Hi Eurekaites

We’ve had a busy month of July – with plenty of events (not only o-ing) and lots of great memories.

1 World Rogaining Gold for Geoff Lawford and Rod Gray Geoff and Rod have done it again in the Super Vets Division claiming a world title at the World Rogaining Championships in Russia on 27 July. We should see the Lawfords soon back from their European adventure. Rod has bought a new house in Ballarat but is still a few months from returning to Australia from his mining job in Kazakhstan.

2 Three Australian MTBO Champions from Eureka at Gympie Last weekend Monica, Declan, Dale and Blake flew up to Gympie Qld for the national mtbo titles in the relatively warmer Queensland weather. Declan rode well enough on Saturday to win the Middle distance race, and despite one big error (in a mapped area undergoing logging) won again on Sunday. Dale (W70) and Blake (M70) each claimed wins in the Saturday race in the suburbs of Gympie – but finished 2nd and 3rd respectively on Sunday at Coondoo Creek in the vast pine forest between Gympie and Maryborough. Monica scored valuable national points in W40 with a 5th and a 6th to hold down 2nd place in W40. Over 30 NZL riders and 15 from Victoria made the national event a resounding success. Eureka’s foursome contributed 27 of Vics 103 points. The Australian Sprint titles in ACT in early October in Round 3 of the National MTBO Series will round off the 2013 season. Declan is headed off to the Victorian Schoolboys titles representing St Patrick’s College (and Eureka) at Lysterfield on Friday 9th August. Eureka wish him well in the Junior Boys – which he won last year at the You Yangs.

3 Next Eureka Local Event Organiser: Chris Norwood; Date: Sunday, 11 August; Start times – 10 am to 11.30 am; no toilets

Directions: Take Midland Highway (A300) north from Ballarat to Creswick. Turn right into C291 Creswick-Bungaree Road and after 2km right into Slatey Creek Road (O-sign) toward the Slatey Creek Picnic Ground. Follow Slatey Creek Rd for 1.2 km and turn right onto Petticoat Road (O-sign). Follow Petticoat Rd for approximately 2.5km to the assembly/start.

Courses: Area has complex gold mining and spur gully

Course 1 5.8km Hard Navigation

Course 2 3.6 Km Hard navigation

Course 3 3.7 km Moderate navigation

Course 4 2.5 km Easy navigation

4 Testimonial Dinner for Tom and Lesley August 10th at the Crown Hotel in Buninyong; 5.30 for 6pm. Contact Mark Valentine for your reservations by August 4th (or add your name(s) at Jim Crow on Sunday). Remember to bring your memories/stories/artefacts of the Senior Norwoods enormous contribution to Ballarat’s Eureka Orienteers. It will be a night to remember for the Eureka clan.

5 Sunday’s Orienteering at Jim Crow Foot-o returns to the Ballarat / Daylesford area on this Sunday from 10 am to 1.00 pm. Tonight is the last time you can get the reduced rates on Eventor so be sure to log on and enter. The Ovenden family – Connor (14) and Molly (U10) – will be making their first go at a big event so welcome them at the Eureka shelter/flag and introduce them to the Eureka family! Hope to see Dale Marsh and his family and the Darren Gray family at this event – as well as the “regulars” and our returning JWOC and WOC members – Ian and Aislinn. Driving directions on the Eventor website. Let’s see if we can get 20 Eureka members to this “pretty close to local” event – 30 minutes from Ballarat.