Tuesday 29 December 2009

Start/Finish: Pax Hill Activity Centre – the assembly and food hall, corner of Fussell Street and Spencer Street.

Directions: Take Western Highway to Ballarat; turn off at first Ballarat city exit; turn left at first traffic light (Fussell Street); travel south past the Ballarat Wildlife Park to the end of Fussell Street – at a stop sign; the entrance to Pax Hill is adjacent to the intersection with Spencer Street; please park as directed.

Starting Times:  from 6.00 pm – registration opens at 5.00 pm. Rider briefing at 5.45 pm for all riders.

Cost: VOA members $10, Juniors $5.00; non members $20, Junior non-members $10

Format: You have 75 minutes to punch as many of the 20 controls printed on your map as you can fit in; all controls are on track bends, intersections or junctions so the navigation is just like reading a Melways! Some controls will be in the suburban streets and parks, but most will be east, south and north of the camp in beautiful “Canadian Forest” on 4-wheel drive or single-tracks.

Punching System: Eureka will be using the simple SportIdent system used at the Cyclic Navigator instead of the punch hanging from the control.  Bring your SI stick or rent one from us at $3.00. The printout you get at the end of your ride will record all the controls you visit and the time between controls as well as your elapsed time. Then you can compare the way you chose to get to the controls and just who had the fastest split time.

Accommodation: Available at Pax Hill for $15 per person in a cabin (bring your own sleeping bag and food) or $7.50 per person camping.

If you plan to stay at the camp on Tuesday night after the ride, reservations must be made with Blake Gordon on eurekaoATtpg.com.au by Tuesday night the 22nd of December.

Extra Bonuses on Wednesday morning:

1  Why not ride the newly resurfaced rail trail to Linton or all the way to Skipton (no cost for a great ride) ? or

2  Get a 1:20 000 map of Creswick Forest from Blake (last years’ MTBO event in the Xmas holidays) and ride one of the nicest areas in Victoria with the Slaty Creek Picnic Ground as a base?

3  Or do the 20-control foot orienteering course at the Pax Hill Centre – either with a torch on Tuesday night or first thing Wednesday?

Get a map for $2 from Blake on Tuesday evening.