Orienteering – A Challenging, Adventure-Based, Sport for Life
Eureka Orienteers is a Ballarat-based recreation club, responsible for the organisation and promotion of Orienteering in central Western Victoria.
Orienteering is a family of outdoor sports that involves navigating with a map and compass around a set course, defined by several control points, in a timed race against the clock.
Orienteering in Australia is most commonly done on foot (known as FootO) or on a mountain bike (known as MTBO). Ski orienteering, canoe orienteering, radio orienteering, trail orienteering and rogaining are other variations; car rallying is a motor sport that involves a form of orienteering as a component; and the popular pastime of Geocaching also uses orienteering skills. Orienteering was developed in Sweden in the late 1800′s, with origins in map-reading training exercises set up for military troops.
Orienteering is unique in that everyone involved at an event can participate or compete on exactly the same maps and terrain, from rank beginners to world-class elite athletes, to family groups and nature-loving bushwalkers. Participant ages typically range from under 5, through to 95 plus, and events cater for all ages and levels of fitness, maturity and experience. Orienteering also develops skills in navigation, self-confidence, self-reliance and environmental appreciation, which are all great life skills to develop.
This website is here to provide information for members and visitors concerning:
- News items of interest
- Information for Newcomers
- Information about joining Eureka, including the online membership form
- Event calendars, including event entry forms and event organisation information
- Event results, and state, national and world rankings
- The Victorian MTBO RouteGadget Page
- Photography of club activities
- Eureka club history
- Links to related associations and orienteering organisations
Those new to the sport should start by reading the Eureka Newcomers page, the Orienteering Australia Newcomers page, and the Victorian Orienteering Association Newcomers page.