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EVENT REPORT - Brown Hill Reserve - Wednesday, 25th of February, 2026!![]()
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Thanks heaps to James and Rod Gray for organising the event! Also to Alyssa for picking up controls. Plus anyone else who also helped. Huge massive thanks to Kris for doing an incredible job to spread the love of Orienteering around Ballarat and Creswick. It is inspiring to see how passionate our newcomers have been to this sport. Many of them were also made aware of Orienteering through digital channels! It works and is working!!! Keep up the enthusiasm everyone!!! 😁😁😁😁😁![]()
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It was a beautiful day and fast running along the open, manicured, golf course like river flats around Brown Hill and the mighty Yarrowee River! Super exciting results in the Short course saw Judy take the victory over Sue by just 9 seconds!!! Wowee by the Yarrowee! 😲 😁 ⌚ ![]()
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A rejuvenated and extra determined Meg returned to the forest again this week after her "surprise" 🤔 loss last week. The extra "oomph" she brought sure paid dividends and saw her well in control of the Medium course this week, staying far ahead of Kris & Georgia, Merinda & David and Dennis & Pat who all put in solid times! Well done everybody!!![]()
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Whilst the Short and Medium courses stayed close to the riverbanks and floodplains the Long course headed into wild back country!! 🌲🌳🌳🌲🌵🌳🌵🪵 Some of the controls on the Long course were extremely difficult to find!!! 😜🤪 This may have shuffled some of the time gaps but once again the end results were pretty similar to the regular scoreboard week after week!! 😆🤔😊 But probably the biggest shake up was Warwick (Wozzaw) being less than 3 minutes behind David!! That was an outstanding achievement. 👏 No matter, I loved it. Even in last place, or 5th to make it sound more respectable, I just loved it!!! It's so cool being up in Monte Christo Bushland Reserve knowing that the oval is just down below through the pine trees and yet it feels a thousand miles away. Plus no burnt stolen cars were sighted either which always is a bonus!!! 😆🤔![]()
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On the Scatter course, well, it is clear Rod is an expert. He recorded a time of precisely 45:00 minutes for the 45 minute Scatter course, after he went to all 20 controls. Amazing! That's why he is a multiple World Champion! 🏆 🏆 🏆 That is the time result what was handed to me so that is what I'm going with!!! 👏 Well done Rod!![]()
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I could have posted photos but sometimes they are just one person's perspective and don't reflect the whole event. Did anyone else take any photos? Why not post them here and share them? Maybe even just make a text only post and explain why you loved the event so much!!! 😁 Why do you love orienteering so much??? 🤔 For me, I will post this song and video. It captures exactly how much I love orienteering and why, if you listen to the lyrics. In all honesty, I sometimes think that those who have been orienteering for so long have forgotten how to share this amazing sport with others. So why don't we all share our favourite reasons with each other and lift us all up first. Who knows, we might then get so enthused that we then go and share orienteering with the world again! 🌎 ![]()
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Hope that this you, you and me, 🎶 song 🎵 really lifts you up if you are down because it makes you think about orienteering! 😁 😊 👏 👍 ![]()
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Don't forget, results are up!!! See the link below.![]()
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eventor.orienteering.asn.au/Events/ResultList?eventId=23760&groupBy=EventClass
Eureka Orienteers Summer ⛱️🌞 Orienteering Series continues at Brown Hill Reserve, Wednesday, 25th of February. Start between 6:00pm and 7:15pm, to be back before 8:00pm. See some shots in the reel below, created by the team at Orienteering Ballarat, in order to tempt you into coming along because it is such a great area! Thanks OB!!! 👏 😁 👍 The Brown Hill map is easily the most bushy area for suburban orienteering in Ballarat. We love it! It's outstanding and usually one of the most popular events of the Summer! Plenty of BBQs too!![]()
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Eureka Orienteers and orienteering, always doing as the music says, "Taking you to places that you've never been before, baby, now!". 🤙🌳🌲💃🕺🌳🌲🌳🌳![]()
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Eventor link below has some more information and a map of where to meet!!!![]()
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eventor.orienteering.asn.au/Events/Show/23760
EVENT REPORT - 18/02/2026 - Lake Esmond![]()
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Welcome back to the MCG for the Eureka Summer ⛱️ 🌞 Series! Oi, hang on, this is not the 🏏 cricket Richie??!! 🤔 Aahh, No, you are right, it's Summer ⛱️🌞 for sure, but this is the Eureka Orienteers' Summer ⛱️ 🌞 Orienteering Series and Summer 🌞⛱️ was back in a big way at Lake Esmond. The biggest crowd of the season so far turned up! It was a marvellous atmosphere at Lake Esmond from all reports.![]()
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There was also some marvellous action on all three of the line courses with some very close gaps between the Orienteers! 😲 🤙 👏 📯 ![]()
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On the Short course there was only 2m30s seperating Liz, Ethan, Pat and Dennis!!! Marvelous racing! Plus it was fantastic to welcome Shanie and Mason. We hope you enjoyed it and that you return next week at Brown Hill. You found all the controls you were meant to find so well done!!! Every event is different so it is a new adventure every single time!!!![]()
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On the Medium course, recent newcomer and winner on debut Meg may have thought she could go back to back?!! Well Meg certainly tried hard to repeat last week's victory out on a soggy VIC Park pitch, and, as discovered by our very own Orienteering Ballarat Journalist and Sports Reporter, she had this to say about her run with much gusto, "I smashed it!". However, as the finish line was crossed, the results flashed up into the electro-scoreboard and showed her in 3rd place!!! What??!! Long term Eureka Orienteers Legend & Lifetime Member Roch took the win, with Kris & Georgia, a regular team now, stepped up to take 2nd! Just 50 seconds in front of Meg who did still appear on the podium (virtual 🏆)! Keep your chin up Meg, your are doing great!!! Not to be content with their fastest time in the Short course, Liz & Ethan put on a powerhouse show of strength to go out for a 2nd course for the day! 😲 This time they were only 3 minutes behind 3rd finish in 4th! "It was a super effort, that!" Richie would have said! 🏏 5th place went to a strong team in Monica & Bindi. Note that Bindi was the only registered canine for the day 🐕 so that means Monica & Bindi are 1st place in the Canine division!!! Well done Team Dickson!!! 👏 ![]()
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Ok, now for the Long course! Take note, that there was a slight anomaly in the distances so this long course, as it may have been for a few years now, out at Lake Esmond, was certainly on the long side of Summer ⛱️🌞 Series long this time!!! Did anyone measure exactly? But that's ok. The field this week was stellar ✨. Melbourne Cup-esque! 🐎 So, that would not bother them one iota! Conditions were perfect. Athletes were primed! Hey, I'm just trying build up the suspense!!! 😆![]()
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The results! David is essentially the Eureka ⛱️🌞 Series evergreen champion. Possibly it may get renamed the David B Summer ⛱️ 🌞 Series! David took the win again. But Alyssa, who has really only been orienteering for a year or so put in an outstanding performance!!! 👏 🏆 🏅less than 4 minutes behind David!!! We all know how fast Alyssa can run!! But only four minutes behind David proves to all that your navigating/running combined is progressing well. It was a welcome back too, for Hamish who returned in 3rd place!!! Warwick (Wozzaw) and Helen returned in 4th and 5th with all runners (clearly running based on fast times!!!) were finished less than 15 minutes behind David. Clearly all of these competitors kept running and did not dilly dally whilst looking for the controls. Well done all. It was great to see Helen, who is a regular Melbourne Park & Street Orienteer, come to Ballarat. Helen clearly brings a lot of experience and Park/Street know how to Ballarat!!!![]()
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Special mention goes two absolute Super Stars!!! We thank you enormously! The results don't always show some who put in a superb performance and sacrifice their time to help out and volunteer to enable these events to run, and run well! Celsey and Dale were fantabulous! Yes, that is a word because I say so!!! It means you help so much and made a massive difference and you were very much appreciated for the awesome effort you made to make yesterdays event a success. Of course, the maestro yesterday was Blakey Blake G! Roch too, helped out with course and map preparation. Thankyou all for making the Lake Esmond Summer ⛱️ 🌞 Series event for Summer ⛱️ 🌞 2026!!! 👏 ![]()
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Thanks also to those who helped pick up controls! This is a traditional, incredibly important role, in orienteering, because after the event is finished and most of the competitors have left, the last thing the organisers want to do is go out again to get the controls!!! 🤨🤣🤔 So, control collectors thankyou heaps. This week it was Hamish, Celsey, Kris, Georgia and Dale! Marvelous!!!![]()
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Thanks also to all of you who show up! You make orienteering!!! You go out looking for those pesky orange and white things, you run into scrub, you get your feet soggy, you run around in circles saying (probably out loud!) "It must be here!!!", when you are actually not sure where you are, or where then control is!!! 😆🤣 However, then you eventually return looking bedragled, bemused and beat!!! But wait.......... suddenly, you turn around and say "That was fantastic!!!". That, folks is why we do it! Orienteering IS fantastic and it IS for everyone! Run, jog, walk, even mountain bike at some events, all are welcome! You can see some shots from the event below. Did you go to these spots? Can you even remember them anymore??!! 🤔😆🤣🫣![]()
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See you next week, Wednesday, 25th of February from 6:00pm, at Brown Hill Reserve Rotunda! You can start gathering from, say 5:45pm. ![]()
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Take note Wallaby Track parkrunners, you have no excuse if you can't find the location of this event! 🤣😆🤨 But that's ok, we will still help you!!! 😁
Now we have all dried out after last Wednesday, it is time to turn towards the next Eureka Summer ⛱️🌞 Series event, which will be held at Lake Esmond Botanical Reserve on Wednesday, the 18th of February. This lake is Ballarat's premier natural outdoor swimming location in the inner city, so you must swim, ok! 😆 I mean, look, some of you were soaking wet and much colder last week so how bad could a swim be at Lake Esmond!!! 🤷 There are also ample BBQ facilities to make a fantastic evening of things! Make of it what you will but I say enjoy that Summer evening daylight as much as you can! ☀️ ![]()
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Now, to the actual orienteering! There will be the usual Long (5-6km), Medium (2.5-3.5km) and Short (1.5-2km) courses where you must visit the checkpoints in order. Plus there will two variations of a Scatter course where you go whichever way you think is fastest in a given fixed period of time.![]()
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This Lake Esmond event does NOT just traverse the lake. There are so many patches of greenery and grassland and pathways and bush all the way East towards Sparrow Ground on the edge of Woowookarung forest. There is the Pennyweight Reserve which has expansive parklands, boulders with animal carvings, and the regions ultimate fenced dog exercise area! The dogs seem to enjoy it like a human going to a day spa!!! 🐕 🤗![]()
There is more of the Bunny Rail trail. There is a 🐎! There are flood mitigation constructions that usually mean segments of open land and bush that will take you between the houses on paths that you may never have known about before. The pathways extend to so many places along Pennyweight Gully towards Woowookarung.![]()
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Q. So then, why do I go and spend two hours walking around this place and taking a few photos just so you can see a preview?? Gee, at first thought I don't even know that!! 😆🤣 No, I do. I really do. It is because I have so much fun exploring these places. That's what orienteering is. It's another word for exploring, adventuring, exercising and having fun! I love orienteering and I know you will too. So that is why I do this and take some photos cause I just know you will love orienteering too!![]()
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See you Wednesday at Lake Esmond, up around the higher area near the BBQs, from about 6:00pm. You should start your course between 6:00pm and 7:15pm so you can finish by 8:00pm when courses close.![]()
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Below is a link to Eventor which has a bit more information and a map on how to get to the Start/Finish of the event.![]()
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eventor.orienteering.asn.au/Events/Show/23761![]()
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Please ask any questions by commenting below or messaging.![]()
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Orienteering is for everyone! It really truly is! 🌳🌳🌲🌳🏃🌳
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.