhead. When I am out there, I never want to go back to the city!

TW: Tell us what the terrain is like?
JC: Rolling hills, deeply-incised dry creek networks more numerous than can possibly all be shown on the map, some enormous channels which have actually been flowing when the tail end of a summer cyclone comes through, very little undergrowth in the mallee scrub, some fast open flood plains, and absolutely no spinifex.

TW: Why is the rogaine titled “Deceptive Lands”?
JC: We toyed initially with something on the Goyder Council theme; Goyder having been the surveyor who in the 1860s undertook a detailed study of South Australia’s vegetation, and identified that crops would not be viable north of a virtual boundary which he drew on maps. In this region, Goyder’s line is almost visibly painted on the ground in a drought year.


The name “Deceptive Lands” came about because it’s the title of a book written in the 1960s about the history of the Terowie region, referencing the fact that in a good rainfall year this can seem like excellent cropping & grazing country, but appearances can be deceptive…as they can also be when following up a watercourse amongst the mallee, looking for a side gully at two in the morning.

TW: How can we get to the 2020 ARC?
JC: By standing on the side of main North Road and thumbing a lift as fellow rogainers go past!
Although the HH is not so very far from an airstrip, you would need to bring your own light aircraft, and the trains eventually stopped running to Terowie over 40 years after General MacArthur stood on the platform and famously declared “I came out of Bataan and I shall return”.

Seriously though, buses will be organised for competitors who require transport to/from the airport, and info on booking the bus can be found on the ARC website plus there are plenty of car hire options.


TW: Why should we come to the Deceptive Lands?
JC: Because it will be such a fun event, with great catering at the centrally-located hash house, unlimited space for free camping Fri-Sun nights, and 80 controls to choose from, plus there’s an 8 hour option for those who don’t feel inclined to do an entire 24 hours. And you can check out the antiques in Burra, or the wineries of the Clare Valley, on your way to & from the Deceptive Lands. And don’t forget to purchase a commemorative Deceptive Lands shirt.

Thanks Jenny! Hope to see you in May!

*Note that the Australasian Champs may be held in NZ in lieu of the NZ champs, depending on international border restrictions.

Find us on Facebook and Strava here.

Regards,
Tristan White
on behalf of the NSW Rogaining Committee
publicity@nswrogaining.org