QBIII 2019

There was sunshine. There was cold. There was forest (eucalypt and pine), farm land, and a university campus. There was rock. Over the three days every experience was possible.

Day 1 Assembly at The Hut, Belanglo forest

Day 2 Assembly in the paddock at the edge of the forest, Arthursleigh

Day 3, Assembly in the atrium of the School of Medicine, Western Sydney University 

The Queen’s Birthday long weekend offered three days of  varied orienteering. 

To be in the QBIII competition for a badge required finishing the run on all there days, in the same class.

This was no mean feat for Uringans, given that QBIII was a joint Uringa-Central Coast cooperation. Course setters, course controllers and event controllers often had other things to do, not to mention the Start Team, the Finish Team and the Registration Team.

Organiser extraordinaire Ron Pallas was the overseeing centre of the complex of teams running each part of the event.  Others on the event teams sometimes chose not to run.

Awarded an honorary badge for meritorious action

Then, there was Jane Boland, who abandoned her course on Day 1 to assist an injured competitor…in spite of him telling her to finish her course.  (The SES and an ambulance were needed to retrieve the injured person, who is now recovering in hospital. Organiser Ron Pallas reports that this is only the second serious injury in his many years of event organisation.)

Finally, there were those who chose not to run all three days, or, chose to run a shorter course on Day 2 (the Long) for many and varied reasons.

Consequently, while 41 Uringans were listed to run on at least one of the three days, only 14 finished, in the same class, on each of the three days, becoming eligible for a badge presented to the first three place-getters in each class.

W12A
1 Maggie Mackay

W14A
5 Rose Haasdyk

M JuniorB
2 William Nolan

M35AS

5 Serje Robidoux

M40A
4 Joel Haasdyk

M45A
3 Ant Nolan

W45A
4 Melanie Christie
6 Zoe Melling

M45AS
1 Jim Mackay

W50A
2 Linda Sesta

W55AS
4 Gayle Shepherd

W70A
4 Mary Jane Mahony

M80A
3 Brian Cleland

Each day was also a separate NSW State League Event. Runners who finished on the day are eligible for points towards 2019 NSW State League Orienteer of the Year.

Putting on any orienteering event, but especially bush events, requires a committed team. Uringa and Central Coast have always worked well together, and the weekend was proof.

Packing up the tent requires a village, with Linda Sesta the expert in tent folding directing.

Photos thanks to Ian Jessup, Clare Jessup, Linda Sesta, Mary Jane Mahony and possibly others.