6 minute read
JWOC AT DUBBO, 2007
Busy in July 2007?
Ron Pallas Chairman Organising Committee, JWOC 2007
Join us at Junior World Orienteering Championships and Western Plains Carnival
JWOC 2007 will be the first time that the Junior World Orienteering Championships have been staged outside Europe. We expect around 300 competitors and 100 officials from 35 countries will make the trip “down under” for the event.
HERE is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get close to international orienteering action in our own backyard, featuring the most outstanding up and coming junior orienteers from all over the world. Not only will you have the chance to see the events and cheer the Aussies home, you will also be able to participate in six orienteering events interlaced within the JWOC Carnival running on maps used by the JWOC competitors. Are you up for the challenge?
Event Centre – Dubbo, NSW.
The Event Centre for JWOC and the Western Plains Carnival will be Dubbo, the geographical centre of New South Wales. This inland city with a population of 30,000 has a strong tourist base. Boasting over 3500 beds, in a variety of accommodation modes, there should be little trouble in finding something to suit everyone’s taste. Dubbo has a wide variety of shopping outlets that will provide the odd hour or two of retail therapy as well as providing a range of supermarkets for those essential goods. A wide range of eating houses from the traditional Service and Bowling Clubs to fine restaurants are on hand to sate the hungry competitors. Amongst its most famous attractions are the Dubbo Gaol and Western Plains Zoo, however there is much more to see and do. Tranquil Japanese Gardens, a range or art galleries, visit the Military Museum or observe the universe from the Dubbo Observatory. Perhaps a trip just down the road, to Parkes to visit “The Dish”, the giant radio telescope, is to your liking, or the amazing limestone caves at Wellington or gold mine at Peak Hill. Contact Dubbo City Tourism when looking for accommodation – tel: 02 68841422 or www.dubbotourism.nsw.gov.au
JWOC Competition
The JWOC carnival kicks off on Saturday 7th July with the Model Event followed by the opening ceremony later in the evening. Sunday morning will see the start of competition with the running of the Sprint. Dubbo’s most famous tourist attraction, the Western Plains Zoo, will be the venue. It is not hard to imagine competitors punching a control in clear view of both spectators and a wide variety of wild animals. The course setter, David Meyer, has resisted the temptation to run a leg through the lions’ den – pity! Could have seen some really fast splits! However he has many other interesting control placements that will not only test the runners but feature the beauty of the zoo. As a spectator you will have the opportunity to wander the zoo whilst taking in the race. There will be an entry fee to the zoo, however your ticket discounted by around 25% allows you to return anytime in the following 12 months (Easter 2008!) – Tickets must be pre-purchased via the entry form. With adrenalin still pumping, Monday will see the focus shift into terrain around Dubbo. Julian Dent will be out to test competitors in the Long-distance race with his courses tackling complex granite mapped by Eric Andrews and Alex Tarr. The terrain is a delightful mix of fast valleys and complex ridges. After a rest day on Tuesday, JWOC moves into Middle-distance mode on Wednesday. Jim Merchant has prepared the courses for the Middle-distance Qualification. The competitors are split into three heats, run simultaneously, with the top competitors in each heat making it into the A final. Thursday will see the Middledistance finals on courses set by David Shepherd. With A, B and C finals it will be a great day to be out in the forest cheering home the runners.
The last of the events is held on Friday, Relay Day. Phoebe Dent will be providing the courses for the relays which, more than any of the individual events, capture the intense rivalry between the countries, especially those Scandinavians, Swiss and Aussies!
Western Plains Carnival
The Western Plains Carnival will feature 6 events for the orienteering public. Your week will kick off with the New South Wales Championships on Saturday 7th July. The terrain is very fast spur gully with a touch of rock thrown in to prepare you for what is to come. After watching the JWOC Sprint and a perusal of the zoo competitors will head off to the Dubbo Dash which will be run on terrain close to the CBD. Monday will be a rest day, a great chance to catch the JWOC Long-distance. Tuesday will be the first chance the public has to experience the JWOC terrain as they run on the Long-distance map. On Wednesday watch the JWOC Middle-distance Qualifiers. Stock up on those Aussie flags to cheer them home! Following the Middle-distance finals on Thursday morning, orienteers will be able to test themselves on the Middle-distance map. A great opportunity to match your splits with the world’s junior elite! On Friday watch the JWOC Relays and later in the day the Australian Schools Relays. Saturday 14th sees the premier event of the carnival, the Australian Championships. Course setter Alex Davey is licking his lips over the terrain. Plenty of rock and some great contour detail will await the competitors. The Australian Relay Championships, Sunday 15th, will bring the Western Plains Carnival to an end.
Australian Schools Championships
The Australian Schools Championships are an integral part of the Western Plains Carnival. For competitors they are an important stepping-stone to inclusion in future Australian JWOC Teams. The Individual Schools Championships will be run on Tuesday utilising the map from the JWOC Long-distance event. It is anticipated that the senior boys and girls courses will include some of the legs run in the JWOC courses – what an opportunity to match it with the world’s best! Following the JWOC Relays it will be a case of putting away the Aussie flag and pulling on your state colours to lend support to the Schools teams as they battle it out for national supremacy in the Australian Schools Relay Championships.
Keeping up to date
There are two web sites to check for all the latest happenings. The JWOC website: http://jwoc2007.orienteering.asn.au The Western Plains Public Carnival website: http://www. westernplainscarnival.asn.au
The 2006 JWOC team Embargo
All forests and parkland within 100km of Dubbo and within the city of Dubbo are embargoed to orienteers. This includes access to the Western Plains Zoo.
2007 will provide a feast of orienteering in the Central West. “The Ultimax Stingers 5 Days” will be run in Orange, January 3rd – 7th. The event will attract a number of overseas entrants looking to get a taste of Aussie granite prior to JWOC.
And then there is……
Orienteering will return to Dubbo for Easter 2008. I would suggest when booking your JWOC/Western Plains accommodation, also book for Easter 2008.
JWOC TEAM CALENDAR
Calendars run from JWOC’06 to JWOC’07, so from July 06 to July 07, and have all the main event dates for the lead up to next year’s JWOC in Dubbo, NSW. Each JWOC’06 team member has the calendars for sale @ $15 each, so contact your local JWOC Team member OR e-mail Ryan Smyth on nothingman_zero@hotmail.com . Proceeds go to help fund the JWOC Team.
