Good navigation skills is a matter of practice, like other skills.
The local orienteering club (Esk Valley Orienteering Club) have set up a public course at the Tailrace Park in Riverside, it is a bit elementary (i.e.. not very challenging navigation wise). You can buy a map with the control locations for $5.50 from the West Tamar Council Offices in Riverside or at Paddy Pallin and go and find the small metal red and white controls.
*Queens Domain:* Situated in the middle of Hobart and within walking distance of the CBD the Domain is a 4 km x 3 km expanse of largely undisturbed parkland, so undisturbed that it contains many native plant species which are rare elsewhere. It is alive with birdlife, particularly parrots, yet has many excellent orienteering features such as overgrown pits and quarries, rockfaces, ruined buildings, shallow gullies and tricky route choices around sports grounds and areas of suburban housing.
*Risdon Brook Reserve:* Risdon Brook Reserve is located 15 km from Hobart just off the East Derwent Highway. It is within a reserve which has limited opening hours - approx 8.00 am until 4.00 pm. So always ensure your run is timed so that your vehicle is not locked in the reserve for the night! Risdon Brook has great sandstone features on the eastern side and hilly spur and gully on the western side. Long courses going right around the dam and totalling over 7 km can easily be put together with this map. A feature of the area is that wildlife is abundant particularly wallabies and wombats with kookaburras in the trees.
*Waterworks:* The Hobart Waterworks Reserve is only 5 km from the city centre, nestled under Mt Wellington accessed up Waterworks Road from Dynnyrne. It also has restricted hours of access so make sure you have left before the gates are closed. The Waterworks offers some very steep terrain with enormous sandstone cliffs and boulders in places and some very steep and thick gullies. Courses can be set around the lower waterworks or continue up the road to Ridgeway and set a course around the upper dam which can include features ranging from boulders, quarries, shallow gullies, earth mounds and rocky ground. Wallabies abound on the hilltops and the views everywhere are superb.
*Coningham:* The Coningham State Recreation Area is just past Snug on the Channel Highway 20 km south of Hobart. This location can be accessed any time and the map offers a number of alternative starting points. It consists of a range of steeply sided hills dissected by a number of gullies. Most of these gullies exhibit rock features including some sandstone cliffs up to 3 m high. Forest is generally open with some grassy areas but gullies can be very scrubby.
For more info about these public course and an example of a map go HERE
The local orienteering club events are also a good way to develop your skills. Up and coming events include a Sunday 2 hour event on September 5 and a series of four twlight events starting after work on Wednesdays in October. All you need to do is turn up after work at the start point (see details below) in Launceston, buy a map from them (about $5), bring your runners and compass, and a pen/pencil. Pick the 'short course' (gives you more time to locate things), copy the controls to your map from the master map and go find them.
And finally, if your keen, come with me to the Australian Rogaine Championships which are being run by Rogaining Tasmania and by good fortune in the Northern Midlands one hour from Launceston (probably Nile area), 22-23 January 2011. 8 and 24 hour events (or as long or short as you want to make it). More info below.
Want help, just ask (always keen to improve navigation)
Cheers
Peter Zund
Event Details
Sunday Series Orienteering Event (2 hour event), Sunday, 5th September 2010: 10:00am to 12 noon
Contact: R Briggs 6327 2917
*Assembly:* At the “Hoo Hoo Hut”
*Directions:* From Launceston travel through Trevallyn until you reach Reatta Road, follow this to the Trevallyn Reserve and watch for orienteering signs.
*Courses:* 4km Long, 2km short, 50 and 30 minute score and a string course. Courses suitable for all ages and abilities
*Cost:* $5 for map.
*Northern Twlight Series Orienteering Events (1 hour events)*
Wednesday, 6th October, 4-6pm – Punchbowl Reserve, $5 for map.
Wednesday, 13th October, 5-6pm – Inveresk, $5 for map.
Wednesday, 20th October, 5-6pm – Heritage Forest Park, Invermay, $5 for map.
Wednesday, 27th October, 5-6pm – Western Suburbs, $5 for map.
For more information see the website HERE
Australian Rogaining Championships - Tasmania 22 - 23 January, 2011
Rogaining Tasmania is proud to host the 2011 Australian Rogaining Championships. They will be held in the northern Midlands of Tasmania with the Hash House being approximately one hour from Launceston and two hours from Hobart.
The terrain will be a mixture of open plains (farmland) and steeper lightly wooded hills. Many gullies have thicker vegetation lowering visibility. Courses will be set by experienced rogainers John Brock, Darryl Smith, Karen Pedley and Nigel Davies.
For more information please visit the championship website: http://arc2011.rt.asn.au/