Australian Long Distance Champs

A huge convoy of cars headed south through Captains Flat, a former mining town to a sleepy valley near Jerangle for the running of the Australian Long Distance Championships. Slap Up Creek was the name of the map and the area was very reminiscent of the famous "Big Badja" Granite  rock features, open paddocks, fallen timber- this map was a real test of endurance and navigation.

You have to wonder how an area such as this gets spotted. A few years ago a rogainne was held in the valley and from that came the interest in turning the area into an orienteering map.
From there aerial photos were obtained and then photogrammetry (This process takes the aerial photos which are shot in stereo and using this stereo vision to  interpret what is up, what is down and what is on the ground.) The Photogrammetry would have given the mapper the majority of boulders out in the open orange areas. Importantly the photogrammetry gives you the contours which the mapper then uses as a basis for the map.

Fortunately the weather had improved but the cold wind was but a vesper of its former self. As long as you had a jumper ready for when it increased life was good.

Early runners brought news of the competition area. many were happy with the terrain although there was universal agreement that fallen timber would be best totally cleared from the forest. One British elite was effusive in his praise in saying that this was the best area he had ever stepped on.

Dave Lotty steeped, with some difficulty onto the dais for 2nd in his class and father and son Dave and Jared McKenna claiming 3rd in their respective age classes. Georgia Jones missed 3rd place by the slimmest of margins.
Have to mention the catering by Jerangle Public School P & C. Well organised and well catered. The wraps were to die for and the cakes and slices straight from the Country Womens' Association Cook Book. Yumm would dine thre again!
Northward rolled the cars in a cloud of dust making the return trip to Canberra or Sydney or wherever all set to return to the Nation's Capital the following weekend for the Australian Middle Distance Champs and Australian Relay Champs on another new map near Bungendore.
Mid week are the Australian Schools Champs with Georgia and Lawrence Jones competing as part of the NSW "Carbines" team- good luck!