PARK AND STREET-O IN AUSTRALIA

Park & Street Orienteering Park & Street Orienteering

around Australia – part 2 around Australia – part 2

Debbie Dodd (VIC) Debbie Dodd (VIC)

Last issue we compared Park & Street-O events in Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia. This time we continue our round-Australia look at urban Orienteering, featuring Tasmania, Western Australia and Victoria.

Tasmania:

What they lack in population down south, they more than make up for in enthusiasm, with no less than six different Park & Street-O series operating across the State through the year. The Tassie summer season kicks off with the Southern Schools/Twilight Series - 6 events in October/November and another 6 in February/March. Venues are parks and reserves around Hobart, on Wednesdays. School competitors start between 4pm and 5pm, with separate starts for adults afterwards. The series is run by Orienteering Tasmania with organisers from the two southern clubs. Juniors are usually assigned to organise events under the guidance of a senior, to give them experience. The School series uses its own set of 20 lockable punch controls on chains for fence corners, park seats, etc. There are four traditional courses (4k, 3k, 2k & beginners). Up to 170 competitors take part (80% are school students), with some schools providing bus transport. “This is a huge increase on the 50 per event just three years ago, and the challenge now is to sustain the momentum”, said OT Director of Publicity & Promotion, Bert Elson. At the same time, the Northern Schools/Twilight Series is run by EVOC club in Launceston’s parks, featuring 5 events in October/November and 5 events in February/March usually offering 3 line courses and 2 scatter (i.e. all the controls you can get in 30 or 45 minutes). This series attracts about 50 participants each week. Both Schools series are advertised through the website, weekly e-mail bulletin and monthly printed newsletter. Schools are also advised of details. During school holidays, the Tassie Juniors run the 6-event Southern Summer Series in Hobart, on Wednesday evenings, with starts from 4pm to 6pm. Up to 50 participants compete on the four courses (4k, 3k, 2k & beginners). The Juniors keep the entry fees as a fundraising exercise. Most states face a major challenge in attracting 21-35 year olds. Tasmania has had great success with its popular Corporate Challenge, which now boasts 150 competitors per event. Two series operate over consecutive weeks in March (Autumn series) and November (Spring series). There is only one course of about 3.5 km, starting very easy in week 1 and grading up to moderate in week 4. A 30-minute mass start score event rounds out each series, followed by a barbecue and presentations. Corporate teams of 3 run independently and times are added. A handicap scheme ensures that almost any team can win the series, but individual times go up on the board at each event so the runners can see how they’re going. Competition is held at lunchtime and after work on Thursdays. The series is promoted on the OT website, through e-mails to previous participants, and fliers to businesses. “Events are held mostly on streets and tracks on Hobart's Queens Domain. This year we’ll be trying some variations such as 2 courses (4k and 3k) and a new venue – Hobart’s Waterworks Reserve”, explained Bert. “We had a big increase over the first three years, but numbers are levelling out now”. Park & Street-O in Tasmania doesn’t stop there. The Southern Winter Park series is organised each year by Wellington Ranges Club. There are four events on successive Sundays in June/July in Hobart, which is lucky enough to have a number of bushy inner city reserves - the

events are true park orienteering with no street legs. Participants are mostly club orienteers and families but it also attracts newcomers. Maps are 1:5,000, and there are lots of controls and short legs, over a total distance of 2.5 to 3 km. This popular series is growing, with around 100 participants per event, and sounds like excellent practice for the Sprint Championships now held in each state! A similar Northern Winter Park series is run in Launceston by EVOC.

Western Australia:

On the other side of the country, Western Australia has been running Park & Street events since 1990. They began in Bunbury as a way of providing fitness and a social atmosphere during the ‘non-bush’ season. The current Perth series, run by the Western Nomads (WA’s National League Team), consists of 12 events from November to February, held on Saturdays at 5pm. Bunbury hold 4-5 events each summer, on weekdays, organised by the local club. Events are scatter format, using plastic plates on lockable wire cables. There’s a choice of short, medium and long courses, with divisions for junior, senior & veteran men and women on each. The Perth events attract 100-120 competitors, and numbers have been slowly growing. The biggest participation is in the senior age group, and the Groups category is also popular. “Events often start in school grounds and in 2004/5 we will run an event for the school on the Wednesday before a Saturday event”, said OAWA Secretary Cath Chalmers. “Publicity for our events is via brochures in running shops, camping gear shops, public libraries and recreation centres. There have been short articles in local newspapers, event results in the main paper, and radio appearances when possible. On one occasion the Western Nomads were interviewed on the local community TV sports show”.

Victoria:

Victoria can be considered the home of Park & Street-O – the first events were held in 1976 at Blackburn Lake (using a map produced by Mike Hubbert) and Beaumaris. In the 28 years since, the sport has gone ahead in leaps and bounds. Events are run all year, with four concurrent series across Melbourne on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday nights during daylight saving; and Tuesday & Wednesday nights, plus regular series on Saturday and Sunday during the rest of the year. In 2004 there was a total of 140 Park & Street events, and that figure will grow to around 160 in 2005. Events are held mainly in and around suburban Melbourne, but the format is growing in Ballarat and Wodonga as well. There are half a dozen Melbourne based clubs which all run events, as well as Eureka (Ballarat), AlburyWodonga and Central Highlands. The format is generally Scatter-O during daylight saving and Score-O for night events, though all Power Walker courses are score. “Some Sunday events such as SprintO and MicrO are line courses, and there's also the RadiO courses run in conjunction. This year will see the introduction of Victorian MicrO Championships and Relays, and a Sprint Championship”, said Mike Hubbert, Victoria’s Park & Street Coordinator. “Controls are usually metal plates chained to an object. MicrO events often use miniature flags. There is in development a low-cost system for electronic punching which will probably be trialled in the second quarter of 2005”, Mike continued. “There are 5 or 6 courses from 10k to 2-3k, with one being for Power Walkers. In summer the courses are divided into age groups, but during the rest of the year a divisional grading system is used based on previous performances”. Mike has been tracking attendances over a number of years, and has found that participation is very much dependent upon region - during last summer, attendance at events in Melbourne's eastern suburbs averaged 140, western suburbs 80, and 100 in the northern suburbs. During the rest of the year, mid-week night events averaged 100. Three schools compete regularly during summer and cooperation with Leisure Action brings disabled competitors to selected events. Scouts groups occasionally attend when an event is in their area, and numbers can swell to almost 300. In any one week over summer there could be close to 600 competitors. Most participants are in the 35-60 age bracket with the majority being male. Female participation is stronger on the hugely popular Power Walker courses, and there is a significant number of juniors attending regularly. Overall, participation is growing quite rapidly. Power Walkers now account for about one-third of all participants. An 8-page printed colour Program is the primary vehicle for promotion. Programs are distributed widely to schools, gyms, libraries and sporting clubs. Information from the program is provided on the OVic and streetO web sites and is included in two weekly e-bulletins. Most new participants have found the events from the program on web sites.

“Project funding from VicHealth provides for the employment of Project Officers to promote events in the western and northern suburbs”, said Mike. “VicHealth funding also allowed purchase of three freestanding Park & Street-O flags which improve the appearance of event sites and attract the attention of passersby”. As you can see, the formats may vary, but Urban Orienteering is providing a wonderful vehicle for fitness and fun to increasing numbers of Australians of all ages and abilities.

Thanks to Bert Elson (Tas), Cath Chalmers (WA) and Mike Hubbert (Vic) for information provided.