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Eureka Orienteers Foot-O Training Session, Wombat Station Forest, 30th of May, 2026.![]()
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We had a great session out near Rocklyn today. Although we were setting up a MTBO event, it was extremely interesting and fun to head away from the tracks using a map intended for use with MTBO. Essentially that means when you leave the tracks you are basically on a contours only map with 10m contours! 😲 There were some really interesting discoveries today, including extensive mining detail and some other significant landform areas that the remote elevation data just did not pick up whatsoever, and, as it was mapped for MTBO only, there was never any field work applied to the contours to add extra detail.![]()
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So what does that matter anyway? Well, today we were sharing navigation knowledge. Many people can read maps with roads, tracks, buildings. But everything is built upon the contours. Makes sense, everything we see sits atop the landforms. We discussed how contours help you know if a track will be going up or down. We discussed that ridges are generally faster with less vegetation so if you can read them then that will help speed your route choice. Plus we looked for unusual shapes and features amongst the more regular contours and then went and looked at them on the ground.![]()
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The major lesson of today's training was that contours must become fundamental and used to underpin all other navigation decisions. You can't get by sticking to tracks forever, or just using compass bearings. You have to eventually use all your resources on the map and with the compass, hence contours are the foundation so must be understood as we improve our orienteering knowledge. That is why these forest map walks are so useful and important for newer orienteers especially to help them gain that experience that we all know takes much time! ![]()
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We also enjoyed doing some good old fashioned pace counting to measure distance and confirm the scale of the map. This was also fun to use in finding our chosen navigation targets. In orienteering if is essential to have an ability to estimate distances, both how far to do and how far we have moved. It's amazing how much confidence a pace counting training session can restore our distance perception skills.![]()
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Plus, as a map and compass sport, we practiced using our compass to travel fairly solid distances of up to 400-500m. It's funny how many people come back and say "Oh, there's something wrong with my compass.". Well, how about getting and out practicing to see what is wrong! Another really fun training! For the most part we were not to bad!! Although, once or twice, things seem to go way off. But we are going to put that down to dodgy contours!! 🤣😆🤔![]()
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We kept moving along and covered over 6km and experienced the forest in magnificent sunshine, dark cloud, and some really quite heavy rain! 🌧️ It was just great to be out and about in the rain! How good is orienteering! 🧭 😁 ![]()
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Ok, things are almost ready for tomorrow's MTBO fun and we can't wait to get out there yet again!![]()
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Thanks for all who came out today and hope you enjoyed practicing navigation skills with Eureka Orienteers. The enthusiasm in the group was fantastic! Stay tuned for more training around Ballarat in the near future! 👍 😊 🌲 🌳🏃🌳🌳🚴🌳
Eureka Orienteers Foot-Orienteering Training,![]()
Saturday, 30th of May, 12:30pm to 3:00pm.![]()
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If you like this small video and think you would enjoy using a map and compass to navigate parts of this beautiful forest then come along to Barkstead this Saturday. Only 30 minutes or so from Ballarat. Even come along if you just want to enjoy the forest atmosphere. I guarantee you will be achieve some level of enhanced peace and quiet whilst you are here! 🌳🌳🌱🍄🌿🪻😊 🍀🌲![]()
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The Eureka Orienteers Team are preparing for a Mountain Bike Orienteering event on Sunday but just thought that anyone and everyone would enjoy being here, especially because it so close to Ballarat. There has been Rogaining here before but no foot orienteering, as far as recent Eureka Orienteers are aware.![]()
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As for the training, we have a number of distance estimation, direction correction, and contour interpretation exercises to enjoy. Plus, you will get some great exercise. Being able to judge distances and constantly ensure you are heading in the right direction is critical for orienteering and indeed any activity using map and compass through unfamiliar territory. This supervised training session will be awesome for newer orienteers, however more experienced orienteers are also most welcome to come along for a walk and run, if so desired. The group will probably cover around 5 or 6km over 2 hours or so. Please get in contact and let us know if you would like to come along. The EU Team will be in the area all day so, if you decide late then get in contact and we will meet you somewhere on the map.![]()
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This is an opportunity for newer orienteers to see how more experienced orienteers face navigation through spur gully terrain whilst using contours to confirm that we are moving in the right direction. It is a skill that takes practice and we can all get better at it. So, we encourage these sessions because so much knowledge can be transferred whilst out in a course in groups.![]()
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Once again, this is a bit of an unusual session but the team organising the MTBO event on Sunday just really thought it would be good to share this area with other orienteers and map and compass navigators. Bring all your navigation questions too!![]()
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See you Saturday, at Wombat Train Station, Rocklyn from 12:30pm.
Wombat Forest Eureka Orienteers Winter Foot Orienteering Training Session #1. Departing from Wombat Station at approximately 12:30pm, tomorrow, Saturday, 23rd of May.![]()
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Enjoy a fantabulous forest with beautiful tracks, trees, kangaroos, and more. Orienteering sure takes you to places you would never otherwise think of going to.![]()
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Tomorrow come along and walk or run some tracks and forest, practice contour reading, take bearings and improve distance estimation and measurement. For beginners and intermediate we will be going as a group to teach and practice orienteering skills. More experienced orienteers can also come along and run a bit further but meet up again before and after.![]()
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These sessions are not a poor substitute for an event and, infact, the more you do training like this, the more you will realise how important it is take your time, read the map and increase your skills and confidence!![]()
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But, to be totally honest, this forest is so magnificent that the team putting together Eureka Orienteers events this year merely wanted to invite everyone out to the forest near Barkstead to enjoy it. Take a look at just some of the picture to see what you may see and more!![]()
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Probably be any where between 2 and 2.5 hours all up! See the link below to view a map and then click the link to take you to a directions link.![]()
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eventor.orienteering.asn.au/Events/Show/24266![]()
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Send a message to find out more and to express your interest and let us know you would like to attend! I really think that everyone would enjoy this so that is why the invite has been made! 😁
MATCH REPORT Vic Series #4 - Chewton Diggings brought to you by Melbourne Forest Racers.![]()
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Aaahh, MFR, you've done it again!! A magnificent event was put on today by the MFR team, of which there are many. An awesome day to remind us also that it is World Orienteering Week! The rain that appeared overnight, and was much discussed by competitors, didn't really appear for the orienteering and it seemed, well, to me anyway, that I only got soaked when I decided to leave the track and cut through the pine 🌲🌲 tree regrowth near the finish!! 😆🤔![]()
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This area, Chewton Diggings, is a well loved classic. The sheer volume of diggings cutting across rock running in parallel ridges along with notable historical sites such as the Garfield Water Wheel and The Welsh Village make it clear how thousands of people would have been toiling these hills and creeks back in the gold rush days.![]()
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There was also evidence of the modern day gold rush with a gold panning and detecting outing occuring on the map today also. They were seemingly surprised when, an orienteer and their car, drove right past (a couple of metres) their shelter and under the related guy ropes. Well, they had set all the ropes up across a track, with the shelter bit partly covering the chosen car route choice! 🚗😆 Anyway, as Orienteers, it is pretty normal to see surprised people when we suddenly pop up out of the bush, seemingly from nowhere!!! 😆🌲🌳🏃🌳🌳🌲![]()
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The erosion gullies, pits, mine shafts, scars, mullock heaps, parallel spur/gully terrain, broken ground diggings and even the pine forest regrowth areas, all combined to challenge many orienteers with navigation and route choice problems to solve. Compasses were definitely essential and helped line up the features so that direction was correctly chosen. It is so easy to leave controls in ever so slightly the wrong direction. These tiny direction errors will obviously compound across the length of a leg! Use a compass!!! 🧭 All that, plus the significant long courses, which was so great to see, made it a real satisfying day out. Plus it always feels like you've been hard at work when you return covered in mud, and even some black mud, from a recent planned burn and the substantial overnight rain! How many slipped and slided today? I know I went down at least once!! 🤣😆 So much fun getting outside and enjoying the outdoors up close by getting into close contact with the ground!! 🤔🤨😊![]()
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So many of these orienteering areas around Castlemaine were chosen and mapped to showcase the best of the best Orienteering in Victoria and Australia in the lead up to the 1985 World Championships hosted in Bendigo and Castlemaine. They knew how good it was back and it is still outstanding and fantastic fun! ❤️ This area is still an absolute joy and privilege to orienteer there to this very day, today!! Even that Legends' Legend of an orienteer and mapper, Alex Tarr, who made the first map of Chewton Diggings, was there again today. Actually, even Alex admitted he made some mistakes!!! 😲 Can you believe it!! 🤔 But guess what, he still won his course, even with mistakes!! 😆😉👏 Champions just know how to win right!!!![]()
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Eight Eureka Orienteers in Judy, Roch, Dale, Blake, Warwick, Margaret, Chris and Gary, attended and represented EU in every single course! Judy once again won a block of chocolate 🍫 for her win! 🏆 👏 👏 Seems to me Judy has won a lot of chocolate over the last year!! Well done Judy!!! 🏅 ![]()
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There was a great atmosphere and location at the Chewton Gun Club facilities for which we are very grateful. There was a big event feel with the facilities and food provided by the Vic Juniors and their amazing parents. The choc chip cookies were amazing the moment I saw them. I put one in my pocket and said I would probably forget about it. Well, guess what! I did forget for a while but remembered a couple of hours later whilst driving home!!! Soooo good!! Thankyou Vic Juniors and their supporting biscuit and slice chefs! All this adds up to make a great day even better! Thankyou! 👏 👏 👏 ![]()
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Eureka Orienteers thanks the entire MFR team event lead by Carl! There is always an army of of MFR orienteers running your events with such a great depth of Orienteering knowledge and skills! It was a fantastic day and it was really enjoyed so much by many. After two VIC Series events in a short period of time, maybe you can take a short rest!! Thank you so much! ❤️ 😊 👏
Discover Orienteering is ON tomorrow Saturday, 9th of May at Brown Hill Reserve, from 10:00am until 1:00pm! Look for the Rotunda!![]()
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If you never tried orienteering or maybe you only did it at school, but not since, and thought you would like to try again, well come along and Discover Orienteering.![]()
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This program has been created to not overwhelm or bamboozle with too much technical information, but to just give you 5 tips to enable you to complete a short course. If you like you can then do another and another and maybe do all four!!!!![]()
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It seems that learning to navigate and using real maps and compasses to find your way in the bush is having a resurgence. Well take that first step in learning to navigate in a comfortable bush setting at Brown Hill Reserve Rotunda, right next to the oval!![]()
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Remember, it's totally free! You will learn, have fun, complete at least one short orienteering course and, we have Learn to Orienteer keyring whistles as well, for all those who attend! 😁🏅![]()
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What is orienteering? Well, the answer to that may be slightly different to everyone. I will tell you what it means to me. Then after tomorrow you will start to have an idea also, because you have started to Discover Orienteering for yourself! I can't wait! See you in the morning!![]()
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Orienteering Victoria
Eureka Orienteers is proudly affiliated with Orienteering Victoria.
Eastwood Leisure Complex
Eureka Orienteers thanks the Eastwood Leisure Complex for their support with the club's equipment store, and the use of their facilities for meetings and social events.
Goodsports
Eureka Orienteers has reached Level 3 accreditation as part of the Good Sports program. Good Sports works with clubs to help them provide safe and healthy environments for families to play sport.