Orienteering - Park (#03 King Edward Park) 27:55 [4] 3.8 km (7:21 / km)
shoes: Big W $40 Cheapies
New map with 1:3000 scale rather than the normal 1:4000 scale. Macey set an excellent course challenging both mentally and physically with much more navigation attention required than on a usual Park Event. Hills meant I sweated a lot more than previous events and clothes soaked by the end ... although breathing not as heavy and wasn't running as fast due to the hills. 30 Controls meant on average less than 1 minute between controls so struggled to look 2 controls ahead on the map (to immediately run out of each control when punching) so really only looked at next control each time ... rather than thinking ahead. Didn't get stop watch to start on time so just used watch time elapsed from 5:10 pm as approximate guide. Blow by blow account follows :
Control 1 - No dramas as within metres of start and had seen people already run to it! Barely looked at map.
Control 2 - Approached from the correct southern side but 10 seconds of searching for the right gap in the bush. Didn't even see the track on the map until I got into the bush.
Control 3 - No problem
Control 4 - Probably worst time loss 20-30 seconds. Even though I knew the black square was the toilet block I couldn't equate the stairs to it. Flag was folded up against wall so I didn't see it.
Control 5 - No problem
Control 6 - Had to think about the route to get around the "green" but no problem.
Control 7 - No problem.
Control 8 - Found Control 25 first on the way and then stood at the base of the shed going ??? before realising the stairs next to it lead up to the roof of the shed where the control was.
Control 9 - No problem.
Control 10 - No problem.
Control 11 - Didn't see bridge on the map at the time as red circle obscured it but saw Bob Gilbert come out of the control so no problem.
Control 12 - No problem.
Control 13 - Went back up to 11 first and contoured around rather than running down and up again but no problem.
Control 14 - No problem .... turn map over and see what remained.
Control 15 - No problem.
Control 16 - Ran down gully side rather than track but no problem.
Control 17 - No problem as read control description to tell me which side of bush to look.
Control 18 - Ran past Control 2 and track through bush which lead straight to it.
Control 19 - Thrown a bit by map but ran north to edge of lower road and then round the bend straight to it.
Control 20 - No problem.
Control 21 - Map colours tended to indicate there was gaps in the bush rather than doing the extra 50 m to go south down the track. Found no gaps and had to do a lot of jumping downhill to get out of waist deep undergrowth. Should have used track!
Control 22 - No problem.
Control 23 - Never knew this fort was here and it seemed surrounded by impassable "green" but when got closer could see the track on the map .... then found it in reality.
Control 24 - No problem.
Control 25 - Ahaha ... 2nd time I found you.
Control 26 - No problem. Tiredness well and truly kicked in by now.
Control 27 - No problem.
Control 28 - No problem.
Control 29 - No problem.
Control 30 - No problem.
Didn't hang around until the end to see the speed demons time but expect below 22 minutes so I went reasonably well.