It was a lovely day to be in the bush for a barbecue and orienteering – sunny, the occasional cloud and a cooling breeze – for the Saltbush Orienteers Moonabie Range race on Sunday May 1

The starting area was on high ground overlooking low hills and valleys to the south.

Green – trees and bushes appear healthy after the generous rainy season; a pleasant contrast to several previous dry years for the Moonabie region.

It was good to welcome the orienteers visiting from Port Lincoln and Adelaide.

Course planning was to avoid extreme rocky areas.

Course lengths have been set shorter than normal, allowing for the difficulty of navigating through the thicker vegetation.

Despite this, the times recorded for most competitors indicate slow travel through brush and trees.

Attracting eight people, this course closely followed Course 2 with additional checkpoints extending the distance.

The 5.6km was blitzed by two fast runners – local Jason Munday in 47 minutes and Tim Ashman (Port Lincoln) in 48 minutes.

Next was David George (‘Tintookie’ Club, Adelaide) in 71 minutes. The remaining times were up to two and a quarter hours.

In general, the checkpoints on the 4.2km course were on strong features, but there were a few more subtle checkpoints that needed tending.

The challenge was to keep the direction while navigating the tall vegetation and abundant trees.

There were only three individuals competing: Alan Holland – 75 minutes, Malcolm Huggett – 98 minutes, John Paterson – 101 minutes.

The Wingent-Burgan group, Claire, Lea, Michael, enjoyed exploring the map area for their two hours and looking for checkpoints.

Tall, lush vegetation and trees proved a challenge on the 3km course, with all individuals taking over an hour to find their way around the course.

Top finishers were Jessica Muller – 70 mins, Andrew Hughes – 86 mins, Silvia Friedrich – 106 mins.

Roger and Sue Story from Cowell enjoyed the course with their grandchildren Danielle and Caleb Churchett. This group recorded an honorable 81 minutes.

Although only 1.9km, I now think it was a bit too long for this area of ​​thick bush.

All competitors finished, but there were a lot of extended times from start to finish.

Beth Stevens had the pleasure of completing her run in 69 minutes.

Willy Schmitz was proud to complete his ordeal, our oldest competitor showed determination and perseverance, taking 2 hours and 38 minutes to find all the checkpoints, plus discussions with other orienteers we met along the way. road.

All in all, a successful and enjoyable day of orientation, with the opportunity to enjoy outdoor relaxation, barbecue lunch and post-course review.

Full results and details of the next event are on the Saltbush Orienteers website and facebook page.

The next event is a cross-country event in the hills of Mount Laura on Sunday, May 29.

Drive on the road to Iron Knob and there will be a sign between the McDouall-Stuart Ave junction and the Norrie Ave extension.