BENDIGO Orienteers are gearing up for the start of a new season navigating the region\u2019s bushland, with two come and try days scheduled this month for newcomers to have a go.<\/p>\n
The international sport sees participants power through unfamiliar terrain with speed, accuracy and old school tools.<\/p>\n
\u201cOrienteering takes you to places where most people don\u2019t go to. You\u2019re right deep in the forest, you\u2019re not always on track,\u201d group committee member Julie Flynn said.<\/p>\n
\u201cVery often its new terrain, so you haven\u2019t been there before, and you haven\u2019t seen the map before.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re competitive, you\u2019re usually running cross country so you\u2019re jumping, ducking under things, weaving, trying not to fall over, going up and down hills and through water courses. It can be quite demanding.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes we get lost and we have to work out where we are but with a map and a compass you can do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Ms Flynn, the physically demanding challenge orienteering presents is its biggest drawcard but getting off the beaten track is equally enjoyable.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love getting out in the bush, I love feeling like I\u2019m alone in the forest sometimes,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to run or be competitive against other people, you can be competitive against yourself.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can just do it to enjoy being out in the forest, the challenge of working out where you are and how to get from A to B.\u201d<\/p>\n
Two come and try days with easy and moderate courses will be held on 19 and 26 March in Kangaroo Flat and Maiden Gully, respectively.<\/p>\n
For more information, search Bendigo Orienteers on Facebook.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BENDIGO Orienteers are gearing up for the start of a new season navigating the region\u2019s bushland, with two come and try days scheduled this month for newcomers to have a go. The international sport sees participants power through unfamiliar terrain with speed, accuracy and old school tools. \u201cOrienteering takes you to places where most people […]<\/p>\n